Tears or No Tears

Hebrews 12:17 (KJV) “For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.”

The Message Bible says it this way: “Watch out for the Esau syndrome: trading away God’s lifelong gift in order to satisfy a short-term appetite. You well know how Esau later regretted that impulsive act and wanted God’s blessing—but by then it was too late, tears or no tears.” Tears or no tears; not to make light of it, but he was real upset. When Esau came to realize what he had given away because he was hungry, he really, really wanted it back. But it was too late—the blessing of the firstborn was already given to Jacob.

It almost reminds me of the story of the young prophet and the old prophet. The young prophet was told something explicitly by the Lord, and the old prophet lied and told the young prophet, “The Lord told me it would be okay if you do what I say.” Then the old prophet was used of the Lord to tell the young prophet, “You are going to die.” The young prophet was eaten by a lion on the way home. When I first read that so many years ago, I thought, That is unfair, God. You should punish the old prophet, not the young one.

The young one made a decision to disobey God, and it cost him. I have come to understand that no matter what anyone says or does, you and I have the ability to reject whatever anyone says and follow God. Esau sold his birthright to a crafty Jacob, and it cost Esau something that was legally his. Jacob didn’t cause it, God didn’t cause it—Esau caused it by a bad decision, and even a boatload of tears is not going to change it.

Let’s not have to be sad or mad—let’s make good, godly decisions every day, all day long.