DAD'S RAMBLINGS – Love and Hate
Romans 9:9-13
"For this is the word of promise: 'At this time I will come and Sarah shall have a son.' And not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one man, even by our father Isaac (for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls), it was said to her, 'The older shall serve the younger.' As it is written, 'Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.' "
Verse 13 can be a troubling verse because it seems to indicate that God arbitrarily chose to love Jacob and hate Esau. There is a continuum between love and hate. I can truly love something and truly hate, abhor, and detest another thing, but in between there are things that I love less. In this sense, if I love something less that true love, it is toward the hate end of the continuum. For example, I love to eat ice cream. I truly abhor liver. But there are many foods (like broccoli) that are in the middle. I don't like them as well as ice cream, but I don't abhor them like liver. This is the sense of what Jesus said in Luke 14:26 when he said we could not be His disciple if we do not hate our family. It simply means that we love them less than we love Jesus. Thayer, speaking of Romans 9:13, says the meaning of hate here is to "love less." In God's infinite wisdom and love chose Abram over Nahor and Haran (Genesis 11:26), Isaac over Ishmael, Jacob over Esau, David over his brother, and Mary over thousands of other maidens to be the lineage of His Son, Jesus, and thus fulfill His promise. God's election is always right and just. I may not understand it all, but I am so glad that God loved my father and chose him out of a heathen family. I receive the blessings of that election.
TODAY'S THOUGHT: God's righteous election to fulfill His plan is based on His love.
Have a loving day. Love you.
Romans 9:9-13
"For this is the word of promise: 'At this time I will come and Sarah shall have a son.' And not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one man, even by our father Isaac (for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls), it was said to her, 'The older shall serve the younger.' As it is written, 'Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.' "
Verse 13 can be a troubling verse because it seems to indicate that God arbitrarily chose to love Jacob and hate Esau. There is a continuum between love and hate. I can truly love something and truly hate, abhor, and detest another thing, but in between there are things that I love less. In this sense, if I love something less that true love, it is toward the hate end of the continuum. For example, I love to eat ice cream. I truly abhor liver. But there are many foods (like broccoli) that are in the middle. I don't like them as well as ice cream, but I don't abhor them like liver. This is the sense of what Jesus said in Luke 14:26 when he said we could not be His disciple if we do not hate our family. It simply means that we love them less than we love Jesus. Thayer, speaking of Romans 9:13, says the meaning of hate here is to "love less." In God's infinite wisdom and love chose Abram over Nahor and Haran (Genesis 11:26), Isaac over Ishmael, Jacob over Esau, David over his brother, and Mary over thousands of other maidens to be the lineage of His Son, Jesus, and thus fulfill His promise. God's election is always right and just. I may not understand it all, but I am so glad that God loved my father and chose him out of a heathen family. I receive the blessings of that election.
TODAY'S THOUGHT: God's righteous election to fulfill His plan is based on His love.
Have a loving day. Love you.
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