Jacob and Esau

Romans 9-11 is not about the saved and the unsaved, but about the Jews and the Gentiles. to this end, Romans 9-11 is not about individual election for salvation, but about corporate election for service. in this post, i will focus on Romans 9:6-13.

6 It is not as though God's word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. 7 Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham's children. On the contrary, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." 8 In other words, it is not the natural children who are God's children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham's offspring. 9 For this was how the promise was stated: "At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son."

10 Not only that, but Rebekah's children had one and the same father, our father Isaac. 11 Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad - in order that God's purpose in election might stand: 12 not by works but by him who calls - she was told, "The older will serve the younger." 13 Just as it is written: "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated."

- Romans 9:6-13 (NIV)

a calvinist reading of Romans 9:6-13 would hold that God predetermined Jacob for salvation and Esau for damnation. however, Romans 9:6-13 is really about how the corporate election of Jews for service would ultimately effect the individual election of both Jews and Gentiles for salvation.

in Romans 9:6-7, paul stresses that Jews were never corporately elected for salvation in the first place. (there is no such thing as being corporately elected for salvation.) therefore, God's word has not failed just because not all Jews are saved.

on the contrary, Jews were corporately elected for service, to bring the Messiah into the world and then to bring the good news of the Messiah to the world. all Jews are corporately elected for service, but only those who have faith in Christ alone are individually elected for salvation.

it is significant that Romans 9:7 refers to Genesis 21:12 - after the birth of Isaac, while Romans 9:9 refers to Genesis 18:10, 14 - before the birth of Isaac. paul uses this to show that Romans 9:7 (Genesis 21:12) was the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham in Romans 9:9 (Genesis 18:10, 14). God's word has not failed!

similarly, Romans 9:12 refers to Genesis 25:23 - before the birth of Jacob and Esau, while Romans 9:13 refers to Malachi 1:2-3 - after the birth (and death) of Jacob and Esau. paul uses this to show that God's descriptive (not prescriptive) certainty that 'the older will serve the younger' in Romans 9:12 (Genesis 25:23) was fulfilled in Romans 9:13 (Malachi 1:2-3). once again, God's word has not failed!

descriptive certainty refers to infallible foreknowledge while prescriptive certainty refers to predestination.

for example, i can be descriptively certain that someone will commit a crime today, but not prescriptively certain that someone will commit a crime today. this is because i will know for sure that someone will commit a crime today, but will not actually cause anyone to commit a crime today.

on the other hand - if i so freely choose - i can be both descriptively and prescriptively certain that i will commit a crime today. this is because - if i so freely choose - i will know for sure that i will commit a crime today, and will actually cause myself to commit a crime today.

to be sure, God is both descriptively certain and prescriptively certain about corporate election for service. however, God is only descriptively certain and not prescriptively certain about individual election for salvation.

God knew for sure that Adam would eat the fruit, but God did not actually cause Adam to eat the fruit (Adam caused himself to eat the fruit). God knew for sure that Pharaoh would not let Israelites go, but God did not actually cause Pharaoh to not let the Israelites go (Pharaoh caused himself to not let the Israelites go). God knew for sure that Judas would betray Jesus, but God did not actually cause Judas to betray Jesus (Judas caused himself to betray Jesus).

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that God "hated" Esau does not mean that God did not love Esau. in context, that God "hated" Esau means that God loved Esau less than Jacob.

"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters - yes, even his own life - he cannot be my disciple." - Luke 14:26 (NIV)

Jesus is not saying that we should hate all of the above. in context, Jesus is saying that we should "hate" all of the above, that we should love all of the above less than Him.

furthermore, God only "hated" Esau in Romans 9:13 (Malachi 1:2-3) - after the birth (and death) of Esau, on account of Esau's godless life (which was freely lived). God did not "hate" Esau in Romans 9:12 (Genesis 25:23) - before the birth of Esau. God only told Rebekah that 'the older will serve the younger'.

God does not predetermine babies to damnation before they are born!

otherwise, if you are a calvinist, then you would not want to have children. what if your children are predetermined to damnation? or what if your mother was told that her child (ie. you) would be predetermined to damnation?