IS GOD COMPLETELY PERFECT?

So we continue from where we stopped last week.

From you people's discussion 2 weeks ago on the character of God as regards Esau and Jacob

I'm going to pick out this statement then explain it (I think everyone should understand better from what we've been discussing since)

" I think most Christians are always trying hard to paint the perfect picture of God being a loving father"

Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Matthew 5:48 NIV

My first response will be these words of Christ. Like I said before, to understand the character of God, the person we look at is Christ. And this is because Christ is God Himself revealed to mankind as man.

When we read scripture, we have to look carefully.
Who said this?
Under what circumstances?. To whom was it said?
Why was it said?
Was it God speaking through the person?

It guides us better in know what is written to us and what is written for us.

What is the meaning of the word Perfect? It simply means to be without flaw.

God is completely, 100% flawless. And this is total truth.

No one is "painting" God as perfect. Even if God has to be painted perfect, it won't be an imperfect man that will be given the job to do

Even the old testament that we find difficult to understand when it comes to the character of God records this about Him:

He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.

Deuteronomy 32:4 NIV

God does no wrong! Not one single wrong. If you read anywhere that God did something and it sounds wrong, read again. If that is what the writer truly intended then God be true and the writer be a liar

We will not hold the words of any man true over the true revelation of God of Himself by Himself to man

God is the standard of perfection, we should never doubt it.

If God who is the word perfect itself is declared imperfect, this would mean He has been judged by a higher standard that found Him not worthy.

Is there any standard higher than Jehovah?

Jehovah is the standard itself!

Now, is it that we are just taking the word that God is perfect? Are we examining it in any way?

Well, it's not just a thing of they said God is perfect so we just have to agree He is perfect even when we don't understand certain things. Nah. His perfection can be proved and seen.

Like I said earlier, we see it in His words. God is true to His words. Also His character, He is perfect in this. Constant also. So if I say that God lied yesterday but is true today then I will have to be the liar

God's character is perfect, never waivers. The Bible wasn't doing wordplay when it says God is the same yesterday, today and forever

His character also produces certain actions and I think this is where many people get it wrong. They can't reconcile the actions to God.

For most people I know, it is God being Just and the resulting actions from this character that causes confusion.

In February, by God's Grace, we will be discussing God being Just, the wrath of God and its complete satisfaction in Christ

Now, if we were to ever doubt that God is perfect or He changes (Old testament and new testament) then we will have to doubt our salvation to cos this means God is not true to His word and person

This whole eternal life we claim we are carrying up and down, it would be a charade too since we can't say where God is perfect, imperfect or saying the truth

Every time you come across something you don't understand, remember God is perfect. So read it again from the lens of who God is as revealed in Christ. There is this phrase in Yoruba, I actually had to stop saying it

O mu kan wo kan pa, o wo kan wo kan ye

It means God who kills one as He wishes and makes another to live just as He wishes. I used to say it a lot before while praying and one day the spirit stopped me.

Like how can you think such of me?

How can a just God be killing as He likes for pleasure?

Is that God?

I looked for the origin of this supposed praise of God and I found out it was from Job 🤦🏿‍♀

Jesus did not call Him this: the one who kills anyone as He likes (When it is not game we are playing)

Jesus did not also portray Him like this. Everywhere Christ went, He gave life. He healed, He brought the dead back.

It is also not true of what Christ said about Himself (Christ is God)

I have come to give LIFE and in abundance

So who are we going to listen to about God? Job or Jesus?

QUESTION: Ok pls in this context is Job truly wrong or he said it in a particular context

ANSWER: Job was wrong. Remember when we read Job, we went through it slowly for this reason. God did not kill Job's family. God did not take everything from Job. For Job to have said God kills as He wishes would mean He was accusing God of murder. Asides the fact that God cannot murder, His nature cannot. We read it clearly and saw where all of that came from. God's awareness of a particular situation doesn't mean He penetrated the deed Himself. God is actually aware of everything, both good and evil. God Did NOT murder Job's family [ANSWER ENDS]

QUESTION: Given that he is aware of both good and evil pls does it mean he permits the enemy to do us bad or the enemy just does it independently without God's concern

ANSWER: Now, God is good. He created all things and made man in His image. He also gave man dominion over everything created. Man fell and sin came into the world. This is where the problem begins. Every evil that happens to us, it's not because God permits, it is because man Chose

