TWO DANGERS. Hebrews 12:16-17 Because the special sin is mentioned first, the whole assembly must be warned against it before it occurs. Fornication is the illegal intrusion into another person’s body. Bitterness arises in some whose sin is exposed and judged according to Scripture. That attitude suggests those involved are unlikely to be Christians. True believers who fall into that sin are repentant, humbled, and show remorse for what has happened because of the dishonor it brings to the name and person of our Lord Jesus Christ, who paid the price of redemption our sins demanded.
It is important that God’s children maintain a high moral standard befitting their status as children of God. That standard neither condones nor compromises with sin. Purity of life includes how we speak and the self-control we exercise over the flesh, the world, and the devil. That temperance and control are fundamental to our witness to the saving work of Christ and His Gospel. “Flee youthful lusts;” “abstain from fleshly lusts.”
The warnings continue. The first was, “Lest there be any man (among the believers).” The second, “Lest there be any root of bitterness.” The third, “Lest there be any fornicator.” The last warning is, “Lest there be any profane person.” Esau wasn’t considered evil in the sense of open wickedness in society, but he had a deeper problem: he had no interest in God at all. He was a “godless” man who treated God with contempt, disinterest, and a lack of consideration. So, he ignored God.
God doesn’t forget the profane despising of Him and His promises. As far as Esau was concerned, he cared more about the animals he hunted than about God, who held his breath in His hand. The birthright of the firstborn meant less to him than a bowl of soup. God’s divine pattern for family life meant nothing to him. He was a class-A narcissist. His joke was, “Feed that red pottage to this red man!” He had no interest in the divine covenant God had with his family.
When he was older, he wanted what he had spurned. He had changed his mind because he wanted what his father had, not because he had changed his mind about God. He found that he could not change his father Isaac's mind when he wanted the very blessings he had previously despised.
Then there are those with a form of godliness but without power, for whom we need to care. They associate with the people of God but are not children of God. They are not saved. Some may appear to be or even want us to believe they are. Esau, a son of believing parents, despised his privileges. He didn’t value God’s things. (Contrast with Moses – what he gave up.) The human mind tends to become fixed in the direction it is most inclined. The only thing that can change this is the power of God. Esau is among the apostates, like Korah and Balaam, who illustrate what apostasy really is in human life. [1] failure to obtain grace [2], root of bitterness [3], immorality [4], and no appreciation for what God gives. Unbelievers act on what they want at this moment. Believers in Christ need to consider the long-term effects of their decisions and actions before they act.
The readers of the epistle to the Hebrews could either follow Christ, take up the cross of rejection, and dwell with the people of God, or go with the flow of the world system and accept rejection, ostracism, and emotional and physical suffering, which means being deprived of what others accept as normal. For some believers, it will mean being rejected by family, friends, and society because of our gratitude and devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us. We have to make choices similar to those of the early Hebrew believers.