2:05 minutes (983.1 KB)

It's been a long time since we've sent out a podcast, so it seemed to be a good idea to point you to a couple of casts that have taken the place of the Genesis podcast:

http://www.fshbwl.com/fishfood/swim
http://theelementallife.com/podcast

This chunk of Hebrews is one of those "stump the pastor" sections that, if not dealt with carefully, can cause some serious issues. For example, in 6:2, a number of good things to think about are blasted and in 6:4 there's a claim that it is impossible to return to faith once you fall away. So, what's the deal in these verses? While I can't find anyone who agrees with me, here are my thoughts.

First, we need to look at what was said both before and after this section. Both sides deal with Melchizedek and the priesthood of Christ. With this in mind, we see in verse 11 that the author, who's just introduced the topic of Christ's priesthood, wants to say a whole lot more about it, but the people aren't inclined to listen to what he has to say, rather, they want to move on to what they perceive to be more important issues.

For the past couple weeks, the group that meets in the Burnham home on Monday night has been using the video piece from the Fishbowl's 27-Hour Service as the basis for our discussion.

In time, we'd like to see multiple small groups meeting all around Denver, using the video piece for discussion, and then gathering as a large group once a month or so for a larger corporate worship service. If you'd be interested in leading one of these smaller groups, please contact us.

While Hebrews 3:7-4:13 focused on what happens when we fail to head God's Word to us, 4:14-5:10 moves on to the positive side of the equation and the benefits of trusting God in faith, namely having an eternal high priest who stand before God on our behalf.

To make the point the author of Hebrews compares Jesus to the Old Testament priestly orders of Aaron and Melchizedek.

Christ is similar to both these orders in that, other priest were selected by God from among the people to be set apart as those who would stand before God and deal with sins on behalf of all the people. You get a taste of this in Exodus 28 & 29.

At the same time, there are some major differences between Christ and other priests. First, other priests would have to go through a long process of cleaning their own sins before they could stand before God on behalf of others. The best example of this would be the high priests preparation for Yom Kippur in Leviticus 16.

As chapter 4 opens the need to hold firm to the Word God has proclaimed continues as the author argues that just because a Word from God is delivered, it doesn't mean that the recipient receives the benefit of that Word.

Perhaps one of the best modern day examples of this is the Word of God that is spoken over a child in his or her baptism, and identifies the importance of having parents and Godparents who are committed to raising the child up in the faith. If that Word is delivered in baptism, but it is never spoken of again, the child will grow up not receiving the benefits of the promise because it is not being held onto by faith.