Romans Nine Part 3
Now we come to a section that can be difficult. Paul is going to show from scripture and logical argument that God is free to deal with humanity any way He likes. He can set up the plan of salvation as He sees fit because we are His creatures, and He is the sovereign creator. The examples Paul uses are very Jewish in nature because in this part of the letter to the Romans he is addressing Jewish objections to the idea that the dirty heathen Gentile dogs would be included in God’s plan and more than just included, brought in ahead of many Jews. Later, when we get to verse 30, we will see that Paul will bring this all together and summarize his argument.
Romans 9:10–13 (AV) “10 And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac; 11 (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) 12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. 13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.”
The quote in verse 13 is found in Malachi 1:2-3 (AV) “2 I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob, 3 And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste...”
Regarding the phrase, “and I loved Jacob, but Esau I hated” in verse 13, the translators of the NET Bible, point this out: “The context indicates this is technical covenant vocabulary in which “love” and “hate” are synonymous with “choose” and “reject” respectively” --NET Bible.
In Deuteronomy 7:6-8 (AV) we read, “6 For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. 7 The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: 8 But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.”
This choosing foreshadows the revelation of Father’s plan of redemption. Notice that He did not choose the Hebrew people because they were the largest people group. They were, in fact, the smallest. Instead, He chose them because of His promise and because of His love for them. He redeemed them from bondage under Pharaoh. This has not changed. Father has chosen that those who believe on Jesus for salvation, redemption, righteousness, will be blessed. They will be given the right to be called His children. They will be given eternal life. They will be made joint heirs with Jesus Christ.
Jesus said it this way in John 12:25 (AV) “He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.”
The question is whether we will choose to rely on our own power to attain righteousness (choose or love our own life—Esau) or choose to believe and rely upon God (choose or love His life—Jacob) as our only hope of righteousness. Galatians 2:20 (AV) says it this way: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
This is the good news of the Gospel. Salvation is free. All that is required is that one believe God. In this way Father has chosen who will be saved and who will not. This may seem unfair to some. It may seem to some that God is not acting in a loving way, or that He is acting in an unrighteous manner. In the next segment we will examine that.
