Hard Of Hearing

Hebrews is a book of the Bible that was written to Hebrews (Jews). They were the religious people of the day and followed the 613 commandments (not just the Big 10) which God had given to them plus they followed the traditions of the Pharisees. They were doing everything by the Book, so to speak. Yet, the author chastises them severely.

The author said that what he was trying to tell them was hard because they had become dull of hearing. (Heb. 5:11). When Jesus was on earth He had the same problem when talking to Nicodemus who was a teacher of Israel and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and you do not understand these things?" Jesus was saying that Nicodemus, of all people, being a TEACHER should have understood Jesus but he couldn't understand because he had become dull of hearing.

The recipients of this letter had become dull of hearing because all they had ever been taught was that the way to God was through the Aaronic Priests and the Levitical Law (613 commandments). They thought obedience to the Law gave them eternal life and if they messed up all they had to do was sacrifice the blood of an animal to make atonement for their sins. They thought they received their righteousness through obedience to the Law and the sacrificial system and this is what made them dull of hearing.

Even when God gave the law it was clear that the Law was intended to kill and not give life. The Law in its creation started out being a prohibitive way to God. Before the commandments were given to Moses on the Mountain, God set a boundary around the mountain. He had given specific instruction to the people that if they crossed the boundary they would die. If their livestock even wandered past the boundary they (livestock) would die. If they even so much as touched it they would die. (Ex.19:12,13) God made it very clear from the beginning that it was surrounded by death and was intended to kill. He didn’t bring it in to redeem, or to save, or make righteous but as a witness against them (Deut. 31:26). He brought the Law in to show them they could not keep it and kill all hope of ever coming to God by their obedience to the Law. (2 Cor 3:7-9 KJV) But if the ministration of death, written and engraven (10 Commandments)in stones.......and in verse 9, the Law has the ministry of condemnation. It was meant to condemn and kill us not give us life. However they didn't see or hear this message of the Law, instead they turned the Law into a way they could have eternal life and forgiveness and because of that became dull of hearing. Satan would have us prove ourselves holy by the Law which God gave to prove ourselves sinners.

The proof that they didn't understand the Law from its inception is found in Ex. 19:8, 'The people swore, “All that the Lord has spoken, we will do.” That oath didn’t last long. After Moses didn’t return (probably, at the most, 3 days)they thought he had died so they asked Aaron to make for them a ‘sacred calf’ to worship instead (Ex. 32). They didn’t make the calf as another God, but rather as a substitute in which to worship the True God, with which to come to God. When Moses returned and saw what they had done He was ticked! He broke the tablets signifying that they couldn’t keep their solemn oath; therefore, the Law was broken before it was even instituted. The Law was special, but not for the reason they used it. It was to keep them a separate nation for one purpose only, to bring the Savior, Jesus Christ to the world and to give them a picture of His death on the cross for sins. But they perverted the Law by making it a way they could become righteous, by making it their sacred calf.

Those to whom Hebrews was written had become dull of hearing because they were stuck believing the Levitical Law was their way to God, their way to become righteous and remaining righteous before God. By the time Jesus arrived on the scene the Law had evolved to the fullest extent after the image of the sacred calf.

The hardest people to reach with the Gospel of Jesus Christ are those who still believe their righteousness is gained by obedience to a Law and their good deeds instead of faith in the finality of the ‘once for all’ sacrifice of Jesus Christ. We still have those who worship the sacred calf thinking that makes them acceptable to God instead of believing righteousness comes by Jesus Christ as a gift from Him alone. Whoever adds the Law to faith in Christ have stumbled over the stumbling stone. In doing so they are still trusting in the Levitical Law (or a law the set up in their own minds), which was temporary and never could redeem them nor make them righteous. Trusting in a law, any law for righteousness only makes one self-righteous which God will never accept. Professing Christians often go a step beyond the Law and turn faith into a law they are to obey. They set their faith up as the sacred calf to work their way to God instead of believing it is the faith of Jesus Christ who has brought (via the cross) us to God and is keeping (via Christ's Priesthood) us with God. This is impossible for the stain of their iniquity remains upon them. Their obedience even to faith cannot outweigh the balance of their disobedience. Having been weighed their obedience will fall horribly short.

Deut. 31:26 Take this book of the law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may remain there as a witness against you.

Rom 3:21,22 21 But now the righteousness of God ‘without the law’ is
manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22 Even the
righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon
all them that believe: for there is no difference:

What is the witness of the law and prophets? They both pointed to and proved beyond a shadow of doubt that mankind never does right in the eyes of God because we have all fallen short of His Glory . No one has ever fully kept the even very first commandment, let alone all the others (remember there are 613 Laws). Until one discovers they are just like Lot without any hope of being saved from Sodom will they trust the Faith of the only One who can.

We are saved by the faith of Jesus Christ that all whom God has given Him will come to Him and we are kept saved by Him being our High Priest who intercedes for us witnessing to God by His wounds.

(1 Tim 1:5 KJV) Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned. From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling; Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say (dull of hearing), nor whereof they affirm.

To be continued - maybe