Romans 9:10 And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, 11 though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad – in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls – 12 she was told, The older will serve the younger. 13 As it is written, Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.
What do we do when the Bible offends? Sometimes we read passages that do not ring true with what we would expect the Bible to say, but they are there nonetheless. We can go from Bible translation to [reputable] Bible translation and even to the original languages, and wham, there we are still assaulted by what we cannot explain.
Many are very offended by Romans 9:11-13 and seek to explain it away or simply ignore it. Regardless of how you handle these verses – I recommend, since they are in the Bible, that we accept them – I propose that what may offend us initially ought not be what shocks us.
It is easy to pull out election and I hated and become immediately offended and to rush to rescue God from being unjust, unloving, etc. What ought to grab our attention is not the linking of election and I hated but the connection between election and I loved.
Because God is a just God and we declare ourselves to be His enemies, God can do no other but hate what is evil – who we are in our sinful ways, apart from Him. What initially shock us is what really makes the most sense. What is amazing is that, in spite of our continued rebellion, God would call some of us to Himself!
Argue all that you want about how it happens and what happens when, but at the end of the day we must, first of all, accept every word of the Bible as true even when it may not initially make sense to us, and second of all, recognize that God’s grace is amazing – that He would love any of us!
Isaiah 24:1 O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you; I will praise your name, for you have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure.
Posted by Mickey Friedrich 
