"Not as though the word of God had taken none effect. For they are not all Israel which are of Israel; neither because they are the seed of Abraham are they all children: but, IN ISAAC SHALL THY SEED BE CALLED. That is , they which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed." Romans 9v6-8
The sovereign election of Israel by God is not based on natural birth; this is contrary to what Israel had come to understand, who believed that because they were born Israelites, even to the extent of being the children of Abraham, that they were as a result the children of God. Paul immediately removes this gross misunderstanding .
So says Paul the word of God has not failed. The expression "the word of God" always in scripture refers to the revelation of the divine purpose; in this case God's revelation of His plans for Israel. In chapters 9 - 11 there are eleven occurrences of the word "ISRAEL." In every case this refers to ethnic or national Israel. It never carries the idea of a spiritualized Israel to include Gentiles in the one new man church situation of Ephesians chapters 2/3. There is no concept of the church in these chapters; but, even although the physical descendants of Israel constitute the nation of Israel, God also speaks of Israel in a more restricted sense, as well, namely, saved Israel. Paul had previously pointed out this distinction in chapter 2 verses 28-29 where he distinguished between the "Jew outwardly" and the "Jew inwardly". In these chapters Paul is considering only two kinds of Israelites; that of natural born Israel and that of true Israel (or saved Israel); there is no concept here of replacement theology. People are saved, are the children of God, only by faith in God whether Jew or Gentile and this is what Paul is discussing here. Even though God promised to bless Abraham's seed, He made it clear it was only through Isaac, then through Jacob and so on down to Christ in the strict lineage of bible teaching that people would be blessed, nothing to do with natural heritage whatsoever. When God spoke of blessing Abraham's seed through Isaac He had in mind only those who were born supernaturally, the children of the promise. This fact is confirmed in Galatians chapter 3v16 "Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He said not AND TO SEEDS as of many but as of one, AND TO THY SEED which is Christ." Put another way faith in Christ has only ever been the way of blessing from God; for us today it is retrospective for the Israelites back then it was prospective. Thus the way of salvation for all mankind is faith in Christ and nothing to do with national heritage, or blood lines, or any such privileged position.
Thus the word of God had not failed as some were suggesting. Israel failed, God's word did not. The word "failed" is used of a ship going off course. There is no chance the word of God will ever fail. The bible records that the entire universe will pass away but God's word will never pass away. We take this opportunity to remind ourselves that God's word according to Isaiah 55v11 never returns void, never fails to accomplish the purpose for which it is sent. It is just that sometimes we are slow to understand the true meaning of what God is saying. "God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not." We must all learn the true meaning of the promises of God and not seek through some misconceived personal prejudice, to put our own slant upon it. No one will be saved merely because they can trace their descent back to Abraham, or because they can call themselves a Jew. Everyone who is saved will be so, because of faith in Jesus Christ and clearly at the point at which Paul is speaking they had rejected Christ and thus faced eternal ruin.
When it says later in chapter 11 "And so all Israel will be saved" this is clearly referring to those of national Israel who will finally accept Christ as Messiah.
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