The moment man Chose to eat from that tree, man permitted sin into the world.
Sin is nature not deed now. And that nature is that of Satan

It is this sin that brings all manner of evil (Note that sin here doesn't mean lying or stealing but the nature itself. The state of being fallen). It is sin that Brought death and every calamity you can think of. God did not make man to live and die, or fall sick. The plan was way different but man Chose something contrary to God's plan. So the permission for sin and its allowance into our lives and certain situations was given by man himself

If I tell you don't eat an apple, if you eat the apple you will die. And you decide to eat the apple, then you get to see what this death truly entails, is it not the person that ate the apple that will take the blame? While I might be sovereign and know all the effects eating that apple might cost you, it is still you who ate the apple and brought the resulting effects. My knowledge of it doesn't make me culpable

So this is established, that man at the fall gave permission for sin to enter by eating that which was forbidden. Does this mean anything can just happen to us or the devil will do as he wishes with us?

This is where Christ comes in.

You see, we've been given dominion over EVERYTHING and sadly a lot of us believers do not walk in it. We do not even know it

We are not here trying to fight the devil or sin. No, someone already fought and this victory handed over to us to operate from

So to a large extent, we have control over the permission the first man handed to the devil by eating the forbidden

The first man also brought eternal death (this is the wage of the sinful nature). But God still found a way to slip in something for us, His original plan

That when we die and sleep, we will wake from this and be restored completely to the first order

He practically created a loophole to the grave and it's link to eternal death

He gave Himself as an antidote

How does God do all these things to save man and still be responsible for what He saves man from?

[ANSWER ENDS]

God is Good and He can only do Good

It's an aberration for God to do evil.

This is not consistent with who He is

ROMANS 9: IS GOD UNJUST AND UNFAIR

So we continue with the questions from Romans 9.  We stopped at verse 13 the last time so we continue from 14 today.

What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all!
Romans 9:14 NIV

What inference do we make from the explanations in Chapter 1 to 13. Do we say that God gives unequal privileges to people? Is He unjust in His dealings with men? Not at all!: This is untrue of God. He is Just!

For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”
Romans 9:15 NIV

When we hear this statement, most times we take it as God will be good to whoever He chooses to and do bad as He pleases. This is wrong interpretation.

Remember, this verse is also a quote.

So let's go to the original text of this quote.

"God said to Moses"

Why did God say this to Moses?
What happened before He did?
What were the circumstances surrounding this statement?

The text is in Exodus 33:19.

Then He said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.”
Exodus 33:19 NKJV

Here we see God tell Moses the statement quoted by Paul in Romans 9.

God did not just stand in the sky and tell this to Moses, there was a conversation and situation leading to it.

To understand this verse, we take it in the context it was spoken in. In Exodus 32, the people tired of waiting for Moses who had gone up to the mountain to meet the Lord had made gods for themselves

When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.”
Exodus 32:1 NIV

God had been really good to these people, bringing them out of Egypt, providing manna, etc. But despite all what God did for and in their midst, they committed idolatry

God was not supposed to show them any mercy. That was His cue to abandon them.

Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way.”
Exodus 33:3 NIV

Here we see the mercy of God at play. Though these people had sinned greatly, God was still willing to keep His promise to Isreal. As the conversation continued, Moses asked that God should still go with them. They couldn't go on their own

God actually agreed that He'd go with them even after all they did.

Then Moses says this:

Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.”
Exodus 33:18 NIV

Note that this is what Moses said that brought the reply we are examining

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.
Exodus 33:19 NIV

Here is what God is saying,  you people have done the most terrible thing ever. You are not one bit deserving of my mercy but I the Lord will be making a display of my goodness before you._
_You will see it and know that this is true of my nature and name. Though you are unworthy, I'm about to let you know that my mercy (my benefits and blessings) are dispensed regardless of what you've done. It has never been based on human merit.

Let's note that Mercy is not getting what we deserve. Nah. Mercy is getting something we are undeserving of. Mercy is nobody's right, it is God's goodness displayed before us all.

Let's equate this in Romans 9.

Remember the Jews were angry and jealous of the Gentiles cos they also had received the gospel and they felt they were undeserving cos the promise was made to them alone.

Paul quoting this scripture is trying to respond to them that God will extend (and has already extended) His mercies towards anybody no matter how undeserving we feel they are. The Jews did not get the mercy of God because they were deserving. So the Gentiles will not be asked to deserve God's mercy to get it

He gives His mercies and compassion as He wills (regardless of what man has done)

Now, let's still go back to Moses' question.

