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NASB | Romans 9:13 Just as it is written, "JACOB I LOVED, BUT ESAU I HATED." |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Romans 9:13 As it is written and forever remains written, "JACOB I LOVED (chose, protected, blessed), BUT ESAU I HATED (held in disregard compared to Jacob)." [Mal 1:2, 3] |
Bible Question: What do you say about predestination in relation to this verse |
Bible Answer: Hi Wanzala, (quoted for referrence) Rom 9:11 (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) Rom 9:12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. Rom 9:13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. These verses primarily teach us regarding the doctrine of Election, and that the election of God is based entirely on His choice, and not a "foreknowledge" of what people will do. The "foreknowledge of God", if you look at the five times "proginosko" is used in the New Testament in referrence to God, is actually refering to God choosing before creation what He wanted, namely, a family consisting of each and every beleiver, to be purchased by His blood. Predestination does occur in this passage in that God equates that Esau would serve Jacob with the fact that God has "loved" Jacob, and "hated" Esau. This love and hate which are expressed should not be confused with what we mean when we say we "love" or "hate". Especially with hate, the hatred of man is filled with sin. We use love and hate as feelings words. Here, they are action words. Here, the love of God is to favor, and the hatred of God is to disfavor. That God loves Jacob and hates Esau are God's choice, made beforehand, based entirely on the purpose and will of God. Esau is therefore predestined (limited in advance) to serve Jacob. Now, with that being said. . . There is a debate that has gone on down through the centuries, concerning predestination vs. free will, and which one is pre-emminent. The idea is that if one is true, the other cannot be true. Either it's up to God, or it's up to me. The fact is that both are clearly and plainly taught in the Bible, and this debate will continue until the cows come home (or more to the point, til WE go home). We all know the verses: "you have not chosen me, but I have chosen you", "choose this day whom you will serve", "chosen before the foundation of the world", "how I have longed to gather you together but you would not". There are many more besides, that teach us that God has chose who would be His, and that we must choose, if we are to be His children. Any one who teaches one to the exclusion of the other is not teaching the whole Scripture. Some people will try to dance around this and say things like "God has chosen His, and the rest are free to choose hell" (this is like saying you can choose between an orange), or "God chose those He knew would choose Him" (this denies God's sovereign choice), or "The ones God hasn't chosen just won't choose Him" (this denies that man has a choice). Any such "reconciliation" of these two teachings will end up on one side or the other. Perhaps the best description I have heard is as a comparison to a door: On the outside, it says "Enter all who will". On the inside, it says: "Chosen from before the foundation of the world". As far as "what can be said about predestination in relation to the given verse": Both Jacob, and Esau found at the end that they were in complete agreement with God, as will we all. Those of us who were predestined to be conformed to the image of God want nothing more than that. And those that aren't, want nothing to do with God. So why debate it? I hope this helps! Love in Christ, Mark |