The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Genesis 35:22b-26,
"Jacob had twelve sons: The sons of Leah: Reuben the firstborn of Jacob, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar and Zebulun. The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. The sons of Rachel's servant Bilhah: Dan and Naphtali. The sons of Leah's servant Zilpah: Gad and Asher. These were the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Paddan Aram."
Here is a listing of Jacob's sons. All of Jacob's sons (he also had a daughter, Dinah) became the nation of Israel (Jacob's new name).
I make the point of saying that all of Jacob's sons became the nation of Israel: all twelve tribes. However, although Abraham was chosen by God because of the faith he modeled for all succeeding generations of mankind, not all of Abraham's sons figured into the nation God chose as his people for his purposes of the redemption of mankind. Of Abraham's sons, it was Isaac, not Ishmael that was chosen. Of Isaac's sons, it was Jacob, not Esau that was chosen. But when it came to Jacob, all his sons and all the offspring since have become the nation of Israel, God's chosen people.
Since Abraham, the great man of faith, was chosen by God to create a nation for his purposes, why didn't all his offspring become God's chosen nation? Since Isaac was the offspring of Abraham that God chose to carry the line forward for creating the nation, why didn't all his offspring become God's chosen nation? Why wasn't it until the third generation that all offspring would comprise God's chosen nation?
It is an interesting question. I think the answer may be found in what Paul has to say in Romans 9. As Paul carried the gospel message to the other nations of the world, he was followed by "Judaizers" who contradicted him and claimed that anyone, whether Jew or Gentile, needed to follow the law of God to become members of God's family who share in eternal life. As it turns out, as most of us have come to find, all mankind itself is given to the notion that if we want eternal life we are going to have to "earn it". All religions of the world, save the followers of Jesus Christ, have at the core of their beliefs that we all need to be doing "something" to earn our spot in heaven or Nirvana, or whatever.
That is not the gospel at all. Jesus Christ did all that needed to be done for any of mankind to find their way into God's family. He died on the cross to pay for all our sins, and to have his death credited to our account with God, he asks us to set aside anything we may be doing to earn his approval and simply embrace him in faith.
This is God's choice: salvation is by faith, not by works. God's choice! Not ours. We don't have a say in how we get into God's family, God has chosen the way, how it is done. We each have a choice to embrace Jesus Christ in faith for salvation, but we don't have a choice as to how salvation is achieved.
In order to help prove his point of this in the book of Romans (by the way, this is exactly what the book of Romans is all about: faith and not works of our own), Paul uses the history of the patriarchs relative to my question above. He points out that God chose Jacob and not Esau to demonstrate that all things are God's to choose. "For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham's children. On the contrary, 'It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.' In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God's children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham's offspring. For this was how the promise was stated: 'At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.' Not only that, but Rebekah's children were conceived at the same time by our father Isaac. Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad—in order that God's purpose in election might stand: not by works but by him who calls—she was told, 'The older will serve the younger.' Just as it is written: 'Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.'" Romans 9:6-13.
Paul then goes on with his point, "It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God's mercy." Verse 16.
"Jacob had twelve sons: The sons of Leah: Reuben the firstborn of Jacob, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar and Zebulun. The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. The sons of Rachel's servant Bilhah: Dan and Naphtali. The sons of Leah's servant Zilpah: Gad and Asher. These were the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Paddan Aram."
Here is a listing of Jacob's sons. All of Jacob's sons (he also had a daughter, Dinah) became the nation of Israel (Jacob's new name).
I make the point of saying that all of Jacob's sons became the nation of Israel: all twelve tribes. However, although Abraham was chosen by God because of the faith he modeled for all succeeding generations of mankind, not all of Abraham's sons figured into the nation God chose as his people for his purposes of the redemption of mankind. Of Abraham's sons, it was Isaac, not Ishmael that was chosen. Of Isaac's sons, it was Jacob, not Esau that was chosen. But when it came to Jacob, all his sons and all the offspring since have become the nation of Israel, God's chosen people.
Since Abraham, the great man of faith, was chosen by God to create a nation for his purposes, why didn't all his offspring become God's chosen nation? Since Isaac was the offspring of Abraham that God chose to carry the line forward for creating the nation, why didn't all his offspring become God's chosen nation? Why wasn't it until the third generation that all offspring would comprise God's chosen nation?
It is an interesting question. I think the answer may be found in what Paul has to say in Romans 9. As Paul carried the gospel message to the other nations of the world, he was followed by "Judaizers" who contradicted him and claimed that anyone, whether Jew or Gentile, needed to follow the law of God to become members of God's family who share in eternal life. As it turns out, as most of us have come to find, all mankind itself is given to the notion that if we want eternal life we are going to have to "earn it". All religions of the world, save the followers of Jesus Christ, have at the core of their beliefs that we all need to be doing "something" to earn our spot in heaven or Nirvana, or whatever.
That is not the gospel at all. Jesus Christ did all that needed to be done for any of mankind to find their way into God's family. He died on the cross to pay for all our sins, and to have his death credited to our account with God, he asks us to set aside anything we may be doing to earn his approval and simply embrace him in faith.
This is God's choice: salvation is by faith, not by works. God's choice! Not ours. We don't have a say in how we get into God's family, God has chosen the way, how it is done. We each have a choice to embrace Jesus Christ in faith for salvation, but we don't have a choice as to how salvation is achieved.
In order to help prove his point of this in the book of Romans (by the way, this is exactly what the book of Romans is all about: faith and not works of our own), Paul uses the history of the patriarchs relative to my question above. He points out that God chose Jacob and not Esau to demonstrate that all things are God's to choose. "For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham's children. On the contrary, 'It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.' In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God's children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham's offspring. For this was how the promise was stated: 'At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.' Not only that, but Rebekah's children were conceived at the same time by our father Isaac. Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad—in order that God's purpose in election might stand: not by works but by him who calls—she was told, 'The older will serve the younger.' Just as it is written: 'Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.'" Romans 9:6-13.
Paul then goes on with his point, "It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God's mercy." Verse 16.
Paul used the very circumstance of God choosing only one son of Isaac as opposed to all (both) to demonstrate it is his to choose.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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