In that familiar passage of scripture
found in Romans 9, verse 13, the Apostle Paul wrote, it is
written, Jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated. I mentioned recently in a bulletin
article that when I was first exposed to the doctrines of grace
and the sovereignty of God, that verse in Romans 9.13 became a
sledgehammer to me. And I used it to just pulverize
the false doctrines of God loving everybody and Christ dying for
everyone. And it was almost as if I rejoiced
in the fact that God hated Esau in order to prove that God didn't
love every sinner. Now, some 31 years later, I don't
feel or think that way any longer. The more God shows me how much
I'm like Jacob, the deceiver he was, the sinner he was, the
more astonished I am that God could or would love me. One who is just like him. And
I understand how he could hate me like Esau, but how he could
love me, I just can't fathom that. Just astonished. at how he could love me or any
other son and daughter of Adam. And I know you feel the same
way, child of God. It's only by grace through faith
in Christ, our Savior, that God could love any chosen sinner.
I was looking back on my notes. It was February the 8th this
year that we started the 25th chapter of Genesis, which dealt
with the birth of Jacob and Esau. For over seven months now, We've
followed Jacob's life, and I've learned a great deal. And I'll
tell you what I've learned. This is what I've learned. I
am absolutely amazed at how much I'm like him, full of sin, full
of self, full of fear, full of unbelief, full of disobedience. And yet, in spite of all these
things, God in Christ is still gracious and merciful to all
his elect and chosen people. Isn't it amazing? While in Paden
Aram, the house of Laban, Jacob seemed to have all but forgotten
God, but God hadn't forgotten him. And then the Lord said unto
Jacob, return into the land of thy fathers and to thy kindred
and I'll be with thee. But Jacob didn't go home. He
went to Succoth and then on to Shechem and while in Shechem,
a city of idolaters, Jacob seemed to have no thoughts at all toward
God, but God sure had thoughts toward him. And again, God said
unto Jacob, arise and go unto Bethel and dwell there and make
there an altar unto God. And I suppose the most wonderful
thing about God's gospel to me is that if I belong to God, he
will not leave me nor forsake me. He won't leave me in my sin.
He won't leave me to myself. He won't leave me in my fear
and in my unbelief. He won't even leave me in my
disobedience. He'll never, never leave me nor
forsake me. And if he does, then I never
was one of his elect. It's just that simple. And this
has become so much more apparent to me as we've considered the
life of Jacob, as I said earlier. And I'm sure most of you have
asked yourself in the course of these studies on Jacob and
his life, how could God love Jacob? We see time and time again,
his unfaithfulness and unbelief. And more importantly, I bet you've
asked yourself, how could God love me? Answer, Romans 9, 11,
for the children being not yet born, neither having done any
good or evil, that the purpose of God, The purpose of God, according
to election, might stand not of works, but of him that calleth.
How could God love such wretches as we are? Answer, it pleased
the Lord to make you his people. For no reason outside of himself,
it pleased God to save wretches like you and I. Even so, Father,
it seemed good in thy sight. That's the reason, the only reason. Now Jacob's journey back to his
father, back to his home, had been a long one. At least 30
years had passed. We've discussed this so many
times, but so important. 20 years with Laban, 10 years
now in Shechem. His journey had been a hard one.
We saw the first 20 years the world had consumed him, and this
world will consume you. He took wives, raised children,
made a living, provided for his family. Then the last ten years
he joined himself with idolaters. His daughter had been raped.
His sons had committed mass murder. His journey was one of great
loss and disappointment. He comes to Esau on the way and
he lies to him and goes in the opposite direction, forsaken
him. He loses his mother's nurse, who was like a second mother
to him. Then he loses the woman that he loved, Rachel, his wife. His son, Lubin, we read in Genesis
35, sleeps with Bilhah, the mother of two of his sons. And then
his father, Isaac, dies at the end we read at the end of chapter
35, and he and Esau bury Isaac, their father. What a journey,
hard one, one of loss, one of disappointment. But what comfort,
what comfort we find in this pathetic life of Jacob. We're all going to fail and we're
all gonna fall time and time and time again. I look back on
my life and I just shake my head sometimes. Will I ever learn? We're going to endure some hard
times. We're all going to experience
some great loss. It's just if we live long enough,
we are. But if we belong to God, He'll
be with us all the way. Isn't that so encouraging? In
every way that we fail, Christ prevails for us. Every time we
fall, Christ is there to pick us up. In every discouragement,
He encourages. And when I look to my failing
work of self-righteousness, He points me to His successful work
of perfect righteousness. And again, I'm calmed and I know
that all things are well with my soul. emailed me today and said, hope
all is well. I said, all is well with my soul
because Christ is my savior. How wonderful is a redeemer who
sees us through until the end, having loved his own, which were
in the world. He loved them until the end.
