Hebrews 10:26

[GodsChild1010]

<deleted, found what I was looking for>

 

[wayseer]

I think we all know this verse screw up alot of people. And alo of people take this out of context. Ive read quite a bit on it and have heard different things about it. Id like to hear what you guys have to say about it. This is what I hear from other outside sources.

Anyway Id like to hear some views and I would like sound doctrine to back everything up please.

I think Hebrews is a difficult passage to negotiate. It was directed towards the children of Israel. Reaching for my copy of the Jewish New Testament Commentary by David Stern I offer the follow cautious comments.

We are not sure if Paul actually wrote Hebrews - it seems to have been accepted that this piece of scripture was written after Paul's death. That is not a big issue other than I don't think one can necessarily draw a continuous line from Paul's writings as we have them recorded. Hebrews seems to stand alone.

That being the case I would sense that the subject matter under discussion here is what we might call 'Holy Fear' - that reverence extends beyond acknowledgment, exaltation or even worship, into something deeper. For those who accept Jesus in full recognition of His Kingship there is a greater responsibility.

This seems a good point to tell a story.

Once there was a King who was touring his Kingdom when he saw a beautiful girl. He gave the necessary orders for his attendants to buy the girl. In due course the girl was transported to the King's palace where she remained.

Over time it became evident that the girl was not well and despite the best physicians attending her illness, her health continued to deteriorate. The King called his resident prophet to see if he could determine the problem. The prophet, through his skill in psychology, found that the girl was in love with a man from her home village. On receipt of this news the KIng sent his emissaries to the girl's village to entice the man to the Palace.

During the interceding years the man had become a successful silversmith and on being approached by the emissaries assumed that he was required by the King because of his skill as silversmith. Thinking some reward was in store for him he went to the Palace.

Of course, on arrival at the Palace he found the girl and they fell in love and the King allowed them to be married. That could have been the end of the story - except.

Except the man became ill and died shortly after the marriage whereupon the girl found that she had really loved the King all along - they eventually married. (The full text of the story can be found in The Mathnawi

I think Hebrews is saying something similar - you don't need any more doctrine 'sound' or otherwise - you just need to 'get the message'.

 

[GodsChild1010]

I think Hebrews is a difficult passage to negotiate. It was directed towards the children of Israel. Reaching for my copy of the Jewish New Testament Commentary by David Stern I offer the follow cautious comments.

We are not sure if Paul actually wrote Hebrews - it seems to have been accepted that this piece of scripture was written after Paul's death. That is not a big issue other than I don't think one can necessarily draw a continuous line from Paul's writings as we have them recorded. Hebrews seems to stand alone.

That being the case I would sense that the subject matter under discussion here is what we might call 'Holy Fear' - that reverence extends beyond acknowledgment, exaltation or even worship, into something deeper. For those who accept Jesus in full recognition of His Kingship there is a greater responsibility.

This seems a good point to tell a story.

Once there was a King who was touring his Kingdom when he saw a beautiful girl. He gave the necessary orders for his attendants to buy the girl. In due course the girl was transported to the King's palace where she remained.

Over time it became evident that the girl was not well and despite the best physicians attending her illness, her health continued to deteriorate. The King called his resident prophet to see if he could determine the problem. The prophet, through his skill in psychology, found that the girl was in love with a man from her home village. On receipt of this news the KIng sent his emissaries to the girl's village to entice the man to the Palace.

During the interceding years the man had become a successful silversmith and on being approached by the emissaries assumed that he was required by the King because of his skill as silversmith. Thinking some reward was in store for him he went to the Palace.

Of course, on arrival at the Palace he found the girl and they fell in love and the King allowed them to be married. That could have been the end of the story - except.

Except the man became ill and died shortly after the marriage whereupon the girl found that she had really loved the King all along - they eventually married. (The full text of the story can be found in The Mathnawi

I think Hebrews is saying something similar - you don't need any more doctrine 'sound' or otherwise - you just need to 'get the message'.

Im confused how that goes with the verses, maybe im just not seeing it right. Im curious on why God would give us such verses that leave alot of people confused. Maybe it was done for a reason, like He personally wanted to give it to us when that person is ready, I donno..

 

[wayseer]

Im confused how that goes with the verses, maybe im just not seeing it right.

There are a few lessons contained in the little story.

First - The listener likes a happy ending to his story - an ending that fits in with the cultural norm. So when the silversmith and the girl marry it's another 'happy ever after' story - and we just love the warm and fuzzy feelings generated by such endings. Life, as we know, is not like that. There is much injustice and evil at large in the world and we rather it not so. We are therefore urged to retreat to some safe anchorage away from the maddening crowd. Many seek refuge in religion, other in drugs, others in their work. Alas, none of this works - yet we persist in the myth that every story must have a happy ending.

Second - Replace the King in the story with God. Once God has 'called' us that's it - we have been bought with a price none of us could jump over - we are sealed. Yet we continually look over our shoulder - we still hang on to our desires and wants and it only when these are taken away, which eventually will happen, do we see the reality of where our heart has been lying all along.

Those who recognise as much speak of this as Holy Fear - the realisation that their lives have been sealed and there can never be any going back. The writer of Ecclesiastes sums up his collective thoughts at 12:13

After all this, there is only one thing to say; Have reverence for God, and obey his commands, because this is all that we were created for.

Im curious on why God would give us such verses that leave alot of people confused.

I can offer no reply that might be satisfying. Perhaps many use 'confusion' as an excuse to do nothing - I don't known.

Maybe it was done for a reason, like He personally wanted to give it to us when that person is ready, I donno..

We all learn the lessons in the order they are presented.

Yours was a good question - it helps me clarify my own thoughts on the matter. God always works in twos - have you noticed that?