Beware of Dullness of Hearing
Hebrews 5:10-14
The Context of the Warning:
1. Hebrews (nor any other book in the Bible for that matter) is not about fixing our stuff here so we can live comfortably in this fallen world. It is about holding fast our confession firm unto the end and God's Gracious means to that end. 2:2, 3:6, 12-14, 4:1, 14, 10:23
2. That Gracious Means is the ministry of our Great High Priest, Christ Jesus Whose qualifications the author has carefully laid out for us. He is fully God (chap. 1), He is fully man (chap 2), He has entered into our need and distress, and made full propitiation for our sins.(2:14-18, 4:14-16) His goal is to bring us into the complete Rest of God's sufficiency by the mediation of His Righteousness and Satisfaction, using His written Word by the Holy Spirit as His continual "change agent". (4:9-13)
The Problem:
1. The author's hearers were dull of hearing—this is not the same as "hard of hearing." He wants to expand further their understanding of their Great High Priest, for their greater assurance of holding fast their confession, but they do not have ears to hear it. Jer 5:19-24, Ez 12:2, Zech 7:9-12. Our Lord's "Who has ears to hear, let him hear". Mt 11:15, 13:9, 15, Acts 28:23-28—the seal of Jewish unbelief. Dull hearing is a symptom of a hardening heart, or at least a divided heart!
2. Dull hearing has nothing to do with lack of intelligence or limited information. "In the things of God, a tender conscience and a surrendered will are more that the highest intellect." (Andrew Murray) Matt 11:25-26
The disturbing implication of 5:6-12:
1. Everything the author has said to this point is milk!!! Where does that leave us? Do we think we have been dealing in "high doctrine"? The author says it is milk, the first principles of the oracles of God! To quote Andrew Murray again, "Spiritual truth can only be received by the spiritual mind, by a heart that sacrifices this world for the knowledge and enjoyment of the Unseen One. They (the Hebrews) were content with their knowledge of the crucified Christ; but the Heavenly Christ, and His power to draw them up out of the world, and to give heaven into their hearts, had but little attraction." To limit our understanding of our Saviors' atonement to His work on the cross, as absolutely essential, glorious, and complete as it is, without an equal "considering of His High Priestly ministry of intercessory salvation (Heb 3:1, 7:24-25) is to live our lives in immaturity.
The key phrase of spiritual maturity: "The Word of Righteousness". Vs 13
1. Isa 46:12-13 "Listen to Me you stubborn hearted (dull of hearing), Who are far from righteousness: I bring My Righteousness near, My salvation shall not be far off: My salvation shall not linger. I will place salvation in Zion, for Israel My Glory."
2 Rom 1:16-17 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation to everyone who believes…for in it the Righteousness of God (apart from the law) is revealed from faith to faith (from milk to meat): as it is written, The Just shall live by faith".
Simply put:
1. As chapter 6 will reveal, the Hebrews were dabbling in legalism, the attempts to please God with the former religious duties, or a remaining in the foundational truths of the gospel. It's like gaining entrance to a glorious mansion, but spending your life in the hallway!
2 The growing dependence upon the Word of Righteousness leads us to constantly pray Heb 4:14-16, to growingly live in the truth that our Jesus is the only Righteousness, the only Man that the Father is or ever will be pleased with. And Praise God, I have been chosen IN Him, I have been accepted by the Holy God IN the Beloved, I have been gathered together IN Christ, I have been created IN Christ, and I am Complete IN Him. (Ephesians and Colossians)
Spiritual maturity is basking in Who Christ is, not trying to change who I was or am or wish I was. Feast on the meat, the Body and Blood of Jesus, ever before the Father declaring you the Righteousness of God in Him. Be at rest, God is! John 6:53-58, Hebrews 4:9-10
Hebrews 5:10-14
The Context of the Warning:
1. Hebrews (nor any other book in the Bible for that matter) is not about fixing our stuff here so we can live comfortably in this fallen world. It is about holding fast our confession firm unto the end and God's Gracious means to that end. 2:2, 3:6, 12-14, 4:1, 14, 10:23
2. That Gracious Means is the ministry of our Great High Priest, Christ Jesus Whose qualifications the author has carefully laid out for us. He is fully God (chap. 1), He is fully man (chap 2), He has entered into our need and distress, and made full propitiation for our sins.(2:14-18, 4:14-16) His goal is to bring us into the complete Rest of God's sufficiency by the mediation of His Righteousness and Satisfaction, using His written Word by the Holy Spirit as His continual "change agent". (4:9-13)
The Problem:
1. The author's hearers were dull of hearing—this is not the same as "hard of hearing." He wants to expand further their understanding of their Great High Priest, for their greater assurance of holding fast their confession, but they do not have ears to hear it. Jer 5:19-24, Ez 12:2, Zech 7:9-12. Our Lord's "Who has ears to hear, let him hear". Mt 11:15, 13:9, 15, Acts 28:23-28—the seal of Jewish unbelief. Dull hearing is a symptom of a hardening heart, or at least a divided heart!
2. Dull hearing has nothing to do with lack of intelligence or limited information. "In the things of God, a tender conscience and a surrendered will are more that the highest intellect." (Andrew Murray) Matt 11:25-26
The disturbing implication of 5:6-12:
1. Everything the author has said to this point is milk!!! Where does that leave us? Do we think we have been dealing in "high doctrine"? The author says it is milk, the first principles of the oracles of God! To quote Andrew Murray again, "Spiritual truth can only be received by the spiritual mind, by a heart that sacrifices this world for the knowledge and enjoyment of the Unseen One. They (the Hebrews) were content with their knowledge of the crucified Christ; but the Heavenly Christ, and His power to draw them up out of the world, and to give heaven into their hearts, had but little attraction." To limit our understanding of our Saviors' atonement to His work on the cross, as absolutely essential, glorious, and complete as it is, without an equal "considering of His High Priestly ministry of intercessory salvation (Heb 3:1, 7:24-25) is to live our lives in immaturity.
The key phrase of spiritual maturity: "The Word of Righteousness". Vs 13
1. Isa 46:12-13 "Listen to Me you stubborn hearted (dull of hearing), Who are far from righteousness: I bring My Righteousness near, My salvation shall not be far off: My salvation shall not linger. I will place salvation in Zion, for Israel My Glory."
2 Rom 1:16-17 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation to everyone who believes…for in it the Righteousness of God (apart from the law) is revealed from faith to faith (from milk to meat): as it is written, The Just shall live by faith".
Simply put:
1. As chapter 6 will reveal, the Hebrews were dabbling in legalism, the attempts to please God with the former religious duties, or a remaining in the foundational truths of the gospel. It's like gaining entrance to a glorious mansion, but spending your life in the hallway!
2 The growing dependence upon the Word of Righteousness leads us to constantly pray Heb 4:14-16, to growingly live in the truth that our Jesus is the only Righteousness, the only Man that the Father is or ever will be pleased with. And Praise God, I have been chosen IN Him, I have been accepted by the Holy God IN the Beloved, I have been gathered together IN Christ, I have been created IN Christ, and I am Complete IN Him. (Ephesians and Colossians)
Spiritual maturity is basking in Who Christ is, not trying to change who I was or am or wish I was. Feast on the meat, the Body and Blood of Jesus, ever before the Father declaring you the Righteousness of God in Him. Be at rest, God is! John 6:53-58, Hebrews 4:9-10