Romans 9 - 10.16.24
Scripture
As it is written, “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.” (Romans 9:13, NKJV)
Observation
“Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated”, my mother’s voice resonated in my ears. Clutching my children’s bible to my heart, the 5-year-old me sobbed to God, “Lord do love my sister, but please don’t hate me”. I spent my early childhood in the country of Nigeria, as my parents were working in that country teaching college students training to be elementary school teachers. My mother would carve out time in her schedule to teach the Bible to me and my sister regularly. I remember the day she taught us the story of Jacob and Esau. Jacob, the cunning younger son who was the favorite of his mother, ended up inheriting God’s blessings promised to Abraham, his grandfather. In my mind, I was Esau the first-born, and my lovely and adorable younger sister was Jacob. I had no doubt that the younger one who is naturally cute and loveable, adored by family and friends, would be the favorite of everyone. God would be no exception. But I prayed earnestly with the innocence only a 5-year-old can have, that God would not pass me by while He blesses my younger sister. It took me many years to understand that this was not what God meant in this passage.
We are the children of promise like Isaac. People like us, who do not have Jewish ancestry, were considered as “Gentiles” by the Jews. But the Bible says that the true inheritors of the promises of God are not the people of the Jewish bloodline, who tried to be justified by the law. Instead, the true inheritors of God’s promise are the ones who obtained it through faith (Romans 9:31,32). We are the children of promise to whom belong the promises of God. We are the children of the promise because we put our faith in Jesus and are saved through faith in Him. The promises God gave to Abraham belong to us (Romans 9:8). We see the same message in Galatians 3:29, which says “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise”. God chose us before the foundations of the earth, and he has a purpose for each one of us (Ephesians 1:4).
Esau, the first-born represents the Jewish nation who are the physical descendants of Abraham. In the Jewish tradition, the first-born has a lot of privileges. The first-born inherits a double portion of the father’s estate. If there are only two sons in the family, the first-born would inherit two-thirds of the father’s estate. The first-born had a special role in family worship and sacrifices and was respected as the leader in the family. However, God chose Jacob the younger one to receive His blessing. Jacob represents us, who do not have a natural right to the first-born privileges. However, God chose us and appointed us in his sovereign will to be the heirs of his kingdom and to become the children of promise and to inherit his blessings. He chose us, we did not choose Him (John 15:16).
Application
God in his mercy chose us, called us, and made us his children. Let us thank God for his mercy towards us. Let us choose to live a life worthy of his calling (Ephesians 4:1), abiding in the vine (John 15:4), and producing fruit worthy of repentance (Luke 3:8). Let us not grieve the Holy Spirit of God (Ephesians 4:30) by the choices we make. Instead let us do the good works that the Lord has prepared for us to do (Ephesians 2:10), living a life that pleases Him and fulfil His purpose in our life.
Prayer
Father, I want to thank you for loving me. Thank you for choosing me and making me your child. Help me to stay connected with you, so that you stay connected with me (John 15:4). Help me to abide in you, so that I will bear much fruit, and my fruit will remain (John 15:16). Please fulfill the purpose for which you have created me. May my life be a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to you (Romans 12:1). In Jesus’s name. Amen.
- Asha Chacko George
