‘Hated’ in Romans 9:13 Esau’s bad choices
The Church or Edah as a ‘Spiritual Israel’ elected and Esau rejected as a posit of Reformed Covenant Theology must be radically situated to avoid supersessionism. This is a foundational matter as the Reformed are on to something with the corrective ‘Fulfillment Theology’ yet with little sensitivity to valid Jewish sources. Moreoever, the conflation of today’s political Zion/Israelism with Judaism as adopted by Scofield Darbyism should tell us all we need to know, nationalism and racism is always wrong for a believer over their Heavenly citizenship.
Granted, such futurism may seem plausible in light of current events. That is why Christendom-Edom should make us reflect about the ‘Cultivated Olive Tree.’ We should not flaunt a new religion but understand and accept our grafting into it and become missional people of peace and justice, not simply doctrinal warriors interpreting Romans 9-11 without declaritive action that Jesus Christ is Lord and displaying Him!
Therefore, the historical Esau/Edom rejection framed as ‘non-election’ and extrapolated to any ethnic or spiritual state is wrong and shows the limits of explanation without understanding Abraham’s whole family over confining covenants as interpretive schemes based upon divisions upon the human race. If we say, ‘spiritual Israel’, and trying to avoid supersessionism, then Christians are the redempton of unspiritual Esau or Edom and even so-called ‘Messianic Jews.’ Nevertheless, we are all Hebrews that make up the Commonwealth of Israel.
Why was Esau hated? (Malachi & Romans) Judaism believes that the Torah (instruction) depicts a reality that cannot change, it is truth and the foundation. Thus Esau made many bad choices and took Caananite wives and then was positionally redeemed through Ishmael, by marrying back into the family with one of Ishmael’s daughters. (Genesis 28:6-9). He lived by the sword and even at his end his head rolled into the lap of Issac according to the Talmuds. This folk tale is significant. Edom means Red and Jesus Christ represents the fufillment of Isaac’s blessing to Esau. (Isaiah 63) Grapes of wrath, saved by His blood.
Furthermore, if we posit just a ‘spiritual Israel,’ but what about Prophets Obadiah, Job, Eliphaz, even Caleb, all Edomites descended from ‘unspiritual Esau.’ Such prophecy and Jewish Midrash help disclose gaps in our understanding of Abraham's covenant children and our limitation with Jacob. This is the context of Paul in Romans 9-11, Jacob or its nationalistic iteration as Israel is as lost as Esau, acting like he does taking up the sword. In Romans 10:19a - “I ask instead, did Israel not understand? “ (No, but following Judaism should make them understand, Acts 15 with Esau-Edom representing the nations, yes ethnically qualified Jews through observance and the maternal line.)
Then in Romans 10:19b as based upon Moses’s prophecy (Deutoronomy 32:21) reflecting upon the mixed multitude (the erav rav, Arab or Israelites not born of a Jewish mother like Ephrahim and Manasseh yet obedient in their observance): “I will make you (acting like Esau-Edom) jealous by those who are not a nation (Ishmael); I will make you angry by a nation without (knowledge) understanding.” Basically forms of nationalistic Christianity and Islam today by those truly practicing their faith in the messiah.
So Jesus Christ and the Christian Bible is Torat Edom or Red Judaism, a.k.a. as the way back for the lost sheep including the Romanized ethnic jew of Paul’s day and the cultural nationalist gene pool of ours (i.e. the Zionists). Acts 15 extrapolates Edom or Rome to the Nations. The revelation at Mount Sinai with the salvation of the mixed multitude through HaGerim (the Sojourner) was the missiology and process of grafting throughout the so-called Old Testament books and into the Maccabean period that set the stage for the New Testament ‘Mishnaic’ books; authoritative and binding for all peoples in the empire and down until today.
Like then, so NOW there is a reason for Good News; the announcement of the end of ungodliness. Spiritual globalism exaulting Jesus of Nazareth as our Savior, not race or land politics, all providing the purpose of the Bible for humanity’s redemption.
But Israel wanted a king (1 Samuel 8) and joined the gentiles, thus standing vulnerable, and inturn denegrated into toxic nationalism evident in the usurping represented as political Zionism and its nation state occupying ‘the Holy Land.’ This continues today not only in Israel but in the USA and in other nations.
The covenantal or dispensational framework or positions juxtaposed will not get us out of ‘the double bind’ we’re in with endless debate on various doctrines, unless we step back properly understand the Abrahamic Covenant with Esau, and not let the bilateral and cohersive aspects of the Mosaic Covenant dictate the larger narrative of the fact that ‘all nations will be blessed.’
The Lord’s promises to Abraham will not fail and are ‘spiritual’ and destined for a heavenly Jerusalem. Justice in the ‘Holy Land’ will only come by believers supported by the global church and not political alignments.
Now, you may ask isn’t this an overtly esoteric ‘spiritual’ interpretation? I ask, don’t we all want to be called children of God? Read 1 John.
👉 Romans Chapter 2 Jew YouTube Playlist
👉 Matt. 16 Word Study What is the Church?
