election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth” (Romans 9:10, 11 ). Paul sets forth that just as Abra ham by divine election was chosen from all the pagan people of the world, so now there must be another determination inasmuch as Rebecca has two sons. As yet, Esau and Jacob haven’t been in a position where they could earn any merit or demerit. This reveals that God’s choice is not be cause one is better than the other. If one looked at it from a point of works, there is a certain sense in which Jacob could be considered worse than Esau. Jacob was subtle and sly. The choice was made simply because it pleased God. At the very beginning, God’s sov ereign will is in view. The first principle set before us is that God is going to be a blessing to Israel in the same way in which He is to us. We think of such verses as Ephesians 2 :8 , 9. God selected Jacob to demonstrate to the world His abso lute power, grace and mercy. No man could ever say thereby that he had anything to do with it. We sometimes sing, “Naught have I gotten but what I received; grace hath bestowed it since I have believed. Boasting ex cluded, pride I abase, I’m only a sin ner saved by grace.” Jacob finally came to this very place. He wrestled with the Lord until God showed him the woeful inadequacies of his own life. (This is much like the struggle one goes through today before he finally lets go, and lets God.) What about the phrase, however, “Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated” ? It may seem on the surface as something very strange. The prob lem comes due to the change in our language. When we refer to hatred, we consider it a lack of love. Contrari wise, speaking of love signifies an ab sence of hatred. To bring the picture into sharper focus, consider Jacob who fell in love with Rachel. For sev en years, he worked for her. But he himself was tricked for the elder daughter, Leah, had to be married first. He loved Rachel more, and while he had to take Leah, he worked seven 11
well beyond the age of biological pos sibilities, God brought forth a mar velous miracle. (There was an inter esting paradox here since Abraham’s name literally means “father of a mul titude.”) We need to consider, too, that our new birth in Christ is just as miraculous, while not through the efforts of the flesh, but simply by the sovereign work of God through our Lord Jesus. In John 1:13 we read, “Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” Truly we, too, are born of promise. We can see how God in sovereign grace has abundantly blessed us as in dividuals, as on the day He began' to bring His blessing through Isaac and ultimately down through Christ. How we can rejoice in the Lord’s matchless provisions for our eternal salvation. I N studying the identity as well as the definition of Israel, we have traced from Scripture that they are not only children of promise, but also children of grace. A further revealing truth is that they are children of elec tion. Now, whenever the word “elec tion” is used, some people immedi- atelly get on the offensive or defen sive. Yet, this is a wonderful term from God’s Word which we need to understand clearly as it relates to Israel. Paul makes three important facts clear. It is by means of election that God is able to carry out His promise. In the case of the births of Esau and Jacob the elder (Esau) was to serve the younger (Jacob ). We find the somewhat startling statement “Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.” In Romans 9:10 we read, “And not only this (not only is Israel an ob ject of God’s love and promise); but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac; (For the children being not yet born, nei ther having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to Children Of Election
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