Hebrews 5:11 - 7:10
Over the next few months, our morning gatherings will be working through the book of Hebrews, and our evening gatherings through the book of Daniel.
Readings for this week June 5 - 9
Click here for a pdf of this week’s readings
Day 1 – Pulled Up Short
Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 minutes)
Scripture Reading – Hebrews 5:11-6:8
No one likes being told off, especially by their friends and family – the people closest to them. It can often feel particularly bad because it seems like a personal attack upon you by the very people who are supposed to support you and have your back; the people who would stand up and protect you and support you if anyone else was saying something to you. But we also know that sometimes such things need to be said. Sometimes we are not as good as we think we are or as accomplished – or as far along the road as we should be or as we need to be. Sometimes we need a kick up the backside to get us moving again, in the right direction, for the right reasons. That seems to be part of what the writer is doing here – and is a clue that perhaps the writer actually knows the community he’s writing to. This hits a little harder if that is the case.
But we need people in our lives who say the hard things and pull us up on our (mis)behaviour, point out our laziness, not for the purposes of cutting us down and stomping all over us (that’s what the internet is for, it seems now), but in order to correct, to restore, to encourage and to spur us on. We need people like this in our lives and we also need them in our communities and congregations. Those who ask the hard questions and point out uncomfortable truths; those push and prod us back to the path that God has laid out for us; those who remind us of what it costs to be a follower of Jesus.
Questions to Consider
Who are the people in your life who pull you up when needed? How has God used them and what they say to draw you closer to him?
Prayer
Lord God, give me the wisdom to heed the voices of those around me who have the ability to get my attention and draw me back to you when I have strayed and failed to be faithful. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)
Day 2 – Our All Plus the God of All
Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 minutes)
Scripture Reading – Hebrews 6:9-12
Up to this point, things might have sounded a little harsh, but the writer now turns to offering encouragement and exhortation, reminding his readers that there is a goal being worked towards, a purpose for the work, and an end that, though far off, is still in sight. They’ve started well. They’ve made the decision to follow Jesus, and together they have accomplished some good work. But even though God promises not to forget what they have done, that doesn’t mean they’re off the hook for putting any effort in. Temptation must still be avoided, patience and faith must still be exercised, trust must still be held, and the good work and solid character of other followers must be studied and imitated.
Sometimes the fact that there is nothing that we can do to make God love us can lead to the lazy temptation of thinking we needn’t do anything at all. But the entire New Testament, from the Gospels, all the way through Paul and the other epistles, while agreeing that God’s grace is utterly gratuitous and not something we can earn, also clearly insists that what we do, once we have been grasped by God’s gracious love, is equally important. The life of faith and prayer, of kindness and compassion, of love and sacrifice, of effort and work – a life that we rely on God to empower us for and guide us through – is one to which we must give our all even if we do not need to do it all. It is a partnership between engaged, enthusiastic, committed followers who give all of themselves in expectation that God will miraculously work through them for his kingdom purposes.
Questions to Consider
How are you giving God your all? What helps you manage this?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, help me give you all I am, no shirking or holding back of anything that I am or have. May my entire life be used for the furthering of your kingdom and the spread of your compassion to the world. Amen.
Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)
Day 3 – A Trustworthy God
Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 minutes)
Scripture Reading – Hebrews 6:13-18
At the beginning of Genesis 12 we read of one of the most momentous events in the history of Israel: God’s call to Abram (soon to be Abraham) to leave his people, his home and his country and strike out upon the path that God leads him along. God promises to make him a great nation and bless him mightily. And so Abram obeys and sets out upon a long journey that does not go smoothly by any stretch of the imagination, a journey filled with danger and intrigue and miracles – a journey that had him questioning (and testing) God at various points. Would God still make good on his promise? Was it worth it to have left? As age and circumstance slowly rise further against him, can Abram still trust God to be with him?