Lord, show me Your Glory

Remember this statement: Christ in me, the Hope of Glory

God's response of Mercy and Grace, He satisfied in Christ. Though the world is undeserving, every single one of us, yet God still reveals His Glory to us, in Christ. His Mercy and Graciousness is Christ given to all men

So whenever we read or quote "I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy upon and be gracious to whom I will be gracious too....", have it in mind that this is already satisfied in Christ. It is a case of some very special favor unmerited but it is not about one man as we love to think or unfairness by God, nah. This is God reaching out to man undeserving with Himself.

Again, let's stop quoting this verse to support God loving one person more.

God is not unjust or unfair. He loves everyone uniquely. Not one person more than the other

It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.
Romans 9:16 NIV

After that quote, Paul concluded with this. We see we are on the same page with him now

For Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”  Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.
Romans 9:17‭-‬18 NIV

God raised Pharaoh just to harden his heart? No.

Pharaoh's heart was hard right from the beginning, we could see it in the way he treated the Israelites long before Moses was sent. All of this period, God watched. Pharaoh grew in hardness, wickedness, and power, God watched

God did not interfere in Pharaoh's rise to power. Looking at it sef, if God killed Pharaoh in His sleep another wicked Pharaoh will arise

Also, the Israelites would never have understood what was happening. They'd never have been reminded of the promise and would have preferred to stay in bondage if it happened another way

So God had to come in at such a time when Pharaoh had risen to power and save the way He did.
In so doing, the Israelites were reminded of their identity (who they meant to God) and His promise

He hardens who He wants to harden

Read as he allows the hardness of a man.

God didn't bring a kindhearted Pharaoh and changed his heart.

Pharaoh's heart was wicked, God did not interfere with it. He simply allowed his desires to come to play

One of you will say to me: “Then why does God still blame us? For who is able to resist his will?” But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’ ”  Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?  What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction?
Romans 9:19‭-‬22 NIV

Here we see Paul quote what might be on the mind of the Jews. If God saves whomever He wants and can add the Gentiles as He pleases, why then have we been saddled with certain responsibilities as the chosen ones.

Paul's response is that the question is disrespectful. God is the Potter, He made us and has power over us.

Though He has chosen to extend mercy to not just the Jews but also the Gentiles, this doesn't mean anyone is exempted from right living. We should not say we can live as we want since God extends His mercy as He wishes

Now here is what I see, the Jews had thought so highly of themselves, like so highly.

So appaz, was a really great shock to see that God can give what He gave them to others.

They believed it was by what they did that they were special in the sight of God

And God burst their bubbles. He reduced all of their works to nothing by offering the gift of salvation which they saw as a reward to the Gentiles

This is seen in the response above

Sebi God didn't choose us based on anything we did or do. All of the laws we've been observing, everything is meaningless. We can as well live as we want

His will will always come to play since it's this way.

It is the same way with what God has done. He wanted to show his anger and to let people see his power. But he patiently endured those he was angry with—people who were ready to be destroyed. He waited with patience so that he could make known the riches of his glory to the people he has chosen to receive his mercy. God has already prepared them to share his glory. We are those people, the ones God chose not only from the Jews but also from those who are not Jews.
Romans 9:22‭-‬24 ERV

On the question of God choosing people or some predestined to be saved, so no matter what you do if God did not choose you it is all effortless. Well, this is a lie.

The wrath of God is just and every man deserved it, both the Jews that taught God was sleeping and waking up by their side alone and the Gentiles that were seen as rejected by God. But we see that God waited patiently (still waiting patiently), to make known His glory to the people He has chosen to receive His mercy

Who has He chosen to receive His mercy?

(We explained this with the story of Jacob and Esau in part 1.)

The answer is those who accept His promise. And what is this Promise? Christ

And this is what Paul was trying to explain, that God has chosen both Jews and non-Jews, all men actually, to make known His glory. This is actualized in their belief in Christ. So if the Gentiles believed, then they were as much chosen as the Jews.

So the explanation that people have of the verses are wrong.

God is not mean, unjust or unfair.

If He has already chosen who He wants in His heaven in this manner you stated, then it is probably a waste of time for all of us.

