God's Sovereign Election

January 13th, 2025
by Dr. D. Lance Waldie

Romans 9:10-13 And not only this, but there was Rebekah also, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac; 11 for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God’s purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls, 12 it was said to her, “The older will serve the younger.” 13 Just as it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”

Moving from God’s promise given to Abraham concerning a perpetual line of descendants through his wife Sarah and their son Isaac (9:7-9), Paul moved to the second generation of the promise through Isaac and his wife Rebekah (9:10-13; cf. Gen. 25:19-26). Having chosen Isaac through Sarah and not Ishmael through Hagar, God’s sovereign choice of people to fulfill His sovereign will is Paul’s main point. Like Sarah, Rebekah was barren for a time, that is until Isaac prayed for her womb to be opened (Gen. 25:21). When she did become pregnant, it was with twins, Jacob and Esau. Both became patriarchs of their respective nations—the nation of Israel through Jacob and the nation of Edom (aka, the Idumaeans) through Esau.

Now while Rebekah was pregnant she experienced unusual pains in her womb, causing her to cry out to God who revealed that the pains she experienced were precursors to the division that would exist between her two sons and their respective peoples (Gen. 25:22-23). Notably, before the twins were born God did for Isaac what He did for Abraham: He chose one son over the other to fulfill His promises made to Abraham, choosing Jacob and rejecting Esau before they were even born! Commenting on this, the prophet Malachi wrote that God “loved Jacob but hated Esau” (1:2-3)—before either child breathed a breath. God did this in order that His “purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls” (Rom. 9:11). Clearly, one’s national heritage or good works have nothing to do with God’s sovereign election of those whom He chooses for salvation.

Although it is true that God “hated” Esau before he was ever born, emotional hatred is not in view in Malachi’s prophecy. Malachi’s perspective was that of a prophet writing more than 1,500 years after Jacob and Esau’s deaths, pondering their respective nations—Israel being blessed and Edom being cursed. Malachi was thus comparing the two nations, noting how God had blessed Israel over and above Edom (cf. Matt. 6:24; Luke 14:26; John 12:25). Jacob was thus chosen for divine blessing by God’s grace and given far more than Esau who never lived a day in his life for the glory of God, only for himself. As prophesied, Edom served Israel (Gen. 25:23; cf. 1 Sam. 14:47; 2 Sam. 8:14; 1 Kings 11:15-16; 22:47; 2 Kings 14:7). It was God’s plan, therefore, and not man’s works, that was the basis for His choosing Jacob over Esau.

Some argue that Paul was building a case for fatalism—the belief that all events are predetermined by God. They claim that Esau and Jacob were robots of God, that neither one had a choice in their fate or salvation. But Paul’s true argument concerns the fact that so many in Israel fell short of God’s standards. Was this a failure on God’s part? No. God kept His covenant to the promised “seed” of Abraham which did not include all of his physical offspring. Abraham’s spiritual seed is by God’s promise—His choice. All those who trust in God through Jesus Christ, Jew or Gentile, reveal themselves as Abraham’s spiritual seed (Gal. 3:16).

Food for Thought

God has chosen some for salvation from both Jews and Gentiles. His choosing Jacob over Esau proves that God elects the recipients of salvation apart from personal merit or any effort on their part. Thus, salvation is due to God’s choice, God’s election and predestination. So when God opens the eyes of the spiritually blind, He is being true to His word. All to His glory!