And I never grow tired of hearing that. What a marvelous truth. Well, tonight we come to the
36th chapter of Genesis. And this chapter is a genealogy
and history of Esau. And I believe that there's a
great lesson here concerning the particular redemption of
God's elect. Many of the commentators and
book writers just skip this chapter altogether because of that's
what it is. It's a genealogy of Esau and
his history. But I believe that there's something
here for us to learn. You know, whether folks like
it or not, God saves some, but not all. And whether they like
it or not, God saves whom He wants to. That's His right. That's His prerogative as God. Whether men like it or not, God
leaves some sinners in their sin. And none can charge Him
with unrighteousness. because he's God. All deserve
to go to hell, just like Esau. None deserve his mercy and grace.
Yet he's merciful and gracious. He has mercy on whom he'll have
mercy. And on whom he will, he has compassion. And on whom he will, he hardens.
Now the Holy Spirit gives us this whole chapter, I believe,
to remind us that Esau was a real person. He had children, and
his children had children. Esau lived and Esau died, just
like you and I are going to. Esau went out to meet God, the
same as you and I will. Yet Esau was without a substitute,
without a savior, for God left him to himself. And I think so
many times, oh, sometimes we get lifted up a little in pride
and we think, oh, we're something special. And then I remember
what Paul said, who maketh thee to differ? Who maketh thee to
differ from another? What do we have that we did not
receive? And if we receive, why do we
glory in it? It's all by His mercy and grace. Well, I do want us to see some
things in this chapter. I'm not gonna read all the verses
and try to pronounce all these names. It's not necessary to
make my point tonight. It's a very simple one, but I
do want us to see some things. Look at verse one. Now, these
are the generations of Esau who is Edom. In verse two, we see
what we, discovered in previous studies that Esau took his wives
of the daughters of Canaan. They were idolaters. They were
not the chosen people of God. God had forbid him to do so,
but he did anyway. Matter of fact, the Edomites,
which came from the loins of Esau and these idolatrous wives
would become great enemies of Israel. And no doubt that Esau
and the Edomites represent this present evil world in which we
live. You know, the scriptures speak
of two classes, two types of people. These two types of people
are mentioned, are represented, excuse me, in Jacob and Esau. The scriptures always classifies
men two ways, the sons of men and the sons of God. And as we
know, Jacob represents Israel, the people of God. That's why
God changed his name. He said, thy name is Jacob. Thy
name shall not be called anymore Jacob, but Israel shall be thy
name. And he called his name Israel. And then Esau represents the
Edomites. Look at verse one again. Now
these are the generations of Esau who is Edom. Verse eight,
thus dwelt Esau in Mount Seir. Esau is Edom. Verse nine, and
these are the generations of Esau, the father of the Edomites. Verse 19, these are the sons
of Esau who is Edom. And then again in verse 13, we're
told that Esau is the father of the Edomites. So we have two
men here representing two types, two classes of people. Jacob
represents the elect of God, God's people, God's children.
