Daily Meditations

Hebrews 6:15 Abraham and the promise Many commentators suggest that this verse applies to the early promise God made to Abraham when He urged him to leave the Chaldean city of Ur and head for Canaan. At that time God told him,  “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”  Abraham certainly had to be patient to earn those promises for he had to wait for 25 years to have the son that would fulfil them. Having said all that, God did not accompany those promises with an oath so it’s not likely that these are what are being referred to here, in verse 15. It seems more likely that Abraham’s name is being used as a metaphor for Israel, As their father, Abraham, must wait patiently to produce a son, so his descendants must wait patiently to see their family grow, their progeny develop into...

Hebrews 6:13-14 The promise to Abraham What was the promise that God made to Abraham? There were several, but the promise in view here was made after Abraham voluntarily took His son, Isaac, to the altar of sacrifice and was prepared to offer him to the Lord. This was an outstanding moment of human loyalty and obedience but also of faith and absolute humility before the Lord God. Thus the angel of the Lord spoke to Abraham with the words of Yahweh,  “ I swear by myself,   declares the   Lord , that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son,   I will surely bless you   and make your descendants   as numerous as the stars in the sky   and as the sand on the seashore.   Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring   all nations on earth will be blessed,   because you have obeyed me.”  Genesis 22:16-18. The use of an oath when making promises in human sit...

Hebrews 6:12 Faith and patience Oh, a little bit of a scolding here! The modern world is all about our rights, about “me”, about making time for leisure, rest and play. Please don’t get me wrong, God insists that we rest and take time out with Him, but there’s nothing in the Scripture that suggests we need time for ourselves, or for a cosy retirement, or that we should put off for today what can be done tomorrow. The life of the true follower of Jesus Christ is one of activity, busyness and endeavour, there is a vast harvest field to be reaped, a large church to be constructed and the toil is relentless. Yes, we are all different and some take longer than others to perform their tasks and others need time to listen as well as to act, but whatever camp we fall in, laziness is not acceptable. Notice from chapter 5:11 that one of the author’s complaints was that the believers “ no longer tried to understand.”  In other words, we need to apply ourselves to the Word of God as well as to...

Hebrews 6:11 Diligence to the very end “Diligence”, that’s quite a word! It is defined as “the steady, earnest, and persistent effort applied to a task, characterized by careful work, perseverance, and industry. It represents a strong work ethic or virtue, often involving meticulous attention to detail to achieve a goal.” Presumably, the author of Hebrews used this word, or its equivalent, with due consideration, and we should therefore use it too as a yardstick for our own service for the Lord. How many brothers and sisters do we know who fit these criteria, or are their heads turned by the headline-grabbers, the personalities or the professionals who operate in churches? If we are faithfully getting on with helping others out of love for the Lord, then let us not give up, but press on to the  “very end.”  Remember, there is no such word as retirement in the Bible! The advice in this verse has a corollary, “ that what we hope for may be fully realized.”  In chapter 3:6 w...

Hebrews 6:10 Love is - helping God's people The author here clearly does not want his readers to be condemned by his teachings. Yes, there are foolish men and women who eat and drink from the abundance of the Lord and who appear to be maturing in their journey of faith, who then abandon all of God’s provision and His saints, and behave as if these meant nothing to them. We are not to spend too much time comparing ourselves with them, God is not an unjust Being, if we work faithfully for Him and His people, then He is well aware of this and will not deny us our salvation. It is important to notice that our love and faithfulness to the Lord is expressed most visibly and powerfully in the way that we treat His people - one another. If we want to impress the Lord, gain His favour, and show our gratitude to Him, then our service of our brothers and sisters is the most effective way of doing this. I’m sorry but there is no substitute for hard labour, devotion and commitment to the body o...

Hebrews 6:9 Better things This verse reads almost like an apology; the author seems to be as uncomfortable in writing the preceding verses as we are in reading them! However, he consoles himself with the conviction that the readers of his Epistle are not like those who despise the Lord and turn their back on Him. On the contrary, they are men and women who are enjoying the fruits of God’s salvation and who are ready to press forward on their journey of faith. There is even a hint here that any readers who are musing over these words and who remain unsaved, will  “be convinced of better things.”   In fact, when we think about it, has this chapter not defined fully what God’s salvation is? And what a heavenly gift basket He offers us! Once again, just like the parable of the sower and the seed, it is the Lord who takes the initiative and makes things happen. The first of His blessings is enlightenment. Just as frozen land wakes up to the warmth and light of the sun, so the ...

