In the opening verses of Romans 9, the Apostle Paul, himself a Jew, has lamented Israel's rejection of the gospel (vv. 1-3) in spite of the privileges they enjoy as God's chosen people (vv. 4-5). In verse 6 he anticipates a question from his readers: Since God made covenant promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that He would make of them a great nation, and since the vast majority of Jewish people despise the gospel and reject Jesus as Messiah, has the word of God failed? Has God failed to do for Israel what he promised to do in the Old Testament?