August 3, 2020
For the next 13 days we will be spending time together walking through the book of Hebrews! Hebrews is written to Jewish Christians who were undergoing persecution for their faith and considering running back to Judaism. The author of Hebrews takes an in-depth look at the practices and regulations of the Old Testament as articulated in the Torah and argues for how Jesus is both superior to each of them and supreme over all of them! The author also warns his audience of the grave danger facing them should they choose to now reject Jesus and return to their former way of life. These warnings can and should make us feel uncomfortable as we read through the book together; allow the Spirit to do what He wants to do in your heart through them! Overall, the message of Hebrews is that Jesus, the Son of God as well as our Savior and Messiah, is infinitely superior to anything or anyone else we could give our lives to, and He is worthy of all our devotion and worship. Jesus is greater!
In this chapter the author begins further explaining Jesus’ role as high priest which he began at the tail end of chapter 4. He reminds his audience of the role of high priest as making atonement for the sins of the people and representing them before God, as well as the fact that high priests are chosen and appointed by God Himself. Jesus meets all of these criteria and more, since He, as the perfect and sinless high priest, does not have to offer sacrifice to atone for His own sins!
The author then goes on to tell of how Jesus was “made perfect” by what He experienced and the suffering He endured during His earthly life and ministry. The author does not mean that Jesus was sinful or somehow less than perfect in the first place, but that as He endured in perfect obedience to the Father through all of His suffering, He matured and was made perfect and complete as a human being. Because of this, His perfect righteousness is “the source of eternal salvation to all who obey Him” (v.9), and through His perfect obedience we also are being made perfect, just as He was!
This chapter ends with the beginning of a scathing rebuke and warning towards the author’s audience. The author accuses his audience of needing the basics of the gospel and the Christian faith laid out for them again, though they have been following Jesus long enough that they ought to be able to instruct others in the Way by now! He calls them spiritual infants, who need to be fed on the spiritual “milk” which babies eat rather than the spiritual “solid food” with which the mature in Christ are fed.
How many of us have been content for years, decades even, with feeding on the spiritual “milk”, remaining infants in Christ, helpless and needing constant feeding from those who are mature rather than becoming mature ourselves? How many of us are content with remaining helpless consumers instead of growing into the kind of believers that invest spiritually in others?
God’s will for each of us who are in Christ is for our growth into spiritual maturity. Let us each wake from our stupor and grow into the maturity to which Christ has called us!
Hebrews 5
5 For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness. 3 Because of this he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins just as he does for those of the people. 4 And no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was.
5 So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him,
“You are my Son,
today I have begotten you”;
6 as he says also in another place,
“You are a priest forever,
after the order of Melchizedek.”
7 In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. 8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. 9 And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, 10 being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.
Warning Against Apostasy
11 About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, 13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. 14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Family Discussion Question:
- Are you content with remaining and spiritual “infant”? What steps can you take to begin moving from spiritual infancy to maturity in Christ?
Father, good morning. Thank you for another day. The world needs you so much, and so do I. Search my heart and may you find me faithful in all I do. Now, let’s get to work and find one more to lead to your Son. Amen
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You for loving me and giving me another day to experience Your gift of life. Help me to use it wisely and be a positive influence in someone’s life. I know I have matured in my walk with You but I know I can grow deeper in my faith. I will keep reading Your Word and keep applyong it to my life. Draw me nearer, precious LORD, I pray. Amen.
Me too Lord! Amen! Thank you for allowing us to grow from an infant to a mature follower of you. Thank you for having patience as I stumble and discern good from evil. Praise God for the Holy Spirit empowering me in this daily walk with thee!
AMEN and HALLELUJAh!!! Good afternoon Lord! Please help me to strive in my walk with you. I want to be a mature Christian not a child. I need to learn more and more about you to become more like you. I need to be closer to you as I grow and mature. I ask of this in Jesus Christ name Amen
Let’s set the pace moving from the milk of the Word to the meat of the Word & invite others into the journey of walking with God.
Father, God, today, the children and I lay our precious Popz’ physical body away. Praise You, God in heaven, I, Anndra and Ernie and Ernest’s grands and great grands and all his myriad friends know in our hearts that his soul is with you forevermore and he will spend eternity in heaven with you. His body aches in every joint no more. He doesn’t struggle any more to breathe. He doesn’t have to “deal” with his inability to accomplish “being useful in his eyes” anymore. He was such a competitor and an achiever. It broke his heart after he retired after back surgery that he couldn’t help me more with our everyday lives. He has been given eternal breath forevermore with You. We commit his physical body today, ashes to ashes, dust to dust, but we know he is with you for eternity. I ask you to give me and the children strength to march through this day, as he would want us to do for him, and to help us accept his absence from our lives and his life in heaven as these days do tick by one by one. Help me know what to do to pick up the pieces and to continue my march toward eternity. Let me do it with respect for our 57 years together and remember the blessed life we shared. We love you, Hon. I am so grateful you put up with me all these years. Until we meet again, Yours forever, Pat
Lord Jesus , I thank you for Your Grace, Mercy and Peace. I also thank you for helping Pat and her family through this time of grief, the hopr they have in You through your word. Thank you for walking with them through today and giving them strength in their weak moments. In Your name I pray. Amen.1
Dear Lord, Comfort my sister Pat as she mourns. Thank you for her testimony of her love and devotion to Ernest. My God thank you for their example among our body of believers. Thank you for their faithfulness as they together labored for you. Dry her tears and surround her with love and comfort. Empower her future with your guidance as the great Shepard. Thank you for her and Ernest love and commitment to each other. May you receive the Glory.
That’s a beautiful testimony, Pat. We grieve with you, and May the Father hold you in the palm of His hands.
Milk to meat!
This is a daily reminder that we need to feed on the word Of God more than our physical food. My son and I were just talking a few minutes ago about God’s mercy and love for us each moment of the day. It is so easy to revert back to the everyday grind instead of looking at the prize before us.
Thank you, God, for today and knowing that you are walking with us through it.
Good morning my Heavenly Father. Thank you for the infancy of my life. As I continue to grow stronger in Faith continue to give me wisdom to guide others as I meet Towards You, Heavenly Father. Keep Leading and Guiding me. Thank you Lord Jesus for another day to be a Sunbeam for YOU!
Amen and Amen
Lord, give me solid food, not milk.
Daily seek Him through prayer and His Word and He matures me. My job is to love Him and obey. He does the rest.
Faith without works is dead. My work is to obey Him. Do what He tells me through His Word and prayer.
He matures me. The testing of faith produces steadfastness. James 1:3 (More about this James 1:2-8), 1 Corinthians 10:13, Romans 5:3, 1 Peter 4:12, 1 Peter 5:10, Roman’s 12:12 & 8:28…
Thank you father for Jesus. Thank you for your patience with me and I pray your Spirit will help me pursue your presence today, to learn, grow, do your will and lead others to do the same.
JESUS, grow up an army of teachers from former “consumers” as together we build your Kingdom. Amen.
Thankyou God we are heard when we pray because of Jesus Christ’s submission to you. Christ learned obedience through His suffering. We must be willing to die to ourselves to obey Christ.
Thank you Lord for everything you do for me. Thank you for being patience with me and I pray that your spirit will help learn and learn more about you. It was hard back then Lord but you helped me
Thank you in Jesus name amen.
Continuing to march in the army of the Lord!