Begin with 2 minutes of silence and stillness before God.
Today’s passage continues to discuss a theme continued throughout the book of Hebrews and that is Jesus fulfilling the role of High Priest. In the Old Testament, the position of high priest for God’s people was started by the Lord through Aaron, the brother of Moses. Throughout Jewish history, high priests were to come from Aaron’s descendants. However, before Aaron was a high priest, there was another High Priest who met with Abraham and his name was Melchizedek. You’ll read more about him in Hebrews 7 in a few days, and you can also refer back to Genesis 14. The point for us today is that Christ is presently our High Priest and He was chosen by God for this role and His work is never-ending. He has made one sacrifice, for all who will believe in Him, for all of time. There’s no need for us to try to work to pay off our sin debt. Praise the Lord!
Another theme of Hebrews explored here is Christ’s humanity. Just like you and I, while He was on earth, He prayed in order to communicate with the Father. Hebrews tells us His prayers were heard because of His reverence or as some commentators say, His godly fear. Hebrews 5:7 tells us He was crying out to the Father, referring to His tears and anguish in the Garden of Gethsemane (see also Mark 14, Matthew 26, and Luke 22). He was heard by the Father and was delivered from death’s hold through the Resurrection.
The writer of Hebrews also says that Jesus Christ “learned obedience through what He suffered” and His work was completed (Verses 8-9, ESV). Just as Christ learned while in the flesh, we have even more learning to do as we walk with the Lord, and apparently the audience of the Book of Hebrews had forgotten this fact. The author boldly reminds them that they’ve yet to graduate to “solid food”, as he calls it. They aren’t self-feeders; they’re still sitting back waiting for someone to feed them the truths of Scripture. I believe this is an easy habit for many of us to slip into. We have so many sources of information on the Scriptures available to us. And these things are not bad to have at your disposal. There are times when you need and benefit from commentaries, devotionals, podcasts, blogs, etc.; however, these things are not substitutes for Scripture and for taking time to allow God’s Word to deal with you. Yes, you’ll read things you don’t understand and you may not see immediate application, but as you dig into the truth of God’s Word using things like the SOAP Method that our pastors have directed us to, you will find that the Lord will give you wisdom and will write His Word on your heart and etch it into your mind. In Psalm 119, David uses beautiful language to describe holding onto the Word and how keeping it in one’s heart guards against sin. The author of Hebrews says that partaking of the “solid food” and seeing spiritual maturation over time is also growing discernment. The theologian Charles Spurgeon is quoted giving a definition of discernment in the life of a believer as “knowing the difference between right and almost right.” God’s Word shows us what is right, good, and true.
Growing in God’s Word doesn’t only benefit us as an individual, but as the author of Hebrews reminds us, it gives us something we can pass on or teach to others so that they too may know the love of God and the hope we have in Him. You don’t have to be given the title of “Teacher” to be one who passes on nuggets of God’s truth to other people. You only have to be committed to reading the Word daily and allowing it to change your life.
Take 2 minutes to reflect in silence.
Reflection:
- Pray this prayer of David from the Psalms: “Teach me your decrees, O LORD; I will keep them to the end. Give me understanding and I will obey your instructions; I will put them into practice with all my heart. Make me walk along the path of your commands, for that is where my happiness is found. Give me an eagerness for your laws rather than a love for money! Turn my eyes from worthless things, and give me life through your word. Reassure me of your promise, made to those who fear you. Help me abandon my shameful ways; for your regulations are good. I long to obey your commandments! Renew my life with your goodness.” Psalm 119:33-40
Family Devo: Hebrew 5
By: Jana Whittington
Today, we're going to dive into Hebrews 5. This chapter teaches us about listening to God, just like you listen to your teachers and parents. Hebrews 5 verses 8-9 talks about how Jesus listened to God and we can learn from His example.
Did you know that Jesus is our High Priest? A high priest in the Bible was someone who talked to God on behalf of the people. In Hebrews 5, it tells us that Jesus prayed and talked to God a lot. He learned obedience by listening to His Father, and that's something we can do too! Listening to God isn't always easy, just like doing your homework or practicing a new skill. Hebrews encourages us to be patient and to keep trying, just like Jesus did. When we face challenges, we can pray and ask God for help, just like Jesus did. It reminds us that we grow in faith by reading the Bible and praying. It's like exercising our spiritual muscles. When we listen to God through His Word and prayer, we become stronger in our faith and better at obeying Him.
Prayer: Dear God, thank You for teaching us about listening to You. Help us to be patient, obedient, and faithful as we grow in our relationship with You. May we always be eager to learn from Your Word and to talk to You in prayer. In Jesus' name, Amen.