City Life Starter

Written by Scott Fiddler

The Word

19 These are the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son: Abraham fathered Isaac, 20 and Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife. 21 And Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she was barren. And the Lord granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22 The children struggled together within her, and she said, “If it is thus, why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the Lord. 23 And the Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger.”

Genesis 25:19-23

10 And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, 11 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— 12 she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” 13 As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” 14 What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means!

Romans 9:10-14

Reflection

The Lord told Rebekah she was carrying twins, who would become two nations and that “the older shall serve the younger.” Lest one think God was merely using His foreknowledge to predict what would happen, in his letter to the Romans, Paul makes it clear God’s statement about Jacob’s elevation over Esau was not an act of God’s precognition but His discretion.

Paul notes God made this choice before either one had done anything good or bad; it wasn’t because God knew Esau would be a carnal man and willing to sell his birthright for a bowl of Campbell’s Soup. God chose in His sovereignty. It’s that simple.

This triggers an immediate reaction: “But that’s not fair.” 

Paul was a smart man and knew how people would naturally react, but in responding Paul did not address the fairness question. Fairness is inconsistent with any reality in which individuals share common ground. In a downpour, people on the mountain get rain, but people in the valley get flooding. The lineage of Jesus could only run through one of two brothers, so it could not run through both. Fairness is not the right question.

Instead, Paul responds that there is no injustice with God. God is perfectly just, and regardless of one’s reaction to the story of Jacob and Esau, the conclusion cannot be that God acted unjustly.

Paul states that God’s choice was in accordance with His purpose. God’s choice was not arbitrary and capricious; it was just and purposeful. That we might not fully understand that purpose does not mean God is not just, it just means that we are not God.

Paul is writing to Christians. The reaction to what Paul is writing for a Christian should be, “God chose me!” But, He did not do so because of anything we did but because of His mercy and grace. That is Paul’s ultimate point of which the story of Jacob and Esau is just an example. 

Reflection

The thought that we have been chosen by God because of His mercy and grace–not because anything we have done–logically cannot give rise to pride. There is nothing in which to take pride, and that is the way God intended it. Ephesians 2:8-9 (“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”)

God has closed the door to us being prideful about our salvation, and that only leaves being thankful. 

Prayer

Lord, thank You for choosing to save me, not because of anything I did, but because of Your mercy and grace. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.