The Wonder of Unconditional Love

 

Malachi 1:1-5
The oracle of the Word of the Lord to Israel through Malachi. "I have loved you," says the Lord. But you say, How have you loved us?" "Was not Esau Jacob's brother?" declares the Lord "Yet I have loved Jacob; but I have hated Esau, and I have made his mountains a desolation and appointed his inheritance for the jackals of the wilderness," Though Edom says, "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." Your eyes will see this and you will say, "The Lord be magnified beyond the border of Israel!"

Hatred - Intense dislike or ill will
Love -An intense feeling of deep affection

"I have loved Jacob"

Meaning- By an act of His will, God selected Jacob and set him up to be the object of His love.

Profundity-Jacob was a cheat, liar, and a scoundrel.Yet God loved Him! Amen!

Proof- "Was not Esau Jacob's brother?" declares the Lord "Yet I have loved Jacob;...." - He is saying "You could have been like the Edomites! But I have loved you."

You played no part in your physical birth, what makes you think you play a part in your spiritual birth?

Manner -

God loved Jacob sovereignly and freely.

God's love for Jacob was with selectivity and favoritism.

The span of God's love for Jacob is clear and simple: Forever

"I have hated Esau"

Awesome Heritage

Born in answer to prayer, and received by his parents as a gift from God.

He was the First Born, which in those times meant he was the heir to his fathers inheritance.

Destined from birth to be the father of a great nation.

His dad was Isaac

His granddad was Abraham

He was a deer hunter, game hunter

Good ole' boy

His father Isaac loved him deeply

For centuries theologians have tried to explain what "I have hated Esau" means.

Explanations of God's hatred toward Esau -

Relative Comparative - God loved Esau less

Problem- Plug that in the text and read -   "Yet I have loved Jacob; but I have loved Esau less, and I have made his mountains a desolation and appointed his inheritance for the jackals of the wilderness," Though Edom says, "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."

You be the judge. Does that makes sense with the context?

Preferred and passed over - God preferred Jacob and passed over Esau

Problem- Plug that in the text and read - "Yet I have preferred Jacob; but I have passed over Esau, and I have made his mountains a desolation and appointed his inheritance for the jackals of the wilderness," Though Edom says, "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."

You be the judge. Does that make sense with the context?

Loved the man, but hated the sin in the man - God loved Esau the man, but hated the sin in Esau.

Problem- Plug that in the text and read -  "Yet I have loved Jacob; and I have loved Esau, but have hated the sin inside of him, and I have made his mountains a desolation and appointed his inheritance for the jackals of the wilderness," Though Edom says, "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."

In Jewish thought, you could not separate what man said and did, you could not separate the man and his sin.

If this idea is true, then my mother was wrong in spanking me for doing wrong as a child! She should have spanked my sin!

You be the judge. Does that make sense with the context?

After reading these explanations, I have concluded that, in some cases, theologians are studying something other than Scripture.

Meaning - God had a settled opposition, and holy disdain for Esau.

Why did God hate Esau?

Esau lived for the:

 present, instead of the future.

 flesh , instead of the Spirit.

 praise of man, instead of the praise of God.

Esau counted worthless what God deemed highly valued.

So did Jacob! Yet God loved Jacob!

I Have often wondered, "How has God loved me?" Yet I remember, I am just like Esau. I should be hated by God, but instead He sent His SON to die for me and satisfy justice on my behalf!

Oh, the wonder of unconditional love!!!!