Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated

The Internet at the cottage is very spotty so this may be a short blog. I had a wonderful time enjoying the cottage country for the past week.

I had always thought that Romans 8:28-30 spoke most clearly about God's sovereign choice. These verses are often quoted and debated by Calvinists and Armenians between God's sovereignty versus man's free will in salvation. I recently heard this sermon from Bruxy Cavey on Soteriology where he explained the different views on these specific verses.

For the last two days I have been reading Romans 9. I was surprised to find how much more it speaks on God's sovereign choice. I find it difficult to understand that Paul quoted "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated" to emphasize how much God has a say in who is to be saved. Paul was quoting from Malachi chapter 1. Malachi gave this message to Israel after the exile:
“I loved you,” says the Lord.
“But you ask, ‘How did you love us?’
“Wasn’t Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the Lord. “I loved Jacob, but Esau I hated. I turned his mountains into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the jackals in the desert. (Malachi 1:2-3)

John Piper did an excellent sermon on the first chapter of Malachi in Desiring God called "The greatness of God's electing love".
John Piper exhorted us:
So let us humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God. Let us give him the glory—all the glory—for our salvation. And let us never grow weary in savoring and strengthening and spreading the vision of our God, for "Great is the Lord beyond the walls of this church!"

Gotquestion.org has a nice answer on the question "Why did God love Jacob and hate Esau?".
"It is important to always study the context of a particular Bible verse or passage. In these instances, the prophet Malachi and the apostle Paul are using the name “Esau” to refer to the Edomites, who were the descendants of Esau. Isaac and Rebekah had two sons, Esau and Jacob. God chose Jacob (whom He later renamed “Israel”) to be the father of His chosen people, the Israelites. God rejected Esau (who was also called “Edom”) and did not choose him to be the father of His chosen people. Esau and his descendants, the Edomites, were in many ways blessed by God (Genesis 33:9; Genesis 36). So, considering the context, God loving Jacob and hating Esau has nothing to do with the human emotions of love and hate. It has everything to do with God choosing one man and his descendants and rejecting another man and his descendants."

So Paul wrote Romans 9 to indeed point us to God sovereign choice and the importance of faith rather than works in salvation:
"What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; but the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness, have not attained their goal. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works." (Romans 9:30-32)

I am thankful that God chose me! I believe that Jesus died on the cross for me. By God's grace I never have to ask ‘How did you love us?’.