6. 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.
7. And only some of Abraham’s descendants are true children of Abraham. This is what God said to Abraham: “Your true descendants will be those who come through Isaac.”
8. 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.
9. Here is what God said in that promise: “About this time next year I will come back, and Sarah will have a son.”
10. And that is not all. Rebecca also had sons, and they had the same father. He is our father Isaac.
11-12. But before the two sons were born, God told Rebecca, “The older son will serve the younger.” This was before the boys had done anything good or bad. God said this before they were born so that the boy he wanted would be chosen because of God’s own plan. He was chosen because he was the one God wanted to call, not because of anything the boys did.
13. As the Scriptures say, “I loved Jacob, but I hated Esau.”
14. So what does this mean? That God is not fair? We cannot say that.
15. God said to Moses, “I will show mercy to anyone I want to show mercy to. I will show pity to anyone I choose.”
16. So God will choose anyone he decides to show mercy to, and his choice does not depend on what people want or try to do.
17. In the Scriptures God says to Pharaoh: “I made you king so that you could do this for me. I wanted to show my power through you. I wanted my name to be announced throughout the world.”
18. So God shows mercy to those he wants to show mercy to and makes stubborn those he wants to make stubborn.
19. So one of you will ask me, “If God controls what we do, why does he blame us for our sins?”