C. H. Spurgeon —

"As for our Arminian brethren, it is wonderful to see how they hammer away at the ninth of Romans; steam-hammers and screw-jacks are nothing to their appliances for getting rid of election from that chapter. We have all been guilty of racking Scripture more or less, and it will be well to have done with the evil forever. We had better far be inconsistent with ourselves than with the inspired word. I have been called an Arminian Calvinist or a Calvinistic Arminian, and I am quite content so long as I can keep close to my Bible." [from Heart-Disease Curable, MTP Vol 27, Year 1881, pg. 346, Isaiah 61:1]

The context in which the word "hated" is here used can leave no doubt in the reader's mind as to what is being taught: namely, that God has elected some to Himself ...and reprobated others — that is, rejected them and fitted them to damnation.

Paul's questions anticipate the very objections heard today to the same doctrine —

(vs. 14): "What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid."

(vs. 15): "For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy."

Paul does not do as objectors would do — "explain away" the strong force of these words — but appeals to the sovereign will of God as an answer to the question.

(vs. 19): "Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?"

This is the very objection that we continually hear from Arminian ["theologically" — not the Russian province] sources: "If God does such-and-such a thing to men, why does He condemn them?" That is the same cavil that Paul answered as follows:

(vs. 20): "Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why has thou made me thus?"

Paul deemed it a sufficient answer in reminding the vain caviller of his utter insignificance and the glorious Sovereignty of God who does what He will with His own. Christ asserts this same principle in Matthew 20:15, where He teaches the parable of the laborers and the vineyard. He answers the objector by saying:

"Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good."

This illustrates election, "for many be called but few chosen" [Matthew 20:16]. If He intended to teach by the parable that man's works makes the difference, then He certainly set forth a confusing parable; for notice, the laborers went into the vineyard at different hours, yet Christ did not reward one more than the other. The caviller thought He should have done so. This He meets with the sovereignty of God.

It should be understood that the word does NOT refer to passion, but it comprehends the evil passion of man as a motive for his rejection of the person or thing rejected. Illustration: John 3:20 — "For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved."

The thing rejected here is Christ, who is called the light (a metaphor). The action or result of this rejection is their not coming to the light, Christ Jesus. The motive back of the rejection is man's passion or love for evil, called darkness.

Let us notice an illustration where evil passion is NOT a motive for rejection: Luke 14:26 — "If any man come to me, and hate not his father and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple."

Christ is here emphasizing that if a man's own family would hinder him from following Christ, he must part with them. He uses the term "hate." This term, as I have stated, means that the individual is to reject his family in preference to Christ, and to depart from that family, if necessary, to follow Christ. This does not involve evil passion.

It has been said by many Arminians that the term hate means "love less." But why should a man love his family less, now that he is a follower of Jesus Christ? When the Arminian was "saved," did that mean that he now loved his family less? I dare say he will not say so! If there were any change in the man at all, he would have loved his family more. But if they did not follow Christ, he would have to reject them and depart their company, if that were necessary.

Another illustration: John 12:25 — "He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal." Certainly, the word here does not involve evil passion. It simply means that one is to reject a life of serving self, and lose his life in the service of God. And this, Christ says, is finding the life, keeping it unto life eternal.

It could not mean that we are simply to love our sinful life less than at some time in the past, for we are forbidden in God's moral law to love self at all. David said in Psalms 139:21-22 — "Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies."

This was not a passionate hatred, arising from the evil nature of a man, but it was a definite rejection by David of the wicked, and the result being that he counted them his enemies.

So when hatred is passionate, it arises from the evil nature of man; when it is godly, or righteous, or as David says, "perfect," it arises from a definite motive of love for God and the determination to please Him.

Now for the word as in Romans 9:13. Here it is God's hatred that is the subject. We know, then, that this hatred is not motivated by any unholy principle, but God's rejection of Esau and the results of that rejection are attributed by Paul to the sovereign choice of God.

Let us notice when the rejection took place: "(For the children being not yet born, nether having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) it was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated." [Romans 9:11-13]

In what manner was Esau the servant of Jacob? NOTICE —

(1) All the rights of the firstborn were transferred from Esau to Jacob [Genesis 27:27-34]

(2) Esau had to leave the land of Canaan, when the riches of both Jacob and Esau were so great that they could not live together (Genesis 30:6-8) and Esau dwelt at Mount Seir, or Edom, fathering the nation of Edomites.

(3) The blessing of the father, Isaac, as recorded in Genesis 27, was stolen from Esau by Jacob, causing both Esau and his father, Isaac, sorrow, but fulfilling the purpose of God (Genesis 27:34-41). In Genesis 27:37 we read, "Esau, Behold, I have made him thy lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants; and with corn and wine have I sustained him: and what shall I do now unto thee, my son? And Esau said unto his father, Hast thou but one blessing, my father? bless me, even me also, O my father. And Esau lifted up his voice, and wept." And in vs. 40 — "And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother."

Notice that Esau hated Jacob, motivated by evil passion, because God had given the blessings to Jacob — "And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him:  and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob." [Genesis 27:41].

So also do the non-elect today hate the chosen of God because we have the blessing of free grace, without our own merits, and you who strive to have the blessing by your efforts, cannot obtain it! So you hate us!

There are other things which could be noted that reveal how Esau was the servant of Jacob. But Malachi 1:1-5, which looks back upon the whole posterity of Esau, very well covers the matter —

"The burden of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi. I have loved you, saith the Lord. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the Lord: yet I loved Jacob, And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness. Whereas Edom saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; thus saith the Lord of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, The border of wickedness, and, The people against whom the Lord hath indignation for ever. And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, The Lord will be magnified from the border of Israel."

These illustrations in Romans 9 clearly reveal that God elects some and rejects others as an act of His sovereignty, not because of men's works. Notice in verse 24 that his teaching does not merely apply to Jews, as some foolish cavillers and perverters have asserted, but the vessels of wrath and vessels of mercy are "not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles."

Author: Bob L. Ross

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