Hebrews 12:12-13
"Wherefore (because of what we should learn from this experience) lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed."
In other words, bring all of these things into the right perspective. Worship God, give thanks throughout the training period. This training period starts with redemption which is designed by God to bring us again to repentance and total dependency on the ontological essence of Christ restored within us. This can only happen through the operation of the cross where the ontological essence of Satan within our soul/spirit is put to death and the ontological essence of Christ's Spirit is infused ie..restored to us. By His resurrection or re-birthing, ie....being born again from above. It is then that God through Christ's Spirit brings about the development of His character within our being to the praise and glory of His working in agreement with His promised New Covenant. The mystery of Christ spoken of in Revelation chapter 10 verse 7. For with God all things are possible as it is He who alone can cleans the inside of the cup. Religion only effects the outward God does the inward. When God does the inward we are healed, made Holy ie...sanctified and set apart for His indwelling. We become His temple as in the beginning (1 Thessalonians 5:23, John 12:24, Luke 1:37, 1 Corinthians 1:8-9, 15:3-4, 2 Thessalonians 3:3, 1 Thessalonians 3:13, Isaiah 53:5 and 1 Peter 2:24). Now verse 14, and admonition in our everyday experience.
Hebrews 12:14-15
"Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;"
Guess that I must say this that all religious practices try to bring men to peace but its a false peace of Satan's doing. Because the church as a whole through self regulation and imposed morality can NOT produce true peace but rather dysfunctionality both within and without. Now, I’m going to come down quickly to the next verse because here to me, the meat of this chapter.
Hebrews 12:16a
"Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau,…"
Now you’ve got to reflect back. Go all the way back to Genesis again. What was Esau’s problem - if you'll remember back in Genesis? He was destitute of trust, he was earthy, carnal to the max. Esau never saw any good in anything that God said. He may have been a nice guy (you know I’ve said that over and over. Esau was probably a really nicer young man than his brother Jacob), but he had no faith. He lived for the moment. Sound like any one you know?
What God said meant nothing to Esau. Now if you have a man destitute of trust, what is he - not always - but what is he most apt to be morally? The pits. Because faith is what maintains biblical morality, and without it there’s no constraint. That’s what the problem is with the world today. They no longer believe this Book. It’s no longer relevant. Even though many have made this Book a god onto itself, they idolize it. They'll not write within its pages for example. Not realizing just what they've done by so doing. So, consequently, their morality is accordingly a works of the flesh. All right, that was Esau. Esau had no biblical morality, and the reason he didn’t have any morality was because he had no abiding trust. All right, and so this is the example:
Hebrews 12:16
"Les there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat (food) sold his birthright."
Well, why did he give up the tremendous future opportunity of the birthright for a bowl of beans? Because he had no trust or confidence in God. That birthright didn’t mean a thing to Esau because he realized it was a spiritual thing. And spiritual things mean nothing to people who have no trust or knowledge of Him. So Esau is the perfect example through Scripture of a man destitute of trust - and, consequently, becomes immoral and he counts for nothing spiritually. That was Esau. He gave up the birthright for a bowl of red beans because he saw no value in it. But Jacob, with what little trust he had, knew that there was something to be gained spiritually, not materially, but spiritually. And Esau said, "Who cares?" But remember that he became a great nation known as the Hebrews or Israel (and like we've said Isra-el means the house God rules or occupies, which since the resurrection are those who are true Christ-ones) and like Ishmael he also became a great nation but not known as a Hebrew. Both (Esau and Ishmael) fought the sons of Jacob many times and lost each of them. Now verse 17.
Hebrews 12:17a
"For ye know how that afterward, (after he had given up the birthright for a bowl of beans, then sometime later you remember,) when he (could have or) would have inherited the blessing, (which was the material part of the estate,) he was rejected:…"
Now of course, you’ve got to go all the way back and pick up the story. It was literally preordained by a Sovereign God that this should fall into place - but we have to remember how Jacob sort of befuddled Isaac, and got there before Esau and got the blessing. Now here comes Esau. The spiritual aspect meant nothing to him, but the material? Hey, that meant everything. Look what he did:
Hebrews 12:17b
"…when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears."
He cried his eyes out as a man. Why? Because he lost the material part of the estate that was going to be his. Now you have to read this verse carefully when it says that he was rejected "for he found no place of repentance." It wasn’t that Esau was looking for repentance for himself. To Whom was he expecting to repent or change his mind? His father (Isaac)! See he was trying to get Isaac to change his mind and Isaac wouldn’t. So this is what the Scripture is showing us. Esau isn’t trying to repent himself. Esau is only trying to convince Isaac to change his mind and take it back from Jacob and give it to Esau - but it was all for nothing. Even though he sought it carefully with tears, well, what’s the lesson? Don’t be caught in unbelief. Unbelief is devastating. Unbelief causes people to lose the peace with God, the rest or tranquility, the joy of this life - but far more important, eternity. In fact, come back with me to Romans chapter 5 verse 1. And see, this is what we have to learn from examples like Esau. He was destitute of trust - spiritual things didn’t mean a thing to him. Oh, he was a tremendous deer hunter. It didn’t take him long to go out and come home with the venison. But, spiritually he had nothing, he just couldn’t care for anything spiritual. But for us who believe, look at the difference - Romans 5 verse 1 - my, what a promise.
Romans 5:1-2
"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom (God in Christ) also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God."
No comments:
Post a Comment