God Hating Someone?

[Joe Bloggs]

Good Evening All,

I came across Roman 9:13 stating "13 As it is written, “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.” This was a little troubling, since of course God does not hate His children. I read into this and learned that the Hebrew equivalent to hate just means that you don't love them as much, or that you don't bless them as much. Then I had another confusion. I have always been told to take the Bible literally (By my Pastor) because if you don't, then everything, is up to interpretation. Which I see the argument for that. So if that is the mindset being used, I suppose you couldn't really interpret this passage any other way than God hating Esau. Is it acceptable to interpret in certain scenarios? Please do help me clear the air, as I am pretty confused with this. Thank you for your help! God Bless.

 

[Wolfe]

Using that logic, I guess Jesus really is a rock, who is also the word, and is also a vine.

 

[ClementofA]

Should we take the Bible literally?

"People who study language know that humans communicate verbally through words in more than one way. Sometimes they make literal statements, which should be taken literally, and sometimes they use "figurative language," which should be taken "figuratively." Dictionaries tell us that figurative language is language used in a non-literal way in order to add emphasis."

"Numerous types of figurative (i.e., non-literal) expressions exist, such as the metaphor, simile, personification, and antithesis. While it is not critical to know and understand the definitions of all such figures of speech to interpret everyday conversation, it can help. It is also important to know that the Bible uses many figures of speech. One study Bible, the Companion Bible, lists about 180 figures of speech in the Bible, and explains how each figure is to be understood."

https://www.gci.org/bible/literally

"It is most unfortunate that the average Christian has been taught to first take the Bible literal only spiritualizing when necessary. The fact is, the Bible is full of over 200 different types of figures of speech. There are literally thousands of places in the Bible where taking the verse literally produces a false meaning. Even more unfortunate is the fact that most Bible translators do not help the reader in determining where the figures are and what is their meaning."

"The Roman Catholic Church kept Christians in the dark by preventing them from reading the Scriptures at all. There was a time in Roman Catholic history where having a Bible translation and reading it for oneself could cost one their lives. But the Church authorities today still keep God's people in the dark by teaching a false way to read the Scriptures and by not helping make plain the thousands of different figures of speech used in the Bible."

Figures of Speech by E.W. Bullinger

 

[redleghunter]

Good Evening All,

I came across Roman 9:13 stating "13 As it is written, “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.” This was a little troubling, since of course God does not hate His children. I read into this and learned that the Hebrew equivalent to hate just means that you don't love them as much, or that you don't bless them as much. Then I had another confusion. I have always been told to take the Bible literally (By my Pastor) because if you don't, then everything, is up to interpretation. Which I see the argument for that. So if that is the mindset being used, I suppose you couldn't really interpret this passage any other way than God hating Esau. Is it acceptable to interpret in certain scenarios? Please do help me clear the air, as I am pretty confused with this. Thank you for your help! God Bless.

Who are God's children?

 

[Norbert L]

Good Evening All,

I came across Roman 9:13 stating "13 As it is written, “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.” This was a little troubling, since of course God does not hate His children. I read into this and learned that the Hebrew equivalent to hate just means that you don't love them as much, or that you don't bless them as much. Then I had another confusion. I have always been told to take the Bible literally (By my Pastor) because if you don't, then everything, is up to interpretation. Which I see the argument for that. So if that is the mindset being used, I suppose you couldn't really interpret this passage any other way than God hating Esau. Is it acceptable to interpret in certain scenarios? Please do help me clear the air, as I am pretty confused with this. Thank you for your help! God Bless.

I think what needs to done is read where Paul quotes that scripture from. Malachi 1:2-3. Most people nowadays also tend to forget who and what Jesus did, but some ancient manuscripts are very clear and explicit about what He was doing prior to being born of a woman. As the ESV puts it: "Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe."

That would be an honest start to figuring out what's going on, however it doesn't completely answer why God does what He does. I believe such a thing will take a little more than one of our earthly lifetimes to figure out. Romans 11:33-34 1 Corinthians 13:12

 

[redleghunter]

Should we take the Bible literally?

Where the Bible is literal yes. Where it is using metaphors or parables of symbols, no. However, such teaches a literal truth.

 

[SBC]

Good Evening All,

I came across Roman 9:13 stating "13 As it is written, “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.” This was a little troubling, since of course God does not hate His children. I read into this and learned that the Hebrew equivalent to hate just means that you don't love them as much, or that you don't bless them as much. Then I had another confusion. I have always been told to take the Bible literally (By my Pastor) because if you don't, then everything, is up to interpretation. Which I see the argument for that. So if that is the mindset being used, I suppose you couldn't really interpret this passage any other way than God hating Esau. Is it acceptable to interpret in certain scenarios? Please do help me clear the air, as I am pretty confused with this. Thank you for your help! God Bless.

