Welcome to The Journey Church. I'm Pastor Paris Pasch.

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We’re on week three of our Hebrews study. Mike M has been our visiting teacher throughout the series to reveal the unique gifts among the body, two of which are preachers and teachers.  My purpose for such a presentation style is to show you that pastors can come in all shapes and sizes with differing emphasis and that is by God’s design.  Learn to draw spiritual insight from all gifts.

 

Teacher Mike Malszycki

 

At the end of the movie "Indiana Jones and the last Crusade, Indie, played by Harrison Ford and his father portrayed by Sean Connery are recovering from the adventure they just went through and Indie asks his dad, "well dad, what did you get from all this"? Indiana's father looked at him, thought for a second and replied "illumination" and they rode off into the sunset.

In our passage today, in chapter 6 the author says “therefore leaving the elementary teachings about the Messiah, let us press on to maturity...” His readers would have keyed in on the idea of teachings because from their earliest childhood they would have been involved in a very rigorous practice of learning and memorizing not only about the facts of the Torah and other OT books, but of putting those things in their lives. There was a high regard for children in Israel. Children were regarded as the best that the Lord gave the people. Training began at a very early age, most likely as soon as the child could speak.

The duty of every father was to teach his children. Deut. 6:4-9 was the center of what was taught in the home and later in the school system. “Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart.”

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The object of all that knowledge being taught, instructed, trained for the Jewish people was insight, or "illumination" as seen in Proverbs 2:3 – 5; “Make your ear attentive to wisdom, incline your heart to understanding; for if you cry for discernment and lift your voice for understanding; if you seek her as silver and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will discern the fear of the LORD and discover the knowledge of (or knowing) God".

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This type of education can be called a “culture of memory”. The place of the development of memory in their children was of primary importance. The purpose of the instruction was that the children may grow up to know and remember, and consequently obey, the Law. By the time of Jesus the Jewish nation practiced a form of education that centered on the Old Testament rather than on the arts, sciences and philosophy. The education needed to produce a living for themselves and their families would have come from apprenticeship style learning. Woodworking, as Jesus learned would come from competent carpenters such as his father, metal working from fathers and uncles who had practiced the art for years. The same with other trades.

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The Jewish nation’s educational practices centered around the Torah and learning wisdom for living from the OT books. People were literate back then in Israel, but it was not universal. The OT book of Ezra is probably the start point for the Jewish practice of organized schooling in Torah. Ezra brought together the returning people from Babylon to Jerusalem and read the newly rediscovered books of the Torah to the people in a public reading and instruction. The people and leaders seemed to dedicate themselves from that point on to getting to know God by organized training in His Word. The temple had been destroyed and the nation had to put itself back together, taking time, effort and money. Local efforts were made to keep corporate worship alive even though they could not gather at the national temple. The idea of Synagogues came along and over time local congregations sprouted and people could worship together and learn together in the Synagogue. Young boys were taught to read, to memorize scripture and teachings by rabbi’s were taught to the youngsters.

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This set the stage for the culture of the early NT where the now new Christians, coming out of the Jewish education system were learning a better, greater way - “The Way” as it was called at one point in the book of Acts. Our writer of the letter to the Hebrews was in a sense, re-educating his readers so they could see the foundation they had been taught led to the Messiah in which they now believed.

The author of Hebrews is encouraging, at one point even chiding his readers to be diligent in going beyond the first, elementary things they learned about the Messiah. He wanted them to go into a deep relationship with Jesus gained by seeking out passionately the knowledge of God as found in and by His Word, so that they would know God - personally and deeply.

To close the section of the letter about the old teachings and ideas that were not fruitful to carry on about, he introduces the teaching that there is a better way. The better, the more perfect, the greater is a constant theme throughout the letter. We have a solid hope (that hope is brought out again in Ch 11) a hope that is strengthened through the diligent, energetic practice of patience and faith developed by the study, memorization and meditation on God's Word.

 

Preacher Pastor Paris

 

Thank you Mike for helping us see the old Testament practice of education.  The book of Hebrews is corrective and encouraging as an example of what the church must provide to the church body and the world around them.  The author speaks to their slow growth due to allowing themselves the liberty to act out of their Hebrew training rather than their born again model of Christ Himself.  He strongly addresses their lethargy and complacency that we often see in the churches of today.  We see evidence of those who go to a church service and then leave the building with no plan to apply what they’ve heard.  This is described by the author as a sign of immaturity.

 

Hebrews 5:11–14 (NIV) We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. 12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

 

What would you think if your offspring never grew up?  What would you do if your 20 year old son still sucked his thumb.  What would you consider if your kids still live at home when they are 35?  Oops?  This is the exact sentiment of the author here.  He, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, is calling for us to mature into teachers and not simply continue on as elementary students.  He’s referring to all believers at this time not just a few really old and smart ones. 

 

And then the author is not done appealing to them in a very strong way.  Chapter 6 starts out with more corrective language.  This is a leader who cares about their souls even if he never gets invited back.  This is just like today where we have church members who still think its ok to kill babies at will through abortion, commit adultery among themselves and live in sinful life styles all the while attending the religious events of their choice.  We even have church members who vote into power people who promote such things.  The author instructs us on the value of discipleship training and we are being called to heed these same words in our day.

 

Hebrews 6:1–2 (NIV)Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death,  and of faith in God, 2 instruction about cleansing rites,  the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.

 

We must all be in some form of developing our faith or we are just like undeveloped babies.  What form of discipleship training are you participating in?  Are we in the church of Jesus Christ today, simply attending church, taking classes and taking in more information or are we giving guidance to those younger than we are?  Who are you discipling? 

 

The author then makes it very clear that living for and with Jesus in charge brings blessing, but living in compromise comes with dire consequences.

 

Hebrews 6:7–8 (NIV) Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. 8 But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned.

 

These are very intense words to be listened to by the young church.  Do we simply read them as history or as present day guidance from the Holy Spirit.  He states that diligence in our discipleship process is essential and calls out those whom he considers lazy.

 

Hebrews 6:12 (NIV) We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

 

Jesus is identified to these Hebrew believers in a way that describes Moses as having been superseded by our new high priest so everything has changed.  Jesus did not simply visit the tabernacle or temple once every few days or months and now nor do we.  We don’t go to church, rather we are the church that goes to a collective gathering regularly to get the next steps to living and operating as the living church full of priests.

 

Hebrews 6:19–20 (NIV)  We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, 20 where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.

 

We are regularly being encouraged to speak about living in this new relational world with God, where we speak regularly, ask questions, get answers and discern direction throughout the day. 

 

Now we are short of time to do justice to chapter 7 but take the time to read through it.  Chapter 7 is primarily about a unique figure called Malszycki, oh that’s not quite right, I guess it’s pronounced Melchizedek.  Now don’t get lost in the details as you read, try to stay in the imagery and meaning of Melchizedek being a shadow of Jesus.  It all comes down to Jesus being at the very pinnacle of our faith.

 

As we conclude for the day let us acknowledge that we are not mere observers who obey the static stone tablets, rather we are in a living, active, ongoing relationship with God Almighty.  So let’s live in this amazing new reality.

 

Next week we cover chapters 8, 9 and some of 10.  Read ahead and be prepared to learn.

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      Message Questions

 

1. What was deemed the most important thing for children to be taught in Old Testament times?

2. What was their primary source of education.

3. How did they learn their trades and skills?

4. What does the writer make clear about our Christ centered development?

5. Jewish people were being taught that Jesus was who in comparison to Moses?