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Hebrews 5:11-14; 6:10-20

“Ye are dull of hearing” (Hebrews 5:11). Such dullness of hearing is a self-inflicted condition, brought on by poor choices. This dullness is actually talking about mental and spiritual laziness. Dull here translates a Greek word used only one other time in the New Testament: Hebrews 6:12.

After this much time, you should have advanced to being teachers (Hebrews 5:12). Instead, someone else needs to start at Square One with you. Because of your dullness of hearing, you have actually gone backward in your spiritual development.

You should be skilled in using the Word (Hebrews 5:13). You should be expert swordsmen with the sword of the Spirit. Instead, you’re babies.

Your spiritual senses are underdeveloped, weak, and flaccid (Hebrews 5:14). Your discernment of good and evil is atrophied. Exercise yourselves in godliness!

God neither forgets nor overlooks. He will amply reward love and its good works (Hebrews 6:10). Serving God’s people is showing love for God. Read it all

Micah 2:4-11

“He hath changed the portion of my people” (Micah 2:4).

Why did God do that to His chosen people?

What would compel Him to do that to Christians today?

“O thou that art named the house of Jacob, is the spirit of the LORD straitened? are these his doings? do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly?” (Micah 2:7).

“You that profess to be Israelites.” What an indictment! Reminds me of the times Jesus dismissed the claims of some to be children of Abraham (John 8:31-42; Matthew 3:9).

“Are my words of no value to those who live according to them?” Let no one dissuade us from the certainty that living for Jesus is worth whatever we might invest or lose in The Way. Read it all

Hebrews 4:14-5:10

Jesus, the perfect intercessor

• As a man, Jesus understands our temptations.
• As God, Jesus knows our every need.
• As our High Priest, He offered Himself to God as a sacrifice.

Why should we “hold fast our profession”?

• We have a High Priest in Heaven (4).
• Our High Priest understands and empathizes with our needs and struggles (15).

On what basis can we “come boldly unto the throne of grace”?

• Jesus can “be touched with the feeling of our infirmities” (15).
• Jesus was “tempted like as we are” (15).

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Amos 8:1-6,9,10

Neither will God be mocked. What we sow determines what we harvest. We must beware of sowing oppression and injustice. We must refuse to take advantage of another, the way they did in Amos’ day. God warned against this in Leviticus:

“Ye shall not therefore oppress one another; but thou shalt fear thy God: for I am the LORD your God” (Leviticus 25:17).

The concept of not oppressing another “resonates” in my heart. I’ve got to sharpen my sensitivity in this regard.

It’s interesting to me that oppressing another is contrasted with fearing God. Read it all

Hebrews 4:1-13

“For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it” (Hebrews 4:2).

• How well does faith mix with the Gospel in my life?
• Just how much does the Word profit me?

May God give me faith in His Word and make me faithful to His Word. If I do not accept the Word with faith, I will not enter into the promised rest.

The term translated unbelief in Hebrews 4:6 is used six other times in the New Testament (one of them in verse 11). Half of those times it is translated unbelief; the other half, disobedience. This reminds me that faith is faithful. Or to put it another way, faith works. Read it all