4 Decent People Do Wrong
Man sins but God wins is not a bad way to understand Jacob and Esau. Their parents are sinners and so are they, and all four are capable of taking others down with them. Yet God’ will have the last word in each of their lives.
Esau was favored by Isaac, but not in the same way by God. Jacob was favored by God, but not by man. God’s kingdom celebrates God’s sovereignty.
Clarifying Things
First, God’s sovereign choosing of Jacob over Esau was not about who goes to heaven or hell, but about who carries on the sacred bloodline leading to Christ.
Second, Esau was born to be a blessed man but walked away from the sweeter parts of that blessing. Rebekah asked the Lord to speak to her about those two active boys bouncing around in her womb. The Lord said, “Two nations are in your womb.” God had a good plan for Esau, it was just different than his brothers.
Third, Malachi 1:3 is quoted by the Apostle Paul in Romans 9:13. The phrase, confusing to many simply says, “Jacob I loved, Esau I hated.” That quote does not apply to Rebekah’s two sons, but to their later descendants. The idea of “hate,” is better understood as a lack of acceptance for bad behavior, and not the kind of emotion lacking in love.
Fourth, The choosing of Jacob, from the womb, is a vibrant illustration of grace. Jacob did nothing to warrant God’s unique favor.
All 4 will painfully apply the lessons of God’s choosing.
