Jesus or Esau?

...He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. ...to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness. (Hebrews 12:10-11)

Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.

For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears. (Hebrews 12:14, 17)

As I move toward the end of this chapter and even the end of the book of Hebrews, I am seeing a stark polarization emerging. It is much like the parable of the wheat and the tares that Jesus told about. He said that they were to grow together until the harvest when it would be quite clear what the difference was between them and then the angels would separate them. In this passage the difference is starting to become more clear.

At the beginning of this chapter and as the grand finale of the list of people of faith from the last chapter, Jesus is set out as not only the ultimate example of faith but as the author and finisher of faith. This creates the background for one side of the polarization, those who live in submission to the discipline and discipling of God in order to share His holiness. This relationship yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness and is the process of sanctification in order that we may see God. By implication these are also those who have found a place for repentance in their hearts and are not rejected or repulsed from inheriting the blessing of God due to the infection of bitterness.

Those emerging on the other side of the polarization have a number of potential symptoms that may likely revolve around some sort of bitterness sooner or later. They may have some sin that they have allowed to keep them entangled instead of running the race toward God's face with endurance. They have not made Jesus the focal point of their attention and affections but instead have looked elsewhere, even to religion itself, for their inspiration.

These people may have lost heart from the weariness of the struggle against sin. They may have become weary of enduring the discipline of life under the parentage of the Godhead and aborted their privilege of being legitimate children under His authority. They may have nurtured resentment for the lameness and pain of disjointed knees or failed to engage in helping to straighten the paths toward God. Instead of following on to be healed they came short of the grace of God and became bitter instead. Ironically they may still be very religious and careful to do everything “right”, but their heart is growing cold and hard from neglect or suppression.

These latter ones did not lack the desire for the blessing, however. They were likely very interested in being saved, in going to heaven and enjoying all the benefits of salvation and eternal life. They may have even been very religious, pious or even careful in their upholding of doctrinal purity and strict lifestyle. They paid very careful attention to all the external symptoms of sin and worked very hard to perform every requirement to the best of their ability and even “with God's help”. They may have achieved wonderful results with their evangelism and good works. But in the day of judgment they will be shocked to learn that God had a completely different standard of measurement than what they had always insisted that He used. Jesus – the same Jesus mentioned at the beginning of this chapter who is the champion example of faith – will say to them after politely hearing their list of religious achievements, “I never knew you...” (Matt. 7:23) They will be shocked to find that they are lumped in under the ones represented by Esau instead of Jesus.

Desires for goodness and holiness are right as far as they go; but if you stop here, they will avail nothing. Many will be lost while hoping and desiring to be Christians. They do not come to the point of yielding the will to God. They do not now choose to be Christians. {SC 47}

As I have looked at this word rejected over the past few days each time I visited this passage it always stirs something inside that bothers me. It has the ring of an arbitrary attitude of rejection on the part of someone other than Esau. It seems to reinforce the harsher view of God so common in religion and that I am becoming fiercely opposed to lately in my increasing awareness of the real truth about God. Is it really true that God just rejected Esau because he didn't qualify or measure up to God's high standards? When compared with the deceitful, conniving, slippery character of Jacob in the story from the Old Testament, Esau looks more like the victim than the problem if we weren't so biased by the rest of the stories that follow. What does this word rejected really mean?

So I looked it up this morning from the Greek original and as I expected there was a more consistent definition of this word that explains what is really going on here. These are the potential definitions of both the word and the two words that composes it.

Rejected

apodokimazo – to disapprove, i.e. (by implication) to repudiate: – disallow, reject.

apo – in composition (as a prefix) it usually denotes separation, departure, cessation, completion, reversal, etc.

dokimazo – to test (literally or figuratively); by implication, to approve: – allow, discern, examine, (ap-)prove, try.

What can be clearly seen here is that God was not so much rejecting Esau as much as Esau was being repulsed from being able to receive or connect with the Source of blessing due to the disharmony of his spirit. It was not so much that he had failed to perform all the external requirements but that he had disqualified himself internally to be able to enjoy the vital connection with God necessary to participate in the blessing. It was almost like he had created the wrong magnetic field in his heart that when faced with close proximity to God's presence would push the two spirits apart.

