Seder 24: Jacob Esau, and Predestination

 In Gen 25 we read about the births of Jacob and Esau and the later rivalry between them, no doubt exacerbated by their parents' show of favoritism (v 28).

Even in the womb the two seemed to be in conflict (v 22), leading Rebekah to seek God's counsel on what was happening.  This message was communicated to her:

"Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger" (v 23).

As we learn later, the two peoples are Israel and Edom, and Israel later does end up being the dominant one of the two (see e.g. 2 Sam 8:13-14 for an example during the time of King David).  

In Romans 9 Paul uses the examples of Isaac and Ishmael, Jacob and Esau as examples of God making choices on which children of the patriarchs would be part of the line of promise.  In verses 10-13, he writes that 

"when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, thought 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---she was told, 'The older will serve the younger.'  As it is written, 'Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.' " 

Here it is helpful to keep in mind that God's plan is to bring blessing to all peoples, and he called a particular line of people in order to carry out that overall purpose.  So Israelites are not more important than Edomites.  The two peoples just have different roles, and God has made sovereign choices about where everybody fits in.  The people in the world include both "chosen" and "unchosen", but the important thing is to not be part of the "antichosen"---those who oppose God's purposes. 

The prophecy in Gen 25:23 does not imply anything about the relative value of Jacob and Esau---they just have different roles in the overall scheme of things.  We do get a possible hint later in chapter 25 on why their roles would differ.  Esau, by "despising his birthright" and choosing marriage partners not approved by his parents, seemed to show a lack of interest in the family's special calling.