All are Gods People

A Church for the City Devotional

Romans 9:6-14

The apostle Paul uses his letter to the Roman church to help unite Jewish and Gentile believers. Both groups saw themselves as superior based on ethnic or historical conditions; the Israelites, because they were God’s chosen people, and the Gentiles, for not rejecting the message of Christ.

Paul quotes from Malachi 1:2-3 and gives us a truly puzzling statement: “I have loved Jacob, but I have hated Esau.” I thought God was love?! Does God really hate people? There are two things we need to understand.

First, “Jacob” does not refer to the individual, but to the nation of Israel as a whole. Likewise, “Esau” refers to the tribe of Edom. God is saying that He loves the people of Israel.

The second thing is that “hate” here means “loved less”. It means that God did not choose Edom for His plans on earth, but that He chose Israel.

We are part of the true Israel as believers in Jesus! We have been grafted into the family of God if we confess that Jesus is Lord and believe that God raised Him from the dead (see Romans 10:9). It is not the physical descendants of Abraham that belong to God, but those who are counted among God’s chosen people: the Church.

God wants to see people from all tribes and nations be reconciled to Him through faith in Jesus. He will not reject anyone if they repent of their sin and turn to Him. Is there anyone in our lives who we think would be unlikely to respond to the message of Jesus? Who do we know that needs to hear this Good News today?

Heavenly Father, we thank you that we get to enter Your family through the work of Jesus on the cross. Please help us to see who needs to hear this message of hope and help us to not write anyone off from receiving Your Son. Amen.