Covenant Children in the Shift from Jews to Gentiles (Rom 9.25-26) WestminsterReformedChurch.org Pastor Ostella October 29, 2017 As indeed he says in Hosea, "Those who were not my people I will call 'my people,' and her who was not beloved I will call 'beloved.'" 26 "And in the very place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' there they will be called 'sons of the living God.'" 1 Introduction In Romans 9.19-29, Paul responds to a complaint that boils down to arrogant back-talk. His counter is to ask, what becomes of this complaining against God when the things objected to have the goal of showing mercy to both Jews and Gentiles according to what He promised? There is no complaint to be raised against Yahweh, when He exercises His every right to do whatever He chooses, to our astonishment, by showing mercy to a sinful world of Jews and Gentiles in order to display His glory and reveal His faithful fulfillment of the Scriptures. Although the shift from Jews to Gentiles (from Jewish particularism of the OT to national universalism of the NT) is an astounding truth, it was nevertheless difficult for the early church to absorb. But it is also important and rich with implications regarding definite atonement and the free offer of the gospel. And another related implication that we will tackle today has to do with how the shift from Jews to Gentiles affects our understanding of covenant children. To develop this subject, we will cover two main things: 1) the way we are to understand the language of covenant children, and 2) the way this understanding applies to the children of the church. I. First, the way we are to understand the language of covenant children There are five main uses in Scripture. Our reference point is the forefather, Abraham, with whom God entered into a special covenant relationship. From the beginning, that relationship was limited within his family by a principle of not all but some of God s own choosing. Therefore, the language of covenant children is not applicable to all of his children according to the flesh. It does not apply to his offspring through all his wives, Hagar, Keturah, and Sarah. Covenant children applies to his offspring through Sarah. This brings us to the first usage, the children of promise. 1. Children of promise These are Abraham s children by Sarah through Isaac, their child of the promise of the Lord who said: next year I will return, and Sarah shall have a son (Rom 9.9 from Gen 18.10, 14). The promised son was to be named Isaac and God stated that His covenant will be with him and his offspring in the generations to come (Gen 17.19): Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after Note the varied use of terms for the people of God in 9.25-29. 1 In 25, not my people refers to the children of promise cast off and merged into the Gentile world as virtual Gentiles. In 25-26, being called my people, beloved, and sons of the living God refers to the saved remnant in return from Babylonian exile. In 27a, Israel refers to God s people, the children of His promises. In 27b, the children (sons) of Jacob refer to the descendants of Jacob. In 27c, the remnant of them refers to the true Israel within Israel (as 6b). In 29a, offspring refers to the preservation of children of promise from annihilation; from a disobedient people who have become as numerous as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be delivered from Babylonian exile to continue the existence of the promised people through whom Christ would come but the remnant also includes children of God from among the children of promise. From Hosea and Isaiah together, Paul sees even more than the promise of the return of Judah from exile. He sees the promise of the efficacious call to salvation of Gentiles in the blessing of those who are not my people because the children of promise and the Gentiles are one people under judgment. The children of promise are expanded to include the nations of the world, all not my people, but from whom I will save a remnant that will be called sons of the living God.
