OSN desires instant gratification. Election is for God’s lasting happiness; John 15:16Title: OSN desires instant gratification. Election is for God’s lasting happiness; John 15:16.
Rom 9:1 I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit,
Rom 9:2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart.
Rom 9:3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh,
Rom 9:4 who are Israelites [racial and spiritual heritage], to whom belongs the adoption as sons [royal family of David] and the glory [Shekinah glory] and the covenants [four unconditional covenants] and the giving of the Law [divine establishment] and the temple service [Levitical offerings] and the promises [secure future],
Rom 9:5 whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.
Paul’s amen here is his excitement over understanding that Jesus Christ is both God and man, promised to Israel and to Gentiles as the Savior of the world. This is the same one that he once sought to persecute.
Amen means – believe this!
Rom 9:6 But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel;
Rom 9:7 neither are they all children because they are Abraham's descendants [seed], but: "through Isaac your descendants [seed] will be named."
Rom 9:8 That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded [imputed] as descendants [seed].
Rom 9:9 For this is a word of promise: "At this time I will come, and Sarah shall have a son."
Now, Ishmael might be rejected as an example of unbelief since though he was the first born, he was a bastard son. However, not so with the next examples of Esau and Jacob.
Rom 9:10 And not only this, but there was Rebekah also, when she had conceived twins [dizygotic twins or fraternal twins originating from two separate eggs] by one man [emphasizing the seed], our father Isaac [Paul identifies himself with spiritual Israel];
Rom 9:11 for though the twins were not yet born, and had not done anything good or bad, in order that God's purpose [prosthesis – God’s predetermined plan] according to His choice [election of Israel] might stand, not because of works, but because of Him who calls ,
Before the twins had life or could do anything good or evil to distinguish themselves to others, God knew billions of years prior that Jacob would believe in and Esau would reject the God of Israel, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Only facts or realities are in the divine decrees. The possible are known to the omniscience of God but they are not a part of the divine decrees.
Jacob would be a conniving, lying, scoundrel under God’s permissive will, but he would also be a believer and so God would elect Israel through him.
And as we have noted, the potter can mold the great believer, the scoundrel believer, and the unbeliever in order to accomplish all His good pleasure.
Jacob suffered for his behavior and lost out on opportunities because of his many bad decisions, but he made the greatest decision he could make, to believe the Savior of Israel, the true Israel, while Esau rejected the Savior completely.
Rom 9:12 it was said to her, "The older will serve the younger."
Though the sons of Esau continually harassed the sons of Jacob [Israel] for approximately 1000 years, this promise will be fulfilled during the Millennium, Isa 11:14.
Isa 11:14 Together they will plunder the sons of the east; They will possess Edom and Moab; And the sons of Ammon will be subject to them.
Rom 9:13 Just as it is written, "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated."
This verse has been under contention for millennia.
First off, both were born from an earthly father and therefore were born in sin.
Through meiosis and polar body, twenty-three chromosomes are thrown off the female ovum, leaving 23 uncontaminated chromosomes in the female ovum prior to fertilization.
All the other cells in the female body are contaminated by the old sin nature; the ovum prior to fertilization is the only exception. When it is fertilized by the male sperm it is contaminated with the sin nature and both of these boys were born in sin as you and I are.
While there is no hope for them – and no hope for us, the virgin birth is what gives the seed of Jacob their eternal inheritance as well as ours, since He, our Lord, would be born without sin.
Both of the twins were born with Adamic natures, born in sin, born spiritually dead, children of wrath, personal sinners and disobedient by nature.
Both are accountable for bad decisions, but one believed in the spiritual heritage of Israel and one found it worthless. God saw this in His foreknowledge and so He elected one and not the other.
Esau’s initial rejection led to a race of people who were very antagonistic to God’s plan and very antagonistic towards God’s people. That’s why it took time for God to come to a very harsh word concerning Esau.
Nowhere in Genesis does it say that God hated Esau, but God does say this approximately one thousand years later.
Mal 1:1 The oracle of the word of the Lord to Israel through Malachi.
Mal 1:2 "I have loved you," says the Lord. But you say, "How hast Thou loved us?" "Was not Esau Jacob's brother?" declares the Lord. "Yet I have loved Jacob;
Mal 1:3 but I have hated Esau, and I have made his mountains a desolation, and appointed his inheritance for the jackals of the wilderness."
Mal 1:4 Though Edom says [the descendents of Esau were the Edomites], "We have been beaten down, but we will return and build up the ruins"; thus says the Lord of hosts, "They may build, but I will tear down; and men will call them the wicked territory, and the people toward whom the Lord is indignant forever."
Mal 1:5 And your eyes will see this and you will say, "The Lord be magnified beyond the border of Israel!"
By this time it had been made manifest to all the world that the heart of Esau’s descendents, the kingdom of Edom, was filled with nothing but unrelenting hatred towards God’s chosen people Israel.
God’s anthropathic hatred of Esau was seeded with him and then flowered in his progeny.
This began with Esau who hated his birthright as the first born. He can reject his birthright and still become born again and saved, but it seems clear that he never sought salvation through faith in Christ.
Gen 25:27 When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field; but Jacob was a peaceful man, living in tents.
Gen 25:28 Now Isaac loved Esau, because he had a taste for game; but Rebekah loved Jacob.