Can you Love a person while having a strong dis-like for them?
Do you favor some more than others?
Do you stop loving your children because they disappoint you?

Gods Love is constant. He Loves All men.

He dislikes some. He strongly dislikes some. He favors some. He is pleased with some.
He is disappointed with some.

Gods says to men - Love everyone.

Scripture does not say, you have to like everyone, agree with everyone, be pleased with everyone or tolerate everyone.

God Bless,
SBC

 

[1stcenturylady]

Good Evening All,

I came across Roman 9:13 stating "13 As it is written, “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.” This was a little troubling, since of course God does not hate His children. I read into this and learned that the Hebrew equivalent to hate just means that you don't love them as much, or that you don't bless them as much. Then I had another confusion. I have always been told to take the Bible literally (By my Pastor) because if you don't, then everything, is up to interpretation. Which I see the argument for that. So if that is the mindset being used, I suppose you couldn't really interpret this passage any other way than God hating Esau. Is it acceptable to interpret in certain scenarios? Please do help me clear the air, as I am pretty confused with this. Thank you for your help! God Bless.

Esau was the eldest son, but he sold his birthright for a bowl of stew. Jacob, on the other hand with the help of his mother, obtained the birthright. So who despised who FIRST? God despised Esau BECAUSE he deemed his birthright of small value.

Even though Jesus died for the whole world, and God desires all men to be saved, those who reject this prize will be damned. Why? Because they did not deem salvation to be of value. They did not work out their own salvation with fear and trembling.

So even though God is love, He is also wrath. We must choose His love or His wrath.

Predestination has to do with God's FOREKNOWLEDGE, not that God made Jacob steal, nor that God made Esau gluttonous, both unrighteous acts. God was bound to honor the blessing of Isaac. Man has been given free will, because we are made in the likeness of God. God is sovereign, but also made man sovereign over his own destiny. This is why universalism is error - the belief that because God desires all to be saved, that they will be. Also the belief that God predestines some to be save and some to be damned is also gross error. Both produce apathy.

We must always seek the meaning of the Author's words, which in some cases is not literal, but spiritual. Difficult passages are always explained in other passages, thus the context is in the entire Word of God. When we understand God's complex nature, it is much easier to see.

 

[SBC]

Where the Bible is literal yes. Where it is using metaphors or parables of symbols, no. However, such teaches a literal truth.

Yipes!

God Bless,
SBC

 

[1stcenturylady]

Yipes!

God Bless,
SBC

Yipes, what? He's right. Maybe you misunderstood, read it again.

 

[SBC]

Yipes, what? He's right. Maybe you misunderstood, read it again.

no. However, such teaches a literal truth.

no yes?

God Bless
SBC

 

[1stcenturylady]

no. However, such teaches a literal truth.

no yes?

God Bless
SBC

???

 

[SBC]

???

edleghunter said: ↑
Where the Bible is literal yes. Where it is using metaphors or parables of symbols, no. However, such teaches a literal truth.

Jesus' parables are not literal but is a literal truth?

Not but is, no but yes?

God Bless,
SBC

 

[1stcenturylady]

Not but is, no but yes?

God Bless,
SBC

???

 

[ViaCrucis]

Good Evening All,

I came across Roman 9:13 stating "13 As it is written, “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.” This was a little troubling, since of course God does not hate His children. I read into this and learned that the Hebrew equivalent to hate just means that you don't love them as much, or that you don't bless them as much. Then I had another confusion. I have always been told to take the Bible literally (By my Pastor) because if you don't, then everything, is up to interpretation. Which I see the argument for that. So if that is the mindset being used, I suppose you couldn't really interpret this passage any other way than God hating Esau. Is it acceptable to interpret in certain scenarios? Please do help me clear the air, as I am pretty confused with this. Thank you for your help! God Bless.

Keep reading. If you stop at Romans 9:13 then, sure, maybe we could say God hates some people. But if you keep reading through Romans, you'll come to Romans ch. 11, pay special attention to verse 32.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[1213]

Good Evening All,

I came across Roman 9:13 stating "13 As it is written, “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.” This was a little troubling, since of course God does not hate His children. ....

Maybe Esau was not His children? God’s children are defined by this in the Bible:

He who does righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. To this end the Son of God was revealed, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever is born of God doesn't commit sin, because his seed remains in him; and he can't sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are revealed, and the children of the devil. Whoever doesn't do righteousness is not of God, neither is he who doesn't love his brother.
1 John 3:7-10