God's Sovereign Choice

JEWISH CUSTOM OF THE TIME WAS TO PASS THE INHERITANCE AND THE BLESSING OF THE FATHER TO THE ELDEST SON. FOR ABRAHAM, THAT WOULD BE ISHMAEL. HERE THOUGH, GOD MAKES THE PROMISE THAT THE COVENANT WOULD BE PASSED ON TO THE YOUNGER, ISSAC.

THE QUESTION WE MUST ASK IS WHAT MADE ISSAC BETTER THAT ISHMAEL. ISHMAEL WAS THE PROPER CHOICE ACCORDING TO THE CULTURE. HE FIT THE REQUIREMENTS FOR PASSING DOWN THE COVENANT AS HE WAS ABRAHAM’S OFFSPRING, AND GOD DID PROMISE TO BLESS HIM AND MAKE HIM INTO A GREAT NATION AS WELL.

GENESIS 17:20-21:

AND AS FOR ISHMAEL, I HAVE HEARD YOU: I WILL SURELY BLESS HIM; I WILL MAKE HIM FRUITFUL AND WILL GREATLY INCREASE HIS NUMBERS. HE WILL BE THE FATHER OF TWELVE RULERS, AND I WILL MAKE HIM INTO A GREAT NATION. 21 BUT MY COVENANT I WILL ESTABLISH WITH ISAAC, WHOM SARAH WILL BEAR TO YOU BY THIS TIME NEXT YEAR.”

WAS THERE ANY REASON FOR THE COVENANT NOT TO BE PASSED THROUGH ISHMAEL? IT WAS JUST THE FACT THAT GOD IN HIS SOVEREIGN PLAN HAD CHOSE TO PASS IT THROUGH ISSAC, BEFORE ISSAC AND ISHMAEL HAD EVER BEEN BORN.

THERE MAY BE SOME WHO WOULD SAY THAT THE REASON THE COVENANT WAS PASSED THROUGH ISSAC WAS BECAUSE ABRAHAM WAS MARRIED TO SARAH AND NOT HAGAR. I WOULD POINT OUT THAT IT WAS SARAH’S IDEA AND GAVE HAGAR TO ABRAHAM TO SLEEP WITH AND HAVE A CHILD.

PAUL WILL TEACH THE GALATIAN CHURCH THAT HAGAR AND SARAH REPRESENTED THE TWO COVENANTS. YOU CAN READ ABOUT IT IN GALATIANS 4:21-31. HAGAR ACCORDING TO PAUL IN THIS CASE REPRESENTED THE OLD COVENANT AND SARAH THE NEW. I WOULD STILL POINT OUT THOUGH THAT THE COVENANT WAS PASSED ON BY GOD’S SOVEREIGN CHOICE, NOT THE SOCIAL STATUS OF THE WOMEN.

PAUL WILL NOW USE THE EXAMPLE OF JACOB AND ESAU TO FURTHER SUPPORT HIS POINT. IN GENESIS 25 WE ARE TOLD THAT ISSAC PRAYED ON BEHALF OF HIS WIFE AND SHE BECAME PREGNANT WITH TWINS.

GENESIS 25:22-23:

ISAAC PRAYED TO THE LORD ON BEHALF OF HIS WIFE, BECAUSE SHE WAS CHILDLESS. THE LORD ANSWERED HIS PRAYER, AND HIS WIFE REBEKAH BECAME PREGNANT. 22 THE BABIES JOSTLED EACH OTHER WITHIN HER, AND SHE SAID, “WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO ME?” SO SHE WENT TO INQUIRE OF THE LORD. 23 THE LORD SAID TO HER, “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.”

UNDERSTAND THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS. ISSAC AND ISHMAEL HAD DIFFERENT MOTHERS, BUT FOR JACOB AND ESAU IT IS THE SAME MOTHER, BUT THE RESULTS ARE THE SAME, THE BLESSING AND COVENANT ARE PASSED ON THROUGH THE YOUNGER SON.

AGAIN THE QUESTION, WHY WAS JACOB CHOSEN? WHAT OPPORTUNITY DID HE HAVE BEFORE HE WAS BORN TO SHOW HIMSELF BETTER THAN HIS BROTHER. HE CERTAINLY DIDN’T SHOW HIMSELF TO BE BETTER AFTER HE WAS BORN. REMEMBER THAT HIS NAME MEANS DECEIVER AND HE LIVED UP TO IT.

IT LEAVES US WITH THE QUESTION OF THE DAY. WHY DOES GOD CHOSE TO BLESS SOME AND NOT OTHERS? IS HE FAIR IN DOING SO?

THE PURPOSE OF GOD’S “ELECTION” OF SOME AND NOT OTHERS IS SO THAT HIS SOVEREIGN PLAN WOULD REMAIN IN PLACE.

TO ILLUSTRATE LETS GO BACK TO THE BACKYARD BAR-B-QUE, THAT LESLIE AND I ARE HAVING. THE BAR-B-QUE IS PART OF A GREATER PLAN OF MINE. I WANT TO DO SOME SPECIAL THINGS IN CAMPBELLTON AND I NEED PEOPLE TO HELP ME DO IT. I CHOOSE TO INVITE THE BAPTSIST’S AND THE PRESBYTERIANS TO GET INVOLVED IN IT, NOT BECAUSE OF ANYTHING THEY HAVE DONE, BUT SIMPLY BECAUSE I CHOSE THEM TO MEET MY NEEDS. THEY DID NOT KNOW OF THE PLAN, THEY DIDN’T DO ANYTHING SPECIAL TO MAKE ME CHOOSE THEM. IT IS MY PLAN, AND I AM IN CONTROL OF IT. THEY DO NOT KNOW OF MY PLAN SO THEY ARE NOT IN A POSITION TO MAKE ANY SUGGESTIONS OR DEMANDS BASED ON THE PLAN. IT IS MY CREATION AND I AM SOVEREIGN OVER IT.