I am just loving the study on Genesis that I'm doing right now in Bible Study Fellowship. I feel as though I personally know Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Esau. I have spent countless hours reading and thinking about their character, choices, and God's sovereign grace over their lives. These characters though born 1000's of years ago resemble us in so many ways. We don't invent new sins. Man has always struggled with the same sins and I can see this in the choices that these men made time and time again. Why should I make the same mistakes that they made when I can learn from them. That's the beauty of history. We should learn from it so as not to repeat the bad parts.
I am presently studying Jacob and Esau. Understandably, twins are on my mind a lot lately, so I have enjoyed digging into their lives. One thing has bothered me though and it has been hard to rectify God's reasoning. Why did God choose to love one twin, Jacob, and hate the other, Esau? Romans 9:10-13 says, "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." Before finding out that I was having twins, I might have just summed this passage up as proof that the doctrine of election is true. Now, however, this is personal. I started to wonder...what if God chooses one of my babies and not the other. Worrying has never helped anybody so I decided to research and find answers. A sermon by Spurgeon has really shed some light on this passage for me. I highly recommend making time to read it. (Spurgeon Sermon) Neither twin did anything to deserve or earn God's love. By God's grace he chose Jacob and called him. So why did he not call Esau as well? Many men have tried to answer this question and I'm not sure that we can ever know the answer. I will never know God's reasoning in choosing some men and not others and some things are better left for just Him to know. The only thing I can do is pray that by God's grace he will call all of my children to know and love him.
I am presently studying Jacob and Esau. Understandably, twins are on my mind a lot lately, so I have enjoyed digging into their lives. One thing has bothered me though and it has been hard to rectify God's reasoning. Why did God choose to love one twin, Jacob, and hate the other, Esau? Romans 9:10-13 says, "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." Before finding out that I was having twins, I might have just summed this passage up as proof that the doctrine of election is true. Now, however, this is personal. I started to wonder...what if God chooses one of my babies and not the other. Worrying has never helped anybody so I decided to research and find answers. A sermon by Spurgeon has really shed some light on this passage for me. I highly recommend making time to read it. (Spurgeon Sermon) Neither twin did anything to deserve or earn God's love. By God's grace he chose Jacob and called him. So why did he not call Esau as well? Many men have tried to answer this question and I'm not sure that we can ever know the answer. I will never know God's reasoning in choosing some men and not others and some things are better left for just Him to know. The only thing I can do is pray that by God's grace he will call all of my children to know and love him.
I actually just finished re-reading a book by Chuck Swindoll called "Fascinating Stories of Forgotten Lives" that had a really great chapter about Esau. I think you can download the whole book here: ge.tt/api/1/files/23tyQya/5w/blob?download The focus was on the unwillingness of the entire family to submit to God's plan as revealed to Rebekah and the damage that resulted. Anyway, I read it and thought of you - wanted to pass it along!
ReplyDelete