We all have these questions. We all find ourselves in situations where, having believed that God has called and guided us to a people/place/event, we suddenly find ourselves wondering whether we have got it right: have we heard correctly, have we responded rightly – is God still to be trusted? The writer of Hebrews says yes – yes, we can still trust God. God is the ultimately trustworthy one. The entire story of Israel shows us that God’s promises find their ultimate “yes” in Jesus – God with us, God for us, God rescuing us. There is always hope. When things are tough and we start to question ourselves and God, however much we might waver and hedge, God does not. He remains firm and faithful. He is the one who can be trusted to be who he has always been.
Questions to Consider
What makes you question God? What helps bring you back again?
Prayer
Gracious God, thank you for faithfulness, for being the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Your steadiness and strength is a great comfort. Thank you for your patience with my frailty. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)
Day 4 – Christ the Anchor
Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 minutes)
Scripture Reading – Hebrews 6:19-20
The purpose of an anchor is to hold a ship steadily in position. It is dropped to the seabed below (with chain attached!) and helps keep the ship steady in the midst of storms and strong sea currents. This allows the ship to maintain its position and keep steady rather than being blown randomly and dangerously off course. From this we get our metaphorical meaning of an anchor as a reliable or principal support, something that keeps us steady – in other words, what Jesus is and does for each of us.
We shouldn’t be surprised that the writer is suggesting how important our anchor is rather than claiming we don’t need one. The reality is that of course we do. Life will be full of storms and trials and rough seas. As followers of Jesus, we will not be spared these difficult times. But as followers of Jesus, we have an anchor that will hold us firm and steady through all that life may throw at us. God, through the eternal high priest Jesus, will be with us. At the end of this long section, in which he has chided the Hebrews for their lack of maturity, warned them against falling away, and encouraged them to develop discernment, it is fitting that he reminds them that, in all things, it is cleaving to Jesus that will keep them steady and help them remain firmly on the course God has set for them. When all else is wavering and unsteady, Jesus is the one thing that will keep us firmly in place.
Questions to Consider
How have you experienced Jesus as your anchor? How did he strengthen you and help you stay strong as the storms whirled around you?
Prayer
Loving Lord, thank you that I do not – in fact, cannot – have to do it all myself. Thank you for the unyielding foundation that a life rooted firmly in Christ offers. May I trust in nothing else but you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)
Day 5 – Priest and King
Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 minutes)
Scripture Reading – Hebrews 7:1-10
After name-dropping him earlier in the letter, the writer now explains the reasons why this rather obscure figure mentioned briefly in Genesis 14, and again in passing in Psalm 110:4, is such an important reference point. According to the Psalm the Messiah is “a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek,” Melchizedek being a rather strange character named as the king of Salem who, after Abram has rescued the kidnapped Lot, provides physical and spiritual sustenance for Abram, blesses him and praises God. What is the connection between this stranger and Jesus?
The writer draws the comparison between Melchizedek and Jesus, but also the further comparison between Jesus and the priesthood/Temple. Melchizedek and Jesus sound similar: “king of peace,” “priest of God,” terms applied to both. The combination of priest and king was not the way the Israelite system worked; they were separate. But here they are combined. And the way that Melchizedek appears out of nowhere, with no lineage or explanation of origins, highlights the point that Jesus’ high priesthood doesn’t rely on lineage either. His is a Godly appointment not based on descent from Levi. Therefore, the priesthood of Melchizedek and Jesus’ priesthood are greater than the Levitical priesthood, greater than the Temple system itself, not least because of their combined role as King and Priest. Verses 4-10 explicitly contrast the priesthood of Jesus with the Levitical priesthood to show the latter’s inferiority. There will be more on Melchizedek next week – this strange precursor figure who appears out of nowhere to provide comfort in a time of need, much like Jesus would do.
Question to Consider
What is the significance of the combination of priest and king?
Prayer
Heavenly Lord, thank you for your grace and your love for us, the way you turn up in our times of need and provide for us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)