Not only that, but Rebekah’s children had one and the same father, our ancestor Isaac. Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad – in order that God’s purpose in election might stand: not by works but by him who calls, she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” (Romans 9:10-12)
These verses are talking about the Biblical doctrine of election. In my simple mind, this principle states that God can do whatever he pleases with his creation. He told his disciples: “You did not choose me, but I chose you.” (John 15:16). So, election does go a bit deeper – God has predestined his creation according to His will (not ours). “Just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love, he destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will.” (Ephesians 1:4-5) I especially like the analogy used later in this chapter, Romans 9:20-21: “Who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’ Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one object for special use and another for ordinary use?”
Now that we somewhat understand election, we can attempt to answer the question of why Paul mentions that Rebekah’s children had one and the same father, Isaac. Previously we were talking about Ishmael and Isaac. Isaac was elected over Ishmael because of the Promise. Therefore, Paul is telling us that Jacob and Esau are a better example of the principle of election because not only did they have the same parents (Isaac and Ishmael had different mothers), they were not elected by anything they did that was right or wrong. In other words election to a higher purpose or to be a Christian is not by the works of any human being or by tradition, election is only by the grace of God.
Why did God make you like He did and put you in the circumstances you are in? It is because he wants you to use His power to overcome your situations and your adverse personality traits to become the person He made you to be and to do what He wants you to do for Him. He elected you, so don’t let Him down! Pray for His power!
None of us are perfect and we all do things that annoy other people. We are all God’s children but how much of our being was given to us by God? It is hard for me to believe that God intentionally made child abusers or murderers. Again, there is free will and choice. A person is deeply affected by how they were raised for the good or the bad. Did God control all of that? I believe that we all suffer in different ways. I believe that a lot of that is a test from God to build our character and our trust in Him. I do believe that God has predestined us according to His will. BUT how much is His will and how much is our will. We are not God’s puppets, if we were, he would have not given us free will and choice. I start my day by asking God to help me be a better person than I was yesterday, to care, love and show kindness. At the beginning of the day I make the choice if my day will be happy, sad, angry or who cares. I believe that it makes God happy if I chose to work through him.
God doesn’t control how our parents treat us or how we treat each other since we have free will, but He can intervene when we ask. “Those who don’t ask, don’t receive.” God doesn’t intentionally make child abusers or murderers. But God wants us to know that whoever we are today, He can change us for the better when we pray and let Him lead us. He can change child abusers and murders to be good people as He did with Apostle Paul. God loves when we start our day with prayer and when we let Him lead us. Prayer helps me so much to make my day happy.