Scripture Interpreting Scripture

There is a sort of habit in Scripture of attaching symbolic meaning to historical events. Israel in Egypt is compared to being enslaved in sin. The crossing of the Red Sea is a picture of baptism, of being freed from the enslavement of Egypt -- sin. Jesus is referred to as "the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29) in connection to the Old Testament sacrificial lambs. And on and on.

One of these interesting examples is found in Malachi.

"I have loved you," says YHWH. But you say, "How have you loved us?" "Is not Esau Jacob's brother?” declares YHWH. "Yet I have loved Jacob but Esau I have hated. I have laid waste his hill country and left his heritage to jackals of the desert." (Mal 1:2-3)

God assures Israel that He has loved them. Picking up the real sons of Isaac, Jacob and Esau, He assures them that He loved Jacob ... the brother that was later named Israel ... the father of the people of Israel. He also assures them that He "hated" Esau. Now, that's kind of harsh, isn't it? No ... because it's God who says it. But Paul picks up this very text in his letter to Rome. Explaining that not all the children of the flesh are children of God (Rom 9:8), he uses Isaac and Rebekah as his example. Rebekah was told that the older would serve the younger (Rom 9:12). Then Paul draws from Malachi. "As it is written, 'Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated'" (Rom 9:13). What is Paul talking about here? Some conflict between Jacob and Esau? Something about Israel and Edom? No. Paul is using these two as an example of ... election (Rom 9:11). Yep. In the ancient historical Jacob and Esau, God pointed in Malachi to how God loved Israel over other humans, and Paul carried it to the next level, where God chooses whom He will save without regard to birth or works (Rom 9:14-18).

Like the tricky "Out of Egypt" quote from Hosea that changed meaning in Matthew (Hos 11:1 vs Matt 2:15), this one seems to change, too. But ... not. In both cases it is about God's choice. In both cases it is about God's unconditional love (Jacob/Israel/the Elect). And in both cases it is also about God's wrath (Esau/Edom/unbelievers). God says He loved Israel ... by choosing to. (God says, "I have loved you" and they say, "How?" He says, "I have loved Jacob.") Can't get much better than that.