The Outworking of God's Choice

As we have discussed in my previous message that God made his Choice for Jacob over Esau before they were born (Romans 9:10 – 13). His chose Jacob because He loved Israel:

“I have loved you,” says the Lord. “Yet you say, ‘In what way have You loved us?’ “Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” says the Lord. “Yet Jacob I have loved; but Esau I have hated, and laid waste his mountains and his heritage for the jackals of the wilderness” (Malachi 1:2, 3, NKJV, emphasis added).

Notice that God has strong feelings (of the soul realm) – He talks about love and hate; for and against!

Moses said, “The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; but because the Lord loves you, …”(Deuteronomy 7:7, 8).

The Bible never attempts to explain the love of God because His love is not explainable. He loves His people because He loves His people and out of this love He chose them!

God’s principle of election (God’s Choice) also applies to the Church and individual Christian/believer. According to Romans 8:28, 29 God works out the course of our lives we would take.

In Ephesians Paul said the same thing:

“… just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, …” (Eph. 1:4, 5).

Why God loved Jacob and hated Esau?

The question is what did God see in Jacob that caused Him to choose him and reject Esau?

God loved Jacob

I believe the one thing that Jacob had going for him was that he appreciated what God had to offer – His blessing. God foreknew Jacob and saw in him that here is somebody who would do anything to get what He had to offer. God had to deal with Jacob for years because he went all together the wrong way of getting it!

Genesis 32:22 – 32 relates how Jacob wrestled with God in order to get His blessings:

“And He said, ‘Let Me go, for the day breaks.’ But he said, ‘I will not let You go unless You bless me!’” (Gen. 32:26, NKJV).

God hated Esau

The writer of Hebrews said, “… lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears” (Hebrews 12:16, 17, emphasis added).

Notice that Esau was classified as a fornicator even though nothing was written about him ever committed fornication. His sin of corruption was as the sin of a fornicator. He was also being described as a “profane person” which means being earthly and sensual.

In other words, Esau was a carnal person. He was a man with a type of carnality – being more concerned with things of time than things of eternity; the things of the flesh than of the Spirit. Carnality is living as though there is nothing beyond the present world; living without conscious of eternity!

Esau’s attitude was exactly the opposite of what caused God to love Jacob. He had not appreciated what God had to offer. He had his birthright but he despised it and exchanged it with a bowl of soup. God hates carnality and therefore He hated Esau.

The Outworking of God’s Choice in the Old Testament

Here are a few examples to show how God endorsed His choice:

1. Bringing back the Ark

1 Chronicles 13 relates the story of how David and his people brought back the Ark from Kirjath Jearim. They carried the Ark on a cart driven by Uzza and Ahio (V. 7). David played music before God with all his might with singing (V. 8). When Uzza put out his hands to steady the Ark the Lord struck him dead.

David realized his mistake and said, “No one may carry the ark of God but the Levites, for the Lord has chosen them to carry the ark of God and to minister before Him forever” (1 Chronicles 15:2, NKJV, emphasis added).

The above shows the significance of God’s choice. The Church can learn a lesson from this. If we disobey God and are not in harmony with His choice even our praise and worship would not do a thing to please God!

2. Building of the Temple

It was God’s choice for David’s son Solomon to build the Temple. In fact God made His choice before Solomon was born (1 Chronicles 22:7 – 10).

The Word of the Lord came to David:

“Behold, a son shall be born to you, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies all around. His name shall be Solomon, for I will give peace and quietness to Israel in his days. He shall build a house for My name, and he shall be My son, an I will be his Father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever” (1 Chron. 22:9, 10, NKJV, emphasis added).

Notice that God even chose the name of David’s son before he was born.

The Outworking of God’s Choice in the New Testament

1. To bear fruit for God

Jesus said, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you” (John 15:16).

Jesus did not say He chose us for salvation. He chose us to bear fruit after He had saved us. If we do not bear fruit every thing that we do will merely be religious effort.

A few verses back Jesus taught His disciples how to bear fruit for God:

“Every branch in Me that does no bear fruit He (God) takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me” (John 15:2, 4, NKJV, emphasis added).

We bear fruit for God by abiding in Jesus. This means we live by faith and our entire day to day living entirely dependant on Jesus. We follow His doctrine and be hearers and doers of His Word.

2. Another apostle to replace Judas

Two men, Barsabas and Matthias were qualified to take the place of Judas. The apostles prayed and said, “You, O Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which of these two You have chosen to take part in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place” (Acts 1:24, 25, emphasis added).

The next verse says, “And they cast their lots, and the lot fell on Matthias. And he was numbered with the eleven apostles” (Acts 1:26).

3. The conversion of Saul

Saul lost his sight after he met the Lord at Damascus Road. The Lord commanded Ananias to lay hand on Saul to recover his sight and to baptize him.

The Lord said to Ananias, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how many things he must suffer fro My name’s sake” (Acts 9:15, 16, emphasis added).

4. The sending out of Barnabas and Saul

Barnabas and Saul were chosen and sent out by the Holy Spirit when prophets and teacher gathered and prayed in the Church of Antioch:

“As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them’” (Acts 13:2).

Conclusion

Volunteers have no place in the Kingdom of God. God does not ask for volunteers. He alone chooses whoever He wants to use!