Hebrews 5

Grace and peace in the Lord!

This week we continue with the Chapter Memory Study through Hebrews with chapter 5.  This chapter is an interesting transition between chapter 4 and chapter 6.  The first part of Hebrews 5 picks up where ch4 leaves off.  Then the second theme of ch5 continues into ch6.  But for the purposes of this study (the Chapter Memory Study) I will stay with the established chapter demarcations. 

So, the thematic section of Hebrews 5 (built on the 'S' of Son i(S) Superior) are:

• Source of eternal salvation (1-10)
• Solid Food (11-14)
  

The memory passaged from each section are;

• Source of eternal salvation
  Hebrews 5:8-10
  
  ⁸Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. ⁹And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, ¹⁰being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.
   
• Solid Food
  Hebrews 5:14
  
  ¹⁴But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.
  
  

Within the first thematic passage of this chapter (vv1-10), the writer continues the ongoing description of Jesus as High Priest.  But now, the discussion centers around Jesus being the One and Only Source of eternal salvation. His Priesthood was not appointed by men (5) nor descended from men (implied in vv 6,10) but was appointed by God as a special Son-King-Priest.  Only Christ is qualified to hold such a position.  The writer goes out of his way again to say that Jesus, while He was in the flesh, became our perfect High Priest through obedience, suffering, submission to the Father's will, and reverence.  He is the Son of God by nature (1:3), the King of all by position (1:3), and Priest of God for all men by His complete identification with men (4:15). 

The 'perfection' talked about here and elsewhere concerning Christ is more about the completion or fulfillment of His mission than a perfecting of His person (He was and always has been holy). 

To say that Jesus was perfect does not suggest that he was imperfect before he suffered. During his human life Jesus’ perfection endured severe testing. None of this testing blackened a single feature of his perfection. Jesus’ perfection was the completion of someone who had faced trials, endured them, and learned to trust God through them. Jesus’ perfection developed in an atmosphere in which he had his obedience tested and strengthened by the trials he faced.

Lea, T. D. (1999). Vol. 10: Hebrews, James. Holman New Testament Commentary; Holman Reference (94). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

The writer will continue to expound on the issue of 'the order of Melchizedek' in contrast to the order of Aaron later in the book, but since he mentions it here, I will include a brief introduction.

Several features of this order differed from the order of Aaron. First, the order of Melchizedek had no hereditary succession. This feature stood in contrast to the Aaronic order, which saw wave after wave of priests succeeding one another.

Second, it was a unique order because only Christ belonged to it. It was an order which was fit for Christ because it placed him in an entirely different order from that of Aaron.

Lea, T. D. (1999). Vol. 10: Hebrews, James. Holman New Testament Commentary; Holman Reference (94). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

The second main theme of Hebrews 5 addresses the issue of maturity among the readers.  The writer chastises and then exhorts the readers using the metaphor of food.  So we call this section Solid food (remember, the thematic titles do two things; 1) starts with the corresponding letter from the chapter outline, and 2) serves to remind us of what the thematic content is in the section). 

The writer wishes to say more on this issue, but criticizes the readers for being 'dull of hearing' and in need of remedial training.  By this time, these believers should have been teaching these principles, but for some reason they still needed the 'milk' of basic training instead of the 'solid food' of mature teaching.  He actually calls them unskilled and children.  Their goal should be to mature in Christ so that they can process the 'solid food' of His truth.  A sign of this growth is the maturing of their powers of discernment; distinguishing between good and evil.  There will be more on this issue as the writer continues in Chapter 6. 


How does this affect my worship?
Verse 7 is difficult for me.  Jesus offered prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears to God, and He was heard 'because of His reverence'.  He fully submitted Himself to God in His prayer.  He approached His Father with reverence.  In my casual, conversational relationship with God (which I think He encourages), I sometimes find myself stepping out of reverence.  We can confidently draw near to the throne of God because of the work of Christ, but He's still God and I'm still not.  You can swing too far either direction.  Christ's example here reminds me to approach God, while confident, in humility. 

How does this affect my discipleship?
The whole milk vs solid food thing speaks to me about my own disciple-becoming and my disciple-making.  While I think grace and patience are absolutely critical in the discipleship process, there does seem to come a time for some exhortation toward maturity.  I don't know how I could know this unless I actually have a relationship with the person I'm discipling.  If they are being diligent in their study and I see the transformation in their walk with God I have a pretty good idea that they are on the right track.  But when you see them 'stuck' in certain elementary patterns or thoughts for a long time without a real zeal for growth, I could feel the need to 'nudge' them a bit.  I want them to grow.  Just like I want my kids to grow.  I don't want those who walk with me in discipleship to continue to need (or desire) the 'milk'.  Although, as a caveat, there has been tremendous value and growth in my life during times when I 'review' a basic truth that the Lord reminds me of.  I guess, nothing goes better with steak than a big glass of milk. 

Thank You, gracious Heavenly Father, for being my Bread of Life.  Thank You for growing me up on milk, and letting me begin to chew on steak.  Grow me and train me in discernment so that I can feast on Your solid food; for Your glory and for Your kingdom.  

Ethan