Gen 25:29 And when Jacob had cooked stew, Esau came in from the field and he was famished;
Gen 25:30 and Esau said to Jacob, "Please let me have a swallow [gulp as in an animal like voraciousness] of that red stuff there, for I am famished." Therefore his name was called Edom.
Gen 25:31 But Jacob said, "First sell me your birthright."
Jacob doesn’t have to scheme. God has promised him the birthright, but not even Jacob here has trust. He was his mother’s favorite and as such it is certain that she told him of the prophecy that the older would serve the younger. Abraham, his grandfather, survived the first 18 years of his life and from Abraham he must have heard often about the faithfulness of the God of Abraham, as did his twin brother Esau. But though he fails here, yet he is a believer of Abraham’s faithful God and so he is chosen. I’m sure Esau heard his grandfather Abraham’s stories and thought them to be just that, stories. Yet heed this history…
But how hard is it for us to quietly wait for God! We are too apt to outrun Him; to forestall the quiet unfolding of His purposes; and to snatch at promised blessings before they are ripe.
Gen 25:32 And Esau said, "Behold, I am about to die; so of what use then is the birthright to me?"
I finally discover this, “behold, I am about to die.” In other words, what good is a birthright if I’m going to die anyway?
The birthright gave the right -- which ever belonged to its possessor -- of being the priest of the family or clan. It carried the privilege of being the depositary and communicator of the Divine secrets. It constituted a link in the line of descent by which the Messiah was to be born into the world. The right of wielding power with God and men; the right of catching up and handing on -- as in the old Greek race -- the torch of Messianic hope; the right of heirship to the promises of the covenant made to Abraham; the right of standing among the spiritual aristocracy of mankind; the right of being a pilgrim of eternity, owning no foot of earth, because all heaven was held in fee -- this, and more than this, was summed up in the possession of the birthright.
Esau believes none of this. He sees it only as being the head of a family that he cares little about. After Abraham had blessed Isaac with his tremendous wealth there was a severe famine in the land, so much so that Isaac was going to move to Egypt, but the Lord told him to remain. However, it is clear that the famine cost him most of his wealth, therefore, Esau doesn’t care for a birthright that was no power or wealth and only spiritual heritage. It is only after Isaac becomes very, very wealthy that he begins to consider the value of the birthright.
Gen 26:12 Now Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold. And the Lord blessed him,
Gen 26:13 and the man became rich [if the famine hadn’t hurt him badly and he was already rich, how could he become rich], and continued to grow richer until he became very wealthy;
Gen 26:14 for he had possessions of flocks and herds and a great household [fighting men], so that the Philistines envied him.
Gen 26:15 Now all the wells which his father's servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines stopped up by filling them with earth.
Gen 26:16 Then Abimelech said to Isaac, "Go away from us, for you are too powerful for us."
Gen 26:17 And Isaac departed from there and camped in the valley of Gerar, and settled there.
Isaac dug more wells and retained his tremendous wealth, so much so that Abimelech returned to him and demanded a treaty in the fear of the shadow of Isaac’s tremendous wealth and power. This was seen by Esau after he sold his birthright for one dinner.
Go back to: Gen 25:32 And Esau said, "Behold, I am about to die; so of what use then is the birthright to me?"
Not believing that the birthright is a spiritual heritage that goes beyond the grave into the Millennial reign of Christ as well as all eternity, Esau despises it for its lack of wealth.
He doesn’t believe that anything associated with the birthright will exist past the grave, so who cares about it, and to him it was as much in value as a bowl of lentil stew with some bread to dunk.
Gen 25:33 And Jacob said, "First swear to me"; so he swore to him [which makes it legal], and sold his birthright to Jacob.
This is an example of instant self-gratification, which is all Esau is interested in. Esau wants the lentil stew now and lacks self-control.
Esau’s eyes are on the desire of the moment and not on the future ramifications of that momentarily fulfilled desire.
It may seem small at the time, but just like two railroad tracks diverge at such a small degree, after many miles they very far apart. This is a constant temptation to the believer. Keep short accounts with God and rebound quickly after failure.
Shot-gun weddings, internet addictions, drug addictions including alcohol, dense calorie food addictions, approbation lust, monetary lust, sexual lust, power lust, etc.
God’s desire for you in election is to share His lasting, unshakable happiness rather than the passing pleasures of sin.
John 15:11 "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.
Hold your place and go to Gal 5:16.
Gal 5:16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.
Gal 5:17 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.
Gal 5:18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.
Gal 5:19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality [all sexual],
Gal 5:20 idolatry, sorcery [addiction], enmities [fighting back when your feelings get hurt], strife [organized factions where you bring in friends against someone], jealousy [zeal for worldly things], outbursts of anger, disputes [desiring to put yourself forward], dissensions [causing division], factions [creating cliques],
Gal 5:21 envying, drunkenness, carousing [dropping all responsibilities for the next party], and things like these, of which I forewarn you just as I have forewarned you that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Notice how almost every one of these deeds of the OSN are based upon instant self-gratification.
Not inheriting the kingdom of God in no way means loss of salvation, but a loss of life, vigor, and true virtue that guarantees agape love and happiness that is lasting and existent in all circumstances.
Yet next comes the plan of God for your life:
Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Gal 5:23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
The believer’s only hope for self-control over the power of the flesh and its desire for instant self-gratification is walking in the plan of God, [abiding in the vine, abiding in the sphere of love], and rebounding in the face of failure. |