"Just as it is written, 'Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.' What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be! For He says to Moses, 'I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.' So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs but on God who has mercy." (Romans 9:13-16)
2007-04-17 09:52:52 · 11 answers · asked by Chosen4Hisglory 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Since God knows the heart of every man from long before he is born, I think that it is wise to lean on His understanding on why He chooses the people He chooses and reject those He rejects. Jim
2007-04-17 10:50:57 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Wow , you picked a good one. Tomes have been written trying to explain this. Let's go back to where it started: Rebekkah was barren for a long time, God heard her prayer and she was with twins...they fought each other in her belly...She prayed about it and was told...they are rivals, the elder will serve the younger (this was very unheard of).
The dudes are born...esau a few minutes ahead of Jacob. They are like night and day..esau is the manly man..out hunting, logical, rational, here and now..(one of the first empiricists)...Jacob has more need to relate to mother and father, he is introverted..the things of mystery are things he wants to ponder upon, etc.
..esau, one day especially hungry, told Jacob that for a bowl of stew, he could have his birthright..so, one half of the deal is done...
Now, Rebekkah and Jacob conspire...she makes him a hairy mitt or shirt...something that when the old man feels it..(because the old man is blind) he thinks it is esau...and. at the old man's deathbed...Jacob gets the blessing..the old man dies and it can't be undone. esau is one unhappy camper and Jacob leaves town.
Hmmm.the old man didn't die right away...the mother had to take a lot of anger from him for the trick. But, she had been told, while the boys were in her womb, the elder will serve the younger; so, she had the courage to do what she had to do and did it....She is highly esteemed in my eyes.
Ok..that's the back story. Paul, in Romans, to the new Christians, was explaining that 'some' are God's men/women and some aren't.
esau was one more outdoorsman extrovert; who could not add to God's plan of evolution and Jacob had the courage and intelligence to get the blessing and then become the head honcho of the hebrews. And the patriarch of the 12 tribes.
So, wrap your brain around that one !! And may you get some more intriguing and stimulating thoughts. It's absolutely fascinating and brilliant what God has had to do to make His people and to train them and work His evolution.
A good question to ask, might be: God's evolution?? Do you mean like with the critters and how long the universe has taken to create? NO !! I mean the moral, ethical and relational evolutionary process. Which has not come very far; but, I suspect far enough for God to shut the laboratory down; any day now.
Maranantha
2007-04-17 17:14:56 · answer #2 · answered by Bill S 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I believe it means that you forgot to read the parts before this section...
"It was told to her that the eldest shall serve the younger".. because it was foreordained that Jacob would be a leader as chosen prior to his birth... it was not because Jacob was loved and Esau was hated.. but because Jacob was chosen.
I believe the rest is just trying to explain that some people were created for specific reasons and God created them so He will not condemn them for being as created.. like the Pharaoh created so that God's power could be observed to overcome a great obstacle.
2007-04-17 17:11:11 · answer #3 · answered by ♥Tom♥ 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
To understand these verses, you first have to be knowledgeable of the First heaven and earth age when Satan rebelled. One third of God's children followed Satan. God could not destroy the one third. That is what this earth age is all about. We are born innocent of the rebellion through the womb. The passion of Christ defeated death, i.e. Satan, and we can choose life eternal. God knew Esau, and all of us, from the First heaven and earth age and obviously hated him. This shows just how fair God is to everyone. Esau was put into position of birthright, a double portion, and sold it.
2007-04-17 17:21:52 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
--THE CONTEXT OF HATE that applies to Esau is that of being loved less!
--As a text in the Bible speaks because of religious persecution and the test of loyalty that is put on individuals, JESUS stated---
my paraphrase "unless one hates his mother, father etc. he cannot be my disciple"----Meaning love for God and his son Christ would be of paramount importance(with nothing unreasonable expected, NO FANATASISM!)
--Please remember that Jacob was truly a spiritual man , unlike Esau who was fleshly with no concern in pleasing God!
--So the mercy & compassion Paul speaks about is that of favoring Jacob over Esau as first born--with all the blesseings. Please note how God views Esau:
Hebrews 12(Amplified Bible)
16That no one may become guilty of sexual vice, or become a profane (godless and sacrilegious) person as Esau did, who sold his own birthright for a single meal.(A)
17For you understand that later on, when he wanted [to regain title to] his inheritance of the blessing, he was rejected (disqualified and set aside), for he could find no opportunity to repair by repentance [what he had done, no chance to recall the choice he had made], although he sought for it carefully with [bitter] tears.(B)
2007-04-17 17:18:49 · answer #5 · answered by THA 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It means God knows alot more than we do. We know a fraction of a fraction of a fraction divided by a million of what God knows. He judges rightly all men because he knows absolutely EVERYTHING. He knows each one of us better than we know ourselves and He knows the future and the very depth of each persons heart and every motivation. He knows us before we are born, how many days we have here and every thing we will think, say and do. That is why He is always just in His decisions, that's why we trust in Him for everything. We have free choice because God gave it to us but because there is no time limits on God, He knows what choices we will make before we make them.
2007-04-17 17:06:06 · answer #6 · answered by Jesus lives! 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
it is part of a letter to the Romans
i think it means let God make is own decisions.
2007-04-17 17:00:49 · answer #7 · answered by insane 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
God is All-merciful, even to those who don't always deserve it...
2007-04-17 16:57:30 · answer #8 · answered by holy_see 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Exactly,God proposes and man supposes.
2007-04-17 16:57:28 · answer #9 · answered by Sentinel 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Salvation is a gift given by God.
He makes the decision.
He is sovereign.
It isn't what we want.
It isn't what we do.
It is what He wants.
It is what He does,
Predestination.
2007-04-17 16:59:31 · answer #10 · answered by chris p 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