Paul revealed his love for the Jewish people and become concerned for their salvation. He was even willing to suffer condemnation instead of them. The Jewish people is the chosen people of God, who were the first ones to receive the law, temple worship and God's promises.
Paul wanted to point out that God did not reject the Jewish people because he reject the belief that salvation comes from following the law of Moses. Paul states that the children of Abraham are not those who physically descend from the family line, but those who have faith in Christ. God's promises is still valid even though there are many Israelites who do not believe in Christ.
The children of the promises are those who have faith in Christ. Ishmael and Isaac are the two sons of Abraham. Ishmael was the offspring of Abraham and Sarah's maid servant, Hagar. Isaac the offspring of Abraham and Sarah. God promised Abraham that he and his wife Sarah will have a son in their old age. Later, Sarah gave birth to Isaac.
Paul used another examples of Jacob and Esau, the twin sons of Rebekah and Isaac. Before they were born, Rebekah felt that the babies were jostling against each other. When Rebekah prayed about it, God said that the older will serve the younger (Genesis 25:22 - 23). God had chosen Jacob to be the heir of his promise even before his birth. This shows that God chose Jacob to be the heir of his promise not because of what he has done but according to his own will.
God is the creator of all things. He has the power to determine what will happen. God has the right to decide who he wants to have mercy on. He raised Pharaoh to be the king of Egypt in order to bring glory to his own name. God is the potter and we are the clay. As the creations of God, we have no right to talk back to him. Because he is the creator, he can do whatever he want.
God is holy and cannot tolerate sin. He is the one that raised up objects of wrath. Instead of destroying the object that stirs up his wrath, he is patient with them until they have sin against him to the extreme so that his name can be made known to people and be glorified.
The Gentiles are originally not God's people. However, through the calling of God, they can become the people of God. Because the Gentiles believe in Christ, they are saved. The Jews who did not believe in Christ are not saved. Salvation cannot be attained by one's own strength, but only through faith in Christ.
Following the laws does not make one righteous. The law was established to show that men need the grace of God in order to receive salvation. Christ is the stone that causes the Jews to fell because the Jews refuse to place their faith in him.
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