How is it that we could choose do do what we want, when we want, and how we want, and STILL EXPECT to have a place to live, a place to work or to stay out of prison? WE CAN'T!! There are laws and expectations that have been levied upon us by those in POWER. YHVH, in His foreknowledge of the world, knows what is going on and how. His Sovereignty is still in place and can't be understood. It JUST IS! Every since the beginning, Hashem, has has a plan to reform and restore Jerusalem. His plan was to not only redeem them, but He first had to gather them back home AFTER they were to be scattered all over the globe--due to their SIN and REBELLION. There is sooo much I don't understant about His plan or Sovereignty. I won't attempt to explain either, but I want to throw some pebbles into the lake to see how many ripples of understanding we can get over time. You see, YHVH is churning the butter, and only the cream will be able to rise to the top. Here is something found in the Prophets portion of the TANAKH (Torah, Prophets and Writings)--Malachi 1:3 "Jacob I love, but Esau I have hated, and I have turned his mountains into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals." If you would recall, G-d has never liked sin. He has not ever wanted us to play with any form of it either. Here is another Scripture that will slowly tie this all together for you. Prayerfully... When you embark upon something GOOD or BAD, you will ALWAYS MAKE a CHOICE to accept one of them as your PERSONAL desire, and the other you will tinker with---until you get tire of "messing" with it. God loves His creation! ALL OF IT! He does NOT however, enjoy the nature that is within us, that lures us away from Him. Free will is rough, but this is the thing (choice) within each of us humans that will show Hashem and others what we love the most. Jacob or Esau? Read on. Genesis 25:23 lists, The LORD said to her (the boys' mother), "Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger." This is different, because the elder is ALWAYS the one with the birthright, power, authority, throne (so-to-speak), name, honor, prestige, the ring, etc.). This esteem is USUALLY handed down through blessing by the father (via the right hand). Are you still with me? This did not happen. The Lord G-d had "other" Sovereign plans in the works. Esau was NOT to be the one of promise. His younger brother was. His name is Jacob, later to be renamed--Israel. Esau's name was later to be changed to Edom. Sin and disobedience EFFECTIVELY separates us from Hashem's ultimate and Eternal plans. When we care more about what we can gain from other sources that did not arise from G-d, we will find ourselves choosing the BAD and playing with the GOOD. Esau turned over the BIRTHRIGHT to his younger brother. Get this. For food! What?! Hold on!!! You and I do the same STUPID stuff, and choose the lie instead of the Truth. We have chosen the works of the flesh, over the works of the Spirit of God. We have chosen darkness of this world, over the Light of the world. It WAS NOT that G-d chose the younger over the elder--becasue He UNDSTANDS birthrights. He chose Righteousness over evil. Was that unusual? Look at this though, if He had stuck with Esau, the nation of the promised people would not exist today. The lineage of the Promised Messiah would have been tarnished forever; and our Sovereign G-d would not allow His name, nor His Son's name to be tarnished. "Jacob I love, but Esau I have hated..." The creation he adores, the sin nature (heart issues) He despises. Follow on... Edom over the years became attackers of Israel (even now). Let me put it this way--Esau's decendants became enemies and attackes of the decendants of Jacob. Was it because of jealousy? Some. Was it becasue of sin hating Righteousness? Warmer. Was it because Hashem foreknew from the beginning what was to be? Bingo! Tie all that together, and you have something to start with. It is never about G-d hating people. It is ALWAYS about Him despising sin. Jeremiah 49:10 lists "But I will strip Esau bare; I will uncover his hiding places, so that he cannot conceal himself. His children, relatives, and neighbors will perish, and he will be no more." This sounds a whole lot like the promise of the Lord to UNCOVER (expose) SIN and EVIL. There is no place for sin to hide. Why not? The Lord G-d tells us here, that He will uncover the deeds of unrighteousness (and where they lurk and hide). G-d wants His people, Israel, strangers (grafted in Christian sojourners) to know where their enemies are, so they can fight sin face-to-face. Furthermore, He promises to WIPE THEM OUT for our sakes. How is He going to do that? Better yet, how has He done that? Exodus 17, Joshua was to choose men to assist him with fighting the Amalekites. Hashem told Moses (in the hearing of Joshua), that Joshua was going to fight (and defeat) the Amalekites for generation to generation." After studying this, I was granted the understanding that the Amalekites are (the sinful ways), Joshua (is Yeshua)! Our Messiah will fight on our behalf for all time. He will help us be and remain victorious. These Amalekites were giants (sin). This AMALEK was not the same AMALEK as the decendants of Edom (Esau). However, Esau's decendants eventually mated and tied into history with the bloodline of the Arab nations we have come to know today. Even though Israel's Patriarch was Abram, who was a Chaldean and was mated up with what I understand as to be Syrians, etc., (a form of bedowan arabs), these nations and people are not to be confused as the same in nature or plan. Related? Yes. We all are. Not only by blood via Adam and Eve, but by sinful nature! Thanks be to Hashem (G-d) and Yeshua (Jesus) Messiah Hamashiach (Christ, the Messiah). We are free in Them! Does G-d love the nature in you? Nope. Do you love His nature is the better question. That is one for YOU TO ANSWER! Where do you stand?! With Edom or Israel?