Hebrews 6: Our Forerunner
HEBREWS 6:1-20
APPLICATION: COMMIT YOURSELF TO SPIRITUAL GROWTH AND SERVICE BECAUSE CHRIST STANDS IN THE VERY PRESENCE OF GOD FOR YOU.
REMEMBERING THAT WHEN SCRIPTURE WAS WRITTEN THERE WERE NO CHAPTER OR VERSES.
SO THE START OF OUR CHAPTER 6 IS A CONTINUATION OF THE THOUGHT BEGUN LAST WEEK IN CHAPTER 5, VERSES 11-14 CONCERNING THE SPIRITUAL STATUS OF THE HEBREW BELIEVERS.
1-6
WE REMEMBER THE WARNING IN OUR LAST LESSON ABOUT THOSE WHO WERE DULL OF HEARING.
THIS LANGUAGE CLEARLY TELLS US THAT THESE MEMBERS HAD GONE BACKWARD IN THEIR FAITH.
AFTER ACCEPTING JESUS AND REDIRECTING THEIR LIVES TO HIM AND HIS GOSPEL, THEY NOW HAD ABANDONED THEIR FIRST LOVE OF THE SPIRIT,
THEIR FAITH, ONCE STRONG, HAD WAVERED AND NOW THEY WERE IMPATIENT AND NO LONGER WANTED TO WAIT ON AN UNSEEN AND FUTURE INHERITANCE.
SO THE WARNING NOW BECOMES SHARPER AS THE WRITER STARTS TO DEFINE THE PROBLEM.
HE DECLARES THEY SHOULD GO ONWARD TO PERFECTION.(1)
HE TELLS THEM THEY MUST LEAVE THEIR BEGINNING.(1-3)
HE WARNS OF CERTAIN DOOM IF UNBELIEF INCREASES.(4-8)
HE INSPIRES THEM FROM ABRAHAM.(15-21)
THIS DIRECTION TO GO ONWARD TO PERFECTION IS MEANT TO BE THE REVEALED SON OF GOD, SEEN IN JESUS, NO LONGER VEILED BY TYPES & SHADOWS, BUT GLORY IS NOW FULLY SEEN.
CHRIST CAME TO DO THE WILL OF GOD, HAS COMPLETED THE WORK, AND HAS RETURNED TO THE FATHER'S RIGHT SIDE TO FOREVER INTERCEDE FOR SINNERS HERE.
THE FOUNDATION LAID SO WELL BEFORE, NEEDS NOT TO BE LAID AGAIN.
CHRIST HAS BROUGHT TO EARTH THAT WHICH IS PERFECT IN ITS NATURE.
THE SUBSTANCE IS NOT TO BE FORSAKEN FOR THE SHADOW.
THE SHADOW ENDED WHEN JESUS ARRIVED.
THROUGH THE SHADOW NOTHING HAD BEEN PERFECTED.
NOTICE THE WRITER LISTS 6 THINGS THAT THE HEBREWS MUST CONSIDER THAT THEY MAY BE LOOKING BACKWARD TOWARD
(6 BEING THE NUMBER OF MAN – THE INCOMPLETE NUMBER):
REPENTANCE FROM DEAD WORK – NOTE THIS IS NOT REPENTANCE FROM SIN BUT LOOKS BACKWARD TOWARD THE JEWISH FAITH OF WORKS BRINGING SALVATION.
THIS PHRASE IS USED ONLY HERE AND IN HEBREWS 9:14 AND NOT AGAIN IN THE ENTIRE NEW TESTAMENT.
FAITH TOWARD GOD IN THE OLD MANNER PERHAPS MEANT AS LOOKING NOT FORWARD IN CHRIST BUT BACKWARD WITHOUT CHRIST.
THE DOCTRINE OF BAPTISMS: NOTICE THE WORD IS PLURAL AND IT LOOKS BACK TO LEVITICUS 16:4 & EXODUS 30:18 & NUMBERS 19:19 CONCERNING THE WASHING OF ONE WHO WISHES TO APPROACH GOD, THINKING INCORRECTLY THAT SINS CAN BE WASHED AWAY.
THE LAYING ON OF HANDS: LOOKING BACK TOWARD LEVITICUS 16:1.
AARON LAID HIS HANDS UPON THE HEAD OF THE GOAT WHO WAS TO STAND FOR THE SINS OF THE PEOPLE, SENDING IT OUT INTO THE WOLDERNESS CARRYING THEIR SINS. (THE SCAPEGOAT).
THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD: REMEMBER MARTHA TOLD JESUS SHE KNEW HER BROTHER LAZARUS WOULD BE RAISED IN THE LAST DAY AND WHAT DID JESUS ANSWER?
I AM THE RESURRECTION.
