16 Be careful that no one takes part in sexual sin or is like Esau and never thinks about God. As the oldest son, Esau would have received everything from his father, but he sold all that for a single meal. 17 You remember that after Esau did this, he wanted to get his father’s blessing, but his father refused. Esau could find no way to change what he had done, even though he wanted the blessing so much that he cried. ~ Hebrews 12:16-17
We return to our study of Hebrews 12 which comes on the heels of the faith chapter. It was in Hebrews 11 that the writer of Hebrews gave us the best definition of faith and now he is giving us some practical teaching regarding how our faith in the God of the Bible should grow and be expressed to others.
In v.16 of today's passage we read, "Be careful that no one takes part in sexual sin or is like Esau and never thinks about God. As the oldest son, Esau would have received everything from his father, but he sold all that for a single meal."
As we return to our study of Hebrews 12, we are reminded that the very same word translated "holiness" in Hebrews 12:14 is the exact same Greek word that is also translated throughout this letter as "sanctify" or "sanctification." And, as we have said, to "sanctify" is to put something to its proper use. As we would expect, the enemy of God is always looking for ways to distort God's definition of things, and, this is why the writer of Hebrews brings up the subject of fornication in today's passage. It is as if God is saying to you and me, "Don't cheat on me by using sex out of its proper use," whether it is fornication or adultery.
When we first believed on Christ, the Holy Spirit indwelt us. At that point we were given a daily choice to be defined by God or not. And, when we are being defined by Him, we and His word are being "put to its proper use," the use for which God intended. Unlike positional holiness or justification, this is practical holiness, this sense of dependence and availability to God.
Now, when we do not let God define us, when we take God's word out of its intended purpose, as Esau did, it is as if we are looking at pornography. Especially in light of the fact that the word used here translated "sexual sin" is the word from which we get our word pornography. Esau's sexual addictions, as seen in him marrying multiple foreign wives, began with his fantasies which were not held in check by the word of God. And, left to himself, Esau was gobbled up by his sin.
Esau was Abraham’s grandson, the older twin born to Isaac and Rebekah. Esau's twin brother was Jacob. And, even though Esau was the firstborn, he lost his firstborn status because he sold his birthright to Jacob for a single meal. Esau lost his birthright because he chose not to let God define him. The birthright had to do with the promise given to Abraham concerning the coming of a Seed that would set men free from self. To despise the promise, as Esau did, is to say that the things that God offers to do for us are of no importance at all. Esau chose to ignore what God had to say on the subject and it was at this point that he began being defined by something other than God.
In v.17 of today's passage we read, "You remember that after Esau did this, he wanted to get his father’s blessing, but his father refused. Esau could find no way to change what he had done, even though he wanted the blessing so much that he cried."
As in the case of Esau, when we ignore God, a hardness of heart sets in and when we are being defined by the enemy, it will increasingly be more and more difficult to turn back to God. Repentance means a change of mind. When Esau came back to his father later and requested his birthright, his father said it was too late. Esau had sold it to his brother. Esau wept bitterly and tried to change his father's mind, but his father could not change his mind because it was already promised to Jacob.
In spite of the fact that Esau and Jacob eventually made peace with one another, Esau’s descendants, the Edomites, never got along with Jacob’s descendants, the Israelites. Edom regularly opposed and fought against Israel. A big part of the problem was that the Edomites were pagans and the Israelites followed God. The prophets Jeremiah and Obadiah both warned God would "bring disaster on Esau" and that the Edomites would be eventually destroyed.
Esau valued the definitions of this fallen world rather than those of God. He chose the temporal and physical cravings of this world rather than God’s definitions of all things. Esau was defined not by God and the writer of Hebrews used him as an example of one who resists the expression of God in his life. All of this underscores the fact that our actions have consequences, and sometimes those consequences take us to places we would rather not go.
As believers in the Lord Jesus, we must walk as sons intent on the pleasure of God’s blessing, not as rebels intent on the pleasures of sin’s false promises. As we have seen, Esau was a fool who was a sexually immoral man, who lusted after and married pagan Hittite women. We must be careful to not be deceived like Esau. It is interesting that he did not become sexually immoral over night. But, his problems began when he chose not to be defined by God which lead him to being enslaved to sexual immorality.