Esau represents this lost and dying world. Jacob represents
the believing in the world. Esau represents the unbelieving
of the world. Jacob represents the godly called
out. of the world, and Esau represents
the ungodly of the world. Two types of people. Jacob represents
those whom God has given light, and Esau represents those whom
God left in darkness. God makes the difference. It's
God who distinguishes between these two classes and types of
people. And I believe another thing that's
worth mentioning here is this, the descendants of Esau, the
Edomites, they were somebodies in this world. 10 times here
in this chapter, they are referred to as dukes and kings. As far as this world's concerned,
they were wise men. They were mighty men. They were
noble men. Now, stick your marker here and
turn with me to 1 Corinthians, if you would, chapter one. 1
Corinthians chapter one, right after the book of Romans. I want
us to read a few verses here, beginning in verse 26. 1 Corinthians
one. Verse 26, the Edomites, they
were mighty men, wise men, noble men. But Paul says here in 1
Corinthians 1 verse 26, he says, for you see your calling brethren,
how the not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not
many noble are called. But God hath what? Chosen the
foolish things of the world to confound the wise. And God hath
chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things
which are mighty. And base things of the world
and things which are despised hath God chosen, yea, and things
which are not to bring to naught things that are. Now that pretty
well describes those whom God has chosen, foolish, weak, Base,
that word means immoral, dishonorable. They're despised. Matter of fact,
we're so much of nothing that we're referred to as not. Did
you notice that in verse 28? God has chosen things which are
not. Who are you? I'm not anyone. Not anyone. Who has God chosen? Not many wise, not many mighty,
not many noble. Verse 29, that no flesh should
glory in his presence. No flesh has any reason, any
reason whatsoever to glory in the presence of God. Verse 30,
but of him, but of God, are ye in Christ Jesus. who is made,
made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption,
that according as it is written, he that glorieth, let him glory
in the Lord. God gets all the glory in the
saving of his people, and he certainly should. He certainly
should. None of us deserve His mercy
and grace. And folks get upset when you
talk about an atonement that is limited. Not limited in mercy
and grace, but limited in number. They get upset when you talk
about a redemption that is particular. Why? Because it takes away their
work, their will, their way. It strips them of their wisdom.
It strips them of their might. It strips them of their nobility. Now listen, Christ died to save
his people from their sins. That's not hard, is it? That's
not hard to understand. And that's what Matthew 121 says,
and she, speaking of Mary, shall bring forth a son. and thou shall
call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins.
Now the verse does not say that Christ would save the whole world.
The verse doesn't even say that Christ would try to save his
people from their sin. Does it say that? No. He shall
save his people from their sin. Who did God love? Well, he loved Jacob and all
who Jacob represents. Who did God hate? He hated Esau
and all who Esau represents. And I think about that glorious
chapter of John 17, that prayer of divine intercession made by
the Lord Jesus. That's where the proof and the
pudding's found. In verse two of John 17, you
don't have to turn there, our Lord prayed, as thou hast given
him, speaking of himself, power over all flesh, and then he said
this, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast
given him. How many are gonna be saved?
Who are gonna be saved? All that the Father gave to Christ. That eternal life was not for
all men, but for those that were given to Christ by his father. In verse nine of John 17, our
Lord continues and he says, I pray for them, a particular people,
not everybody. He said, I pray for them. I pray
not for the world, but for them, which thou hast given me, for
they are thine. And it wouldn't be reasonable
to think that Christ would pray only for those given to him by
the Father, and at the same time, die for the whole world. He prayed
for those for whom he died, and he died for those given him by
the Father. They are the ones who will be
saved, particular, particular, limited in number. And his purpose
then was not to save the entire human race. I don't know where
folks get it. Just with a verse here and there
for God so loved the world. But then he says here, I pray
not for the world. So that world must be for those
that he prayed for that are in the world. But men have taken
that and just ran with it and it's not so. You see, our Lord
Jesus Christ died for a particular people, and every one of them
would be saved. Not one of them would be lost.
And if I'm one of them, then I can find great comfort and
assurance that everything's all right with me. It's well with
my soul. It's well with my soul. Christ
is the almighty and he accomplishes everything he purposes to do. He's never failed, not one time. It was his purpose to save only
his elect. And that his purpose was accomplished.
It always is. It always is. Christ died for
his sheep. Being the good shepherd, the
scriptures say Christ laid down his life for the sheep. And then
that's why he says, other sheep I have, which are not yet of
this foal, them also I must bring. Why? Because every one of them
is going to be saved. He's going to save every one
of them. And they shall hear my voice.
Oh, you're going to hear his voice if you're one of his. You're
gonna hear his voice loud and clear. And there shall be one
foe and one shepherd. And then he continues on and
he says, I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish.
Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. Now notice that
he does not offer them eternal life. Eternal life is given to his
sheep. Eternal life is given to those
for whom He died. Christ did not come to attempt
to save man. To hear someone say that Christ
made salvation possible? Well, you could scratch your
fingernails on a chalkboard and I'd be less squeamish by it. He didn't come to attempt to
do anything. He came to redeem his people.
