Greetings,
The author of the letter to the Hebrews – traditionally presumed to be the apostle Paul – provides deep spiritual understanding of Christ’s role in both the Melchizedek priesthood and the sacrificial system. There was an expectation that members of the Church would use the extra help given to them through God’s Holy Spirit and go on to grasp the deeper truths – as members at any time should strive to do. However, they had become dull of hearing. The clear implication is that the problem of receiving the author’s teaching lay with the hearers. At a time when they should have matured to become teachers of spiritual things, they were in need of some basic teachings. Instead of eating solid food they still needed milk (Hebrews 5:11-14). They were spiritually immature.
Our spiritual lives must be nourished and developed just as the physical body needs nourishment to mature. Beginning with milk as a baby we grow and mature to take solid food. If someone becomes dull of hearing there is a cause which they need to address. In our spiritual lives we must continually put into practice the spiritual principles God gives us and thereby become exercised and nourished by their use. We do this in part by diligently studying the word of God and seeking to understand these deeper spiritual principles — and constantly applying them. As with the analogy of exercising our muscles, the more we use our Spirit-led minds the better we will be able to make moral judgments. A spiritually mature mind more readily discerns good and evil (verse 14).
“Be diligent [study] to present yourselves approved of God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). We need to be diligent and earnest in dividing (to make a straight cut, that is, (figuratively) to dissect (expound) correctly (the divine message) the word of truth.
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
To prevent becoming dull of hearing we need to take steps to become more skillful in the “word of righteousness”.
Update from Cliff Veal: On Sunday, the 1st of January, my elderly mother died. She had been very ill for a while. The week previous she had a fall and was taken to the hospital. There they did a string of tests and discovered blood clots and also a large cancerous tumor, which had already begun to spread. As there was nothing the doctors could do for her, they sent her home to be in hospice care.
I got word from my brother, Burt, on Sunday that our mother had died and we were able to change our airline tickets and get to the US on Tuesday evening. The funeral is tomorrow, Friday the 6th of January.
We have gotten so many messages of condolence and we appreciate that very much. We are above all thankful for the hope that God gives all of us and for the love that He shows in implementing His plan for mankind.
Warm regards,
Brian Orchard