Another reason we struggle to understand this story about the blessing passed on from Isaac to his sons is our almost total lack of awareness both of the culture of the mid-eastern mindset and the ways of God. Our own perceptions of religion and of God have become so distorted, particularly in western thinking, that religion has become primarily an external part of life based on intense intellectually strong opinions with emotions sometimes mixed in. We have only a vague idea at best of what the word blessing even means and usually associate it with external economic benefits and advantages over others. We may even think that being blessed by God may also include extra protection over our lives so that we feel somehow exempt from having to suffer ill health or mistreatment by others.

But if we line up our typical notions of blessing with the description of the complete list of those referred to in Hebrews eleven we would find that it does not fit very well at all with the things that happened to the great cloud of witnesses who have lived in faith before us. It is very clear that we need a lot of radical adjustments to pretty much all the religious words and phrases that we throw around so blithely. We must look much more closely at the Word and receive the warnings implicit here that can save us from the shock of those described by Jesus in Matthew seven.

What is becoming very clear to me here is the two classes of people represented by Jesus and Esau. The first class are in close relationship to God, are subject to the Father of spirits and are learning the importance of making the internal and unseen more important than the externals or the physical things that can be scientifically proven. The rest of this chapter is a blatantly clear description of the stark contrast between living a life or religion based on externals verses living in the spirit, living from the heart and focusing our attention of that which cannot be seen, touched, heard or perceived with any of our usual physical senses. This is admonishing us to radically change our ideas of what constitutes real reality.

Because Esau chose to depend on the physical, external world more than pay attention to the condition of his spirit, he discovered too late that he had lost his ability to be qualified to receive the blessing. He certainly did not lack the desire for it as evidenced by the fact that he even cried tears of agony when deprived of it. He even obeyed everything his father asked him to do in order to prepare for the reception of the blessing. But he had failed to nurture the inner life of the spirit which is the only equipment that humans have by which to receive the real blessing that God has for us. This is the same problem experienced by those described by Jesus in Matthew seven. No amount of religious accomplishments or doctrinal purity will qualify us one whit to receive the reward and blessing of God if they do not flow from the inner heart of a person who's spirit is open and in relationship with the Father of spirits.

The fountain of the heart must be purified before the streams can become pure. He who is trying to reach heaven by his own works in keeping the law is attempting an impossibility. There is no safety for one who has merely a legal religion, a form of godliness. The Christian's life is not a modification or improvement of the old, but a transformation of nature. There is a death to self and sin, and a new life altogether. This change can be brought about only by the effectual working of the Holy Spirit. {DA 172}

Priests and scribes and rulers were fixed in a rut of ceremonies and traditions. Their hearts had become contracted, like the dried-up wine skins to which He had compared them. While they remained satisfied with a legal religion, it was impossible for them to become the depositaries of the living truth of heaven. They thought their own righteousness all-sufficient, and did not desire that a new element should be brought into their religion. The good will of God to men they did not accept as something apart from themselves. They connected it with their own merit because of their good works. The faith that works by love and purifies the soul could find no place for union with the religion of the Pharisees, made up of ceremonies and the injunctions of men. The effort to unite the teachings of Jesus with the established religion would be vain. The vital truth of God, like fermenting wine, would burst the old, decaying bottles of the Pharisaical tradition. {DA 278}

Rather than give up some cherished idea, or discard some idol of opinion, many refuse the truth which comes down from the Father of light. They trust in self, and depend upon their own wisdom, and do not realize their spiritual poverty. They insist on being saved in some way by which they may perform some important work. When they see that there is no way of weaving self into the work, they reject the salvation provided.

