Does god elect who he will bless even before we are born? ~ Cross reference of Romans 9:10 Genesis 25:23, Malachi 1:3

Paul uses the event that when Rebecca conceives, she needs to visit a prophet as she does not understand what is happening as the children in her were struggling with each other.

So she meets the prophet and he tells her that she is going to give birth to 2 children and these two will become two nations. He also tells her that the elder one will serve the younger one.

Paul latches onto this point and says that it is about what we do in this life that matters but that god decides who to bless and who not to bless. This he will take forward to say that works does not save you from hell but one needs to have faith in the blood of Jesus to get to heaven. He finally concludes in verse 15 that we are left to god's mercy as he will bless who he wants to bless and will show compassion to who he wants to show compassion.

I think this is what Calvinism teaches, that god has already decided who will be in heaven and who will be hell irrespective of what you do in this life. Kind of sad don't you think.

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All Greek Text references are from NIV and Tanakh references are from Chabad.

This post is not intended to offend anyone's faith but for those people who are Seeking the truth of THE ONE TRUE G-D of the universe to who we owe all our love, gratitude & devotion.

My encouragement to you is that you read the whole chapter of Tanakh that the Greek text quotes so you get the context and understand what G-d actually said.

G-d Bless and Seek THE Truth.

Romans 9:10 Not only that, but Rebekah’s children were conceived at the same time by our father Isaac. 11 Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad—in order that God’s purpose in election might stand: 12 not by works but by him who calls—she was told, “The older will serve the younger.”[d] 13 Just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”[e] 14 What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! 15 For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”[f]

Genesis 25:23 And the Lord said to her, "Two nations are in your womb, and two kingdoms will separate from your innards, and one kingdom will become mightier than the other kingdom, and the elder will serve the younger.

Malachi 1:3 And I hated Esau, and I made his mountains desolate and his heritage into [a habitat for] the jackals of the desert.

[Chabad] Exodus 33:19 He said: "I will let all My goodness pass before you; I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you, and I will favor when I wish to favor, and I will have compassion when I wish to have compassion." 

[NIV] Exodus 33:19 And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

• Paul uses this one verse that is quite ambiguous when you read it, when we have 100 clear passages that say a persons actions decide how will G-d bless the person or not.
• Paul’s claim that before Esau did anything bad he was eliminated from the promise is one way to look at but that creates a problem for every human being to question why anyone should try hard to be good when god has already decided what will happen to them after this life is over.
• G-d is not such a cruel G-d to predestine our fate and give us the law to live by.
• If you see the consistent message of Tanakh, we have complete freedom of choice to do what is right or wrong. G-d will judge us based on how we live this life.
• Tanakh clearly shows that Esau was wicked and the all knowing G-d knew his promise will be through Jacob. Unlike my understanding of Jacob being a deceiver has changed since I read Tanakh carefully that Jacob was a good son who studied about G-d and walked in his paths so G-d blessed him as planned by G-d.
• One way to look at this passage is that the all knowing G-d knew that Esau will be inclined to the flesh while Jacob will look to G-d. I personally think G-d gives all of us the chance to be close to him, some listen and cling to G-d some cling to the world and its ways. G-d knows from end to beginning how each of us will end up, but that does not mean he has decided our fate.
• Think of yourself as parent. Will you decide when your child is born that this one will end up evil and this one will turn out good. NO. You spend all your life trying to make sure both the kinds come out good. In fact you will spend more time on the child that is wayward. If you can do this for your children, do you think G-d is evil or incapable of doing this for each one of this children.
• For his conclusion he quotes Exodus 33:19 where the word "who" has to be "when". This is a mistranslation in the Greek text[not sure if this was intentional to drive the Jesus way is the only way]
• I think Paul has his "do whatever it takes to win souls for Jesus" hat on for this one.