The Man God Hated – 3.3.09

Romans 9:13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.

A Calvinist is one who believes that before God ever created man, He ordained some to salvation and eternal life and others to damnation and eternal death. Such a doctrine is obviously not supported by scripture but is simply a belief system forced upon the word of God by a misinterpretation of certain passages, such as the one above (which is a quote from Malachi 1:2-3).

God did not make a sovereign decree of hatred toward Esau before time began. In fact, His reasons for doing so were anything but arbitrary.

Deuteronomy 7:9-10 Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations; And repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face.

We love God because He first loved us, right (1 John 4:19)? Do you know why God hates certain people (Psalm 5:5)? BECAUSE THEY HATED HIM FIRST! He repayeth them that hate him to their face.

Let me show you why God hated Esau.

• Hebrews 12:16 says he was a fornicator and a profane person.
  
• Genesis 25:34 says that he despised his birthright – that is the blessings to which He was entitled as a result of His grandfather's (Abraham) covenant with GOD – and sold it for a mess of pottage.
  
• Genesis 27:36 says He was only concerned about the physical blessings he thought he had coming his way.
  
• Genesis 26:34-35 says that Esau took 2 Hittite wives unto Himself, which were a grief of mind unto Isaac and to Rebekah.
  
• In Genesis 28:6-9 he took another Canaanite wife simply out of spite to his parents.
  

Nice guy, huh?

Now, I said earlier that God hates those who hate Him first. And now I've showed you what a rotten slob Esau was. But I don't have any verses that say Esau hated God. What I do have is a statement made by Jesus Christ in John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments. Based on that statement, I would argue that Esau's pattern of rebellion against the commands of God was evidence of the condition of his heart – one that warranted a return of God's hatred toward him.

Cross-reference Deuteronomy 7:9-10 with 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

According to both promises, God is not slack concerning His promise – that is He cannot and He will not withhold rightful judgment from the sinner – but it is never His desire, it was never His plan for any to perish in the flames of eternal hell.

Esau could've been forgiven. Esau could've been restored. But he sought the blessing, not repentance (Hebrews 12:17). In like manner, the wicked people God hates (Psalm 7:11) could be forgiven if they'd only turn back in repentance to the One they've offended (Acts 3:19). Problem is they refuse to do so.

Psalm 10:4 The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.