!2 him. Paul states that the children of the promise are counted as offspring (Rom 9.8b), not through Ishmael, and in turn not through Esau but through Isaac, Jacob, and his twelve sons. Eventually, the children of promise became a national embodiment of the promises to Eve and Abraham, and their place in the Promised Land embodied the promise of the saved world to come in eternal glory (Rom 4.13). Even in their failure to be what they ought to be, God gave us the gospel through the Israelites in their institutions, and from their race in covenant fulfillment is the Christ who is God over all (Rom 9.5). Covenant children refers to children of the promise through Isaac. 2. Children of God Covenant children is also a designation for the true Israel by faith. To the Jews who said, Abraham is our father, Jesus replied, If you were Abraham's children, you would be doing the works Abraham did (Jn 8.39) but your father is the devil (Jn 8.44). Likewise, earlier in Romans, Paul said: For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical 29 But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter (2.28-29). In Romans 9, Paul states that those who belong to Israel, the true Israel, are the children of God (v. 8). Thus, covenant children may refer to the children of God from within the children of promise. 3. A third use is children of promise under judgment This is a unique way of referring to the children of Abraham that Paul draws from the book of Hosea in Romans 9.25-26. You will recall that Hosea has an unfaithful wife who represents Israel of the southern kingdom, as an unfaithful adulterous wife of Yahweh. Therefore, the nation s children will be cast off in the coming exile and considered not my people (9.25; as the prophet s son was named). In other words, under judgment, the people are so blended with the nations that they virtually become Gentiles and are identified as such by God. Then the prophet looks ahead to the return from exile when the Lord will reach out to deliver the covenant children under judgment. Paul takes this as a promise of calling from the Jews of his time and interestingly, he also takes it to be a promise that God is calling also from the Gentiles (9.24). So, in the promise to bring the Jews back from judgment in blessing, He also promises to call Gentiles to Himself to be sons of the living God. Therefore, covenant children are the people of the world made up of both Jews and Gentiles; they are all the children of promise under judgment, as covenant breakers. We know of course that not all children of promise are children of God, but the promises belong to them and we are to take those promises to all without distinction because by the resurrection God commands all people everywhere to repent (Acts 17.30). 2 From this perspective, it is easy to understand that the Gentiles (by the interweaving of the Jews with them as not my people), are now in a sense (implicitly) children of promise to whom God extends His free offer of the gospel and from whom He effectually calls both Jews and Gentiles to Himself. 3 From children of promise under judgment, we turn to another usage. 2 The Book of Acts confirms this outlook when it shows how the gospel reaches the nations in divinely deliberate stages, beginning at Jerusalem and extending to Samaria, Judea, and to the uttermost parts of the earth (1.8 as the outline of the book). The gospel has come to all families of the earth through a process of historical unfolding in households in which no one is presumed to be without the promise of the gospel.the Jews who crucified Christ, the children upon whom these Jews invoked curses when they crucified Christ, the Gentiles who with wicked hands crucified the Lord of glory, Gentile soldier-householders, Roman jailers, and Gentile women are representative examples (cited in Acts) that demonstrate that neither Jews nor Gentiles in their unfolding histories as households are outside of God's kingdom or without God's promise of forgiveness in Christ. If we sink our feet deep into the struggles of the early church, we may well ask, do the Gentiles have a right to the 3 sacraments of the new covenant? If we think of this right from the OT forward, it can be formulated as a argument. Children of Abraham have the right to the sacraments and NT believers including Gentiles are the children of Abraham. Therefore, NT believers including Gentiles have the right to the sacraments. This argument is needed whenever we struggle with the fact that Gentiles are now part of the new wineskin family of Abraham. By faith, they are now children of Abraham, covenant children, the people of God, the new Israel along with Jews. As such, no one is to be restricted from the sacraments because of national distinction.