A legal religion can never lead souls to Christ; for it is a loveless, Christless religion. Fasting or prayer that is actuated by a self-justifying spirit is an abomination in the sight of God. The solemn assembly for worship, the round of religious ceremonies, the external humiliation, the imposing sacrifice, proclaim that the doer of these things regards himself as righteous, and as entitled to heaven; but it is all a deception. Our own works can never purchase salvation. {DA 280}

We need to break up the monotony of our religious labor. We are doing a work in the world, but we are not showing sufficient activity and zeal. If we were more in earnest, men would be convinced of the truth of our message. The tameness and monotony of our service for God repels many souls of a higher class, who need to see a deep, earnest, sanctified zeal. Legal religion will not answer for this age. We may perform all the outward acts of service and yet be as destitute of the quickening influence of the Holy Spirit as the hills of Gilboa were destitute of dew and rain. We all need spiritual moisture, and we need also the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness to soften and subdue our hearts. We are always to be as firm as a rock to principle. Bible principles are to be taught and then backed up by holy practice. {6T 417, 418}

A legal religion has been thought quite the correct religion for this time. But it is a mistake. The rebuke of Christ to the Pharisees is applicable to those who have lost from the heart their first love. A cold, legal religion can never lead souls to Christ; for it is a loveless, Christless religion. When fastings and prayers are practiced in a self-justifying spirit, they are abominable to God. The solemn assembly for worship, the round of religious ceremonies, the external humiliation, the imposed sacrifice-- all proclaim to the world the testimony that the doer of these things considers himself righteous. These things call attention to the observer of rigorous duties, saying, This man is entitled to heaven. But it is all a deception. Works will not buy for us an entrance into heaven. The one great Offering that has been made is ample for all who will believe. The love of Christ will animate the believer with new life. He who drinks from the water of the fountain of life, will be filled with the new wine of the kingdom. Faith in Christ will be the means whereby the right spirit and motive will actuate the believer, and all goodness and heavenly-mindedness will proceed from him who looks unto Jesus, the author and finisher of his faith. Look up to God, look not to men. God is your heavenly Father who is willing patiently to bear with your infirmities, and to forgive and heal them. "This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent" (John 17:3). By beholding Christ, you will become changed, until you will hate your former pride, your former vanity and self-esteem, your self-righteousness and unbelief. You will cast these sins aside as a worthless burden, and walk humbly, meekly, trustfully, before God. You will practice love, patience, gentleness, goodness, mercy, and every grace that dwells in the child of God, and will at last find a place among the sanctified and holy. {1SM 388}

A legal religion is insufficient to bring the soul into harmony with God. The hard, rigid orthodoxy of the Pharisees, destitute of contrition, tenderness, or love, was only a stumbling block to sinners. They were like the salt that had lost its savor; for their influence had no power to preserve the world from corruption. The only true faith is that which "works by love" (Galatians 5:6) to purify the soul. It is as leaven that transforms the character. {MB 53}

...Those who take comfort in their legal religion, in their form of godliness that is devoid of the power, feel that they have been personally rebuked and injured by the repentance of those who have aroused and returned unto the Lord. Instead of humbling their hearts and confessing their backsliding, they resist and oppose the message the Lord has sent. They oppose their finite wisdom against the wisdom of the Infinite. They allow their prejudices and passions to hold sway; they work on Satan's side of the question. Thus the advocates of truth are brought into an unexpected conflict, and they are forced to bear witness to the truth, and to resist the hostility and hatred of those who would make the truth of God of none effect. Thus dissension comes in like a sword to divide believers and unbelievers. {BEcho, March 26, 1894}

There will be among us those who will so blind their eyes that they will fail to perceive the most wonderful and important truths for this time. Truths which are essential to the safety and salvation of men will be set aside, while ideas that are in comparison to the truth as the merest atoms, will be dwelt upon, and magnified by the power of Satan, so that they will appear of the utmost importance. The moral sight of those who forsake truth has become dim; and yet they do not feel their need of the heavenly anointing, that they may discern spiritual things. They think themselves too wise to err. But those who have not a daily experience in the things of God will not move wisely. They may have a legal religion, a form of godliness, there may be an appearance of light in the church; all the machinery – much of it human invention – may appear to be working well, and yet the church may be as destitute of the grace of God as were the hills of Gilboa of dew and rain. {RH, January 31, 1893}

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