And Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.
— Genesis 25:28

The Lord said through the prophet Malachi that He hated Esau but loved Jacob. (Mal.1:2-3) I thought: “How can the Lord hate anyone, when God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life?” In fact, Malachi is speaking not about particular people who lived before the birth of Christ, but about types hidden behind the names of these people.

When the time came for Rebekah to give birth, the first came out red, so they called him Esau. (Gen.25:25) He is a type of Adam, whose name comes from the Hebrew word for red. Isaac in this story is a type of the Lord, who made Adam from the red dust of the earth. This does not mean that the Lord hated the man named Adam. It is written that Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game. From the time of Adam people brought the Lord sacrifices that reminded Him of His beloved Son, the Lamb of God, and thanks to these sacrifices the Lord loved people in whose flesh lived the sin that He hates. Jesus Christ became the last Adam, the old man, and, having become sin on the cross, died for all of us.

Jacob, who was born second, is a type of the risen Christ Jesus. It is said of Jacob that he was a mild man, or, closer to the original, a complete man, dwelling in tents. (Gen.25:27) The tents are our bodies, in which the heavenly Jacob now lives by His Spirit. Rebekah was Jacob’s mother, and she symbolises the grace of God. Paul wrote that we, like the risen Christ Jesus, are children of the free woman, children of grace. (Gal.4:31) So grace, which is Jesus Christ Himself, for grace came through Jesus Christ (Jhn.1:17), loves us just as we are, without any conditions.

Many of us try to bring God all kinds of sacrifices or good works to earn His love. Beloved, dear friend, the Lord God does not need your sacrifices and your good works. He simply wants to love you. He loves you with unconditional love, and your deeds and your behaviour in no way affect His attitude or His love towards you. His love for you rests on a firm foundation — it is in Christ Jesus, and you are in Him. What can separate you from the love of Christ? Be sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate you from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord! (Rom.8:35,38-39)

Prayer
My Father, with all my heart I thank You that You gave Your beloved Son as a sacrifice for me, and His great sacrifice satisfied You forever. I thank You, Lord, for Your unconditional love for me. You have hidden my life in Your heavenly Jacob, and now nothing can separate me from Your beautiful love for me! God’s peace, rest and joy fill my heart to overflowing. Thank You, my precious Lord! Amen.