Ezekiel 7:1-9:11
Hebrews 5:1-14
Psalm 105:1-15
Proverbs 26:28

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Are We Growing, or Just Getting Used to Hearing the Truth?

New Testament: Hebrews 5:1-14 | From Spiritual Milk to Discernment

Hebrews 5 continues the truth introduced in the previous chapter: Jesus Christ is our great High Priest. Under the law, a high priest was taken from among men and appointed to offer sacrifices for sins. Because he was also surrounded by weakness, he could deal compassionately with the ignorant and wandering, but he also had to offer sacrifices for his own sins. No man could claim the office for himself. He had to be called by God, as Aaron was.

Christ did not appoint Himself. The Father declared Him to be His Son and “a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec” (Hebrews 5:6). Unlike every earthly priest, Jesus had no sin of His own. Hebrews 4:15 says that He “was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” He is the sinless Son of God and the only perfect High Priest.

“Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him” (Hebrews 5:7-9).

Jesus did not learn obedience because He had previously been disobedient. He experienced the full cost of obeying the Father in a suffering human life. Being “made perfect” means His obedient work was brought to its appointed completion. He went all the way to the cross and became “the author of eternal salvation.” Salvation begins with Him, is accomplished by Him, and is found in Him. The verse also refuses to separate saving faith from obedience. He saves “all them that obey him.”

The writer wanted to explain more, but the hearers had become “dull of hearing.” God had not failed to speak clearly. They had stopped responding properly to what they heard. By that time they should have been able to teach others, yet they needed the first principles taught again.

“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” (Hebrews 5:14).

A person can own every tool in a woodshop and still not know how to make a straight, clean cut. Skill develops by using the tools correctly, repeatedly, and carefully. Spiritual maturity works the same way. We do not mature merely by collecting Bible facts. Our senses are exercised when we hear God’s Word, believe it, obey it, and use it to judge what is good and evil.

Old Testament: Ezekiel 7:1-9:11 | God Sees What We Hide

Ezekiel’s message is severe because Judah’s sin had become severe. Jerusalem had not yet fallen, but God declared, “An end is come, the end is come: it watcheth for thee; behold, it is come” (Ezekiel 7:6). The people acted as though there would always be more time. There would not.

Chapter 7 repeatedly states that God would judge them according to their ways. Their silver, gold, and religious position would not protect them. This was not anger without cause. It was the righteous judgment of a holy God after long-continued rebellion.

In chapter 8, the Lord carried Ezekiel in a vision to Jerusalem and showed him what was happening around the temple. Each scene uncovered deeper corruption. There was an image of jealousy, elders offering incense to false images in secret, women weeping for Tammuz, and men turning their backs toward the temple to worship the sun. Outwardly, the temple still stood. Inwardly, it was filled with idolatry.

The elders said, “The LORD seeth us not; the LORD hath forsaken the earth” (Ezekiel 8:12). That lie gave them permission to sin in the dark. Yet the vision proves the opposite. God saw every hidden chamber, false image, and act of worship.

A warning light on a dashboard does not create an engine problem. It reveals that something is already wrong. Ezekiel’s warnings did not create Judah’s guilt. They exposed it. Ignoring the warning only brought the people closer to the consequences.

Before judgment fell in chapter 9, God commanded that a mark be placed upon “the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof” (Ezekiel 9:4). These people did not excuse, celebrate, or quietly join the sin around them. They were grieved by what dishonored God.

Spiritual maturity is not learning how to discuss sin while never examining ourselves. It is seeing good and evil as God defines them, grieving what He condemns, and turning from it. God sees what happens publicly and privately. No hidden room of the heart is closed to Him.

Psalms: Psalm 105:1-15 | Remember What God Has Done

Psalm 105 turns our attention from human unfaithfulness to God’s faithfulness:

“O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people. Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works” (Psalm 105:1-2).

The psalm tells us to give thanks, call upon God, make His deeds known, seek His face, and remember what He has done. Biblical remembrance is active. It brings God’s truth before the mind so that present choices are shaped by His past faithfulness.

“Seek the LORD, and his strength: seek his face evermore. Remember his marvellous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth” (Psalm 105:4-5).

The people were to remember both His wonders and His judgments. Mature faith does not select only the comforting parts of God’s character. It rejoices in His mercy, trusts His promises, and takes His holiness seriously.

Verses 8-15 recall God’s covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They were few and strangers in the land, yet God preserved them and kept His word.

In context, “Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm” concerns God protecting the patriarchs as they traveled among nations. It does not place religious leaders beyond biblical testing or correction.

Proverbs: Proverbs 26:28 | Lies and Flattery Work Ruin

“A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it; and a flattering mouth worketh ruin” (Proverbs 26:28).

A lie may be spoken with a smile, but it harms the person who receives it. Flattery is not honest encouragement. It praises in order to manipulate, gain favor, or hide the truth. Scripture says it “worketh ruin.”

The elders in Ezekiel lied to themselves when they said God did not see. The Hebrews were becoming dull because they were not using the truth they had received. A mature believer must speak truthfully, receive correction humbly, and refuse pleasant falsehoods that make sin easier to excuse.

Bringing Today’s Reading Together

         
Hebrews 5:1-14; Ezekiel 7:1-9:11; Psalm 105:1-15; Proverbs 26:28

Today’s readings show the difference between being around the things of God and actually responding to Him. Jerusalem had the temple, priests, elders, and religious activity, yet hidden idolatry filled the sanctuary. The Hebrews had received enough truth to teach others, yet they had become dull of hearing. Proverbs warns that lies and flattery lead toward ruin.

Psalm 105 shows the better way. Seek the Lord. Remember His works. Speak truthfully about what He has done. Trust the covenant-keeping God. Hebrews adds that maturity comes “by reason of use.” We grow as we put God’s Word into practice and allow it to train our judgment.

The clearest encouragement is Jesus Christ. He is the faithful High Priest who obeyed through suffering and became the author of eternal salvation. We mature by coming to Christ, continuing in His Word, obeying what He says, and having our senses trained to recognize good and evil.

The danger is not only open rebellion. It is becoming so familiar with truth that we no longer tremble at it, obey it, or let it search us. God’s Word must do more than pass through our ears. It must govern our lives.

Discussion Question | Today’s Reading

Where have I heard God’s truth repeatedly without putting it into practice, and what specific act of obedience should follow today?

Overview: Hebrews –  Click Here

The Tragedy of Rejecting Full Revelation, Part 1

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