Hebrews 5 – 7

Verse 5:2 talks about today’s subject, the high priest:

The high priest should have compassion for those who are ignorant of the faith and those who fall out of the faith because he also has wrestled with human weakness, 

Paul’s focus to the Hebrews is comparing the Old Covenant to the New. In this case he is looking at the high priest that they are all interfacing to God with their offerings and sacrifices. The high priest is the human interface to God and who Jesus became on our behalf. Jesus is the ultimate High Priest since He is the mediator for all with God and serves as both the priest and the sacrifice that “atones” for one’s sin, period.

Verse 5:12 talks about church today:

By this time, you ought to be teachers yourselves, yet I feel like you want me to reteach you the most basic things that God wants you to know. It’s almost like you’re a baby again, coddled at your mother’s breast, nursing, not ready for solid food.

Think about today and how church is done in most places. The pastor wants to ensure the basic message is given for each new believer that visits, without feeding the mature with solid food. Think about it this way, you have a school with K-12 and only one teacher. The teacher will teach to the lowest group justifying the older children can’t hurt hearing the basics again. From that you get a stagnant body that never grows.

Unfortunately the solution lies on you to grow with “small groups” and personal study time. Find a church that teaches and grows along with proselytizing to the babies. I find any service a good time to pray and worship God, then work with others to explore God deeper.

Verses 6:11 & 12 talk about when we may “retire” from working for God:

¹¹ We want you all to continue working until the end so that you’ll realize the certainty that comes with hope ¹² and not grow lazy. We want you to walk in the footsteps of the faithful who came before you, from whom you can learn to be steadfast in pursuing the promises of God.

We need to work “until the end” be that the end of our lives on earth or when Jesus returns. Either way there is not much saying we hit 65 and can retire from spreading the word.

Verse 7:15 is the crux of chapter 7’s message:

Doesn’t it seem obvious? Jesus is a priest who resembles Melchizedek in so many ways; 

I don’t have time this morning to dive into who Melchizedek  is and his significance. But he is being compared to Jesus often in this chapter. That is a significant message to the Jewish people and believe Melchizedek  background should be explored more for our education of Jesus’ significance over and above who He is today.