That's not what Paul was saying

What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; but the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness, have not attained their goal. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone.
Romans 9:30‭-‬32 NIV

Isreal believed that they were special and chosen but it is their works that made them special

The Gentiles, on the other hand, understood that they were undeserving of whatever God is giving and rested in the promise by belief in Christ.

Also, note that God told Isreal they were special and chosen (The messiah was to come from amongst them).

But Isreal didn't understand what it truly meant to be chosen. NIV said they stumbled over the stumbling block

Isreal had to stop thinking that they were chosen and are saved regardless or by works.

Like the Gentiles, everyone is chosen/saved through the same route: Belief in Christ

And this is made available to all men by God's mercy and Grace (not one person deserving of it)

ROMANS 9: "JACOB I HAVE LOVED, ESAU HAVE I HATED"

So I will just take time to explain Romans 9 from the very beginning, as a start. We progress from there.

Now, here is the background to Romans 9

The Jewish Christians had an issue with the Gentiles being accepted into God's kingdom. They felt like it was all too easy for these Gentiles. They were jealous of the Gentiles and it was beginning to bring in resentment.

the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption to sonship; theirs is the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen.
Romans 9:4‭-‬5 NIV

This is the legacy of Isreal, that the Messiah comes from amongst them.

But when the Messiah came, Isreal wasn't receptive of Him but the Gentiles were

This is where the mumbling begins

It is us God gave the Messiah (the one we refused to accept), why are the Gentiles now getting access freely?

Is it that God doesn't keep to His word? The promise was meant for Isreal so if this Messiah is truly the promise, the Gentiles shouldn't be getting it this way.

Here is Paul's response to this:

I don’t mean that God failed to keep his promise to the Jewish people. But only some of the people of Israel are really God’s people.
Romans 9:6 ERV

It looks like the Israelites have missed their Messiah by not accepting Him but does this now mean that God failed in His promises to them? Paul says NO! Last year while we studied this chapter, I read somewhere that Isreal also means those who are ruled by God.

It is not as though God’s word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.
Romans 9:6 NIV

By that definition above, not all who are descendants of Isreal are ruled by God. ERV already broke it down. Not all of the people of Isreal are really God's people (that is ruled by God)

This means that not all of Abraham’s descendants are God’s true children. Abraham’s true children are those who become God’s children because of the promise he made to Abraham.
Romans 9:8 ERV

Anyone who walks in the footstep of Abraham (Faith) is a true child of Abraham and God, for it is by this Faith the promise is received.

Now, the promise made to Abraham was broken down in the next verses (from verse 9), we see how Sara gave birth to a son and how Rebecca also conceived. I believe this is where the questions start (please follow from the start carefully so we take nothing out of context)

(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)  It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.
Romans 9:11‭-‬12 KJV

The elder shall serve the younger. Why? For the purpose of election, that it wouldn't be by works or by birthright

Remember Paul was trying to clear the entitlement of the Israelites in this chapter which is why he referenced Rebecca. Even Isreal (Jacob), your father wasn't chosen because He was the firstborn (Firstborn sons then had a right of inheritance).

He was also not chosen because he worked or did something to be chosen. He was chosen before he was born. And Paul was very careful to mention that both children had not done good nor bad, so this is to state that God's election wasn't based on what bad anyone of them has done or will do

He did this so His purpose according to election might stand. It is by that purpose according to Election the Israelites became and were to not speak against the Gentiles becoming God's people. It is also by that purpose according to the election (Grace, Mercy), that you and I are called children of God, because none of us are relatives of Abraham.

We've examined God's purpose of election and interpreted with context what Paul was trying to say to the Israelites (you can scroll up and read again).

QUESTION - I'm sorry but I don't know why election is sounding like picking some and excluding some to me

ANSWER - The purpose of election here is not to pick one and exclude another (we will see it that God actually blessed Esau). Rather this purpose of election is to make all worthy

This was like a foreshadowing of what is to come in the future, where men who do not belong to the line of Abraham, who had no right to the inheritance would have access to it. The purpose of election is not that of pick one and drop one, it is that of inclusion

Everyone not worthy by works or birthright brought in by the mercy of God. It is this purpose of election that has us standing as children.

The Jews would never have accepted you and I

By birthright, Jacob was not entitled to the inheritance, neither was he by works.