!3 4. Covenant children are children of God from all nations Thus, now, per Romans 9.24, by His call the new Israel, the church, is composed of both Jews and Gentiles. The saving of Israelites promised by God through the prophet Hosea was a promise, Paul says, of God s efficacious call of Jews and Gentiles to be the children of God in the church of the present time. Therefore, it is no surprise that children of all nations are called the sons of the living God (9.26). Remarkably, Paul tells us in Galatians 3.13-14 that Christ was hanged on the tree so that the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith. Therefore, through fulfillment of the promised offspring, through the greater-than-isaac (Gal 3.16), Paul goes on to say (Gal 3.26, 28-29): you are all sons of God, through faith 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek 29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise. So, covenant children in this sense refers to children of God drawn from all nations by God s effectual call that issues in the obedience of faith. 5. Finally, with wide scope, covenant children are the elect of the eternal covenant The most important verse here is Hebrews 2.16 in the context of the children that God gave to Christ before He became incarnate and thereby became their merciful high priest (2.11-14). In 2.16, the writer states that He helps the offspring of Abraham. Here the offspring of Abraham refers to the children of the eternal covenant; they are God s children by the covenant that reaches back to the fall, long before the covenant with Abraham. They are the offspring of Eve (Gen 3.15) by redemption through her redeemer-offspring of promise, the greater Issac, Jesus Christ our Lord. So, even though they lived before Abraham, they are called offspring of Abraham because their redemption is through Christ, the offspring of the promise to Abraham. Included of course are those of the true Israel of the OT, and those of the true Israel of the NT, not people who merely profess faith but who truly posses it. They are the elect of all time for whom Christ made propitiation according to the pact of salvation, the pactum salutis (Heb 2.14, 17-18). Obviously, this usage is unique in more ways than one. So, covenant children may refer to children of promise, children of God, children of promise under judgment, children of God from all nations, and children of God by eternal covenant. II. The way this understanding of covenant children applies to the children of the church How do we identify the children of the church, that is, the children growing up in the church from infancy? More importantly, how does our understanding of covenant children work out in gospel nurture in the unfolding of church life that is not static but dynamic? These questions point to two things: identification and nurture. A. First, consider the matter of identification (then the mechanics of nurture) Up front, it is obvious that the uses of covenant children outlined above are not immediately applicable to the children of the church. But it seems to me that the Second Helvetic Confession is unclear when it says that newborn infants of the faithful are in the covenant of God (XX). Moreover, it appears that Dort missteps when it seeks to comfort Christian parents who lose infant children in death. The misstep is to ground their salvation in the thought that the children of believers are comprehended with their parents in the covenant of grace (Canons, First Main Point of Doctrine, Art. 17). To me, it is similarly unclear to say that infants descended from parents, either both or but one of them professing faith in Christ are, in that respect, within the covenant (WLC 166). Lack of clarity becomes evident when we ask this question, what does it mean for children of Christian parentage to be within the covenant, that is, specifically within the Abrahamic covenant? Granted, believing parents (Jew or Gentile) are the children of Abraham spiritually (Gal 3.29), but surely that does not mean that we count their infants to be the children of Abraham (i.e. covenant children) spiritually. Nor do we count them covenant children in the sense of being children of promise through whom Christ would come,
!4 from the patriarchs, and from their race according to the flesh (Rom 9.5). Notably, that is the use in Acts 3.25 where we have the only reference in the NT to children of the covenant: You are the sons of the covenant [sons and daughters, i.e. covenant children, children of the covenant] that God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, 'And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.' Also, typically in the Reformed tradition (with exceptions), infants of the church are not considered covenant children in the sense of being the true, saved Israel, or the elect of the eternal covenant (though that thinking has some deep roots among Reformed pastors and theologians). So, let s look in another direction. Can we speak of the children growing up in the church from infancy as covenant children in the sense that they are children of promise under judgment to whom the promises of the gospel belong? Yes, and this seems most appropriate. Notice that this is not saying that they are little pagans, nor is it saying that they are little Christians. Instead, it is in keeping with the fact that even though they are covenant breakers who sinned in Adam, and who are not my people interwoven with Jews and Gentiles of all nations, nonetheless, the covenants and promises belong to them to be received by faith. They have the gospel promises surrounding them at home by example and instruction from their Christian parents from infancy to adulthood. And, they have the gospel promises proclaimed at church in their hearing as infants, adolescents, teens, and adults. The appropriateness of thinking of them as children of promise in this way is directly relevant to raising them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord with much prayer. 