“About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.” – Hebrews 5:11
The book of Hebrews not only contains many rich and profound truths, but it also contains several stark warnings
“that are supposed to bring us into a deeper fear of the Lord and obedience to
God’s commands…In the NT apostasy occurs when people turn aside from following Jesus (Jn. 6:66) and deny him after having previously confessed him as Lord. It manifests itself in falling away from faith under persecution (Matt. 24:9–13), denying the deity of Christ (1 Jn. 2:22), or living a life of open sin that denies the faith (2 Pet. 2:20). It is characteristic of the last days (2 Thess. 2:3; 1 Tim. 4:1; 2 Tim. 3:1, 5; 4:3–4…).” (1)
It is also a very timely book and is very much needed today because,
The author of Hebrews issues a series of strong warnings about shrinking back or falling away, which he views as a most serious matter. The exact scope of the warning passages is a matter of some debate…. The author uses different terminology in his warnings… including “fall away” (ἀφίστημι, aphistēmi; Heb 3:12), “fall” (πίπτω, piptō; Heb 3:17; 4:11), “fall away” or “commit apostasy” (παραπίπτω, parapiptō; Heb 6:6), “lose” or “throw away” (ἀποβάλλω, apoballō; Heb 10:35), and “refuse” (παραιτέομαι, paraiteomai; Heb 12:25). (2)
The people who originally received Hebrews had apparently stopped listening to God and godly Bible teaching, were not growing in their faith, and had reverted to questioning the foundational truths they had been taught as new Christians. Sadly, this very thing is happening today. By caving into cultural pressure, giving in to personal temptation for sexual sin, and trying to create a new kind of progressive Christianity, the same demonic spirit has seduced and sidetracked many people today as happened in the days of Hebrews. We must remain diligent to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and not become distracted by the pressures of this world.
Tomorrow’s devotional looks at Hebrews in light of eternity.
Take some time today to read Hebrews 5:11-14. How does this apply to our culture today?
(1) Moisés Silva and Merrill Chapin Tenney, The Zondervan Encyclopedia of the Bible, A-C (Grand Rapids, MI: The Zondervan Corporation, 2009), 253.
(2) James P. Sweeney, “Hebrews, Letter to the,” ed. John D. Barry et al., The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016).
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