Paul stated clearly that God chose even while they were without sin and it wasn't based on the future (maybe God looked and saw their sin). The criteria were not works. Now, if Jacob was first born and Esau the younger brother, Esau would have been chosen for this purpose of inclusion in this place too. So it wasn't about persons now but God's plan to include all men in the promise [ANSWER ENDS]

Just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”
Romans 9:13 NIV

I believe this is where the questions start flowing.

How is God who is so full of love, all good and no evil, how is He hating somebody? An unborn child for that matter? Now, this is where we pause and throw whatever we have deduced from this scripture away totally.

Let's branch to comprehension passages in the English language a bit. You know the question of
"Who said this? To whom was it said? When was it said? Why was it said according to the passage?" We apply it while studying scripture also

First, let's check this statement as written in context with the rest of the passage. We already went through what Paul was trying to say and where He is coming from. To judge this sentence which is a quote (we will address the quote too after) in the context it has been used, we see that what Paul was trying to say to them was this: God's purpose in loving Jacob is that of choosing Him to become the heir of the covenant.

Though Jacob never deserved. And since your father, Isreal never deserved also, why then do you stand against the Gentiles and say they are undeserving?

Do you not know it is God who chooses?

And in the same way He chose you, He has chosen the Gentiles. So this statement is that of acceptance (Jacob have I loved..) But what did Paul mean when he quoted Esau have I hated?

Just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”
Romans 9:13 NIV

We will come back here.... "Just as it is written.." Where did they write it?

Mal.1.2 - I have loved you, says the Lord. Yet you say, How and in what way have You loved us? Was not Esau Jacob 's brother? says the Lord, yet I loved Jacob (Israel),

Mal.1.3 - But [in comparison with the degree of love I have for Jacob] I have hated Esau [Edom] and have laid waste his mountains, and his heritage I have given to the jackals of the wilderness.
AMP

“The LORD says to his people, “I have always loved you.” But they reply, “How have you shown your love for us?” The LORD answers, “Esau and Jacob were brothers, but I have loved Jacob and his descendants, and have hated Esau and his descendants. I have devastated Esau's hill country and abandoned the land to jackals.””
‭‭Malachi‬ ‭1:2-3‬ ‭GNBDC‬‬

“I have loved you,” says the Lord. “Yet you say, ‘In what way have You loved us?’ Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” Says the Lord. “Yet Jacob I have loved, But Esau I have hated, And laid waste his mountains and his heritage For the jackals of the wilderness.”
Malachi 1:2‭-‬3 NKJV

Before I explain the verses here in Malachi, let's note that This is the first mention of Love and hate towards Jacob and Esau. Both men were already dead here, they had lived and their works judged.

This particular statement was not made while they were in the womb.

Their possessions were too great for them to remain together; the land where they were staying could not support them both because of their livestock.
Genesis 36:7 NIV

Esau was greatly blessed by God. He had so much possession that the land could not contain

So this is the first time God is mentioning Esau and Jacob using such strong words

We already ruled out that this is how God felt about them before He chose Jacob

This was much later.

And this statement was made loooooooong after both were dead.

Also, note that Esau and Jacob became nations before they died (both greatly blessed by the Lord)

Esau: Edom
Jacob: Isreal

What is the context of Malachi? What made God say that He loved one person and hated the other?

If we study Malachi well, we see that the grumbling from the Jews about the Gentiles concerning the Messiah had somewhat played in earlier times (Malachi). Isreal in the Malachi context is complaining to God that He doesn't love them anymore. According to them, God was not blessing them the way He should. Sebi it is Isreal God chose, why was it looking like they were no longer accepted

“I have loved you,” says the Lord. “But you ask, ‘How have you loved us?’ “Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the Lord. “Yet I have loved Jacob,
Malachi 1:2 NIV

This is God's reply.

Esau was Jacob's brother, yet I have loved Jacob. What is God telling them here? The Jews have always been God's chosen people. He chose them even when they were not deserving.

The problem was not that God stopped loving them. Rather that they had not been faithful to Him

It becomes clearer as we read chapter 1 to 3

Now let's go to Esau (Edom)

Note that we established that Jacob referenced to the Israelites in God's statement was as a nation not individual. So that Same angle for Esau (Edom) Why did God hate Esau (Edom, the nation)?

