https://youtu.be/rtS4BWnA_qg




“Esau I Have Hated”



Israel’s Rejection: Romans 9:6-13



What does this mean? Matthew Poole: “Much is written pro and con upon this argument. But I remember, he that writes a commentary must not too far involve himself in controversy.”



I will explain to the best of my ability and knowledge of the Word. I am not a Calvinist, as I believe it is a heretical teaching. But I do believe in the sovereignty of God to do as He wills. I don’t believe it’s either or, I believe it is both. He can and does control world events and circumstances, He can move hearts and it rains on the just and the unjust; but He also allows free will choices and has bound Himself to those choices.



Paul tells us in v. 5 that there are certain privileges given to Israel, none greater than the Messiah. God incarnated His Son in the flesh of that nation and He choose that nation to show His glory.



Paul dismisses the idea that Israel was responding badly to Jesus because there was something wrong with the Word of God. The gospel is not the problem. The gospel exposed a deep problem with the Jews. The problem with the physical descendants of Abraham was that they did not have in their hearts the same faith of Abraham. They were merely genetically related to him. Paul distinguishes between two groups: those who have the faith of Abraham and those who do not. To prove his point, he returns to the biblical record of Abraham’s children and grandchildren. Something unexpected had taken place. The promised blessings, which should have been given to the eldest son, each time were given to a younger son because that child had faith and the elder did not. And each time, God knew whom would have faith and whom would not, before that child was born. In a Hebrew family, the eldest son is expected to receive the blessing, but never once did this actually happen among the forefathers of Israel:



Abraham’s eldest was Ishmael, but the promise went to Isaac (Ro 9:7,9, Gen 18:10) No Script. pls



Isaac’s eldest was Esau, but the promise went to Jacob (Romans 9:10-13)



Reuben was Jacob’s eldest, yet the promise went to Judah (Genesis 49:8-12, the fourth in line)



God is not bound by cultural rules of seniority. HE reserves the right to give His promised blessings to whomever He wishes. And to whom does He give them? He reveals His answer: to men and women of faith, not to the physical descendants of people with faith, nor to those who try to earn righteousness by zealously performing religious service. As with Jacob, He foreknows who will have faith and superintends over their lives, even before they have been conceived.



V.10-13 are terribly misunderstood. Some erroneously believe that it means God hates certain babies and that His hatred is not based in anything that the child does. Calvinist’s teach this proves “sovereign election” which teaches that God decides to whom He will give faith. Taken out of context, Paul’s words can be misinterpreted to mean that. But in the light that he repeatedly emphasizes faith as the basis for salvation, the point he is drawing from the example of Jacob and Esau, is that Jacob wasn’t loved because he led a better life than Esau but because he had a faith Esau did not have. While in the womb neither child had done any works, yet God already loved Jacob because He foreknew he would have faith. And He foreknew Esau would not. God doesn’t pick a person based on the good or bad they might do. That would make righteousness a reward for good works. The concept of “sovereign election” takes it a step too far, by adamantly opposing the idea that an unsaved person has any capacity to repent and believe. This errant teaching does not hear these verses as saying God knew Isaac and Jacob would repent and believe, but that God decided before they were born which would repent and believe and which would not. This violates the clear teachings of Scripture.



Keep in mind Paul’s overall topic.