As it is written, "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated." What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means! For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion."
-- Romans 9:13-15, ESV
I remember a murder case in Georgia from about 10 years ago. A woman was shot and killed during a carjacking in Duluth, an Atlanta suburb. Eyewitness testimony and DNA evidence led to a quick arrest, and it seemed like an open-and-shut case. Then, the charges against the prime suspect were dropped.
It turned out the crime was committed by the man's identical twin brother. They would have looked the same to an eyewitness. Identical twins possess the same DNA. But, they leave different fingerprints. The exonerated brother went home, while the guilty brother was convicted and sentenced to life without parole.
My question today is not to do with the crime, but the brothers. How can two identical twins turn out so differently? They had the same parents, same upbringing, same everything save their fingerprints. One lived a normal, law-abiding life. The other became a convicted murderer. The answer is complex.
So is the doctrine of election. It is a complex doctrine ordained in eternity past that can separate even brothers for eternity future. Election entails justice, for the guilty. Election is loaded with mercy, for the seemingly innocent, who may not be as innocent as you might think. And election is punctuated with the sovereign, gracious, and immutable will of God.
This text takes on two sets of two brothers Both sets of brothers were raised in the same house by the same parents. Their destinies were different, however, as one brother received the awful judgment of God, while the other brother was shown God's mercy. All of this is in accordance with the perfect will of God, a will infinitely higher and greater than our own.
The family in the Georgia case pleaded with the judge to let their son and brother go free. It was just one mistake, they said. The gun had a hair trigger, they said, even though he shot the woman multiple times. Let him go and he won't do it again, they said.
So, the judge sent him home, right? In the words of the Apostle Paul, "By no means," or as the T-shirts say in one of our town's most popular restaurants, "No way, Jose!"
Esau, the brother of chosen and beloved Jacob, was a desperately wicked man. He mocked God and the sacred religion of his forefathers, Abraham and Isaac. He married ungodly women and engaged in pagan religious practices just to spite the Lord and his parents. He was a wild man's man most men would have liked, but to God he was a hated, deplorable, rebel. So, no, God did not choose Esau, give salvation to Esau, nor bring Esau into His eternal kingdom. Esau got what he deserved, justice.
Pharaoh grew up with his adopted brother from birth, Moses. Pharaoh scoffed when Moses told him about the true and living God, YHWH. Pharaoh pursued Moses and the Israelites unto death after their exodus out of Egypt. God does not help those who help themselves, but God does harden those who harden themselves, like Pharaoh. So, no, God did not choose Pharaoh, give salvation to Pharaoh, nor bring Pharaoh into His people and kingdom. Pharaoh got what he deserved, justice.
Election is God's judgment, passing over, reprobation, hardening of hearts that are already inclined to sin, rebellion, and unbelief. These hearts, however, do not just belong to the murderers, rapists, thieves, Esau's, and Pharaoh's of the world. They belong to you and me as well (ref. Isaiah 53:6; Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 3:10ff).
Unless you can come to grips with the fact the whole human race deserves just punishment from God, you will never understand the merciful side of the glorious doctrine of election. Election is God's justice. It is also God's grace and mercy. We leave the dark and look on the bright side next week.
Chuck DeVane is the pastor of Lake Hamilton Baptist Church. Call him at 501-525-8339 or email [email protected].