HEAR HIS VOICE?

As some of you already know I have been afflicted with slowly deteriorating hearing in my left ear. While I can easily tell the difference when I have to shift the phone from one side to the other, some voices at the lower end of the register are more easily heard than others. As my ear doctor told me a year or two ago, if Sherry complains that I can't hear her all the time, she is correct in that diagnosis, since I have lost the upper third of the hearing register on my left side. Since my two youngest sons have very quiet voices, they are really difficult to understand from any distance.

Another related problem is when there are many competing noises in the room. The clash of dishes and silverware in the school cafeteria or any restaurant creates enough background noise that even my "good" right ear has problems sorting words out! Of course I didn't notice the problem as quick as I might have, after all, it is somewhat pleasant be ignorant of what most of the speakers have to say in school meetings and I don't miss the contentious and profane language that is becoming more widely used by our younger generation in public places. My greatest regret is loosing a visitor to our congregation partially because I misunderstood what the person was saying and I responded with a wrong observation and answer to their question.

Thankfully, my spiritual hearing is much much better so that the still small voice of God is heard in and through His revealed word. How much I wish there was something that we could do to treat the spiritual deafness that is rampant in our day. In time, I will probably be able to enhance my hearing ability with a hearing aid, but as we well know from scripture, those who are spiritually deaf can only be invited to listen for the Master's voice.

Yet, the majority find it difficult if not impossible because of the many worldly voices competing with the revealed Word of God. Just recently the library board in my county decided to open up on Sunday morning, because there is an apparent lack of activities in the community during that time period! Now the worldly people will have one more reason to avoid Church in that community. And the Christian library workers will have to choose between their career and their opportunity to worship.

I guess we should not be surprised at the deafness of the worldly, after all only a few people understand the declaration of the writer to the Hebrews in the first few verses today: that "in the past God spoke to our forefathers ... at many times and in various ways. The Greek words here testify to a width and depth of content contained in the Old Testament. The emphasis is upon many decrees and different ways. God spoke through dreams, visions, ordinances, through angels and in the law and prophets.

None of these Old Testament revelations contained the whole truth. They remained fragmentary, occasional and progressive. A final word of authority was necessary. And to that Word above all words, the revelations of the prophets looked forward. In verses two and three our author tells us that God's final revelation came to us through His Son. It is the excellence of this Son that is celebrated in our passage today. That Name above all names, the Logos, our Christ. His greatness is illustrated through His relationship to the created order, to God and to mankind.

Now, this writer to the Hebrew people knew their thoughts well. The early reference and comparison to angelic beings in this first chapter may confuse us. But it is known that the Jews of the New Testament era had a fully developed Angelology which had developed over time to almost rival the saint watchers of the Roman Church from the Middle Ages down to the Vatican II era. You see, the Jews had an idea that there was an angel for each blade of grass. It went much further than that. In modern times, some of our New Agers celebrate their relationship with some form of "spirit guides". I even know a person who believes in some mystical Indian spirit that protects his person from harm.

Now I do not want to undercut the teachings of the Scriptures that there are Angels who serve our Lord and protect His Church. Certainly the images of the popular fiction This Present Darkness and Piercing the Darkness by Frank Peretti are well worth the reading. However, let us be careful to remember that they are fiction nevertheless. Yes, we affirm that their are angels and they have some purpose to serve those who will inherit salvation. In fact, the whole point of our passage today is to downplay the importance of Angels in comparison to the glory that is in Christ. Remember, the angelic order and the general revelation evident in nature were not sufficient to accomplish God's eternal purpose.

And for many angel watchers in our New Age era, the angels are nothing more than background noise that would keep them from seeing the One greater. At least we here can better appreciate the writer of Hebrews who tells us that our Christ is far superior to the angels. Our writer quotes seven Old Testament passages to make his point and concludes in verse fourteen the point which we have been making:

"Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation."

Therefore, in the next chapter he applies the lesson of his argument. Our NIV text entitles the first four verses as a "Warning to Pay Attention". Because of the greatness of Christ's person, the dignity of His office, and the greatness of the revelation which He brought and His superiority over angels, the hearers of this chapter must pay careful attention to the words spoken by Jesus. The implication of this warning is that we ought to, as the Greek has it, give very close attention to that which may bring salvation. There were arguments in the Middle Ages over how many Angels could stand on the head of a pin. What good does such discussion accomplish? In 1917 the leaders of the Russian Orthodox Church gathered to argue about the colors of the clerical robes. Some leaders in our denomination want a widespread debate over the use of wine instead of juice for communion!

Do you see the pattern in these debates? The Hebrews of Jesus' time were more interested in the details of the law than in the coming of the Righteous One, the Messiah, the Lord's Anointed: Jesus Christ. When we consider all the topics that are most near and dear to us, we must continually ask ourselves if they can even hold a candle to the free offer of salvation given to us in and through Jesus Christ. To have us consider him is the purpose of both general and special revelation. If we do not pay attention and consider Jesus carefully, what good has an interest in angels, the second coming or any other biblical topic have for us?