Things To Beware
In the book of Hebrews, we are exhorted to take heart in our resistance to sin. We are encouraged by the fact that we are children of God, who took the form of man and suffered hostility at the hands of sinners as well.
In our struggles as a church against sin, we are warned about some specific things.
Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal.
Hebrews 12:14-16
The first two commands seem to go well together. Striving for peace and holiness would lead to being gracious. This in turn would prevent the root of bitterness from springing up.
After this we’re told to avoid sexual immorality specifically. While the first commands seem to be to avoid sins which would be against one another, sexual immorality is a sin which destroys one’s self.
Then he tacks on a last sinful attitude with a specific historical reference, to be “unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal”.
The Sin of Esau
To better understand this issue, let’s take a look at the story of this trade.
Once when Jacob was cooking stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was exhausted. And Esau said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am exhausted!” (Therefore his name was called Edom.) Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright now.” Esau said, “I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?” Jacob said, “Swear to me now.” So he swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.
Genesis 25:29-34
There’s no doubt that Esau was tired, but it hardly seems like he was close to death! After getting something to eat and drink he was able to go on his way. Jacob wasn’t mercilessly extorting his brother. Yet, Esau was willing to trade his birthright in exchange for a momentary satiation.
In this way he despised his birthright. Not that he actively hated it, but (worse) he almost seems to have no regard at all for it! It’s not that he viewed it as something of great significance which troubled him. He wasn’t afraid of the responsibility that would come with a birthright. He just thought of it as no importance and something easily to be discarded.
Our Significant Future
Like Esau, it is possible for us to lightly esteem something of far greater value for limited satisfaction. In the moment, what may seem to be all we need can often be trivialized by simply taking a longer view. Those who believe in Christ are sons of the living God, have been set free from sin, and can live lives which glorify our God not only after our death but right now!
Things of eternal significance are available to all who believe. Yet the desires of the flesh can still distract us from these things. We stand to inherit something better than this world can offer in Christ, but we must be careful not to despised our inheritance like Esau, over something far more trivial because he couldn’t see beyond his desires in that moment.
Otherwise, we are warned what can happen when the immediate desires are fully sought at the cost of such an inheritance.
For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.
Hebrews 12:17
Repent of sin and live for those things which matter far more than the temporary satisfaction of the flesh. For those who trust in Christ, there is nothing in this life that can be worth trading for the glory in serving him.
