Hebrews Interactive Online Bible Study

Hebrews Four/Five

~ 13 day walk through Hebrews ~

~ for the edification of the bride of Christ and centering on Him in these last days ~

(*rules of engagement)

Welcome:

Welcome to the online Hebrews Bible study. We welcome anyone who wishes to engage with us during these thirteen days and even go through and/or post after the study has ended. Want to learn more about this study, be sure to check out the Hebrews Bible Study Page here for more info.

 

Today’s Study:

I have decided to combine chapters 4 and 5. It is good for us to remember that the Scriptures never had the numbers and breakdowns as we have today. We must never throw out context. I hope this study is edifying for you all.

 

Guest Commentary:

Guest commentary today is from sister Kayla Horne, brother & sister David & Linda Mann, Joshua Olivia and brother Sebastian Ombima.

 

“Entering God’s Rest”

by sister Kayla Horne – Missionaries to Uganda, Africa (Wyoming, USA)

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I had just set our baby down in her crib and sat down on the couch to put my feet up and rest when our toddler walked out from his snug place in bed, requesting, “Please mommy ‘ay’ down me.” One day my children will all be out of that house but for now I will take the sleep however interrupted and the minutes of quiet in my day.

Hebrews 4 describes the God’s rest in much the same way. If we have put our faith in Christ we have the Holy Spirit the guarantee of our future rest (Eph 1:13-14) but we are also persevering to enter that rest today (vs 7). What is rest? There is a huge industry that answers that question for us. The sell the best mattresses, televisions, game consoles, junk food, spa experience, and the list goes on. The book of Hebrews is showing us that Christ is greater! He is greater than grabbing a snack and sitting on a comfy couch to watch the latest movie. He gives greater rest than even the best mattress or spa treatment. He is the one who calms the winds of the tornado of my day and ultimately the one who will put an end to all sin, pain, and death.

True rest, true Sabbath rest is to be in the presence of God. The Israelites acted in unbelief and wandered, but the promised land is only a shadow of the true rest to come. In the whirl wind of today we must strive to enter that rest (vs. 11), we will only find true rest in the person, Jesus Christ. We come to Him by the living and active word and in prayer and the throne of Grace. The Word of God will pierce, cutting the sin that so easily entangles (Heb 12:1-2) and freeing us to run in the wind of today looking forward to the return of Christ. Prayer connects us with our High Priest who can sympathize with us giving us mercy and grace (vs14-16) in perfect timing just in the measure that we need it (Eph 4:7) So today when the whirl wind comes, and it will with deadlines or spilled juice, look to Christ who is greater than any other thing in which we could find temporary rest. The television, potato chip, magazine, and mattress will pass away. When the children are all asleep for the night look to the Word of God in faith trusting that a day is coming when we will perfectly be in His presence but that even today we may come before the throne of grace. He will give rest for today and hope for a perfect future rest enjoying Him forever.

 

 

Hebrews Chapter 5 

Brother and sister David and Linda Mann – Colorado, USA

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Hebrews Chapter 5

Through humble and broken hearts we see our own weaknesses, being always aware of the sin we ourselves are capable of we exercise compassion and gentleness towards those who are ignorant and in sin.   We should grieve and weep because of their sins.    As we pray for the sins of others we repent of our own sins especially.

Verse 7  shows that we should always pray to God for all our needs (never being self sufficient) with an understanding we are absolutely nothing without Him.  Knowing that it is Him saving us from death.   We are heard by God as we are reverent and obedient to Him.  The righteous live with a Godly fear and of being separated from Him.

Consider the sufferings sent from God as the true blessings which are not as the world thinks of blessing- relationships, houses, jobs, status;  but are crosses sent to us from God (being rejected, hated, reproached, and considered as nothing, physical sickness, problems with family, etc.).  These sufferings teach us obedience and bring us into a freedom from pride and selfishness.  He is the Salvation to all who heed and obey him in these sufferings as well.

Those who have learned to eat of “solid food” know and understand the importance of obedience and righteousness.    Understand that obedience and righteousness is not “works” as false professors say, but it is showing our love and thankfulness  to our Lord Jesus Christ.

