- Read: Romans 9:1-33
- Memorize: 9:16
God's sovereignty in election is a tough topic to master. It seems in our minds unfair that God would only save some and not others, so we reason that maybe God just lets everyone have their choice. This doesn't solve any dilemmas; it just creates bigger ones. If everyone has a choice and salvation is within their control, then what in the world is Paul talking about in Romans 9?
Let's start with our title, "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated." We need to understand that God loves all of his creation and is not willing that any of them should perish. (2 Pet 3:9) This hate that is mentioned of Esau, is a comparative term. Instead of a negative feeling toward Esau, it was a preference toward Jacob. This same concept comes into play in Jesus discussion of discipleship when he tells us that we have to hate our parents to follow him. (Lk 14:26)
This helps with the hated part, but we're still left with the fact that God chose Jacob to fulfill his plans before either of the brothers was born. This means that it really had absolutely nothing to do with either Jacob nor Esau. The lesson Paul is teaching us through this example is that God chooses who he will save. This choice of God's is not based in any way on our heritage, actions, nor even desires. We can't even want to be saved until God shows us mercy.
The next question that comes to my mind is, why do we have to share the gospel if God chooses to whom he will show mercy. The answer is: because God commanded me to. I am God's willing instrument. If he chooses to use me - great, but if he doesn't, well that's fine too. And since I don't know who God might use me to bring to salvation, I preach to everyone as if they are the ones chosen by God.
How is this whole thing fair? We aren't the first ones to have that question and God's answer remains the same: "who are you, O man, to talk back to God?" There are just some things that, in his wisdom, God chose not to reveal to us. God tells us that "will give to each person according to what he has done" (Romans 2:6) and yet that "it does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy." (Romans 9:16) How do these work together. We will just have to trust God on that one.
Comment:
- Explain the statement "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated."
- What struggles do you have with trusting God about something that doesn't seem to make sense?
1. God preferred Jacob over Esau.
ReplyDelete2. I don't know I really haven't thought of it much.
these just keep getting harder and harder. lol
1. it's not that God hated Esau. it was a comparison of his great love for jacob.
ReplyDelete2. no matter how many explanations i receive, i never never never understand why God does things (or lets things happen) that embarrass or downplay or make the christian look stupid and misinformed, and make the nonchristian look intelligent and superior. (not that nonchristians aren't intelligent. you get what i mean...)
Mary left this open, so I had to take a stab at it. I always struggled with this one. We even had a movie with this title when the kids were little. God preferred Jacob over Esau as Sarah said; yes. But what was it that God preferred? We know their father preferred Esau's game over Jacob's vegetables. But God is not so fickle. I think it was more his heart. But Jacob was a deceiver, was he not? Where, in his story, did he redeem himself? Where in MY story do I ever redeem mySELF. Of course I don't. In need the redemption of Jesus. Maybe I should go back and do the first 40 blogs!
ReplyDeleteHey mom, the point Paul is making with this story is that God's reason for choosing had nothing to do with the individuals, but was entirely based on his own mercy. God did not prefer Jacob based on any merit of heart or actions. Basically God says "because I said so". Now where have I heard that before? : )
ReplyDelete1. Jacob was loved by God, but because God dosn't know how to hate, he loved Esau to, but not as much as Jacob
ReplyDelete2. None that come to mind,
ReplyDelete