Jesus knows what it is like to be a weak human being. He suffered pain and hunger, slander and insults from men and women, and temptation from Satan. Although He was the Creator God, He was rejected by human beings He had made and forsaken by Father God. Yet, in all His weakness He did not sin (Hebrews 4:15).
Spiritual leadership by kings, prophets and priests in the Old Testament was appointed by God. The Kings led the people as shepherds under God's authority; the prophets came to the fore when the kings did not rule in a godly way; the priests led the people in worship, teaching God's Word, and making sacrifices to atone for the sins of people.
The previous verses show how God's Great High Priest was appointed (Hebrews 5:1-6). These verses show that Jesus continued to be in submission to the Father. It may seem strange that Jesus who is God the Son - co-equal with God the Father and the Holy Spirit - should submit to God the Father. It was a not a power contest but a real relationship choice, as should happen in the church: Ephesians 4:21 says, "Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ".
The writer of this letter had started to explain that Jesus was the Great High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-5:10), whose ministry was detailed in God's instructions for the Old Testament priesthood. But, before returning to the topic in chapters 7-10 he pauses, wondering if his readers understood what he said.
Maturity requires growing up healthily, relating appropriately and learning practically. The same is true for every believer in Jesus. Although a child could indefinitely redo the first year of nursery/kindergarten/pre-school it would not lead to maturity. The lessons learned need to be worked through practically to form a foundation upon which a lifestyle is built. Relaying the foundation, over and over again, will not enable walls to be constructed or the house built. So it is, growing up into Christ.
These are amongst the most pastorally difficult verses in the Bible. But they have a divine purpose. The writer is shocking his readers so they do not shipwreck their faith in Jesus (1 Timothy 1:18-20). The verses are full of potent words; absolute and not relative; definitive and not conditional. The word 'impossible' grabs our attention first.
Following the stark warning against apostasy (Hebrews 6:4-6), the writer uses the same agricultural imagery that Jesus used in the Parable of the Sower (Mark 4:1-20). Land which 'drinks in the rain' is soft; it is good soil - not hard, rocky or down-trodden. Well-watered fertile land will produce a crop: that is the only purpose of sowing the seed.
The warnings against apostasy in Hebrews 6:1-8 are so dreadful, and they are intended to be so, in order to stir backsliders into repentance. However, some with more sensitive consciences might think that they have strayed too far from the Lord and that He would not accept their repentance. They might think that God could not love them any more because of their behaviour; that they are condemned and past the reach of God's grace.
Our personal journey starts with Jesus, as we trust His loving sacrifice for us: it continues with Jesus, because He has promised to be with us all the way; and the destination is to be with Jesus for ever. There is no other safe path to walk. The writer has warned the believers of apostasy (Hebrews 6:4-8) and has also encouraged them that, so far, they have continued in the faith (Hebrews 6:9-10).
The life of faith we are called to follow has no immediate tangible rewards. Put simply, faith believes a promise of eternal life and peace with God. A better word than promise is 'covenant' – a binding promise in which there is blessing for keeping the promise and a curse for those who do not. But how do we know the covenant-promise will be fulfilled? In part, we rely on what we know of the character of the person making the promise, and in part we want to know how the promise will be guaranteed. That is where vows and oaths come in.
