From: "Phil Rembleski" <PHIl@rescuechurchofchrist.org>
To: "1111RESCUEMEMBERS"
Sent: Thu, Feb 10, 2022 at 5:57 AM
Subject: 2-10-22 THOUGHTS
2-10-22 THOUGHTS
From Hebrews chapter 4 yesterday we continue to chapter 5. A discussion of Christ as our sympathizing High Priest continues. A worldly priesthood is contrasted with Christ’s eternal priesthood. Christ is our source of eternal salvation. The writer ends with a certain frustration over what has been called the peril of immaturity. He wants to explain more about this Melchizedek, but they lack the capacity to understand. They have failed to grow! They should be teaching, but they are still infants. Solid food not milk is the desire. God wants us to mature so that we can discern good from evil. We have this danger today in the Church. We must make ourselves “accustomed to the word of righteousness”. That takes time and effort and a desiring discipline! It’s never too late to start.
Heb 5:1-14 For every high priest taken from among men is appointed on behalf of men in things pertaining to God, in order to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins; 2 he can deal gently with the ignorant and misguided, since he himself also is beset with weakness; 3 and because of it he is obligated to offer sacrifices for sins, as for the people, so also for himself. 4 And no one takes the honor to himself, but receives it when he is called by God, even as Aaron was. 5 So also Christ did not glorify Himself so as to become a high priest, but He who said to Him, "YOU ARE MY SON, TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU"; 6 just as He says also in another passage, "YOU ARE A PRIEST FOREVER ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK." 7 In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety. 8 Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. 9 And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, 10 being designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek. 11 Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary 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 not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.
See Gen 14:17-20, Ps 110:4, and Hebrews 7 for more on Melchizedek.
Eph 4:13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.
Eph 4:15-16 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.
My Prayer:
Father God, help us to seek you with our all. Arouse us from our lethargy and give us a zeal to know You and your words O God. May we desire maturity as we grow into Christ. Fill us with Yourself O God. In the name of Jesus Amen