"Jacob I have loved, Esau I have hated"

Paul raised a hypothetical question in order to shatter it to bits throughout the following chapters. Thus we can not read Romans 9 in isolation as if it represented Paul’s own point of view. In Romans 9-11 Paul is reflecting on the fate of his Jewish brothers who’ve rejected Christ and asks, if there is in fact no hope for them.

He begins with a worst-case hypothetical scenario: What if God does choose some people or groups for salvation and elects others for damnation (as Calvinists wrongly believe)? What if we take characters like Esau or Pharaoh in isolation to show that God simply hates some people and loves others?

Then he counters this argument by laying out God’s genius plan; Israel’s rejection of Christ leads to the inclusion of the gentiles, and this then will ultimately lead to a complete inclusion of the Jews – "all Israel will be saved", (Rom. 11:26).

So what is Paul's point when he quotes “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated”?

Jacob and Esau represent parts of Israel. One brother represents the part of Israel which is the "remnant according to the election of grace". The other brother represents the part of Israel which rejected the gospel. But did God literally hate Esau? Paul explains that God "has not cast away [Esau]", but He wants to "provoke them [Esau] to jealousy" and thus save them.

Their rejection of the gospel resulted in "salvation to the gentiles" and the "reconciling of the world", and therefore their reward will be "acceptance" and "life from the dead", (Rom. 11:12-15).

Now, let's take a closer look at the story of Jacob and Esau. The promise was for Jacob. But he did not automatically become what God wanted him to be. Jacob is pictured as the man who wanted the blessing at the expense of his brother Esau. And that is not what God has in mind for Israel. Israel has not been called to have the blessing for herself, but to be a blessing to all nations. For Jacob this means: to be first of all a blessing to his brother Esau.

So on the night of his wrestling with God, God makes him a different person. He becomes Israel: A blessing for his brother Esau. Jacob gives Esau a gift with the words: "Take, I pray thee, my blessing". So the brothers are reconciled, to the increase of both precisely because of their temporary estrangement. And Jacob says to Esau: "Seeing your face is like seeing God's". Esau receives the blessing when Jacob has truly become Israel. And then follows an entire chapter about Esau's posterity!

What does this story teach us? It teaches us what it means to be Israel. Jacob was born to be Israel – a blessing to his brother Esau, and a blessing to all nations. But he does not become that until after his struggle. In the same way, Israel's rejection of the gospel becomes a blessing to the gentiles. But Esau (Israel) will receive the blessing as well.

So Paul brings his argument to an awesome climax:

• "Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes," (Rom. 10:4).
  

• "There is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him," (Rom. 10:12).
  

• The “remnant” of Israel (Rom. 11:5) is not merely an elect group of “the saved,” but rather, “the firstfruits” of the “dough that makes the whole batch holy” or “the roots” that make all the branches holy (Rom. 11:16).
  

• Finally, Paul concludes that “God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all”, (Rom. 11:32).