Though Esau was greatly blessed by God, he and his descendants did not live in faithfulness to God. To see the sin of Esau (Edom), let's go to Obadiah. Sorry, we will be using scripture to explain scripture. This is so we understand everything In context

Obadiah is just 21 verses but please let's all read

It is the answer to what we are looking for. This is where we see what Esau (Edom) did wrong that made God say I have hated Esau

How are the things of Esau searched out! how are his hidden things sought up!
Obadiah 1:6 KJV

All the hidden things about Esau searched out and laid bare in this chapter. We get to see exactly what he did wrong,  the true side to the story

God blessed Esau and made him into a nation, Edom. From having nothing to having all but this inflated Edom's ego

Esau, their father lived a life contrary to God's will and his descendants took it up from there

Like they did worse

God never said he hated or loved Jacob until long after both men had become nations and died.

Isreal, the nation, allowed themselves to be used by God mightily, of course with flaws/disobedience here and there but in all of these, they still had one or 2 men whose hearts were after the Lord. Moses, Joshua, David, Nehemiah, Samuel, Hezekiah, etc came from Isreal. Edom on the other hand, though made great by God, became a godless nation.

They counted God as nothing

The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground?
Obadiah 1:3 KJV

They lived in false security. It was a "We don't need God" brag. Obadiah has a long list of sins but the major one was this

For thy violence against thy brother, Jacob shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off forever.
Obadiah 1:10 KJV

The reasons God hated Esau was because this nation Edom was opposed to Isreal and God's promise. Now, remember we didn't translate Love in its literal English meaning but rather based on usage meaning. Hate here means to not give special privilege or protection to Edom/Esau. Remember love for Jacob implies special privilege and inclusion where we do not belong

Hate for Esau is cutting off special privileges (in other words, Mercy). Why? Because Esau stood against the Promise which was God's Mercy foreshadowed

Let's fix all of these in the passage.

Before I move on, let's not forget the captivity of the Israelites at Babylon. Edom was involved

Back to Romans 9 and Malachi 1
(we fix in the passage)

The Israelites accused God that He didn't love them I.e they were not favored.

He says He has loved (favored/Chosen) Jacob but hated Esau

He hated Esau because Esau stood against the Promise of the Lord. This is to say those who stand against the Promise of the Lord are not chosen by God.

This promise of God to Abraham is Christ. Jesus is the blessing of Abraham

Back to Paul and the Jews.

Again, the story is they complained about the Gentiles being accepted into Christ, that they had missed the Messiah. Perhaps the Lord did not love them anymore.

So Paul's response in quoting is that God's word didn't fail. Isreal is not just the nation but those who allow God's rule. For the believer in Christ, allowing God rule is accepting the promise of God, Christ!

As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
Romans 9:13 KJV

This statement from all the explanation is not that of literal hate

Far from it because God really loved Esau (the man) and blessed him greatly. Rather, it is that of God's chosen people. The ones inside of His promise.

Jacob I have loved:

The ones who have accepted my promise and are in my promise, I have loved them (they are my chosen people)

Esau I have hated:

The ones who stand against my promise are not my chosen people

So if the Jews felt they were chosen and the Gentiles had no place, then they should know it wasn't just about being from the nation Isreal but rather the promise in the nation, Isreal and being in it by Faith.

So this is the explanation for Romans 9: 1-13.

QUESTION - And also can we actually be punished by our father when we do something wrong

ANSWER - Only in the sense of loving discipline. Christ already took all of our punishments. No believer stands condemned [ANSWER ENDS]

QUESTION - Is it not understandable that Esau will hate Jacob & Edom hate Isreal? This guy stole his blessing with the help of their mum?

ANSWER - For this, what exactly did Jacob steal? Note that it is not the blessing(s) of God or the inheritance. God wasn't in support of this also. This was Rebecca and Jacob's doing. She was trying most likely to bring the prophecy to pass.

So Genesis 27

If we read through, we see that Esau was blessed also but Jacob received that of the firstborn. If we move further to life after Jacob ran away when he was coming to beg for forgiveness. Before he even got to Esau, Esau already forgave him. He was already greatly blessed also and he moved on from this hurt

It wasn't this stolen blessing by Jacob that Edom was angry about or fought against, it is that of the Lord; the promise. [ANSWER ENDS]

FOLLOW THE SPIRIT

Each one went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, without turning as they went.
Ezekiel 1:12 NIV

So there is our key text for the year again

I will like everyone to know it by heart. Let it be what you live by this year.

As the Lord revealed, we've come to know that this year is the year of the spirit. Not just for Word Alive but believers all over the world. There is a move of the spirit happening in our time, as never seen before and it begins this year.

