It's Hard to Explain
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Have you ever been trying to explain something and get sidetracked by another thing and have to come back to the original thing? Like explaining to a child what you do at work.
Transition
In Hebrews 5 Paul goes through a similar process. He’s still talking about the High Priest from chapter 4, but then interrupts himself for a chapter and a half before eventually getting back.
Illumination
Paul’s thoughts from chapter 4, talking about us having a High Priest:
14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.
15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.
16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Paul continues that thought as chapter 5 begins.
The Characteristics of A Priest, 1-4
The Characteristics of A Priest, 1-4
1 For every high priest taken from among men is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He can have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray, since he himself is also subject to weakness. 3 Because of this he is required as for the people, so also for himself, to offer sacrifices for sins. 4 And no man takes this honor to himself, but he who is called by God, just as Aaron was.
Priests represent people to God, 1
Priests represent God to people, 2-3
They are compassionate
They are purposeful
To the ignorant they provide instruction
To the straying they provide either direction or correction, depending on why they stray
Priests are called to their task, 4
In many ways, NT Pastors are like OT Priests
Christ is our Priest, 5-10
Christ is our Priest, 5-10
5 So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him:
“You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.”
6 As He also says in another place:
“You are a priest forever
According to the order of Melchizedek”;
7 who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, 8 though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. 9 And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, 10 called by God as High Priest “according to the order of Melchizedek,”
He was both a Son and a Priest, 5-6
He represented the people to God, 7-8
He offered up prayers
He “learned obedience”
This is not to schooling of a rebel
This is the experiential learning of one already submitted
He offered up a sacrifice: Himself. This was perfection, completion, because it is what He came to do.
He represented God to the people, 9
He became the author, or source, of salvation
He extended the offer of salvation
He was called to His task, 10
The Interruption, 11
The Interruption, 11
Speaking about Jesus being a High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek, Paul recognized that his argument was going to pose a challenge to his readers.
11 of whom we have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.
This recognition launches him into a new direction that will last from verse 12 through the end of chapter 6. That said, the interruption is still meaningful to us.
Understanding the Bible takes consistent exercise, 12-14
Understanding the Bible takes consistent exercise, 12-14
12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
They should have been teachers, not needed teachers, 12a
teachers have a larger store of knowledge than students
teachers continually add to their own store of knowledge
They had come to need milk, 12b. They needed to be re-instructed in the “first principles”, the idea of which is relearning the alphabet.
The Bible has what we need
Milk - spelled out, simple biblical truths are the food of spiritual babies or those who are malnourished
Meat - searched out, complex biblical truths are the food of the spiritually mature or those who are healthy
Unlike our physical development, spiritual development can be gained or lost. Exercise is very important; it equates physical fitness with spiritual fitness.
Discernment is a result of spiritual strength
Conclusion
We need a priest and Jesus is our priest. The more we work to understand this the more significant it will become to us.
Application
So, what do we do with this? We actually could be offended by Paul’s interruption and the idea that we may not be able to handle what he’s about to teach. But is getting offended really helpful? No.
The reality, regardless of our current spiritual condition, is that spiritual conditioning takes continual effort on our part.
The fact that we have a priest in Jesus who wants to bring instruction, direction, and sometimes correction, means that we are not alone in our struggles in life or our struggles to grow.
Our better response is to accept the reminder and focus our energies on exercising our understanding. Let’s face it, their really are parts of the Bible that are hard to understand.