God's Electing Love

God answers his people again "I have loved you!" And then even goes on to answer their petulant question "Oh Yeah? How?!"

He answers that by showing them his electing love. Esau and Jacob were brothers, and in fact, Esau was the first born and the stronger of the two. And yet God chose to lay his covenant love on Jacob and reject Esau. Esau of course went on to become the founder of the pagan nation of Edom, in the mountains south of Israel, while Jacob became the father of the twelve tribes of Israel.

Yahweh loved Jacob more than Esau. His love is not based on Israel’s righteousness (Deut. 9:4) or greatness (Deut. 7:7), but on his promise of blessing (Deut. 7:8) guaranteed by oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Esau was bypassed. No human reasoning can fully explain God’s choice. His love for Jacob was an act of love, election, and sovereignty (Rom. 9:1–29).

He had chosen Israel, He had laid his love sovereignly upon his people. HE also shows them how his action in destroying Jerusalem and sending them into exile was the loving act of discipline by a father, by contrasting it with the final judgment that fell on Edom. The discipline that fell upon Israel was designed to prevent their final destruction. The destruction of Edom was a preview of the final judgment that would fall upon them. Israel was laid waste, and then delivered and raised up again by the loving hand of Yahweh. Edom was cast down and will never be allowed to rise again.