ETERNAL JUDGEMENT: THE GREAT WHITE THRONE OF JUDGMENT OF THOSE OF UNBELIEF THAT IS LATER DESCRIBED FOR US IN REVELATION 20.
VERSES 4-6 GIVE US PERHAPS ONE OF THE MOST SERIOUS WARNINGS IN ALL OF SCRIPTURE.
THIS SECTION IS TROUBLING TO ALL BELIEVERS IF WE DO NOT TAKE A MOMENT TO GRASP EXACTLY WHAT IS MEANT.
THE ESSENCE HERE IS THAT IF THOSE WHO HAVE ACCEPTED, NOW FALL AWAY, DESCRIBING A DELIBERATE & COMPLETE AND FINAL REPUDIATION OF CHRIST, THE ONLY UNFORGIVABLE SIN HAS ARRIVED.
THEY HAVE BLASPHEMED THE HOLY SPIRIT.
NOTICE THAT THE WRITER REFERS TO THOSE WARNED AS “THOSE” AND THEN IN VERSE 9 SOFTENS THE VERBAL BLOW BY SAYING THAT THOSE WHO REMAIN BELOVED, BETTER THINGS AWAIT THEM.
HE SAYS THAT THEY ARE TO SHOW DILIGENCE TO THE FULL ASSURANCE OF HOPE UNTIL THE END.
HE IS SAYING HAVE FAITH & REMAIN STEADFAST.
HE REMINDS THEM THAT THEY HAVE BEEN ENLIGHTENED (GIVEN LIGHT BY TEACHINGS).
THEY HAVE TASTED OF THE HEAVENLY GIFT (THE HOLY GHOST GIVEN AFTER CONVERSION).
THEY WERE MADE PARTAKERS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (MEANING THAT NOW THEY ARE COMPANIONS OF CHRIST).
THEY HAVE TASTED THE GOOD WORD OF GOD (MEANING THEY HAVE BEEN FED ON THE PROMISE MADE LONG AGO AND IT HAS ARRIVED IN THE PERSON OF JESUS).
THEY HAVE ALSO TASTED OF THE POWERS OF THE WORLD TO COME (THE NEW AGE THAT BEGAN WITH THE ARRIVAL OF JESUS)
SO THE STERN REMINDER IS TO BE SURE THEY KNOW THEY ARE NOT TO RETURN TO THE OLD WAYS OF THE JEWS, OR OR THE PAGAN GENTILES, FROM WHERE THEY HAVE BEEN REMOVED BY CONVERSION, AND BY THE GIFTING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT TO INDWELL THEM.
7-8
VERSE 7 BEGINS WITH THE WORD “FOR” WHICH TELLS US THAT TWO CLASSES OF PEOPLE ARE IN VIEW.
THESE TWO CLASSES OF PEOPLE ARE DESCRIBED AS PIECES OF EARTH.
THE FIRST IS FRUITFUL, TRULY REGENERATED, AND FULLY ACCEPTING OF THE GIFT OF THE LORD.
THE SECOND IS UNFRUITFUL GROUND, THOSE WHO BRING FORTH ONLY BRIERS AND THORNS.
BOTH BRING FORTH FRUIT, THE FIRST BEING HERBS BEING BLESSED OF GOD, BUT THE SECOND BRING FORTH THAT WHICH IS WORTH LITTLE IN THEIR LIVES.
9-11
THE 2 VERSES EXPAND THE PREVIOUS TWO AND ALLOW US A VIEW INTO THE MIND OF GOD WHEN WE ARE TAUGHT THAT HE IS NOT UNRIGHTEOUS TO FORGET OUR WORKS & LABORS OF LOVE.
THESE WORKS ARE THE FRUIT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WITHIN US AND ARE NOT TO IN ANY WAY BE INTERPRETED AS WORKS BRINGING ENTRANCE TO LIFE ETERNAL.
THESE WORKS ARE THOSE THAT OCCUR AS WE ARE SANCTIFIED THROUGHOUT LIFE AFTER CONVERSION.
THE LOVE MENTIONED HERE IS MEANT TO BE SEEN AS ACTIVE, DILIGENT, AND UNTIRING TOWARD BUILDING THE KINGDOM.
IT IS SEEN IN THOSE WHO HAVE NOT CONSIDERED THE DENIAL OF CHRIST MENTIONED EARLIER.
GENUINE CHRISTIANS SHOW THEIR LOVE OF THE LORD BY THEIR FAITHFUL OBEDIENCE TO HIS TEACHINGS, AND THEIR HOPE IS TO THE END.
WE WILL SEE AN ENTIRE LIST OF SAINTS IN CHAPTER 11 WHO ARE GIVEN AS EXAMPLES OF THIS UNTIRING & LOVING FAITH.
