Romans 9.12-Paul Cites Genesis 25.23 That Contains The Prophecy That Esau's Descendants Will Be In Subjection To Jacob's
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Thursday March 12, 2009
Romans: Romans 9:12-Paul Cites Genesis 25:23 That Contains The Prophecy That Esau’s Descendants Will Be In Subjection To Jacob’s
Lesson # 305
Please turn in your Bibles to Romans 9:1.
This evening we will continue with our study of Romans chapter 9.
In Romans 9:6, Paul presents the premise that not all Israel is Israel and that God’s Word has not failed and for the rest of the chapter he illustrates this premise.
In Romans 9:7, he cites Genesis 21:12 to prove this point with his readers that being a spiritual child of Abraham is not a birthright or in other words it is not based upon one’s racial heritage but rather it is based upon faith in the promises and in particular faith in the promised Messiah.
Then, in Romans 9:8, Paul teaches that the racial descendants of Abraham are not considered by God to be His children but rather He considers the children of the promise as being such.
Then, in Romans 9:9, Paul paraphrases Genesis 18:10 and 14 to identify specifically the content of the Lord’s promise to Abraham, which was that the Lord would fulfill His promise to Abraham and Sarah and they would have a son named Isaac.
In Romans 9:10, Paul teaches that the story of Rebekah and her twins illustrates the principle that true Israel is based upon God’s sovereign grace rather than race.
This story continues to support his argument from Romans 9:6 that even though the majority of Jews had rejected Christ, this did not constitute a failure on God’s part since He had not broken any promises to the patriarchs and their descendants.
Paul in Romans 9:11 teaches that God’s choice of Jacob’s descendants over Esau’s in forming spiritual Israel was in order that the Father’s predetermined plan, which is in accordance with election would remain immutable.
He goes on to say in the verse that this is never based upon human merit as constituting this plan’s source but rather based upon the Father who effectually calls as constituting this plan’s source.
This evening, we will note Romans 9:12 and in this passage, Paul cites Genesis 25:23, which contains the prophecy that Esau’s descendants would be in subjection to Jacob’s.
Romans 9:11 interrupts the flow of Paul’s argument and thus leaves Romans 9:10 syntactically incomplete.
The thought begun in Romans 9:10 is continued in Romans 9:12 and completed in Romans 9:13.
Let’s read Romans 9:1-13 and then concentrate on verse 12 for the rest of the evening.
Romans 9:1-13, “I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience testifies with me in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh, who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons, and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises, whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen. But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; nor are they all children because they are Abraham's descendants, but: ‘THROUGH ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS WILL BE NAMED.’ That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants. For this is the word of promise: ‘AT THIS TIME I WILL COME, AND SARAH SHALL HAVE A SON.’ And not only this, but there was Rebekah also, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac; for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God's purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls, it was said to her, ‘THE OLDER WILL SERVE THE YOUNGER.’ Just as it is written, ‘JACOB I LOVED, BUT ESAU I HATED.’”
Now, let’s concentrate on verse 12.
In Romans 9:12, we have an exact quotation from the Septuagint translation of the Hebrew in Genesis 25:23, which records the Lord’s prophecy to Rebekah concerning the nations that Jacob and Esau would be the progenitors of.
Romans 9:12, “It was said to her, ‘THE OLDER WILL SERVE THE YOUNGER.’”
“It was said” is the third person singular aorist passive indicative form of the verb eipon (ei@pon) (i-pon), which means, “to say” with the implication that what is said is a prediction or a prophecy.
“THE OLDER” is the articular nominative masculine singular form of the comparative adjective meizon (meivzwn) (mide-zone), which refers to Esau’s descendants, the Edomites and not Esau himself since this quotation from Genesis 25:23 was made by Lord in the context of the nations that Jacob and Esau would be the progenitors of.
Genesis 25:19-23, “Now these are the records of the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son: Abraham became the father of Isaac; and Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife. Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren; and the LORD answered him and Rebekah his wife conceived. But the children struggled together within her; and she said, ‘If it is so, why then am I this way?’ So she went to inquire of the LORD. The LORD said to her, ‘Two nations are in your womb; And two peoples will be separated from your body; And one people shall be stronger than the other; And the older shall serve the younger.’”
