Jesus At 2am - A Humorous, Intelligent Look At The Bible, Church History & The Life Of Faith

Today we return to a fundamental theme in the biblical story, that of election – the idea that we belong to the community of salvation not by anything we do, but by the sovereign will of God. To be elect is to be chosen by God for salvation apart from any merit or effort or agreement on our part. It’s often a difficult idea for 21st century westerners to swallow as we like to see ourselves as the captains of our own destiny. We imagine that if we are included in the community of salvation, it’s because we somehow earned it (at the very least by “having faith”). And if one is not included in the community of salvation, it must be because they are receiving just desserts. But in scripture matters of election are not nearly so clear and clean as this, as we shall in our passage for today – the story of Jacob and his twin brother Esau. Esau, as the elder brother, ought be the primary heir not only of his father, Isaac’s, property, but of his blessing and of the covenant with God. And yet, it is Jacob – who scheme