Romans 9:10-12 - Before they had done good or bad

9:10

Now Paul turns to the example of Jacob and Esau. “I am the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob” (Ex 3:6; Matt 22:32), these three were the great patriarchs of Israel and Paul is pointing out the principle way in which God worked in and through them. The Jewish understanding was completely wrong and was blind to the truth of what God was doing. It is very easy to have a supposed allegiance to something but to completely miss the point.

Just as Abraham had had two sons, so Isaac and Rebekah had two sons. Abraham’s were conceived in different ways, one by human effort, one by God’s promise. In Rebekah’s case there was no difference at all, yet there was going to be a great distinction.

9:11,12

While Rebekah was pregnant the Lord gave a promise to her (Gen 25:23), note that God spoke directly to Rebekah. God declared that the older would serve the younger. Now under the customs of the time it would be the older who would be the main heir. God also said this before the two sons had done anything. The point that Paul is stressing here is that it is God’s choice that is supreme. He had decreed that Jacob would be the leader. If we want to understand life then we need to understand God’s sovereign choice. We react against this, even as Christians. Part of this is a result of misunderstanding, part of it is a result of our rebellion against God. On the misunderstanding side we immediately think that because God has decreed something then what we do has no bearing on the situation. This is wrong, virtually every page of the Bible makes it clear that we do, what we think and decide, matters and has an effect. We most certainly do have a responsibility. On the rebellion side we want to be in control, we do not want to be utterly dependent upon God. But we find peace and true freedom when we submit to God’s sovereignty. Look at the example of Job. He struggled for some thirty chapters or so, arguing with God about why all the terrible things had happened to him. When did release come, when did breakthrough come? Not when he got a full explanation or understanding, that never came. Freedom came when he acknowledged that God was God and he was a mere man. The principle has not changed.