The Lord’s statement to Rebekah that “two nations are in your womb” implies that she is pregnant with twins and refers to the fact that these twins are twin progenitors of two nations.
The oldest son “Esau” would be the progenitor of the Edomites (See Genesis 36:1-43) whereas the younger son “Jacob” would be the progenitor of the Israelites.
The Edomites and the Israelites fought continuously.
From Rebekah’s womb, Jacob and Esau would be at odds with each other.
The Lord’s prediction that “two peoples will be separated from your (Rebekah’s) body” indicates that Jacob and Esau would be separated, divided and hostile towards one another and would have nothing in common.
The Lord’s prediction that “one people shall be stronger than the other” refers to the fact that the Israelites would prevail over the Edomites in history.
Also this prophecy indicates that Jacob and not Esau would be in the Messianic line and would inherit the promises of the Abrahamic Covenant.
Normally, the oldest would receive the father’s inheritance and estate but the Lord does not always subscribe to this.
In Genesis 25:23, the Lord declares that the “older shall serve the younger” indicating that the younger son, Jacob would receive the inheritance and not Esau who was older.
Esau, the older, did not actually serve Jacob, his younger twin but rather Esau’s descendants did (see 1 Samuel 14:47; 2 Samuel 8:14; 1 Kings 11:15-16; 22:47; 2 Kings 14:7).
This prophecy that “one people shall be stronger than the other; And the older shall serve the younger” indicates that the sovereign will of God has ordained the following: (1) Jacob to be in the Messianic line and not Esau. (2) Jacob would be the beneficiary of the divine promises enumerated in the Abrahamic Covenant and not Esau. (3) Jacob would receive his father’s estate and not Esau.
Just as the Lord had chosen Isaac who was younger over Ishmael to receive Abraham’s inheritance so the Lord had chosen Jacob who was younger than Esau.
In the Messianic line, Seth, Isaac, Jacob, Judah and David were not first-born sons.
Therefore, we see the Lord is expressing His sovereign will for Rebekah’s twin sons, Esau and Jacob and that He has ordained from eternity past, that Jacob would be in the line of Christ and not Esau and that Jacob and not Esau would be the progenitor of the nation of Israel.
Jacob did “not” merit this privilege, nor did Esau do anything to “not” merit it but rather, it was all based upon God’s grace and mercy and sovereign will.
That Esau was born first and the Jacob is taught in Genesis 25:25-26.
Genesis 25:24-26, “When her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. Now the first came forth red, all over like a hairy garment; and they named him Esau. Afterward his brother came forth with his hand holding on to Esau's heel, so his name was called Jacob; and Isaac was sixty years old when she gave birth to them.”
Romans 9:12, “It was said to her, ‘THE OLDER WILL SERVE THE YOUNGER.’”
“WILL SERVE” is the third person singular future active indicative form of the verb douleuo (douleuvw) (dool-yoo-o), which refers to the descendants of Esau, the nation of Edom having the status or the condition of being a servant of Jacob’s descendants, the nation of Israel.
In Romans 9:12, the verb douleuo means, “to be in subjection” and refers to the status or condition of Esau’s descendants, the nation of Edom being servants to the descendants of Jacob, the nation of Israel.
“THE YOUNGER” is the articular dative masculine singular form of the comparative adjective elatton (e)lavttwn) (el-as-sone), which refers to Jacob’s descendants and not Jacob himself since this quotation from Genesis 25:23 was made by Lord in the context of the nations that Jacob and Esau would be the progenitors of.
This quotation from Genesis 25:23 that appears in Romans 9:12 serves to illustrate to Paul’s Jewish readers that the nation of Israel was founded upon God’s sovereign grace and not race or human merit.
It also serves to illustrate that God has kept His promises and that the nation of Israel is responsible for their own failure in accepting by faith Jesus of Nazareth as their Messiah.
Lastly, it supports his argument from Romans 9:6 that the rejection of Christ by the majority of Jews did not constitute a failure on God’s part since He had not broken any promises to the patriarchs and their descendants.