THE PAST ELECTION OF A CHOSEN PEOPLE:
ILLUSTRATIONS OF GOD’S SOVEREIGN CHOICE

It has been said that a picture is worth a thousand words. That is why illustrations are often so helpful in conveying profound biblical truths. Certainly one of loftiest doctrines in Scripture is that of election. Knowing this, Paul reaches into the Word of God with three illustrations to illumine this teaching. We learn that election is not a matter of human parentage, performance or position.

NOT A MATTER OF HUMAN PARENTAGE

7 nor are they all children because they are Abraham’s descendants, but: “through Isaac your descendants will be named.”
8 That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants.
9 For this is the word of promise: “At this time I will come, and Sarah shall have a son.” (Rom.9:7-9)

Ishmael was a biological son to Abraham, but it was another son, Isaac, that would be the recipient of the covenant blessing. Jesus confronted the Jews who thought that race made them right with God –that genetics was sufficient. Jesus dispelled that notion in John 8:39-47.

39 They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham.
40 But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this.
41 You do the deeds of your father.” Then they said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father—God.”
42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me.
43 Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word.
44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.
45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me.
46 Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me?
47 He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.”

There are those who think they are God’s children because their parents were Christians. The Bible is clear, “You must be born again!” (John 3:7). The regenerate are “born, not of blood…but of God” (John 1:13, emphasis added). Election is not a matter of human parentage.

NOT A MATTER OF HUMAN PERFORMANCE

10 And not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one man, even by our father Isaac 11 (for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls),
12 it was said to her, “The older shall serve the younger.”
13 As it is written, “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.”
14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not! (Rom.9:10-16)

It is difficult to understand everything these verses teach. God says, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isa.55:8-9) If you can explain everything there is to explain about God, then the Trinity can admit a fourth person!

But there are some things we can know. We know that if anyone is saved it is because of heavenly grace not human goodness. Jacob didn’t deserve to be chosen—he had done nothing good or bad. Both Esau and Jacob were scoundrels and the amazing thing isn’t that Esau was rejected but that Jacob was accepted! Nobody will get to strut into heaven.

Also, the word “hated” here is a relative term. For example, Jesus said, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26). Obviously, God isn’t going to tell us to honor our parents and then turn around and tell us to hate them. Do you think that because I follow Christ that I must hate my wife and children? No! I can love them more, as I love Him most! That is, my love for God is to claim my highest devotion and absolute allegiance, so much so that He has the preference over all other relationships. In the same manner, God preferred Jacob (and that was grace) rather than Esau—even before the twin boys were born. But, that doesn’t mean God looked into Rebecca’s womb and said, “I hate that baby!” God loves sinners and wants them saved! “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life,” (John 3:16, emphasis added). If Esau went to hell, it was because he rejected God’s grace, not because he had no choice. God doesn’t predestine a baby for hell before he or she is born. God is merciful and compassionate on all who want His mercy.

God has the right to do as He pleases for He is God and He always pleases to do what is right for He is God! Esau, you, me, anyone who wants to have mercy may have it. Here’s what the Bible teaches, “He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy” (Prov.28:13, emphasis added). There’s that wonderful word “whoever” again! It’s mercy, not justice, we need. If you go to heaven you can only credit God and if you go to hell you alone bear the blame. The regenerate are “born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh…but of God” (John 1:13, emphasis added). Election is not a matter of human performance.


NOT A MATTER OF HUMAN POSITION

17 For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.”
18 Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens.

Men make distinction between classes of people, but not God. We classify people by rich and poor, royalty and peasants, powerful and puny, famous and infamous. God makes no such distinctions. “For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him,” (Rom.10:12).

What do we make of Paul’s quote concerning God’s purpose in raising up Pharaoh, and the declaration that God hardened the wicked ruler’s heart? The quote is accurate, of course. Scripture records this, but says more than this. The Bible also states that Pharaoh hardened his own heart. So, his hard heart is attributed to both Pharaoh and God. Pharaoh, like every unbeliever was born with a hard heart, and through persistent rebellion against God reinforced that hard heart. God permitted this process to unfold and the end result was the judicial act of God in hardening Pharaoh’s heart. This is why the Bible warns, “Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts” (Heb.3:15). “He who is often rebuked, and hardens his neck, Will suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy” (Prov.29:1). Don’t dare say, “I’ll come to God when I want to,” or “I’ll receive Christ later,” for you cannot say that! It may be true that you will, but there are no guarantees. You may not come to Him when you want to, because you will no longer want to! The regenerate are “born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:13, emphasis added). Election is not a matter of human position.