4 Before losing sight of my effort with questions, let s hear the rest of the story. So, let s now turn to the mechanics of gospel nurture, remembering that what we say regarding children applies to all adults mutata mutandis (once we make the necessary adjustments). B. Now, consider the mechanics (the how to ) of gospel nurture It is helpful to begin with the fall in Adam and therefore to think of newborns, and all children, as fallen image bearers of God. That is, to emphasize the point, they are His image bearers, though their imaging is marred and fallen. So, they need restoration in the image of God. Some suggestions on how we teach them involves the following things: Christ is their Lord, the gospel belongs to them, God loves them, and the Father in heaven is their Father. 1. First, Christ is their Lord. In the most fundamental sense, Jesus is Sabbath king and universal covenant Lord. He is their Lord because He is Lord of all (Rom 9.5), ruler of all families and of all persons on earth. No one makes Him his or her Lord; the issue is to submit to Him as Lord. Everyone is now in His kingdom as wheat and tares. At the end of the age, the Son of man will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers (Mat 13.41). In this age of Gentile expansion by the Sower of gospel seed, all our children are covenant people under judgment, the not my people, and by the gospel we call them to become repentant covenant keepers. We do so in the dynamics of the church, of its growth, development, and change over time. Therefore, we call them to repentance as little ones, teens, and adults; we exhort them to acknowledge Jesus as their Lord; to believe in their hearts and confess with their mouths that Jesus is risen Lord. In this way, we call them to be sons of God by faith (Gal 3.26) and heirs according to promise (Gal 3.29). Thus, the point is not that we call them to make Jesus Lord of their lives, but to commit themselves to Him as their Lord for obedience, under His authority, to do whatever He commands. 2. Second, the gospel belongs to them Polemics (arguments and dialogue) regarding the proper candidates of baptism are not within the orbit of thought 4 here. It is relevant but the interest here is to work from the identification of covenant children in the history of redemption to suggest ways of gospel nurture that apply whatever one s stance may be. This is the primary order of business and necessary to address because of the limited way the subject little ones growing up in the church is revealed in Scripture.
!5 Paul s use of Hosea (confirmed by the Book of Acts) helps us see that the gospel has come to all households of the earth in a process of historical unfolding in which no one is presumed to be without the promises. Therefore, the gospel promise, the overture of grace of the new covenant, belongs to the children who grow up in the church. The covenants and promises of the gospel are for them in the proclamation to all families of the earth (to all men, women, and children). They are children of promise to whom God extends His free offer of salvation and from whom He effectually calls both Jews and Gentiles, young and old, to Himself. 3. Third, God loves them The good news of God s love is for them and to them in the gifts of the sunshine and the rain; and we should point that out to them. Also, in the context of God s invitation to fellowship that He gives in creation where He declares His glory (Ps 19.1-6), we teach the little ones to confess, God made all things, God made me, and all things. We instruct them to receive the comfort of His love in the Scriptures that are sweeter than honey and drippings of the honeycomb (Ps 19.7-14). Naturally, then, we encourage them to do what the Psalmist does, to claim the Lord as my rock and redeemer (Ps 19.14). So, can we teach the little ones to sing, Jesus loves me this I know? Yes, we can, and should, because nurture at home and within the church displays His love for them. Moreover, as just noted, He loves them all by sending the benefits of the rain and sunshine and by inviting them warmly through the creation to fellowship with Him. Furthermore, we can teach them to sing, He loves me, this I know by showing them the promises as we teach them to sing, Jesus loved me, he who died, heaven s gate to open wide, He will wash away my sin if I love him then when I die, He will take me home on high. We tell them, by giving yourself to God, you can say, I know the Lord and His special saving love for me. We encourage them by saying, if you believe in Jesus, then He will take you some day to heaven to a wonderful home on high. 4. The Father in heaven is their Father Can we train our children to pray to God on high as their Father, even though they are born in sin and early on reveal the fact that they are covenant breakers? How can we teach them to pray to their Father in heaven and per the Lord s prayer to our Father? How can we teach them to address God