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One day, a fellow said to me, "Nonso you said that your God is love yet He discriminates" "How do you mean?" I enquired "Did He not say that He loved Jacob and hated Esau?" He replied. Oh well, I think you're missing something there. Let's look at the passage together Romans 9:13 Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated First of all, the word 'hate' as used here is not in the sense of 'dislike'. In the original text it refers to 'preference'. It is the same word that Jesus used in Luke 14:26 saying, "If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple." Here, Jesus is not saying that to be his disciple, you have to dislike yourself or your family members. Rather he is simply saying that if you want to become a fruitful Christian, you must put his work above your earthly cares. That said, let's look at the implication. When you do a thorough study of the entire Romans 9 from where that statement was taken, you will realise that Paul was talking about God's method of election. He was saying that God's choice of calling people is by Grace and not by their natural qualifications. Verse 11 confirms this: 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;) Romans 9:11 So Paul was saying that God does not choose people based on their works but based on his goodness. In other words, he makes his gift available to everyone that believes in Him, regardless of their natural status. Therefore, even though Esau is the first son and thus is naturally more qualified to become the heir, the inheritance was given to Jacob, the younger one instead. Why? Because unlike Esau, Jacob esteemed the inheritance. He had reverence for the gift of God and it was given to him irrespective of his age or natural position. On the other hand, Esau despised God's gift — The inheritance. Recall that the old testament is written in types and shadows. So the incidence between Esau and Jacob is only but a picture showing how the grace of God works. God's election is not by merit but by his grace so that no one can boast. So that no one can say that I was chosen because I qualified for it, either by age, tribe, religion or personal abilities. Now, Esau in this scenario represents that which is gotten by fleshly strength (natural qualifications) while Jacob represents that which is gotten by Promise (God's grace). It is not referring to individuals but a principle. So God is saying that his choice of calling is by Grace and not by works. That is why the proceeding verse says, "...it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy." - Romans 9:16. God's gifts are unmerited. He gives liberally to all that believe. Hallelujah! ______________________________________ Want to keep learning powerful truths like this in a simple way? I’ve created a special WhatsApp group where I share weekly teachings, answer questions, and help believers grow deeper in grace. Click the “SIGN UP” button to Join the group now before it's filled up! 🚫 But then, this group is not for everyone. It is for you, if... ✅ You want to gain clarity and be firmly rooted in the Word so that you will no longer be carried about by every wind of doctrines ✅ You want to learn how to rightly divide the Word so that you can teach others the same ✅ You want to grow in grace so that you can manifest the blessings of God in your life, career, ministry and relationships. If you fit into any of the categories above, this group is for you! Click the “SIGN UP” button to join now. Limited slots available only!