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.