August 17, 2026
Is God unjust?
Read: Job 31,32; Psalm 47; Romans 9
Scripture: Romans 9: 13 Just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” 14 What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! 15 For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16 It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.
Observation: Many critics of the Bible question God and ask, “Why did God hate Esau?” Some Christians also think it is difficult to understand and explain Romans 9:13. A woman once said to Spurgeon, “I cannot understand why God should say that He hated Esau.” “That,” Spurgeon replied, “is not my difficulty, madam. My trouble is to understand how God could love Jacob!” Still, some may ask how the God of love could hate an unborn child. Was God unjust to Esau?
Before we answer this question, we should know that God’s actions are not arbitrary. In Matthew 6:24, 10:37, Luke 14:26, and John 12:25, Jesus speaks of loving him first before we love our family and anything else. So, we cannot take the literal meaning that God hated Esau. We should remember that Sovereign God has a plan when he chooses a person. God has the right to do what he desires. We may not understand it now.
Apostle Paul emphatically denies that God is not unjust. He cites God’s mercy to prove that God is not unjust. Nobody can earn God’s mercy by works. We “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom.3:23), But the God of grace is merciful with us and justified us to receive his salvation through Jesus Christ. God’s mercies remind us that he is righteous and loving.
Application: The God I worship is Sovereign over everything. He never does anything unfair. When I do not understand certain things, instead of doubting God, I should try to see the broad picture of God that includes all. God loves all, and his salvation is available to every person. God’s salvation cannot be achieved by human efforts. The Bible reminds me, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast (Eph.2:8,9).
Prayer: Righteous God, thank you for your mercies on my life. I deserve nothing to receive your love and compassion. Sovereign God, open my eyes to see your works. Father God, help me always love and trust you in all things. Amen.
✍️: Arputharaj Samuel
📕: Quiet Time Companion
🗓️ Day – 229