very personally and say, my Father? Must we wait until the little ones, or teens, or young adults make a profession of faith in Christ before we teach them to pray to their God and Father? No, not at all. The fact is that though they are covenant breakers in Adam, they are in the Father s kingdom. Moreover, the promise of the new covenant gospel belongs to them in the universal overture of grace. Furthermore, they have a place under the nurture and care of the church, the Father s household, the household of faith, and under care in Christian homes. These things ground a yes to teaching little ones to pray to their Father in heaven. So, if we emphasize that God is the Father in heaven, that He is the only Father, then He is the Father of the entire earth and of all people. All people are His children, but in the fall, all are His children in rebellion against His fatherhood and against their sonship. They are all prodigals who waste their father s goods. God is their alienated Father. Therefore, when we teach little ones to pray to God in heaven by saying our Father or my Father, we are teaching them to say and acknowledge the truth. We are calling them to acknowledge God as Father, to own Him as their Father. We are calling them to submit to the Father to become His celebrated, redeemed, and reclaimed prodigals. So, we always include the fact of their unworthiness. We thus teach them to pray, Father, I am unworthy to be your son (as the prodigal in Lk 15). There is also a warning to give: God is your Father, but if you do not acknowledge Him and submit your all to Him, then you stand in rebellion against your Father. You sit on His lap and slap Him
!6 in the face. Of course, that will lead to punishment, to a mess that is worse than the mess of the pigsty in the far country. Critically, we teach our children to pray in Jesus name; we teach them that Jesus is Jacob s ladder who connects young and old to God. We teach the children of the church (infants, adolescents, teens, young adults and older adults) that Jesus is the way to the Father, the only way, and the Father welcomes all who come in Jesus name. That is how we teach them and engage them from their coming to the family in cradles to their leaving the family in automobiles. Moreover, this gospel pointing to Christ remains in various ways and degrees all their days for we know the means God has appointed, but we do not know the timing of the Lord when He grants saving grace to those He calls. So, we hold the little ones up in our arms and ask the Lord Jesus to bless them (to take them up in His arms and bless them); we teach the catechism to young and active minds; we call out to them as teens saying, by faith and faith alone you have right standing with God; we tell them as adults to remember what Jesus says, come to me to learn from me for submission to me; own me as your priest, prophet, and king and my covenant promise is yours: I will give you rest, rest for your souls for time and eternity. Concluding remark about hope A point of importance in this discussion is the matter of hope. 5 It is helpful to stress the fact that no child of a believing family is excluded from the new covenant because the gospel of the new covenant is for all families of the earth. Thus, in the logic of an a fortiori argument (a much more argument), if all have the promises and gospel offer, then the children of believers have the promises and gospel offer all the more. They are surrounded by the gospel that is embodied in the lives of their parents who nurture them on the promises. Jesus is our children s Lord; they are in His kingdom. Parents are to present their children to the Lord in prayer for His blessing. Furthermore, we know that God works with people in history in terms of what they are as parents, company owners, scholars, and artists. When he saves a sinner, the gospel shines in all the relationships that sinner has in history. Since God saves sinners in this way that includes the special bond of the family, then we can expect His blessing on our children, even though we know that His sword cuts across family ties (Mat 10.34-36). We always have hope for our children and for the families of the earth in general because our hope is in God, in His mercy, and in His faithfulness generation after generation. Because He uses the means of gospel proclamation and nurture to save sinners, then we entrust those we love into His care as we spread the good news near (to our families) and afar (to all families of the earth). Our hope is not in a formula or in a guarantee regarding our loved ones; our hope is in the faithful God of the covenant, Jesus Christ the risen Lord of glory. May we fall down before the majesty of the great God and our Father with continual acknowledgment of our sins, and joyful thanksgiving for the forgiveness of our sins; may the Holy Spirit instill in our hearts a true and deep thankfulness for the gospel of the covenant, and may He teach us to grow in our use of the means of grace in the life of the church; to the triune God be all glory now and forever, amen. There is no formula here, God is gracious to sinful parents, and He holds children responsible for their own sins. 5 Nonetheless, you cannot expect God s blessing on you and your children if you fail to exercise due diligence. On the other hand, you can expect His blessing on you and your children when you diligently take up the means of grace that God has appointed for life in the church.