Hebrews 5:11-14
Ps Paul Cheng
“…the most natural thing in the world…”
~5 min read
Dear Bethelites,
There was a child who was about nine years old, and he liked to suck his index finger. The parents tried everything, from reasoning with him to disciplining, and even rewarding the child, but they just could not stop him from putting his thumb into his mouth. Then one day, the child was playing with his friends and one of his friends said, “You are a baby. Babies suck their thumbs.” That night as the mother tucked him into bed, the thumb naturally went into his mouth. Then he consciously withdrew his thumb and said, “I am not a baby.” And that was the last time, the parents ever saw him with the thumb in the mouth. How powerful is the desire to grow up!
The desire to grow up is the most natural thing in the world, as it is part of life. What is true in the physical realm is also true in the spiritual realm. Christians must desire to grow, spiritually. If a person claims to be a Christian who is indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and is not growing spiritually, he or she ought to realize that something is terribly wrong. Is it because he or she has become dull of hearing? This is what we want to learn from Hebrews 5:11-14.
I. The Problem With Spiritual Immaturity
Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing (v.11).
In the preceding verses, the writer of Hebrews had mentioned about Melchisedec. Melchisedec was mentioned only a couple of times in the Bible. It is difficult to know much about the person of Melchisedec based on the little evidences. It is even harder to understand how this person was a type of Christ, and how the priesthood of Christ got to do with us. This teaching could be so difficult to understand that some people would just shut their ears to hear.
Similarly, the writer of Hebrews must have much to say about Melchisedec, but it was hard to explain to the Jews who were dull of hearing. The word dull means slow, lazy or sluggish. It was not a natural condition, but rather, an acquired condition. In other words, they were not naturally slow, or intellectually deficient, but they had become spiritually inattentive and unreceptive. It was not like that in the beginning, but somewhere along the way, they had become dull.
They became dull of hearing so much so that the writer said, For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God (v.12a).
Here, the writer was very graphic because the first principles refer to the first things. In language, it means the first alphabets (e.g. ABC). The phrase oracles of God was not a reference to the Gospel, but the laws of God in the Old Testament (which the Jews esteemed very highly and were proud of having). Thus, the first principles of the oracles of God mean the ABCs of the Old Testament.
By way of illustration, one would not use an encyclopedia to start teaching a child how to read. He would use pictures and other visual objects, and slowly progress to words, and then sentences, and subsequently, more complicated phrases. God’s revelation to man progressed in a similar way. The Old Testament was His elementary teaching. It began with pictures, types, symbols and shadows which pointed to Christ and what He would fulfil. So, when God said, “This is a feast you must celebrate, or this is a sacrifice you must make, or these are the clothes the high priest should wear, or this is the ceremonial washing that is required,” they were pictures of the things to come. When the New Covenant and Christ had come, the writer of Hebrews was like saying to the Jewish believers, “Leave those pictures, baby food and ABCs of the Old Testament, and start eating the solid food of the New Testament.”
The problem with the Jewish believers was that they were not able to do so. Though a great amount of time had been spent on instructing them with the New Testament, they should have become teachers, but sadly, they had failed awfully. They were unqualified to teach because they did not even understand the ABC of their own faith. The phrase ought to be teachers indicates that it was expected of them.
In the same way, our church is entitled to expect more from us, because of our exposure to the Word in the worship services, prayer meetings, fellowship groups and DHW classes. If we have been serious with God’s Word, we ought to grow to a certain extent, and produce fruits. We ought to be eating the solid food (difficult doctrines) and be able to teach others the elementary truth. If not, something is wrong with us.
What Does It Mean To Be Dull Of Hearing?
- When a person heard the gospel initially, he might appear to be very interested in the Word, but slowly, he started to slacken. He had heard the truth only in a superficial way.
- When a person hears the Word, but does not respond to, or apply it, it is like the truth which is heard and not internalized and maintained, will be lost. As the saying goes, “When you do not use it, you will lose it.”
- There are many who claim to love Christ, but they never read the Bible during the week. Their Bibles would be on the shelves, only to be carried to church on Sundays. Even when they attend the worship services, they would be daydreaming or distracted with other thoughts.
- There are others who think they already know everything. Their attitude is, “Teach me something I do not know.” The truth of the matter is that the more one studies the Bible, the deeper and richer it becomes, and he cannot help it, but to run after the Bible with greater zeal.
- There are yet others who may not want to dwell deep into the difficult doctrines of the Bible (c.f. 2 Peter 3:16). They are happy with learning only the basics but they are uncomfortable when asked to learn the deeper things.
- Even preachers are not spared. If the preacher would not bother to teach and preach on the things hard to be understood in the Bible; the more he neglects to teach them, the lesser those doctrines would mean to him. Slowly but surely, his heart would be dull of hearing. No faithful servant of God should be a dull and lazy Christian. He ought to learn from the Apostle Paul who said, For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God (Acts 20:27).
All the above are indications of someone who is dull of hearing.
My friend, we need to ask ourselves, “Do I know the Word of God well enough to help others? Am I hard to teach? Am I a growing Christian? Why are others growing spiritually, while I seem to be stagnant?” Perhaps, I have become dull of hearing!
(To be continued in our next pastoral chat)
With love in Christ,
Pastor Paul Cheng
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