Hebrews 6:8 Blessing our curse? Let’s consider further the parable of the sower and the seed. Who created the ground in which plants grow? God did. Who created plants that are good for food? God did. Who sends rains and sunshine and all the conditions that make healthy plants grow? God does. Who turns a dead seed into a living plant? God does. Our role in this process, as humans, is minor and without the intervention of the Creator nothing would grow and be fruitful. However, if God does His part and the land that is sown produces only thorns and thistles, something has gone terribly wrong! It is a sign of wholesale neglect. The crop is useless, and all the effort put is has been wasted. As Jesus Himself said,  “I am the vine and you are the branches, if you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in Me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and bur...

Hebrews 6:7 The  blessing of God This verse is a parable that is written to try to throw more light on the meaning of verses 4-6. It is suggesting that there are “believers” who have received the seed of God’s Word and who have the potential to produce a crop. The gentle rain of God’s Spirit has watered the fertile ground but, nothing happens! No crop grows, no life appears, the soil is barren and lifeless, it cannot fulfil a useful purpose. However, if the opposite is true and abundant life is evident, it is a sign that God’s blessing is on the land. This is evidenced in Israel in recent years where a barren wilderness wasteland has turned into a land flowing with milk and honey. Is that because the Jews are better farmers than their predecessors or work harder or have learned new tricks for productive agriculture? No! it is because the Lord God has given them His blessing. Sadly, the majority do not recognise this. In the same way, the Lord may have blessed individuals and church...

  Hebrews 6:6 No going back! It cannot have escaped our notice that there is a deliberate contrast here in that verses 1-3 of this chapter described the six “elementary teachings” that are regarded as an essential diet for the immature. We have already considered these in depth and their importance in the instruction of young believers.   However, from verse 4, the author has been identifying the spiritual foundations of those who are mature in the faith, these characteristics are the products of a considerable time on the journey with God. Those who have matured: - 1.       Have been enlightened  2.       Have tasted the heavenly gift 3.       Have shared in the Holy Spirit 4.       Have tasted the goodness of the Word of God 5.       Have also tasted the powers of the coming age In my experience, these incredible experiences are not gained without...

Hebrews 6:5 Tasting and Seeing And so we go on; another exciting gem of evidence of the enlightenment that the Holy Spirit brings, is an appetite for the Word of God. I’ll be the first to admit that there are periods in life when reading, studying and meditating on God’s Word can be a discipline rather than a joy. The menu can seem quite mundane rather than being like a banquet. But persevere, too often the problem is our busyness and all the distractions around us; giving proper attention to God’s Word requires time, quietness and an open mind to receive what He is trying to say! This is not about theology or understanding correct doctrine, it’s about listening and digesting the words of the Lord God as taught by His Holy Spirit. If we have experienced this, there is nothing else like it, there is no other book like His Book, and no other more exciting adventure than to be on a personal journey with Him.  The final piece in this jigsaw of genuine faith is a taste of the “ goodness...

Hebrews 6:4a Tasting the heavenly gift Let’s continue to deliberate on the “impossibilities” of verse 4 shall we? The first of these is enlightenment, a goal pursued by many of the world’s religions. The Bible talks about people who walk in darkness seeing a great light (Isaiah 9:2), it also says that Israel has been spiritually blinded, that God gives men a spirit of stupor, eyes that cannot see and ears that cannot hear. (Romans 11:8) Jesus came to open blind eyes and set captives free! (Luke 4:18) This life-changing encounter with Him is miraculous and unforgettable, there is no going back, once we have our eyes opened everything looks different and our hearts and minds are illuminated like never before. This may start with a simple prayer of repentance but if the ”light goes on” it will become an unrelenting torrent of love and joy and it’s irreversible. It does make me wonder about some of the “professions of faith” that I have witnessed! The verse goes on to talk about tasting th...

Hebrews 6:4 It's impossible? We come now to a very challenging passage in this Epistle. Verses 4-6 seem to contests the genuine nature of some people’s faith and also question what happens if a believer falls away! As might be expected, numerous interpretations have been offered as to their meaning and the implications for those who turn their back on the Lord. At the heart of this is the age-old question, “Can a true believer lose their faith?” The usual answer to this is that it seems so but there must be genuine questions about the authenticity of those who have professed to follow Christ, and who then reject Him. Notice that this verse 4 gives us three indications as to the nature of genuine faith: - 1.       It is the result of spiritual enlightenment 2.       It is for those who have tasted the heavenly gift 3.       It embraces all who have shared in the Holy Spirit Verse 5 gives us two more evidences for ...

Hebrews 6:3 God permitting, we will do so At first sight, the simple statement here in this short verse, seems to be rather inconsequential, just a statement of well-meant intent. It is anything but! The writer is affirming his personal commitment and that of all who teach younger believers, that we will endeavour to make the simple truths known and that the topics previously mentioned will feature in our teaching programmes. However, when we add  “and God permitting, we will do so”  we are effectively admitting our dependence on Him and that we can keep talking until “the cows come home” but unless the Lord brings enlightenment by His Holy Spirit the immature ones will never reach maturity.  All our endeavours for the Lord are shrouded in potential but also carry the possibility of disappointment, for we all need to recognise our vulnerabilities and that we never know the consequences of our own words and actions, let alone what the Lord might be planning! So, we may set...

