THE WORD OF RIGHTEOUSNESS – Part 1

WBS.290

THE WORD OF RIGHTEOUSNESS – Part 1

Hebrews 5:12 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 Elohim; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.

13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.

14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

The Holy Spirit has been cultivating for several weeks, now, the message that will occupy the next few posts in this blog.  I have not known how or where to begin this subject matter until this past week. I was asked a question by a new disciple of Messiah. “What do I do, now?”  This brother gave his life to Messiah just a few months ago; and he has been desperate to grow up and mature in Messiah.  It has been wonderful to watch such commitment to the Master in contrast to the sleepy masses of believers that fill church pews every Sunday morning who have never seriously reflected on this question. 

The intention of my friend’s question had to do with how to pursue whatever it was that Messiah was calling him to do…or to become.  My immediate and simple answer to him was, “Our life in Messiah is not about what we are to do or what we are to become; but rather, how we are to be.”  If we do as our Master commands and take up our stake (cross) daily to follow him; then we will walk in obedience to the will of IAUE each and every day; and our daily obedience will bring us to what we are to be doing and what we may be called to become.  Our focus is not to be on either of these outcomes; but rather on what we are to be each day.

This may come as a total shock and surprise to most “Christians,” but what we are to be is righteous. I want to use today’s Scripture text to sort of “back in” to explaining this.

Hebrews 5:12 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 Elohim; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.

The first thing I would like to note from this passage is the implied expectation that ALL disciples should eventually (and that it should not take long to arrive at this point) be qualified, at a minimum,  to teach new believers the foundational “first principles” of the word of IAUE; and of life as a disciple of Yahushua.  We see just a few verses later in Hebrews 6:1-2 that these first principles were:

Repentance from dead works.

Faith toward Elohim.

The doctrine of baptisms.

Laying on of hands.

Resurrection from the dead.

Eternal Judgment.

How would you do as an instructor to young disciples on these topics?

The writer of the book of Hebrews is actually rebuking his readers in this passage for their failure to mature as disciples; and he attributes their immaturity to just one thing.

Hebrews 5:13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.

This word, “unskillful” (apeiros) means “inexperienced.”  These immature disciples were still partaking of milk and not able and simply not qualified to partake of meat because they were without experience in the word of righteousness.  They should have been teachers by now; but they were still base-level students all because of their lack of experience with the word of righteousness.  Why do I say “base-level” students?  It is because this word “babe” is from the Greek word nepios.  In the Greek there are three words used for a child:  nepios, teknon and huios.  The huios are the matured children who have learned to do the work of their father (it is also translated “son.”)  The teknon are the juveniles who are children in training; but the nepios are infants, unable to do a thing for themselves, totally dependent upon others to care for them. For a person to be a disciple of Messiah and remain a nepios, it is an insult to the blood of Messiah and the grace of IAUE.  Such a rebuke from the writer could have been avoided had they simply become experienced with the word of righteousness.

Hebrews 5:14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

We will discuss “strong meat” at a later time.  What I want to focus on in this verse is that strong meat is for those of “full age” (teleios) – perfected/made perfect.  This idea of being made perfect is restated as those who have their senses “exercised” (quite literally – which implies a designed effort to train) to recognize the difference between good and evil.  There has been purpose of heart to develop even a natural discernment to accompany their spiritual discernment…but unto what end?  To shun the evil and choose the good, of course…to choose righteousness.

We have discussed at great length in other series in this blog how it is the Father’s intention that the nature of the spirit of his son placed within us should find through our renewed minds, avenues of expression in and through our physical bodies.  This was an early focus of our Master in his own childhood.

Isaiah 7:14 Therefore IAUE himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

15 Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.

Shunning evil and choosing good is a natural by-product of the word of righteousness.  If we are still choosing evil, we are lacking experience in the word of righteousness.

More on this next week.