Romans 9:6-13
6But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, 7and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” 8This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring. 9For this is what the promise said: “About this time next year I will return, and Sarah shall have a son.” 10And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, 11though 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- 12she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” 13As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”
We begin to see God working in the life of Jacob, a plan to bring a Saviour for sinners. We need to read this whole story about Jacob with Romans 9:10-12 in mind. “…in order that God’s purposes of election might continue …”.
Jacob was a rogue, a schemer. According to the law of the day he was not the child to get first crack at the inheritance of his father. But he schemed and planned his way to the top.
The life story of Jacob is a story of the providence of God working out in the life of a man who does not deserve anything. And this is the glorious point.
God has a plan that cannot but triumph over even the worst of cases. If God has His sights set upon you He is going to win you to the purposes He has chosen. He will even use your own sinfulness to accomplish it. This is what we plainly see in the life of Jacob. God had promised that the older would serve the younger and we see it being worked through the sinful scheming of Jacob. What a God!!
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