Sunday: Tasting the Goodness of the Word
Read Hebrews 6:4-5. What were believers given in Christ while they were faithful to Him?
To have been “enlightened” means to have experienced conversion (Hebrews 10:32). It refers to those who have turned from the “darkness” of the power of Satan to the “light” of God (Acts 26:17-18, ). It implies deliverance from sin (Ephesians 5:11) and ignorance (1 Thessalonians 5:4-5, ).
Image © Rolf Jansson from GoodSalt.com
The verbal form here suggests that this enlightening is an act of God achieved through Jesus, “the brightness of His glory” (Hebrews 1:3, NKJV).
To “have tasted the heavenly gift” and “have become partakers of the Holy Spirit” (NKJV) are synonymous expressions. The “gift” of God may refer to His grace (Romans 5:15) or to the Holy Spirit, through which God imparts that grace (Acts 2:38). Those who have “tasted” the Holy Spirit (John 7:37-39, 1 Corinthians 12:13) have experienced the “grace” of God, which includes the power to fulfill His will (Galatians 5:22-23, ).
To taste “the goodness of the word of God” (Hebrews 6:5, ESV) is to experience personally the truth of the gospel (1 Peter 2:2-3). “The powers of the age to come” refers to the miracles God will perform for believers in the future: resurrection (John 5:28-29, ), transformation of our bodies, and eternal life. Believers, however, are beginning to “taste” them in the present. They have experienced a spiritual resurrection (Colossians 2:12-13), a renewed mind (Romans 12:2), and eternal life in Christ (John 5:24).
Paul probably has in mind the wilderness generation, who experienced the grace of God and His salvation. The wilderness generation was “enlightened” by the pillar of fire (Nehemiah 9:12, Nehemiah 9:19; Psalm 105:39), enjoyed the heavenly gift of manna (Exodus 16:15), experienced the Holy Spirit (Nehemiah 9:20), tasted the “good word of God” (Joshua 21:45), and “the powers of the age to come” in the “wonders and signs” performed in their deliverance from Egypt (Acts 7:36). Paul suggests, however, that just as the wilderness generation apostatized from God, despite those evidences (Numbers 14:1-35), the audience of Hebrews was in danger of doing the same, despite all the evidences of God’s favor that they had enjoyed.
| What has been your own experience of the things that these verses in Hebrews have talked about? For instance, how have you experienced the enlightening that the text refers to? |
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I went to school in a farming community and every year in spring (October in the southern hemisphere) we had calf-club day. This was a day where the school ran what was essentially a mini agricultural show. Kids would groom up their favourite calves and lambs and bring them to the parade ring where they would be judged for quality. It was taken fairly seriously and I can still hear the farming parents discussing the quality of the Jersey calves that their kids were displaying in the ring. Typical of any agricultural show, there were also sections for displaying produce, crafts and cooking.
The cooking section always smelled really appetising. All of the cooking was supposed to be done by the kids but I am sure that some of them were heavily supervised by their mothers. Sponge cakes that were the epitome of sponginess; no sag in the middle, no overcooking on one side. Scones with just the slight tinge of gold, floating like clouds just waiting for a spoonful of strawberry jam and a dob of Jersey cream. There were lots of other tasty goodies as well and by the time we were allowed into the exhibition hall, many of them were decorated with the red, green and blue of first, second and third prizes. And lurking somewhere in the midst of all that would be the grand champion winner emblazoned in gold.
The problem with all that food was that it was for exhibition. It was a visual feast and nobody, apart from the judges even got a bite. So we kids would look at the exhibits and just imagine what it would be like to eat it.
This brings me to the point of today's lesson. Tasting the goodness of the word does not sound like a visual culinary experience to me. Our Christianity is not a showpiece to be admired but rather a feast to be enjoyed.
Christianity is not a spectator event. It is a participation experience.
I have 'journeyed' alongside people who are terrified by the passage being referred to in today's lesson - similarly the bible passage referring to the 'unpardonable sin'. They live in fear of unknowingly 'crossing the line' where they believe God will withdraw Himself and His Spirit from them and not let them back in - so to speak. Each of these people had concluded that this passage was talking about 'impossibility' because God was no longer willing. And in exploring with them how they came to this conclusion, it was from the Christian teaching they had received or picked up along the way - either overtly or subtly.
