"Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated" Romans 9:13
A look at the life of a man God hated
Before Esau was born, God said he would be destined to be less than his younger brother.
Esau was a man's man, born with a generous covering of red hair. He lived with gusto and for the moment, a skilled hunter, at home in open spaces. One day when he was famished, he sold his birthright (whatever) for a bowl of stick-to-your-ribs stew. His father loved him best which is the usual case when you're the first born son.
His mother loved Jacob and together they tricked his father into getting the blessing meant for the first born. It was basically inheritance of the world including the servitude of his brother. When Esau finally showed up for his blessing, this is what he got: his dwelling will be away from the earth's richness, away from the dew of heaven; he will live by the sword; he will serve his brother; BUT when the time is right, he will break free.
Needless to say Esau was murderously angry and Jacob left town. Life for Esau went on as usual. He had married Judith and Basemath, both Hittites which his mom and dad did not like, and later Mahalath, whom they did. They gave birth to a bunch of kids and settled in Edom, in the hill country of Seir, their very own Promised Land. When Jacob returned, Esau could gather 400 men, a veritable army, to meet the rascal but Jacob won him over with a charming array of gifts. Esau, ever the guileless one, wept when he hugged Jacob and refused the gifts because he already had plenty. In fact, the two brothers could not live in the same area as they both had too much lifestock and people. The last time we see the brothers together is at their father's funeral.
Esau became known as the father of the Edomites and they lived securely on their land while the Israelites ended up as slaves in Egypt for 400 years. As the Israelites passed by Seir on the way to their Promised Land they were told that: God has given this land to Esau; these people were their brothers; they must not start a conflict here; and they had to pay for everything they used.
When I hate someone, I wish them all sorts of evil. It is easy to transfer that kind of thinking to God and easy to imagine what horror awaits a person whom God hates. But there is a major difference between my hate and God's hate. I have the capacity to plan and do evil. God can't. There is no darkness in Him.
Love's hate is more like benign neglect, like letting a child grow wild like a weed instead of guiding and educating him. Jacob, whom God loved, was being shaped into the 'womb that will earth Him' as Torrance puts it. In the process he had to leave his home, wrestle with God, end up in slavery, get the Law, endure punishing years in the desert, enter the Promised Land, fight for every bloody inch of it, live precariously and in much terror through most of his time there, get exiled to Babylon, come back to a demolished city and temple, end up under Roman rule.
This is so Love's incarnation will have it's proper setting and context. This is what is meant to be loved by Love. Being hated by Love is not that bad after all. Not that bad at all.
A look at the life of a man God hated
Before Esau was born, God said he would be destined to be less than his younger brother.
Esau was a man's man, born with a generous covering of red hair. He lived with gusto and for the moment, a skilled hunter, at home in open spaces. One day when he was famished, he sold his birthright (whatever) for a bowl of stick-to-your-ribs stew. His father loved him best which is the usual case when you're the first born son.
His mother loved Jacob and together they tricked his father into getting the blessing meant for the first born. It was basically inheritance of the world including the servitude of his brother. When Esau finally showed up for his blessing, this is what he got: his dwelling will be away from the earth's richness, away from the dew of heaven; he will live by the sword; he will serve his brother; BUT when the time is right, he will break free.
Needless to say Esau was murderously angry and Jacob left town. Life for Esau went on as usual. He had married Judith and Basemath, both Hittites which his mom and dad did not like, and later Mahalath, whom they did. They gave birth to a bunch of kids and settled in Edom, in the hill country of Seir, their very own Promised Land. When Jacob returned, Esau could gather 400 men, a veritable army, to meet the rascal but Jacob won him over with a charming array of gifts. Esau, ever the guileless one, wept when he hugged Jacob and refused the gifts because he already had plenty. In fact, the two brothers could not live in the same area as they both had too much lifestock and people. The last time we see the brothers together is at their father's funeral.
Esau became known as the father of the Edomites and they lived securely on their land while the Israelites ended up as slaves in Egypt for 400 years. As the Israelites passed by Seir on the way to their Promised Land they were told that: God has given this land to Esau; these people were their brothers; they must not start a conflict here; and they had to pay for everything they used.
When I hate someone, I wish them all sorts of evil. It is easy to transfer that kind of thinking to God and easy to imagine what horror awaits a person whom God hates. But there is a major difference between my hate and God's hate. I have the capacity to plan and do evil. God can't. There is no darkness in Him.
Love's hate is more like benign neglect, like letting a child grow wild like a weed instead of guiding and educating him. Jacob, whom God loved, was being shaped into the 'womb that will earth Him' as Torrance puts it. In the process he had to leave his home, wrestle with God, end up in slavery, get the Law, endure punishing years in the desert, enter the Promised Land, fight for every bloody inch of it, live precariously and in much terror through most of his time there, get exiled to Babylon, come back to a demolished city and temple, end up under Roman rule.
This is so Love's incarnation will have it's proper setting and context. This is what is meant to be loved by Love. Being hated by Love is not that bad after all. Not that bad at all.
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