Contrast Jacob and Esau. How is God's sovereign choice NOT due to His omniscience? 534-2 - 13-3

With thanks to Wikipedia, “Omniscience (pron.: /ɒmˈnɪʃəns/[1]), mainly in religion, is the capacity to know everything that there is to know. In particular, Hinduism and the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) believe that there is a divine being who is omniscient. An omniscient point-of-view, in writing, is to know everything that can be known about a character, including past history, thoughts, feelings, etc. In Latin, omnis means "all" and sciens means "knowing".

I came across this gem as I was reviewing the Book of Daniel for another class, Daniel 2:20-22, "Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding: He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.”

When Jacob and Esau’s mother Rebecca was pregnant God told Rebecca Genesis 25:23 “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.” Jacob earned his name which means heel grabber; as Rebecca was delivering her son Esau Jacob had a hold of his heel trying to pass him as they exited the womb. Esau (red) became a skillful hunter and a favorite of his father while Jacob stayed closer to home and was favored by his mother.

Romans 9:13, “As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.” God is not confined to our lineal sense of time as he stands outside of it. He knows the beginning from the ending and the ending from the beginning. Add to that God is sovereign and it is up to him who he loves and who he hates. That said, I don’t belief that we serve a capricious God who loves and/or hates without reason. God knew that Esau would value his birthright so little that he would sell it for a bowl of porridge to gratify his carnal appetite of hunger. When Esau cried that he wanted his birthright restored it was too late. Herein lays a lesson for those preferring subsidence for the flesh rather than for the spirit.

Later, Isaac wanted Esau to make him a savory stew and bring it to him and he would give Esau his blessing. Rebecca and Jacob tricked Isaac into giving his blessing to Jacob. Jacob fled his home fearing revenge from Esau. Rebecca told Jacob to go to her brother Lehman where he was in turn tricked by Lehman. Finally Jacob earned Lehman’s daughters Rachel and Leah and between them and two concubines Jacob had 12 sons and one daughter.

Were Rebecca and Jacob really devious or just doing God’s will (election)? IMO, God always intended that His Covenant would pass to Jacob.