Romans 9:6-13
Do you have the understanding that when it comes to the
Father in heaven, His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts higher
than our thoughts? Some of us need that
reminder. Before beginning the subject
of God’s purpose of election my prayer is, “Dear Helper, I have little
understanding of God’s sovereign choice so open my mind to share what one needs
to grasp in such deep waters.
As we begin in verse six, will you pause and ask the Spirit
of Truth to guide your mind and heart as we go forward? “But it is not as though the word of God has
failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, and not
all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but “Through Isaac shall your offspring be
named.” This means that it is not the children of
the flesh who are the children of God, but
the children of the promise are counted as offspring. For this is what the promise said: “About this time next year I will
return, and Sarah shall have a son.” And not only so,
but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac,
though they were not
yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God's purpose
of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls— she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” As it
is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”
Many in the Middle East have named
their sons Abraham and view Abraham as the father of himself, but it is a basic
misunderstanding of Scripture. For we
know that Abraham had children by Hagar and Keturah, but they were not the
children of the promise, the children of the promise came from Sarah’s son
Isaac. Ishmael was the physical son of
Abraham and so was Isaac with this exception, the promised son was to come through
Sarah, and Isaac was the son of the promise.
Now before the twins were born to
Rebekah and Isaac the Lord made it clear to Rebekah that the older would serve
the younger. This is big, real big, for
the first son has rights under the Law of
Moses the firstborn may be either the firstborn of his father, who is entitled
to receive a double portion of his father's inheritance (compared to the other
siblings), (Deuteronomy 21:17) or the firstborn of his mother. So by the Law of Moses the younger should
receive less and play second fiddle to the elder son, but God chose one twin
over the other for His divine purpose.
It is clear two nations were coming from these twins, and history makes
it very clear they both sinned against God, but only one received grace.
This is how I understand the election
of God, in that He is outside of time, not under it’s control, and because He
has been to the beginning and the end of time, He has a complete understanding
of our choices and in the case of the twins, God knew that Esau placed little
value on his birthright, so little that he was willing to sell it to Isaac for
a bowl of stew. And because of this God
rejects Edom and choses Israel as the children of promise.
From the Back Porch,
Bob Rice
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