It is so important for people to know that God is the God of second and third and fourth and ... seventy times seven chances - meaning not keeping count (Matthew 18:21-22). God will never initiate leaving us (Romans 8:31-39). And God will never run out of patience and refuse to let anyone back who genuinely wants to return (John 6:37). Rather, it is only ever we who will leave Him. Thus, the impossibility mentioned in Hebrews 6:4-6 is impossibility on the side of the person who has 'fallen away' because the falling away refers to, and involves, intentionally 'hardening their heart' against God's drawing. The revealing of everyones core 'heart' desire at the end of time will confirm this (as per 1 Corinthians 4:5; and Psalm 51:10 compared with Genesis 6:5).
Thanks for this, Phil. I had not directly connected Heb 6:4-6 with the unpardonable sin (aka the sin against the Holy Spirit) but now I see that that's exactly what this passage describes.
It is a law of the mind that if we persistently ignore certain impulses/thoughts, our minds will eventually completely ignore such impulses - just like it learns to ignore persistent smells or background noises.
If we do not respond to the Holy Spirit's call to "come up higher," the Spirit's voice will become just like the background noise which we no longer hear. And when we can not hear the Spirit's voice, there's nothing more He can do. (He cannot bring us back to repentance, for instance.) It's not a matter of God shutting anyone out, but a matter of humans shutting out God. And while some may continue as before, without any visible change, there is really no limit to the depths of depravity to which humanity without God will descend, and the evidence can be seen in the daily news.
Yes, the thought of no longer hearing God's voice should frighten us and lead us to resolve to respond quickly to every prompting of the Spirit, so our ears do not become dull.
And when we do respond to the Spirit we will experience more and more of the joy of the Lord!
I share this because this is something I need to work on in my own life to better myself and to be a benefit to others.
The psalmist challenges us, "O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him" Ps. 34:8.
Verses 9 and 11 call the "saints" and the children to revere and worship the Lord. Before any church leader can success fully lead his flock into this kind of experience, he must, of course, "taste" or himself and discover that the Lord is good. The surest proof of God's graciousness, kindness, and concern for us is found in our personal experience with Him. Our discovery of God is a growing and ongoing experience that deepens as time goes by. The more we "taste" the more we "see."
But it's strange that so many are satisfied with a mere "taste" of what God has to offer. When we discover that which is so "good" how can we subsequently ever be satisfied with less than this? Why aren't we inspired to continue exploring and discovering the even greater blessings God makes available?
One thing for sure is the 1 taste of the good things God has provided is not enough. We must dig deeper into the inexhaustible treasures of the Bible to experience new taste and discoveries of the hidden manna, the deeper truths that are placed there for those who are willing to become involved in more than merely superficial study.
There is a tremendous joy and excitement that comes from discovering the hidden treasures of the Word of God. The reward we receive is worth far more than the effort it takes to discover it. How much we miss if we are unwilling to put forth such effort.
What a challenge this presents. What an opportunity is ours to "taste and see," to search for, discover, and share with our family and friends deep secrets of truth that come from the very mind of God—truths that He has placed there to help us understand how good He is and that will not only develop but continue to daily nourish our spiritual natures.
Hello Nelson – I support learning all there is to be learned about the mysteries of our heavenly Father, though may I suggest that it is crucial to balance it through expressing love to our fellow man. Though it is intriguing and exciting to have His marvelous Truth revealed to us, His Truth is given to us for only one purpose - to deepen our love for the Father and to increase the Glory of our Creator when we extend it to our fellow man.
This is the challenge of the believer as it relates to learning ‘about’ God’s Truth – keeping revealed knowledge and Love balanced; sharing that which we have been privileged to understand to benefit others through us - 1Cor.13-1-3; John13:34-35.
Love’s power is creative, it is stronger than mercy’s power to cover wrongs. God’s Love undoes our sin-nature and creates in us a new heart and mind, creating a ripple-effect when extending love and forgiveness of sins by others against us.
When loving them through extending our forgiveness, the Creator’s power of Love is free to ‘create’, increase the new nature in us and the one we forgive; completely blotting out the stain/presence of sin committed against us – “moving it as far as the east is from the west” – Psalm 103:12.
Sharing God’s Love is what our focus needs to be on, no matter how tantalizing increased spiritual 'knowledge' is for us.
Thank you.
Thank you, Nelson, for encouraging us to dig deeper into the Word of God, rather than being satisfied with a, surface understanding of the"facts"of salvation. I understand that we can discover something fresh and new in the Scriptures every day if we will just dig.
Amen!
Thanks am back after long holiday