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34 And Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils; then he ate and drank, arose, and went his way. Thus, Esau despised his birth right.

(Genesis 25: 34)

As a matter of fact, the word despises used here means worthless. So, he thought the birth right was worthless, it was nothing to him.   Actually, it could also mean contemptible. That says, something about his attitude toward God’s word, because it was God who said it. Naturally he should have inherited that promise, but he rationalized and said, let me have some pleasure today, I want my stomach filled right now and he sold his birth right, he valued momentary pleasure more than eternal things. How often do we ask ourselves what is really of value to us? 

Is it important to verbalize the question, because we are in constant danger of being tempted to give up something very precious in order to indulge a present, strong desire? The desire may involve out and out addiction or greed, lusting after money or material things. Giving into sexual desire without waiting for it to be placed within the right moral framework. How about indulging or letting loose our anger in an abandonment of reason, or blaming God in despair or disappointment when we don’t get our own way What is your bowl of stew, the mess of pottage? (KJV) What is dangerous to us is any temptation to gratify the feelings of the immediate moment in a way that shows we disregard or despise the promises of God or living the way we know God wants us to live? Do you ever live for the moment and by doing so despised what God’s has promised you in the long term?  So, what can we draw out from this story?

I began by suggesting that this really comes down to the whole subject of election and predestination, but not in the way a lot of Christians argue about this issue. Is it God’s choice, or is it your choice? This passage is teaching that God Sovereignly makes choices, he said, I choose Jacob, but this passage also shows that the people involved made choices as well. Clearly, this passage illustrates God choice and just as clearly this passage illustrates, the individuals involved chose something different, or did it in a different way at least. The scripture does not give us a reason why God chose Jacob over Esau. What we do know it is God’s choice did not rest on the superior merits of Jacob, but on God’s divine prerogative. Yes, Esau despised his birth right, yet Jacob still obtained it and became what God had promised he would become. Explicit moral commentary is rare in the Bible, so the writer’s inclusion of the statement “Esau despised his birth right”, tells us something about Esau that he did not want the reader to miss. He wanted to emphasize Esau made his freewill choice to despise the birth right.

So, here’s my conclusion. You’re ready.  It is that God chooses, and we choose. When it comes to something like salvation, both, I believe are true also. How do you explain that? Let’s talk about it. John Chapter 6. 

“Whoever comes to me I will never drive away”.

(John 6: 37b)

“No one can come to me unless the father who sent me draws him”. 

(John 6: 44a) 

In John chapter six, Jesus' speaking says, “nobody can come to the father unless the Holy Spirit draws him”, but also says, “you have still got to believe”.  All in the same chapter, in the same conversation, in fact. It’s up to you, you choose to trust Christ, and you’ll be accepted. I believe God still chooses us, but do we still have to respond, we still must choose.  I think both of those things are true. I believe there is a balance in the Bible between election and free will, both are taught, and both are true.

“But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren, beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth”,

(2 Thes 2: 13)

We need to give thanks to God because you have trusted Christ. God chose you. If there is one thing you need to walk grab hold of today, it’s this. If you’ve trusted Jesus Christ, God chose you, and you’re special to him. If you’ve trusted Christ, it’s because God loves you and he choose you. That says it as clearly as anything in the scripture but keep reading. 

From the beginning, [probably a reference to eternity past], He chose you for salvation, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.

The Holy Spirit, according to the scripture, is the one who convicts of sin, He enlightens us to the gospel, and He draws us to Christ, but you have to believe. There it is, all in one verse. God chose you but you have to believe, and that part is up to you. Here it is, real short and simple.  The good news (The Gospel) is that Jesus died for our sins and rose from the dead, as anyone proclaims that truth you can respond in free will to it. You can hear that message say, yeah, wow, that’s right, I’m a sinner and I need to be forgiven. I want to know that God accepts and forgives me and according to that message of good news, I can do this by choosing to trust Christ. So, you say, yes, I’m a Sinner and I believe Jesus died for my sin. I’m trusting in this for my future and nothing else. God then says you’re forgiven, and I give you the gift of eternal life. By the way, that’s a direct statement from the Bible in Romans 6:3. 

“The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”.

So, both aspects are true.  God chose us, and yet we must believe in the good news (Gospel). When it comes to salvation, both aspects are true.  God chooses, God calls, God, convicts, God, converts and God crowns us with glory. Nevertheless, you must choose to respond and trust in Christ. 

If you understand the Bible, this should not come as any surprise. I struggle sometimes to hold the truths of God within my pea sized brain. Sometimes I simply have to say I don’t understand it all, but that’s what God has revealed, so I believe it. The problem is not the doctrine, the problem is never the doctrine, the problem is our perception of the doctrine.

Suppose I had a coin I could look at one side and I’d say that’s heads and I can flip it over and say that’s tails.  But I can’t see them both at the same time. That’s the problem. you can clearly see one, but you can’t view them both at the same time, but it still the same coin. When it comes to these truths of God, we sometimes struggle to hold them in tension at the same time.  However, what I can do is give thanks that God has chosen to reveal his son Jesus to me, and to respond in thanks by accepting that truth into my hearts. I hope and trust you can do the same thing today.