Useful Bible Studies > Hebrews Commentary > chapter 10

How to be strong during troubles

Hebrews 10:32-33

In his famous parable of the sower (a story about a man who sowed seeds), Jesus discussed the different reactions of people to God’s message (Mark 4:1-20). If seed falls on a path, birds eat it immediately. That seed cannot even start to grow or to produce a harvest. That is like people who do not accept God’s message.

Seed that falls on good ground grows well. And it produces a harvest. That is like the people who accept God’s message. They develop and grow (become mature) in their Christian lives. And they produce the results that God wants from their lives.

But it is the other groups of seed that interest us here. They start well. But still they do not produce a harvest. It is possible to begin a Christian life well, but never to produce the results that God wants. And that fact caused the author of Hebrews to worry about his original readers.

When they became Christians, they were so patient in their many troubles. But they lack that quality now (Hebrews 10:36). They trusted God about the future then (Hebrews 10:34). But now they were not behaving like people who trust God (Hebrews 6:12). They gladly received God’s message then. But now they did not want to hear God’s message (Hebrews 5:11-12).

This passage reminds us how many troubles the first Christians had. It was not easy to be a Christian then. Christians had many cruel enemies. But we also see how much the first Christians loved each other.

And so the author urges them. You did not do all that in vain, he seems to say. Return to the relationship with God that you once had. Do not neglect your hope and trust in God. Be patient in your troubles, and he will reward you.

Next part: Better possessions (Hebrews 10:34)

 

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© 2014, Keith Simons.