Esau and Jacob

Question- Why did God choose Jacob over Esau?

1. Some believe that by foresight God looked into history and saw how these two boys would turn out and therefore chose Jacob [Romans 9:11-13].
 

We are all condemned and dead and bring nothing to the table for God to choose us.

The choice was made by God by his electing purposes before either boy could do bad or good. His choice was not be their works or actions but by God’s actions.

2. God foreordained his choice not by human merit or works or foreseen works, but by his choice and by the electing grace of him who calls.

 

Every action of God arises out of his eternal purpose (Romans 8:29-30).

Salvation is always on the basis of divine grace which rises out of the eternal purpose of the sovereign God.

3. God chose Jacob because he wanted to choose Jacob. It has nothing to do with favoritism but his free will and unconditional choice!

God did not predestinate Esau and his descendant to hell. Not all Jews are saved and some Edomites can be saved!

 

Question- What does Romans 9:13 mean?

v. 13: “Jacob have I loved put Esau have I hated” This is probably one of the most misinterpreted and twisted verses in the Bible.

We are talking about nations and yet Individuals as well. God loved Israel and hated Esau’s idolatrous descendants.

“Hated” does not mean to love less, but God set his love on Jacob and his descendants in a love relationship and rejected Esau’s line for the promise. Jacob (chosen) and Esau (rejected). 

Turn to Malachi 1:1-4

Election and Evangelism

                        To put it another way- Divine sovereignty and human responsibility.

Election and Evangelism

Acts 13:48-49

And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. (49) And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region.                                                              

Election
 

Election is the divine side or God’s sovereignty in salvation [Matt. 16:18; John 6:37-40, 44, 65; Acts 13:48-49; Romans 8:28-30; 9:9-13; 10:13-15; Phil. 1:29; Ephesians 1:4, 11; 2:1, 8-9; 2 Thess. 2:13-14; 2 Tim. 1:9; 2:10; Titus 1:2; 3:4-7; 1 Peter 1:1-2; 2:9; 2 Peter 1:10].

 

“Appointed” means to enroll, inscribe, to assign. Believer’s names are written in the Lamb’s book of life before the foundation of the world [Luke 10:20; Phil. 4:3; Rev. 13:8; 17:8].

 

The emphasis is not on condemning the condemned [Acts 13:46], but saving those who deserve hell.

Evangelism

Evangelism is the human side of salvation or human choice [Matt. 4:17; John 3:18-19, 36; 5:40; Romans 9:22-23; 10:13; 2 Thess. 2:10-12; James 4:8; Rev. 22:17].

 

We are to call people to repentance and faith because election does not negate evangelism.

We balance God’s sovereignty and human responsibility, and we can’t deny or explain away either doctrine. Both co-exist in the scriptures.

 

We can’t understand and reconcile the two doctrines, just teach both and share Jesus.