Words'nTone

“God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world” (Hebrews 1:1-2).

I hadn’t caught it before as I should have.  One would think I would, especially after reading it at least a hundred times over and over again, studying it, and preaching through it in earlier days.  The writer of Hebrews (who I believe to be Luke, Paul’s companion) is concerned about our hearing and the outcomes of hearing in our lives.  I don’t think the preacher (who was preaching on the text) was making the connection—and I don’t even remember why he was quoting or referring to the verse in Hebrews, but that’s when I heard the connection.

“See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking.  For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from Him who warns from heaven” (Hebrews 12:25).

As the preacher referred to Hebrews 12:25, I noticed the speaking connection between the author’s introduction (1:1ff) and what amounts to his “theological” concluding remarks in Hebrews 12.  (Hebrews 13 is really a postscript and a rather lengthy benediction or farewell.) All throughout Hebrews the writer encourages us to hear the “many ways” and various “portions” of God’s voice from the Old Testament (cf. Hebrews 1:1ff).  These Old Testament voices (i.e., the quotes, allusions, and themes) spoke about God’s future final voice, His final Word, namely His Son.  I have preached it this way, too—in earlier days—but we tend to minimize, shrink the “sin” that so “easily entangles us” (in Hebrews 12:1) to just the privatized or the personnel sins we, individually, commit.  And, as we do so, we miss the larger, more important aspect the writer intends: Hearing how God spoke through His Son and what that implies.  The sin is abandoning God’s final voice, his ultimate spoken Word; replacing, changing, exchanging that voice for the multiple voices that clutter our hearing and make it difficult to obey.  Listening to the final Word puts us at odds with the world.  Shoot, it puts us at odds with much of our own faith community.

What was spoken was passed down, passed on:

“For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it.  For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty, how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?  After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard” (Hebrews 2:1-3).

We are to heed the final voice.

“Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith” (Hebrews 13:7).

And now the way we and others hear the final voice is through the faith and conduct of those who lead and “speak the word of God to you.” We are to consider what the outcomes of their hearing has produced and imitate their faith.  What onus on church leadership this is.  Are their outcomes just a result of civic faith, popular Christianity, an American life?  What cloud of witnesses makes up church leadership today?  The message of Hebrews might very well be a warning, not just to lay-Christians to “give up” privatized sins of the flesh, but more so a warning to church leaders that the church community follows their lead.  And, what they hear decides what we imitate.  Let me repeat, for here’s the rub, the warning, the danger: What the church leadership hears decides what we imitate.  So, what do they listen to?  What do our church leaders hear?  And then, consider the result of their conduct and imitate their faith.  That’s what we should be listening to (based on the message of the writer-preacher of Hebrews).  Hebrews, as we move away from just responding in our privatized, personal way, has implications about the nature of the church and its mission. I think it is time we start listening better.  A fresh and perhaps a more appropriate hearing of this sermon (i.e., Hebrews) needs unpacking.  I have, myself, to listen better.

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