I was speaking with someone and they mentioned a prophecy from the 1920s about 2020. According to the prophecy, a fire of revival will spread like never before and new generals will arise from all nations. Immediately, I connected with all we have been getting

Sadly, I couldn't get the prophet's name but I am surely finding it. The person shared a lot of things from that prophecy and they were so accurate

Exactly what I've heard

My interest piqued immediately I heard it was over 100 years ago. It shows one thing, that what is about to come upon us, this move we are about to experience, it's not a coincidence.

So many lives and destinies are attached to it. A lot of things will change for so many of us. It is very much strategic for such a time as this

I don't know if we've all taken note but it seems like the enemy got more strategic. He's moving so smoothly in the world

Everybody is selling Juju (kayamatanga or so) openly and it is normal

Things we'd never have done years ago have been normalized. And this will get worse as time goes

But guess what, God is also raising an army for such a time like this. He knew this time would come long before my grandmother was born. He spoke about it through the prophets of those times
And slowly, in all of our various life walks (smooth and unsmooth), He has been leading us right here

Becca sent me a video from Kenneth Copeland, He had pretty much the same to say about this year being the year of the spirit

Nonso sent one too from Prophet Tomi Arayomi

Got another from Nkiru by DDK and it was also the same prophecy

I've had discussions with friends not on Word Alive and when they share what God told them about the year, I'm asking if they are me

I'm reminded of this scripture :

Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.
Amos 3:7 NIV

When the Lord GOD decides to do something, he will first tell his servants, the prophets.
Amos 3:7 ERV

When the Lord decides to do something

We can say for sure that the Lord is about to do something. If our spiritual antenna is active, you can sense it strongly and connect

This particular prophecy is dated earliest (to my knowledge) to the 1920s

We see that God did not just decide to do something. It's been decided long ago. And I just heard this in my spirit now to share with you all

That all the things that appeared to have gone "wrong", every decision and painful situation, they've all brought us to this place

The spirit says we might not know it but this is exactly where He has been leading us to
All of the lessons
All of the pain and shame
The Fallings and failings
Struggles
Standing back and standing strong

This is where it has been leading you all along

Preparations have been ongoing long before you even knew God. All of you from various places, nations, and continents whose physical paths might never cross but with paths aligning. Everyone heading in the same direction. Each step (though looking like a failure on your end), a closer one to this

God is doing something and if we are sensitive in the spirit we can testify to this. A shift is happening

Probably you've been hearing shift happening every time and it's beginning to sound cliche but really something is changing and it begins already

Back to our scripture.

Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.
Amos 3:7 NIV

Now that we know that God always tell people before doing anything (not to take permission but rather out of love for man and so men will act in like with the season upon them) and He has revealed though so many

So what next.??????

What do we do? How do we act in this season? Or are we just supposed to stand still and wait

Are we supposed to find everyone we think God wants to call for this and speak to them? What exactly is our reaction?

I've had plenty of questions myself since the Lord revealed these things. Like I just want us to fast forward and get a download of everything, all the hows, and details

And this has been the response of the Lord:

Follow the spirit

For some of us, a lot of things might come up this year, it will look like this leading na inside carnal or gutter Laslas you go end. Ignore the physical reality and the pain that will come from the changes happening

Just follow

Let's visit our key text again

Each one went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, without turning as they went.
Ezekiel 1:12 NIV

There is a forward movement towards this prophecy and move of the spirit we are about to experience. Because this move belongs to the Spirit, only Him knows where everything will be happening. Only Him as all the details

Because only Him knows and God is so gracious, The spirit was sent to lead us to this place where everything will happen. The forward movement to this place started long ago, now more than ever we cannot afford to miss our way or get distracted

Each one went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, without turning as they went.
Ezekiel 1:12 NIV

If we read from verse 1, the description of the living creatures is amazing. It sounds like they probably will know all or navigate on their own with all of those features. But no, he direction is straight ahead, as the spirit led.

Something caught my eye in the next verse after 12

The appearance of the living creatures was like burning coals of fire or like torches. Fire moved back and forth among the creatures; it was bright, and lightning flashed out of it.
Ezekiel 1:13 NIV

As they followed the spirit, Ezekiel saw that they looked like burning coals of fire. Torches

Now, Ezekiel had described these creatures before. I doubt he'd have missed out on this description if he saw it in the verses before. Ezekiel only noticed this particular appearance as he watched them follow the Spirit, not looking left or right. See, there is a revival of fire about to Burn. The spirit just reminded me of what He said on Men becoming flammable this period

The fire of God will be spreading back and forth without stress, just by following the spirit

The creatures sped back and forth like flashes of lightning.
Ezekiel 1:14 NIV

Speedy movement as we follow the Spirit. Some of us whose fellowships with  God are zero and are wondering how they fit in in all of this.

