I didn’t get very far this week – only through the next couple chapters in Hebrews, but I feel like I have hit upon something profound. Maybe it’s just me, but I’m gonna share with you. 🙂
7 In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications,with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. 8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. 9 And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him
Hebrews 5:7-9 (ESV)
Suffering Teaches Obedience
Jesus, God in the flesh, offered prayers and petitioned God with loud cries and tears for God to save him from death, knowing that God was able to do so, but was willing to obey God by letting himself be put on the cross. Jesus was told that it was not God’s will to spare him from suffering. He was told that God’s way would bring good – eternal salvation to all who obey him. He knew that obeying God wasn’t going to be easy, comfortable, or pain free. But he chose to obey anyway, when by his prayers we know he didn’t want to (at least his humanity didn’t). He learned what it really means to obey through suffering in obedience to the Father, even when his mind was screaming to run away.
We don’t learn obedience and faith by doing the easy things or the things we want to do anyway. We learn true obedience to God by doing the hard things, through suffering for his sake.
We Are Heirs to His Promises
so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
Hebrews 6:12 (ESV; Emphasis Mine)
We are his children through faith in Christ, and in him we inherit the promises he’s given to his people. God’s character is unchanging and his promises are true. Because we take refuge in him, this should encourage us to hold fast to the hope set before us, and give us a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul – in Him.
Though he’s given many promises to his people, the promise I thought of when reading this chapter came from Jeremiah 29 (which we talked about in a previous scripture memory song post). In that chapter he told Israel to seek the welfare of the city and people that had taken them captive (Babylon). He told them to pray for these people who had hurt them, because the people of Israel relied upon Babylon’s welfare and would benefit from it.
4 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. 6 Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. 7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.
11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the placeswhere I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.
Jeremiah 29:4-7, 29:11-14 (ESV)
He promised that he had good plans for his people, not to harm them but to give them a hope and future. After all of their suffering, they would call out to him, seek him and find him, and be brought back to the place from which they came: Jerusalem.
Tying It All Together
These promises are for us too! Whatever situation we are in, he has a plan and a purpose – for good and not evil, to bring us closer to him, so that we’d seek him with all our hearts. When we seek his will, and work through the hard things, the suffering, being patient and enduring for his sake, like Christ did, we learn what it truly means to obey, and in faith and obedience, we know we are heirs of the promises God has given.
