8. In other words, God's children are not just Abraham's natural children. Instead, they are the children God promised to him. They are the ones considered to be Abraham's children.
9. God promised, "I will return at the appointed time. Sarah will have a son." (Genesis 18:10,14)
10. And that's not all. Rebekah's children had the same father. He was our father Isaac.
11. Here is what happened. Rebekah's twins had not even been born. They hadn't done anything good or bad yet. So they show that God's purpose is based firmly on his free choice.
12. It was not because of anything they did but because of God's choice. So Rebekah was told, "The older son will serve the younger one." (Genesis 25:23)
13. It is written, "I chose Jacob instead of Esau." (Malachi 1:2,3)
14. What should we say then? Is God unfair? Not at all!
15. He said to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy. I will show love to those I love." (Exodus 33:19)
16. So it doesn't depend on what we want or do. It depends on God's mercy.
17. In Scripture, God says to Pharaoh, "I had a special reason for making you king. I decided to use you to show my power. I wanted my name to become known everywhere on earth." (Exodus 9:16)
18. So God does what he wants to do. He shows mercy to one person and makes another stubborn.
19. One of you will say to me, "Then why does God still blame us? Who can oppose what he wants to do?"
20. But you are a mere man. So who are you to talk back to God? Scripture says, "Can what is made say to the one who made it, 'Why did you make me like this?' " (Isaiah 29:16; 45:9)
21. Isn't the potter free to make different kinds of pots out of the same lump of clay? Some are for special purposes. Others are for ordinary use.