Don't wander too much. Speed comes

As I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground beside each creature with its four faces. This was the appearance and structure of the wheels: They sparkled like topaz, and all four looked alike. Each appeared to be made like a wheel intersecting a wheel.
Ezekiel 1:15‭-‬16 NIV

I was trying to understand this verse for a while. Who owns the wheel? What are they doing with the creatures in Ezekiel's vision

What is their purpose? How is a 4 legged wheel intersecting another wheel?

We can Google Ezekiel's wheel

Not one picture perfected this wheel intersecting wheel cos it is impossible. Let me explain what this means to us

If we scroll down, we will see that the wheel was later used to bring in the throne of God, which is where God sits. God sitting on the throne and brought in by the wheel. Then the wheel moving with each creature as they followed the spirit.

The wheel is also intersecting

Here is what I got from this verse:

As many of us that are believers and carry the presence of God (the creature and the wheel), as we follow the Spirit, our paths will be intertwined. Probably are already

As they moved, they would go in any one of the four directions the creatures faced; the wheels did not change direction as the creatures went.
Ezekiel 1:17 NIV

Though paths and purposes are intertwined, let's note that the living creatures were not led by this

Rather it was the path/purpose (wheel) that followed the direction of the creatures (the believers). And the creatures followed the lead of the spirit only.

In this season, we will not be led by ambitions, purposes, career paths, seemingly spiritual paths, etc. We will be led only by the spirit All of these things will fall under

Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, and the wheels would rise along with them because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
Ezekiel 1:20 NIV

Look at the progression

Spirit first
Creature follows
Paths/ambitions/purposes

Now, how come the paths/purpose/ambitions aligned with the movement of the creatures as led by the spirit? Because the spirit inside of the creatures lived inside of them too

Wow 🔥

All our paths and ambitions this year, they must be subjected to the leading of the Spirit. Follow! God will not give you a purpose or lead you in a path outside of the leading of the Spirit

When the creatures moved, I heard the sound of their wings, like the roar of rushing waters, like the voice of the Almighty, like the tumult of an army. When they stood still, they lowered their wings.
Ezekiel 1:24 NIV

When the creatures moved (followed the spirit without looking sideways), Ezekiel heard the voice of the Lord. Some of us want instructions all at once. We want God to say everything now at once

I understand the frustration. But see, the words will come as we go after the spirit, one after the other. The plan will keep unveiling

I don't know if this move is happening in Lagos or Ibadan. I don't know if we will all be asked to leave our work and go. I have plenty questions but the instruction is simple: Follow the Spirit

As we do, the plan will be unveiled fully

All God is about to do, the spirit knows the fastest route

Let me give a logical sample

If I go to Italy tomorrow and the mission is very important, I can't afford to be doing trial and error method or just walking around till I find my way. I use a tour guide. I meet people who know the city well and allow them to lead me. If I had time, probably I could afford to walk around, miss my steps then find my hotel hours back. But there is no time for all of that for this Italy trip so I make sure to stay with those who know the road. We do not have time to waste

Romans  8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

The Greek word used here is ago and it means to gently lead. While He is very patient, The spirit will not force us. This season, we will need to willingly follow

I believe this is what the Lord was referencing for the revelation I shared, that many though walked to this place with us, might not continue further. Not because God doesn't want them to but because of their own choice.

I pray none of us willingly damn the leading of the Spirit

Again, I see the shedding of weight, unnecessary weight. Not fat now, people/things/attachments/distractions/career

For those that this applies to when that time comes, be ready. For some, it has started already. It might be costly and painful, but drop.

Also, don't postpone anything. Don't say I will start to do tomorrow. Now is the time!

Be very alert and sensitive as you follow the Spirit. Don't make the tiniest decision on your own.

Wait for God to speak and keep following the spirit.
Do not look left, do not turn right
Look straight ahead
Wherever the spirit leads, follow!

I pray we all receive Grace to stand firm and follow closely without losing sight of Him and regardless of all it might look like we are losing.

Amen