12-15
WE ARE IMMEDIATELY GIVEN AN EXAMPLE USING FATHER ABRAHAM OF THAT UNTIRING FAITH IN THE VERSES.
WE ARE TAUGHT NOT TO BE SLOTHFUL, MEANING SLOW, BUT RATHER BE QUICKLY DILIGENT TO FOLLOW THE EXAMPLE GIVEN OF THOSE WHO DID INHERIT THE LORD'S PROMISE.
OF THOSE ABRAHAM WAS AMONG THE GREATEST.
THE EXAMPLE REMINDS US OF THE WONDERFUL LIFE HE LIVED, OF FAITH, LONGSUFFERING, HUMILITY, AND SPIRITUAL VIRTUE TOWARD THE LORD.
GOD, WITH AN OATH, MADE A PROMISE TO ABRAHAM, SWORE BY HIMSELF AS THERE WAS NONE GREATER, THAT”
“I WILL BLESS YOU AND I WILL MULTIPLY YOU”
BY HIS PATIENT ENDURANCE ABRAHAM RECEIVED THE PROMISE AND THROUGH THE LESSON TO US OF THIS ENDURING FAITH, WE HAVE STRONG ENCOURAGEMENT TO TAKE HOLD OF THE HOPE AS AN ANCHOR TO THE SOUL.
BY DOING DO, WE MAY ENTER INTO THAT WHICH IS OUR FORERUNNER, JESUS CHRIST, WHO HAS SET OUR EXAMPLE.
IF WE BELIEVE, WE MUST BELIEVE IN FULL, TRUSTING ONLY IN HIM TO KEEP US AND TO BRING US TO HIMSELF IN HIS TIME, NOT OUR TIME, EITHER BY MORTAL DEATH OR BY RAPTURE, JUST AS HE SAID IN JOHN 10:28:
“NEITHER SHALL ANY PLUCK THEM OUT OF MY HAND”
WE WILL SEE THE RESULTS OF STEADFAST FAITH IN CHAPTER 11, THE FAITH CHAPTER.
16-20
THESE VERSES GIVE US CONSOLATION THAT GOD DOES NOT LIE AND HE HAS SHOWN OVER & OVER AGAIN THAT HIS PROMISES WILL BE KEPT.
IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO FLEE TO HIM FOR REFUGE JUST AS THOSE WHO HAD SINNED TERRIBLY IN THE OLD TESTAMENT COULD FLEE TO THE SANCTUARY CITIES GOD DESIGNATED IN NUMBERS 35, DEUTERONOMY 19 & JOSHUA 20.
WE SHOULD NOTICE HOWEVER THAT THE REFUGE UNDER THE LAW REFUGE WAS ONLY AVAILABLE TO THOSE WHO HAD KILLED WITHOUT INTENTION.
BUT THE SUPERIORITY OF JESUS CHRIST IS ONCE MORE REVEALED AS HE ALLOWS REFUGE OF ALL WHO HAVE SINNED AND ARE LOADED WITH THE HEAVINESS OF SPIRIT.
ALL SIN IS REMOVED, NOT JUST SIN UNTO DEATH, AS JESUS HAS PAID THE DEBT FOR IT.
SO NOW WE ARE PROVIDED AN ANCHOR FOR OUR SOULS, SURE AND STEADFAST, NEVER CHANGING, HAVING ONCE MADE THE PERFECT SACRIFICE, AND GRANTED US FREEDOM FOREVER FROM OUR SINS IF WE REPENT & CONFESS THEM OPENLY TO HIM.
THIS ANCHOR IS JESUS HIMSELF, MADE A GREAT HIGH PRIEST AFTER THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK, NEVER CHANGING, NEVER ENDING.
HE IS OUR FORERUNNER BY:
DECLARATION – HE CARRIED THE GOOD TIDINGS FOR US AND DECLARED THE SUCCESS OVER SIN, DEATH, & HELL FOR US.
PREPARATION – HE HAS PREPARED THE OPENING FOR OUR PRAYERS AND WORSHIP, WITH NO VEIL REMAINING BETWEEN US AND GOD.
OCCUPATION – HE HAS GONE INTO HEAVEN, IN OUR NAME, TO TAKE POSSESSION OF IT FOR US, OCCUPYING IT WHILE WE AWAIT OUR ON ENTRY BY RAPTURE OR MORTAL DEATH.
WITH THE LAST VERSE IN CHAPTER 6 WE BEGIN THE TRANSITION TO THE FULL CHAPTER 7 EXPLANATION OF THE MYSTERIOUS PRIEST & KING, MELCHIZEDEK.
NEXT WEEK WE STUDY THIS MAN AND HOW HE WAS FAR DIFFERENT FROM THE LEVITES AND THAT JESUS, BEING OF HIS HIGHER ORDER OF PRIESTHOOD, IS THE BETTER WAY.