Things New and Old: Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated

Things New and Old

Ancient truths revealed in the Scriptures are often forgotten, disbelieved or distorted, and therefore lost in the passage of time. Such ancient truths when rediscovered and relearned are 'new' additions to the treasury of ancient truths.

Christ showed many new things to the disciples, things prophesied by the prophets of old but hijacked and perverted by the elders and their traditions, but which Christ reclaimed and returned to His people.

Many things taught by the Apostles of Christ have been perverted or substituted over the centuries. Such fundamental doctrines like salvation by grace and justification have been hijacked and perverted and repudiated by sincere Christians. These doctrines need to be reclaimed and restored to God's people.

There are things both new and old here. "Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things" 2Ti 2:7.

Monday, March 23, 2026

Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated - popularly misunderstood

"Two nations are in thy womb,
and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels;
and the one people shall be stronger than the other people;
and the elder shall serve the younger."

#loved_n_hated
#jacob_n_esau

Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated

Romans 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;)
12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.
13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
14 ¶ What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.

Here is the historical event referred to in Genesis 25;
21 And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.
22 And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the LORD.
23 And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.

Q1. When did the election spoken of take place?

Q2. What was the election about, i.e. election unto what?

Q3. What did God do to Esau in that He "hated" Esau?

Q4. What did God do to Jacob in that He "loved" Jacob?

Note a few things stated in Romans 9:

i. "children not yet born":
- BUT ALREADY conceived in the womb when the said election took place... the preeminence of the younger over the elder!

ii. "... the purpose of God according to election might stand," even the election of Jacob over the firstborn Esau in the outworking of His redemptive purpose.
- divine purpose superseding the purpose of man, where the 1st born has the preeminence.
- This election has nothing to do with eternal salvation.

iii. "... the elder shall serve the younger"
- The end of that election is specifically stated: "the elder shall serve the younger"
- It is NOT that the elder was reprobated or bypassed in eternal salvation and the younger elected unto eternal salvation; the former is a popular fiction imagined by many.
- Those bypassed in the election unto eternal salvation were not hated in any sense.

iv. "Is there unrighteousness with God?"
- There is no unrighteousness with God in electing the younger to have preeminence over the firstborn!!!
- The purpose of God, according to election, might stand in spite of all the human scheming.