Hebrews 6:2c Eternal Judgement This is the last of the  “elementary teachings”  that should be familiar to all believers, let alone the new or immature ones! The doctrine of  “eternal judgement”  was very much at the forefront of the Gospel message preached in times past and was regularly taught in the village chapel in which I grew up. Too often today, God is presented only as all-loving, and merciful and compassionate, which He is, but His righteousness and His judgement go hand in hand with His love for our world. We are commanded NOT to make God in our own image, to present Him exactly as people would like to see Him rather than who He really is. This God flooded the world in the time of Noah. He sent catastrophic judgements on Sodom and Gomorrah for their filthy and ignorant behaviour. He condemned the Egyptians to a night of horror as their firstborn sons were killed, in order to allow the Israelites to escape the land. Later, the entire Egyptian army was drown...

Hebrews 6:2b The resurrection of the dead You won’t find “ the resurrection of the dead”  amongst the “ elementary teachings”  in the Old Testament nor was it taught in the synagogues of the Jewish readers of Hebrews. This was a new doctrine, only possible and only understood once Jesus had come to earth and risen from the dead. It was already apparent to these new believers that resurrection was not just a phenomenon enjoyed by the Son of God but one that would enfold all who were genuinely saved by Him. Paul, of course, talks about this extensively, particularly in 1 Corinthians 15. There was no question in the minds of these early saints that they would enjoy the same victory over death as Jesus Himself had enjoyed. What evidence did they have? I think that the main reason is found in what we read in Matthew 27:51-53  “The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the Holy City and ap...

Hebrews 6:2a The laying on of hands The 4 th  of the 6 “elementary teachings” is the “laying on of hands.” Frankly, in the Christian circles that I grew up in, this was a phrase that was unheard of, even though the preachers and teachers prided themselves on their Biblical knowledge and application! This was seen to be an Old Testament ritual. When a man brought an animal offering to the Temple for a peace offering or sin offering, he laid his hands on its head to demonstrate his personal identification with the sacrifice. In other words, he was transferring his identity to the animal. Perhaps the main point of the writer of Hebrews is simply that you don’t have to worry any more about laying your hands on Temple sacrifices, just lay hold of Yeshua, He is your ultimate sacrifice once for all. In its time that would certainly be a valid form of teaching for young and immature believers. But what about us? In Acts 8:18 the Apostles laid hands on those who had believed, to outwardly s...

Hebrews 6:2 Instruction about baptism So we come to the next of the  “elementary truths of God’s Word.”  In the NIV this is describes as  “instruction about cleansing rites”  although a footnote in some Bibles replaces this with  “baptisms.”  The English Standard Version talks about “washings”, the King James uses the word “baptisms” as does the New King James and the Amplified Version replaces this with “ritual purifications.” And so we go on. If the word is correctly translated “baptisms” it is probably embracing the baptism of John, the baptism of converts to Judaism, and the baptism in water sanctioned and taught by Jesus which is practiced by His church. He also talked about the Baptism of the Holy Spirit that still causes controversy in the church today! If, however, we are talking about ritual cleansing rites then we are into another whole ball game, the Jews had baptismal pools outside the Temple but also in their synagogues, these were called Mikve...

Hebrews 6:1 continued Faith in God We now come to the second of the  “elementary truths”  which is  “faith in God.”  It seems very simple and, at first sight, needs little explanation! It’s only when we stop and reflect on this phrase that we begin to realise how profound it is.  There are many, many levels of faith in God. They start with the basic belief that God, Yahweh, exists. There is a Being who transcends mankind, the earth we live in and the heavenly realms above, He is the all-seeing, all-hearing, all-knowing One who we call the Lord God. That simple statement is, for many, the beginning and the end of faith, they never make it beyond the stage of accepting the existence of a superior deity who rules over all. Having made that step of faith we now have to recognise our dependency and how we might please and show respect to such a great Being. We also must dismiss all inferior gods and the worship of created things rather than the Creator. That, in effe...

Hebrews 6:1 Repentance from acts that lead to death This chapter of Hebrews begins by setting out what the writer regarded as being “elementary teachings!” In other words, these are the doctrines and truths that should be taught to young believers and were regarded as the milk of the Word, as opposed to the meat that should be part of the diet of those who are mature in the faith. Let’s just list these elementary truths before we look at them in more depth: - 1.       Repentance from acts that lead to death 2.       Faith in God 3.       Instruction about cleansing rites 4.       The laying on of hands 5.       The resurrection of the dead 6.       Eternal judgement Each of these is regarded as elementary but we have to ask, are these the primary teaching modules used by most churches for new converts? Are these subjects that we are all fa...