What a great discussion! I think what Esau was seeking was a place of repentance in his heart, but it wasn't there. In other words he remained wholly convinced of his position and asserted himself pridefully over the will of God. I find a contemporary church warning here, that hardness of heart comes when we think we have every right to take certain positions of faith or action, and have become hardened to the voice of God which would tell us otherwise.
The tears part is like when a naughty child has tried everything else to get his own way...and now it thinks it might manipulate with tears as a last resort.
There are tears, and then there are tears! There are tears that spring from sincere repentance before God, but also there are tears that regret only the loss of privilege or blessing as an outcome of their selfish action, while not regretting the selfish action itself: in a sense, blaming God for HIS hard heartedness.
In Matthew 25 there is a picture of such an unfaithful servant, the recipient of one talent as follows: Vs 24
Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:
Later the scary verse that clangs a bell of doom to the prideful heart which refuses to know the nature of our God:vs[SUP]29[/SUP]
For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.
So the removal of blessing and privilege is just, if we have refused to allow the Lord to show us where we err.
Better to remember Paul's words in Php 3:3 For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
There were those who asserted their faithfulness because of their own works, while true believers, those born of God, know that they have nothing to boast about in the flesh, and therefore worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in that flesh of their first birth that was and is still so full of sin.
The tears of the woman that washed the feet of Jesus (Luke 7) are the righteous tears of knowing her own sinfulness before the One in Whom there is no sin, and Who came to save her. Personal sin has always been a bitter pill to swallow for the self-righteous, but recognition of our own sinfulness is the one requirement and qualification in order to be suitable for salvation. There can be no true repentance without recognition of our own sinfulness, clearly, and that position needs to remain in place through our walk.
Jesus was criticized for hanging out with the despised people, up to their necks in sins of all kinds. The scribes and pharisees murmured against the company of disciples with Him: "Why do you eat and drink with publicans and sinners?" Jesus replied as follows:
[SUP]Luke 5:31[/SUP]
And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.[SUP]32[/SUP]
I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
There is the nature of God and the Gospel of love for all men.
So to conclude, this is the question: are we righteous and whole outside of the power of God? Do we have no need for cleansing and healing, forgiveness and restoration?
If so, then that demonstrates the eternal danger of Esau's position.
Love to all!