David and Linda Mann
Aurora, Colorado

 

Hebrews 5:12 – 6:3   Milk vs. Solid Food

by brother Joshua Oliva – Louisiana, USA

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Someone once said the Bible is shallow enough for a child to wade across, but deeper than an elephant can traverse. It has also been said that the scriptures are shallow enough for a babe to come and drink without fear of drowning, but deep enough for theologians to swim in without ever reaching the bottom. The interpretation that I get from the set of passages in Hebrews 5:12 through 6:3 is that the Word of God can be both milk (shallow water) and solid food (the deep).  The difference is in revelation, growth and application. This can be achieved only by the study of scripture through the Holy Spirit.

All believers need “milk”, the fundamentals and elementary teachings of God’s truth or the basic surface messages (5:12). It is easily digested by a believer making it ideal for infant Christians. Infant Christians need to be fed and taught by more mature believers. They can only handle the basics (5:13). Yet as those babes in Christ begin to grow and apply what they are being fed and are learning, they begin to mature themselves. As they mature, they are able to start chewing on and digesting “solid food”, or deeper meanings of those truths.

As more growth and maturity take place, the believer begins to understand more. A little at a time, he begins to wean off of the dependency of having to always have someone who is more mature spiritually feeding him. Eventually the growing believer begins to develop a much better discernment allowing himself to more accurately determine the difference between right and wrong, of good and evil (5:14). They can now make better health choices as to what is good for them, or what is not good for them (what glorifies God, or what doesn’t). As a believer matures, and has a healthy balance of milk and solid food, he eventually grows into not only a stronger student, but a teacher as well.

When we are physically born, we automatically thirst, causing us to desire milk. As we begin to grow, we cannot survive off of milk alone. Eventually we hunger for solid food in which we need for proper nourishment to live. It should be the same spiritually. If we are truly born again, then we will thirst and eventually hunger for the truth that nourishes us spiritually. Although, too much food without enough exercise can hinder our healthy growth. We need to apply what we learn so we can blossom into strong adolescents, eventually becoming spiritual adults eating more solid food along with the milk. This is where ‘the rubber meets the road’ in the Christian faith, and a believer truly begins to grow in sanctification and wisdom. Just as when we become adults in the physical world, our spiritual growth and maturity will bring about more responsibilities.

The writer in Hebrews (5:12-14) is rebuking a group of fellow believers for neglecting their responsibilities. They were hindered from growing past the infant stages in their faith by staying complacent in the milk. Enough time had passed that they ought to be teachers, yet they are still such infants in the faith that they can’t even feed themselves. The writer states that the baby believers must move on from the fundamentals and into searching the deeper messages of the Lord (6:1-3). Stagnant Christians make stale Christians. We must consume the Word and trust the Lord as a desire to be obedient. Otherwise we are all just big babies. Let’s eat!

Note: Other scriptures to consider in this study are 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 and 1 Peter 2:1-3

 

Hebrews 4 is a great chapter

Brother Sebastian Ombima – Kenya, Africa

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The author talks about REST. The revelation I get is about SPIRITUAL rest. In the old testament under Mosaic Laws there was rest under the Law- e.g People resting in the seventh day. Revelation that I get here is about spiritual rest: rest from sin, struggles of this world, temptations etc. What do you think?

 

After Thoughts:

This quote is found a good brother in Christ’s website called LoudVoice. You can go to the direct link here.

“If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink,” Jesus cried out in the temple – a temple that was little more than a shrine to the glory days of Israel, a temple with no Shekinah presence and no prophetic word. Today Jesus stands and cries out the same words to a church that has no the prophetic word and no manifest presence of the Spirit. Verse 39 explains why: “the Holy Ghost was not yet given because that Jesus was not yet glorified.” The Holy Spirit is not given when Jesus is not glorified and His Lordship not recognized. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is the coronation of the Lord Jesus in the heart of the believer. Revival is the coronation of the Lord Jesus in His church.