Author:
Hillbilly
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Date Posted: 17:56:34 10/25/11 Tue
"The men you mention--Abraham and Jacob--were chosen by God for special consideration, yet they had these seemingly very human flaws. Was there a reason?"
When trying to understand these things we must keep in mind that God does not think nor see as we do. When choosing men for His service there is always this thing called "election". Election is God choosing according to his will and purpose and he doesn't ask our advice in the matter.
Paul addressed this choice of Jacob over Esau in Romans 9:10-12 where he wrote: "And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac; 11 (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) 12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.
Esau was not any more a sinner than Jacob was but as we have stated in the past God chose the 2nd son over the 1st many times. Each time it was a precursor to the 2nd man (1 Cor. 15:47) which is Jesus Christ. Shem was a second son, Isaac was a second son, Moses was a second son and I suspect that Abraham was a second son though we are not told that in the scriptures but he had a brother. David was the second king. The New Testament is chosen over the Old. There will be a second or New Heaven for the first is passed away (Rev. 21:1) In the same light we must be "born again" as the first birth is corrupt. The "choice" then many times becomes prophetic.
I'm sure also that God looks on the inward man for character .Abraham, David, Moses and even Jacob. Jacob had to develop an honest and upright character and I am sure that God saw that he would. Many has been the drunk vile God rejecting sinner that God saw something in that no one else could see. God cleaned him up and then called him to service.
When looking on the heart God sees sin in every heart Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
God, as the potter, takes us as the clay and molds us as he sees fit to the point we will allow. There in may lie the difference as much as any thing else. How much will we allow God to mold and shape our lives that we can be a vessel to His honor? These great men of God in the Bible had to be molded and shaped into a vessel God could use. None was good(Luke 18:19) but God made them into vessels of honor. They, without exception, were pliable in his hands.
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