I Am Sorry

Last Sunday I talked about how Esau sought repentence for selling his birthright but did not get it. The verses were Hebrews 12:16-17, "Make sure that no one is immoral or godless like Esau, who traded his birthright as the firstborn son for a single meal. You know that afterward, when he wanted his father’s blessing, he was rejected. It was too late for repentance, even though he begged with bitter tears."

The question is did Esau ever find grace. Well, grace is all throughout the Old Testament. And I think that Esau did find ultimate forgiveness. When Jacob comes back home, Esau greets him not as an adversary but as a brother. I think forgiveness was found.

So what is Hebrews 12 talking about?

Esau wanted a do-over for selling his birthright. Grace is not about un-doing the past, it is about moving ahead into the future. When we seek forgiveness, we do need to deal with issues that caused us to sin. We also need to make amends to those that we have hurt in the process.

I think as Esau grew older, maturing not only physically but also spiritually, he began to realize who God is and found peace with God. That's the only way he could greet Jacob as a brother.

What does that mean for all of us?

As we seek to find forgiveness in our own lives, we have to look deep within. There has to be a breaking of the pride that led us away from God. The seeking of true forgiveness is more than just seeking forgiveness for an act. It is seeking forgiveness and healing from a heart that is broken, desiring to be it's own god.