He purged their sins. And then he sat down on the right
hand of his father. And you cannot know God and trust
a defeated savior. You just can't do it. And you
won't do it. You can never have assurance
if redemption is left in your hand. God's people will never
perish for they are in his hand. God's people will never perish
for they cannot be lost. Now, I wanna give you just a
few things on the subject of particular redemption. And I've
seen these things also clear in the life of Jacob. God's love
for Jacob was uninfluenced. There's nothing in the chosen
sinner, now listen, there's nothing in you or me to attract or cause
God's love toward us. Isn't that right? Nothing. The love which we have
for one another, now that's conditional. Our love has conditions, doesn't
it? We love those who love us. We are kind to those that are
kind to us. By nature, we're incapable of
loving those who hate us. I cannot think, honestly, I thought
about this today, in my 61 years on earth, I cannot think of one
person in my life that has ever hated me or treated me badly
that I have loved regardless of their hate and their actions
toward me. I might not hate them, but if I'm being honest, I certainly
hadn't loved them. But the love of God, that's what
we're talking about. It's free, it's spontaneous,
it's uncaused, it's unconditional, it's undeserved. Do you ever
stop and really think about that? God's love's unconditional. The
only reason why God loves any is found in his own sovereign
will. The Lord did not set His love
upon you, nor choose you because you were more in number than
any other people, for you are the fewest of all people, but
because the Lord loved you." He comes His love comes from
within himself and it's according to his own purpose. That's what
the scriptures teach us. And that's what Paul tells us
over and over again in his epistles, who have saved us and called
us with a holy call, not according to our works. How many times
does he say that in his letters? But according to his own purpose
and his own grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus. Never
forget that. His purpose and His grace is
always in Christ, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the
world began. And I say this all the time,
and I know you agree, child of God, I never grow tired of hearing,
seeing, and having some understanding and believing the words of John,
who said, we love Him because He first loved us. Jacob would tell you that was
so. God did not love us because we
loved him, but he loved us before we even had a particle of love
for him. Had God loved us in return of
ours, in return of our love? that it would not be spontaneous
on his part, but because he loved us when we were loveless, it's
clear that his love was uninfluenced. That's the first thing I want
you to see. What was there in me? What was
there in you that would attract the heart of God? Huh? What did I ever do that would
make me lovely to him? Can't think of anything. Nothing. Jacob would tell you the same
thing. There was everything about me to repel him, to repulse him,
and for him to reject me, but nothing in me that would cause
him to love me. And that's why God's mercy and
grace is so beautiful to those who God has shown who and what
they are. Second thing, God's love for
Jacob was eternal. I tell you, you can get lost
in this. God himself is eternal and God is love. Therefore, as
God himself had no beginning, his love had no beginning for
his people. He's always loved you before
you ever were. I have loved thee with an everlasting
love, therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee. He draws you
because he loved you before you ever were. How blessed we are
to know that the great and holy God loved his people before heaven
and earth were ever called into existence, before you were ever
born, before you ever done any good or any evil. As I said a
moment ago, that the purpose of God, according to His choosing,
His election might stand. Not of you and I, is it? It's
all of grace. According as He had chosen us
in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should
be holy and without blame before Him in love. Now, do you ever
get tired of hearing that? and love having predestinated
us. What praise this should evoke
from each of his children. And Paul continued and he said
that God did all this according to the good pleasure of his will
and to the praise and the glory of his grace. Regardless of Jacob's
unfaithfulness, regardless of yours, he was made accepted in
the beloved. In Christ, that's where I find
my hope. And what a great hope it is.
What a great hope it is. I gave up on being a Christian
when I was a teenager because I saw that I could never be or
never do what God required. The preacher in his preaching
I remember this so well. The preacher and his preaching
condemned me by always declaring what God expected from me. I
couldn't find any hope in that message. I still don't find any
hope in that message. But the gospel of God's free
grace in Christ gives me great hope and assurance because I
now see that my redemption is not one of personal merit or
obedience. Boy, I've seen that so clearly
in the life of Jacob. My redemption is one of sovereign
grace, which is accomplished by the work of righteousness
that the Lord Jesus Christ wrought for me. Not by works, not by
anything that I've done. What a revelation to know that
God's love for his people is without beginning and end. It's
eternal, without beginning, without end. And I really like the without
end part, don't you? Yes sirree. God is sovereign
and he's under no obligation to anyone. Because God is God,
he does as he pleases. My God is in the heavens, David
said, and he's done whatsoever he hath pleased. Is that your
God? Because God is God, he loves
whom he pleases. Are you gonna dare charge him
with unrighteousness? Well, that's not right. He ought
to love everybody. No, he ought to send everyone
to hell. But, but rich in mercy, God is. Because God is God, he has mercy
on whom he wills. I just pray and hope that he
has mercy on me. And we just read and love having
predestinated us into the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to
Himself according to what? Some excellency that He saw in
the sinner? No. What then? According to the good pleasure
of His will. That's why. It pleased Him to do so. Even
so, Father, it seemed good in Thy sight. God's love for His
people's sovereign. Don't ever forget that. Fourth
thing, God's love for Jacob was infinite. Everything about God's
infinite. Limitless, that's what that word
means. Endless, impossible to measure,
infinite. His essence and His glory fills
heaven and earth. His wisdom is unlimited. He knows everything of the past,
the present, and the future, limitless. Who had known the
mind of God? Who, with their own little finite
minds, had figured God out? Oh my, limitless, infinite. His power is omnipotent. It's
limitless. There's nothing too hard for
Him. He can do anything. He can do everything. And He
does so according to His own will and purpose. So we must
conclude that his love is without limit. To know the love of Christ,
which Paul said, passeth knowledge. You and I can't understand it.
