Hebrews 12:16-17...Is it ever too late to repent?

[Origen]

Case in point is Jacob’s brother.

“Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears.” (Heb 12:16-17)

The koiné Greek word for “repentance” is metanoia (met-an’-oy-ah) which essentially means to change one’s mind; viz: to reconsider.

Esau was an okay guy, but he was secular to the bone. He “got religion” right quick when he saw his way of life costing him the blessing; but alas, the poor slob was a day late and a dollar short; so to speak.

Lesson to be learned: The time for people to believe in hell is not when they get there, but before they get there.

“This text has reference to Esau (verse 16) selling the right to his birthright; and afterward, altho he wept sore, he could not get it restored. This is one of the texts that have been used by the enemy to torment oversensitive Christians, and to lead them to believe that they have committed the unpardonable sin, and for them there is nothing left but an unending hell. Every pastor of experience has met a number of such cases. This text, or some other text, has become the ground of their despair. Melancholia, or even a permanent insanity, has often resulted…” tentmaker.org/books/is_hell_ … _sins.html

Heb.12:16 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. 17 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.

If fornicators can find “no place of repentance”, then why do we read this re a fornicator:

1 Cor.5:4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, 5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

Is there a contradiction?

"Is there a Bible contradiction in Hebrews 12:17? - Defending Inerrancy

"HEBREWS 12:17—WHY COULDN’T ESAU REPENT IF HE SOUGHT IT WITH TEARS?

"PROBLEM: The Bible informs us here that Esau “was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears.” But why wouldn’t God accept his sincere repentance, when He commands all men everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30) and is patiently waiting for people to repent (2 Peter 3:9).

"SOLUTION: There are two important things to observe about this pasage. First, the statement “no place for repentance” may refer to his father’s inability to change his mind about giving the inheritance to Jacob, and not to Esau’s change of mind. At any rate, the circumstances did not afford Esau the opportunity to reverse the situation and get the blessing.

"Second, tears are not a sure sign that a person has genuinely repented. One can also have tears of regret and remorse that fall short of true repentance or change of mind (cf. Judas, Matt. 27:3).

“Finally, this text is not talking about spiritual blessing (salvation), but earthly blessing (inheritance). God always honors the sincere repentance of sinners and grants them salvation (Acts 10:35; Heb. 11:6).”

defendinginerrancy.com/bible-sol … _12.17.php

What is it that Esau sought with tears?

"…The question is, What did Esau seek with tears? What is the “it” of Hebrews 12:17 (“he sought for it with tears”)? Many people assume it is repentance. The word order in English leaves the other possibilities obscure. At face value in many translations, it does seem like it is repentance toward God that Esau is seeking.

"…However, there is another, and I believe, more faithful way to understand this passage. The pronoun “it” has not one but two possible antecedents. When structured like the translations I cited, the common way to read this in English is to look for the closest possibility as the referent to what Esau sought. And the closest referent to “it” is indeed “repentance.” However, the Greek language follows a different set of rules. Word order is secondary to inflection. The word “it” is a feminine pronoun, which means that the noun it modifies will be feminine too.

"In this verse there are two feminine nouns: “repentance” and “blessing.” Therefore, there are two viable options here for what Esau sought with tears. It was either repentance or the blessing. Neither is necessarily preferred based on grammar and syntax, so we must look to the context of the story the author of Hebrews references. So let’s look at the story of Esau.

"The Loss of Esau’s Blessing

"When we turn back to the narrative in Genesis 27, we see Esau being tricked out of his blessing by Jacob and his mother. After Esau found out he had been tricked and that Isaac had blessed Jacob, he broke down. Notice how the story goes:

" “And he said, “Your brother came deceitfully and has taken away your blessing.” Then he said, “Is he not rightly named Jacob, for he has supplanted me these two times? He took away my birthright, and behold, now he has taken away my blessing.” And he said, “Have you not reserved a blessing for me?” But Isaac replied to Esau, “Behold, I have made him your master, and all his relatives I have given to him as servants; and with grain and new wine I have sustained him. Now as for you then, what can I do, my son?” Esau said to his father, “Do you have only one blessing, my father? Bless me, even me also, O my father.” So Esau lifted his voice and wept. (Genesis 27:35-38…”

“Esau did indeed weep and repent. But what did he weep over? It was the loss of his blessing. The context in Genesis is clear. I think we must see the passage in Hebrews through the context of the original storyline. The author of Hebrews is saying that Esau sought his blessing, not repentance, with tears.”

thegospelcoalition.org/arti … -to-repent

Rather than having sought repentance for his sins, contrary to the common interpretation of Hebrews 12:16-17, Esau immediately made plans to murder his brother. But the story has a happy ending. Jacob goes into hiding, some 20 years later Esau & Jacob meet again, Esau does not murder Jacob, & the two are reconciled with each other (Genesis 32 & 33).

[Paidion]

Yep. I think Esau sought repentance (change of mind) in his father. With tears he tried to get his father to change his mind and give him the blessing.

Genesis 27 (ESV)
30 As soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, when Jacob had scarcely gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, Esau his brother came in from his hunting.
31 He also prepared delicious food and brought it to his father. And he said to his father, “Let my father arise and eat of his son’s game, that you may bless me.”
32 His father Isaac said to him, “Who are you?” He answered, “I am your son, your firstborn, Esau.”
33 Then Isaac trembled very violently and said, “Who was it then that hunted game and brought it to me, and I ate it all before you came, and I have blessed him? Yes, and he shall be blessed.”
34 As soon as Esau heard the words of his father, he cried out with an exceedingly great and bitter cry and said to his father, “Bless me, even me also, O my father!”
35 But he said, “Your brother came deceitfully, and he has taken away your blessing.”
36 Esau said, “Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has cheated me these two times. He took away my birthright, and behold, now he has taken away my blessing.” Then he said, “Have you not reserved a blessing for me?”
37 Isaac answered and said to Esau, “Behold, I have made him lord over you, and all his brothers I have given to him for servants, and with grain and wine I have sustained him. What then can I do for you, my son?”
38 Esau said to his father, “Have you but one blessing, my father? Bless me, even me also, O my father.” And Esau lifted up his voice and wept.