LOL. Stick around. It gets better. 8~)
God 'hated' Esau to showcase His sovereignty and His providence. To emphasize that it is His will that be done. That he is the master of salvation. To think of God as anything less would rob Him of his being God. In the fall all men were condemned. It is according to the will of God that some are called out of darkness into light. Jacob was called Esau was not; both deserved hell. Both would have willingly gone apart from the active will of God to save.
To think of God's calling is to be humbled, as we must certainly know we are in and of ourselves not deserving of His love towards us? Do we not cling to Christ in loving thankfulness for making us clean and presentable by His work on the cross? Can there ever be doubt that no work we do is ever free of some element of self and therefor self serving? Esau served himself and his flesh when he traded his birthright, revealing his true nature as a lover of self only. As all unbelievers he was at enmity with God.
AMEN!
How else can we to feel true gratitude if we don't acknowledge the actual extent of the gift?
Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." -- Ephesians 2:8-10"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Even our "good works" were ordained by God for His glory.
I had a conversation with someone recently who had been contemplating suicide. So far, she had not gone through with it because of love for her family and knowledge of God's command to not kill. I asked her to love herself and to be grateful to God that not only did he give her the gift of life but also the gift of eternal life. Since he chose her from all eternity, she should live her life as a precious piece of artwork. A unique, one-of-a-kind vessel created by God, indwelt by the Holy Spirit.
I could see by the expression on her face that she had not considered herself to be so blessed. She understood the law but not grace.