In Hebrews 12, the author argues from the account of Jacob and Esau to warn against apostasy. He suggests that if one sells their inheritance as Esau did, then there is no way to get it back, because it will belong to the one to whom it was sold and there is no replacement:
Heb 12:14-17 NKJV - Pursue peace with all [people], and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; lest there [be] any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears.
Gen 27:34-40 NKJV - When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with an exceedingly great and bitter cry, and said to his father, "Bless me--me also, O my father!" But he said, "Your brother came with deceit and has taken away your blessing." And [Esau] said, "Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has supplanted me these two times. He took away my birthright, and now look, he has taken away my blessing!" And he said, "Have you not reserved a blessing for me?" Then Isaac answered and said to Esau, "Indeed I have made him your master, and all his brethren I have given to him as servants; with grain and wine I have sustained him. What shall I do now for you, my son?" And Esau said to his father, "Have you only one blessing, my father? Bless me--me also, O my father!" And Esau lifted up his voice and wept. Then Isaac his father answered and said to him: "Behold, your dwelling shall be of the fatness of the earth, And of the dew of heaven from above. By your sword you shall live, And you shall serve your brother; And it shall come to pass, when you become restless, That you shall break his yoke from your neck."
Luke 15 contains 3 related stories. I want to focus on the wayward son story which, like the Hebrews passage, seems related to the Esau story in Genesis 27.
Is Luke's use of the Esau story making the point that the inheritance was squandered but the family/covenant relationship and "salvation" were restored?:
Luk 15:20-24, 31-32 NKJV - "And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. "And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.' "But the father said to his servants, 'Bring out the best robe and put [it] on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on [his] feet. 'And bring the fatted calf here and kill [it], and let us eat and be merry; 'for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' And they began to be merry. ... "And he said to him [IE: To the older son], 'Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. 'It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.' "
Is Luke saying, in effect, that by going astray the younger son spent his inheritance, which was irretrievable, but he was still welcomed back into the family? Or something less, or more, hopeful?
