Answers to Quora Questions by Yair Davidiy
Why did God hate Esau and love Jacob? They both dishonored God. Malachi 1?
https://www.quora.com/Why-did-God-hate-Esau-and-love-Jacob-They-both-dishonored-God-Malachi-1/answer/Yair-Davidiy
(5 November 2017, 15 Heshbon, 5778)
The Bible tells us that God hates Esau and Loves Jacob. Where is the justice in this?
Malachi (NASB) 1:
1 The oracle of the word of the LORD to Israel through Malachi.
2 'I have loved you,' says the LORD. But you say, 'How have You loved us?' 'Was not Esau Jacobs brother?' declares the LORD. 'Yet I have loved Jacob; 3 but I have hated Esau, and I have made his mountains a desolation and appointed his inheritance for the jackals of the wilderness.' 4 Though Edom says, 'We have been beaten down, but we will return and build up the ruins'; thus says the LORD of Hosts, 'They may build, but I will tear down; and men will call them the wicked territory, and the people toward whom the LORD is indignant forever.' 5 Your eyes will see this and you will say, 'The LORD be magnified beyond the border of Israel!'
Malachi begins his Prophecy with the Almighty saying he loves Israel but hates Esau (Malachi 1:1-5). In continuation we hear how Israel has sinned by not fulfilling their duty. We are told that all of mankind are destined to acknowledge the Almighty (Malachi 1:6-14). The difference between Esau and Israel is that Esau is destined to be destroyed and it is implied that Israel is not. Nevertheless the shortcomings of Israel are listed.
Why the difference?
In the rebuke to Israel we hear how Israel has neglected to serve God.
Malachi 1:
6 A son honors his father, and a servant his master. Then if I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is My respect? says the LORD of Hosts to you, O priests who despise My name. But you say, 'How have we despised Your name?' ...10 .... 'I am not pleased with you,' says the LORD of Hosts, 'nor will I accept an offering from you. 11 For from the rising of the sun even to its setting, My name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense is going to be offered to My name, and a grain offering that is pure; for My name will be great among the nations,' says the LORD of Hosts.
Israel is condemned for profaning the name of God (1:12). For not honoring God and not serving HIM properly, etc.
From these negative exhortations we learn that Israel is EXPECTED TO SERVE GOD PROPERLY!
Esau is not so required.
This is already a partial answer.
Let us look elsewhere in the Bible where a similar juxtaposition of Israel and Esau is presented.
In the Book of Obadiah the destruction of Edom (i.e. Esau) is prophesied.
Obadiah 1:
10 Because of violence to your brother Jacob,
You will be covered with shame,
And you will be cut off forever.
....
13 Do not enter the gate of My people
In the day of their disaster.
Yes, you, do not gloat over their calamity
In the day of their disaster.
And do not loot their wealth
In the day of their disaster.
14 Do not stand at the fork of the road
To cut down their fugitives;
And do not imprison their survivors
In the day of their distress.
In continuation we are told more about the destruction of Esau.
We are also told that Israel will be redeemed. Israel will repent and return to serve God.
Obadiah 1:
15 For the day of the LORD draws near on all the nations.
As you have done, it will be done to you.
Your dealings will return on your own head....17 But on Mount Zion there will be those who escape,
And it will be holy.
And the house of Jacob will possess their possessions.
18 Then the house of Jacob will be a fire
And the house of Joseph a flame;
But the house of Esau will be as stubble.
God loves Israel because in the future they who remain of them will serve God as they should have. They will have been oppressed by Esau. It may be that Esau is also responsible in part for the corruption of Israel. The message is that Israel is intrinsically redeemable whereas Esau is much less so.
Is there not still a measure of injustice in all this?
Perhaps.
Nevertheless the basic answer is that when it comes to the final judgment we are as we chose to be. If we were forced to be worse than we would otherwise may have been then for this too consideration will be given.