Why did God hate Esau according to this teaching?
According to this teaching, God hated Esau because Esau was totally destitute of faith and did not think anything of what God said. That is no problem to understand; the greater mystery is how God could love Jacob, and likewise how He could love us.
Les teaches from the account of Mr. Spurgeon and the lady who could not understand how God could hate Esau. Spurgeon said that was not his problem; his problem was how God could love Jacob. Les explains that it is no problem to see why God hated Esau, because Esau was totally destitute of faith and did not think anything of what God said. The real wonder is how God could love Jacob, and then how He could love us. Les connects this to Malachi 1:2-3, where the Lord says, “I have loved you,” and, “Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? Yet I loved Jacob,” before verse three. He also illustrates it with the preacher’s wife who faithfully led him to the Lord.