It passes our knowledge, our ability to understand. But he
said, to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that
you might be filled with the fullness of God. His fullness
is limitless. Ephesians 3.19. Here's another thing, God's love
for Jacob, number five, was immutable. Now there's a, that's a good
word. As with God himself, there is
no variableness, neither shadow nor turning, James said. God
didn't change his mind. If he ever loved me, he loves
me still. No variableness, no shadow of
turning in him. His love knows no change nor
diminishing. What an example we have of this
in the worm, Jacob. Before the children were ever
born, God said, Jacob, have I loved? He acted like an idiot most of
his life. Did God's love diminish? Did
God's love change toward Jacob? No, no. Doesn't that give you
some comfort? If you see who and what you are,
it will. God said, Jacob, have I loved? And he loved him in
despite of all his unbelief, all of his unfaithfulness and
all of his waywardness. Aren't you glad that God's love
for you doesn't change as your love for him does? We're so fickle,
so inconsistent, unstable, undependable, mutable is what we are. We change
at every whim, unsteady, Variable, but not with God. There is no
variableness, no changing, no turning. If he loves me, he'll
always love me. Sixth thing, God's love for Jacob
was holy. God's love's not regulated by
feelings, not regulated by passions, not regulated by sentiment and
emotion. Ours is, but not his. God's love
is consistent with his justice. His grace reigns through righteousness,
Romans 5, 21. God's love never conflicts with
His holiness. And in order for God to love
a sinner, that sinner is gonna have to be made holy, just, righteous,
and perfect. And God's people are made to
be holy, just, righteous, and perfect in Christ Jesus, their
substitute. By His sacrifice for sin, He
is made. We just read it. He's made into
us wisdom. What wisdom, my God, is because
of Christ. He's made unto us righteousness. All my righteousness is the righteousness
that He wrought and worked out for me. My sanctification, my
being set apart unto God, my redemption, all in Christ Jesus. Seventh thing, the last thing,
God's love for Jacob is gracious. God's love and grace are inseparable. You just don't find one without
the other. Where there's love, there's grace,
and where there's grace, there's love. And that's what caused
God to give his son for chosen sinners. For God so loved that
he gave his only begotten son. Now listen, if you don't get
anything else I said tonight, get this. You'll be amazed at
how many folks don't understand this in the lead. Christ did
not come to make God love us. Christ came because God loved
us. That's such a simple truth, but
so profound. He didn't come to make us lovable. He came because He loved us. Whenever you're tempted to doubt
the love of God, and we are, run back to Calvary. Run back
and see who hangs there in your place. If I've learned anything
in the past seven months, I'm telling you friends, and it's
the honest truth, in the study of Jacob's life, is that God's
love is particular. Esau was more lovable than Jacob. God's love is particular, it's
unconditional, it's undeserved. And that's what makes it such
good news to wretches like me and Jacob. That's what makes
it so beautiful to me. That's what makes it the gospel.
That's what the gospel is. It's good news for sinners. John
Newton said this, if I ever reach heaven, I'll find three great
wonders. You've heard this, but it's so true. The first is to
find some that I had thought not to see. Secondly, to miss
some that I had expected to see. But the greatest wonder of all,
you know what it is, don't you? To find myself there with Christ. That's gonna be the greatest
wonder of all. Jacob and I would both agree.
I bet you feel the same way. All God's children do. Undeserved, unmerited. only by
mercy and grace.