Hebrews 5: Meat or Milk?
Isaiah 21-23, Proverbs 22:1-16, Luke 22:24-30, Hebrews 5
In this passage, the author of Hebrews first describes how Jesus can be a high priest even though he was not born in the line of the tribe of Levi, and then what this teaching means for us in practice.
First, he talks about Melchizedek in the Old Testament. Melchizedek is a lesser known Old Testament figure who takes on significance because he was designated a priest but did not come from the line of Levi. The author of Hebrews notes that this strange figure in the Old Testament story is then utilized in Psalm 110 in a Messianic way, and so he makes the case that Jesus was a priest in the order of Melchizedek. Jesus, it should not be that surprising to consider, was a higher and greater priest – the priest of all priests, if you like – than even any from the line of Levi.
But what does all this mean for us in more practical terms? The author of Hebrews then explains that in the last part of chapter 5 from verses 11 to 14. Basically, he says that while his first argument may have seemed too hard to follow, all that really means is that they were not mature enough to want solid spiritual food but were still – like spiritual babies nursing – trying to live on milk. We should then want real food, good nourishing Bible teaching, and not merely vague spiritually milk-y sentiment.
Are we growing in our spiritual faith, or still in the nursery? Are we desiring meat or milk?