Romans 9:11-13

Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad--in order that God's purpose in election might stand: not by works but by Him who calls--she was told, "The older will serve the younger"[Genesis 25:23]. Just as it is written: "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated"[Malachi 1:2-3].

V11-12 – What is God’s purpose in election? That God would be the determiner of everything, including who is saved – that He might get all the glory for the salvation of His people. Paul now explains why some receive Christ as Messiah and others do not. And we might expect him to say, “Well, some people have faith and others do not.” And Paul loves to talk about faith; in fact, he’ll do just that toward the end of chapter 9 and into chapter 10, so we’ll study the importance of an individual’s trust in Christ for salvation. But Paul doesn’t even mention faith here. He doesn’t say anything about an individual’s choice to believe. Rather, he points to the sovereign choice of God. We might expect Paul to say, “not by works but by faith,” and he does say this when he talks about justification. We saw that in chapter 4 of Romans. But here, when talking about election to salvation, he says, “not by works but by Him who calls.” Election is unconditional. Justification is conditional. There is no condition that causes God to elect a person, not even foreseen faith. But in order to be justified, we must exhibit faith. Before we can be justified we must believe on Jesus Christ. But before we can believe on Jesus Christ we must be chosen and called. God does not choose us because we will believe. He chooses us so that we will believe.

Why the distinction within Israel, why Isaac and not Ishmael? Why Jacob and not Esau? The difference, says Paul, is not to be found in foreseen deeds or even faith; rather it’s to be found in God’s choice. And the difference has a purpose. The distinction within the visible covenant community is in order to display God’s purpose and choice for His glory. God chose Jacob in order to teach the mystery of election that God is sovereign in dispensing His mercy. Even before birth He predestines those who will receive His saving grace, and Jacob was chosen for the very purpose of demonstrating that God’s grace is God’s choice. Paul’s answer emphasizes God: God’s choice, God’s purpose, God’s calling. And it’s not hard to understand; it’s just hard to accept. And the question is for as well. Why do some people believe the wonderful message of the Gospel and not others? Paul tells us in 2 Thessalonians 2:13. “God chose us from the beginning to be saved … [how] … through belief in the truth.”

Before we move on to v13, let me remind you – it is not what I’m saying that's upholding Calvinist soteriology; it is the Word of God written by Paul. And it’s not just here. It’s from the words of Christ as well, recorded by John’s pen (John 8,10). Peter understood it by evidence of his writing to “the elect.” Luke grasped it when he stated that it is by grace that men believe the Gospel (Acts 18:27). Calvinist soteriology is Biblical soteriology; and if you resist this particular Bible truth, you miss out on a very precious and comforting teaching. By emphasizing this, Paul is making clear that God’s grace does not find its origins in us. God’s grace is not compelled by something in us or by something that we do or even by the faith that we have, but God’s grace is self-originating. God’s love falls upon us out of the infinite bounds of His own heart of compassion and it’s not moved by something that we have done and hence it can not be turned away because of something that we do. Even before the foundation of the world, He has set his saving, redemptive love on His elect.

V13 – Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated. Before they were born, before they had done anything right or wrong, God chose Jacob and not Esau. He discriminated between them, He gave preferential treatment. When Paul quotes Malachi saying, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated,” how should we understand the word “hate”? Compare Luke 14:26 with Matthew 10:37 (our love for the Lord must be so great that our love for anyone else becomes as hatred in comparison). Another very helpful passage is Genesis 29:16-18,30,33. Jacob chose Rachel. He chose to love her. Leah was hated in the sense that she was not chosen. Thus for God to say, “I hate Esau,” means “I have not chosen Esau,” and to say, “I love Jacob,” means “I have chosen Jacob; My promises and blessings will be fulfilled in him and in his seed after him.” And so the issue here in Romans 9 is this: Who has God chosen to love savingly (by electing them to salvation) and why? Paul’s main point is this: Jacobs’s election did not depend on his godliness, his birthright, or even his foreseen faith. It depended solely on God, Who chose Jacob for His own purpose, on which Paul will elaborate later in c9.

The question people usually ask when having this text explained to them this way is one of curiosity and concern that Esau was not loved the same way as Jacob: “Why was Esau hated; he wasn’t given a fair chance?” But that’s the wrong question. The question to ask is not, “Why is Esau hated?” The question is, “Why is Jacob loved? Why is Jacob chosen?” And this is our confession as believers that we don’t deserve God’s favor. We don’t deserve this kind of mercy. We deserve to be hated like Esau – even before we were born or had done good or evil, because we’re descendents of Adam – going back to Romans 5 and the imputation of Adam’s sin to our account. We’re sinful from conception and by nature deserving of the eternal wrath of God. It’s not, “Why isn’t everybody loved in the same way by God?” Rather it’s, “Why are we loved with effectual saving love?” Why weren’t we hated before we were born? Because “God chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will—to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the One He loves” (Eph 1:4-6). It’s not about us; it’s all of God.

And lastly, if you are building up steam thinking that this interpretation of this text is faulty, thinking that my interpretation would lead to God being unfair, then you are right in line with Paul’s audience, because Paul will now answer a question that is probably in your mind. We'll look at it next time.