Hebrews 5: Is that a Milk Mustache?

In Hebrews 5:11-14, Paul exhorts the readers to hear the Word of God and grow spiritually. If they don’t, they will remain babes in Christ or spiritual infants consuming “milk” or the basics of the Christian life instead of growing in spiritual maturity and consuming great Biblical truths or “meat”.

The Bible is full of rich doctrine and truth that help the believer through this life. If one takes the Word of God seriously and applies it to their heart, they won’t struggle with the same problems, addictions and habits. We should take responsibility for our spiritual growth and develop a closer walk with the Lord over time, graduating from milk to meat. Christians ought not have a milk mustache forever.

There are some stark differences between Christians still consuming milk or struggling with the first steps of their Christian life (faithful Bible reading, faithful church attendance, faithful witnessing) and those that have graduated to eating meat (living faithfully, seeking the Lord’s will for their life and studying God’s Word).

A mother’s milk will only help an infant grow so much. If they don’t eventually start consuming solid foods (meat) their growth will be hindered. Christians need to seek to grow through consuming God’s Word or they will not grow spiritually.

Infants are dependent on others. They depend on their mother for milk. Without the mother, the babe is helpless. Christians ought not rely on others for help and assistance, they should seek grow spiritually through studying God’s Word. They should become consistent and reliable in their service and not require “hand holding.”

Meat eaters are independent. They can cook and cut their own food without assistance. Similarly, mature Christians can resolve problems and difficulties in their life by studying the Bible and applying it their lives. They are consistent in this.

Infants cry a lot. Christians would do a lot less crying about their problems if they spent more time in God’s Word, coming to a greater understanding of the truth God has for them. They would then have the victory and become mature meat eaters.

While some may still be babes, every Christian must determine to become spiritually mature and not wear a perpetual milk mustache. If they don’t, consider what happened to the Corinthians that refused to grow spiritually:

1 Corinthians 3:1-3 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

The Corinthians refused to grow spiritually and as a result, they were carnal and caused strife and hurt feelings in the church. God help us if we always have a milk mustache.

I Samuel 18: The Critical Spouse

In I Samuel 18, David and Michal were a young married couple in love. Michal loved David. David was asked to slay 100 Philistines to earn Michal’s hand in marriage and he proved his love for her by slaying 200 Philistines.

But King Saul was jealous of David and sought to take his life. David had to leave behind the country and his wife, Saul’s daughter. Saul then gave Michal to another man, Phalti, to be his wife.

A lot happened over the next ten years. Saul and his son Jonathan were dead. His general, Abner, was now running Israel and promised to unite Israel under King David. But David only agrees to Abner’s plan if Abner takes Michal away from Phalti and gives her to David – her first husband.

A short while later, in a procession with 30,000 men, David lead the ark of God back to Jerusalem. It was a great day for the nation of Israel. The ark was where it needed to be, Israel was united and David was no longer running from Saul. There was great excitement in the air and David thought God was doing great things! David blessed the ark, made offerings to the Lord and gave some food and drink to all the people. What a time! David “danced” – he jumped and leaped for joy for what God had done. And he wore a linen ephod – representative of the ephod the priest would wear. Everything David did, he did so with an attitude of sincere worship and thanksgiving for the victory God gave.

And then David returns home to his wives and family. Think of how great it is to come home with great news and you have the privilege to be the first to announce it. Certainly, Michal will be just as excited as David about all God had done for Israel!

But Michal was not excited about what God was doing. In fact, she comes out of the house to meet him in the road before he even gets to the house and accuses David of making a fool of himself. She criticizes him. “You’re the king, why are you leaping through the streets in front of everyone?”

Why was she so critical? Why wasn’t she encouraged by the work of the Lord?

First, Michal changed over time. Remember, she spent ten years living in the house of her father, Saul. Saul was a godless king. The spirit of God had left him a long time ago.

And there no public worship in the days of Saul: 1 Chronicles 13:3 And let us bring again the ark of our God to us: for we inquired not at it in the days of Saul. During Saul’s reign, the people grew cold towards the things of God and Michal was no exception. She had become suspicious like her father and was also a false accuser and cold in her heart. If Christians don’t develop a walk with the Lord, they will become cold and indifferent to the work of the Lord.

Second, she had a heart problem: v.16 Michal despised David in her heart. Why? She was prideful and had little concern for God. We can see this was her problem by looking at David’s response to her attack: note v.21-22 “I will be more vile”, “I will be base.” David says: You’ve got a problem with me humbling myself before God because you’re prideful. You don’t care about the ark, you just care about the throne. And these maidservants you despise will honor me when you won’t.

She enjoyed the pomp and circumstance of being the King’s daughter just as much as Saul lusted to remain king. And while David was walking closer to the Lord while hunted by Saul, Michal was drifting farther from God in the palace. She didn’t share David’s zeal for service, worship and consecration. The ark of God meant nothing to her – the prestige of the throne was her goal. She enjoyed being the queen and her husband the war hero and king, but she had no interest in being married to a devout Christian that served and worshiped God. She didn’t like it when he took off his kingly purple robe and wore a godly linen ephod.

Michal’s heart was not right with God. David was praising God for what He had done to bring the ark to Jerusalem. He’s serving the Lord and giving God his best and what is she doing? Finding a way to be critical. Imagine that: David praises God with the whole country for bringing the ark to Jerusalem, he blesses the nation and the whole nation is happy with him – except one person: His wife.

And what was he coming home to do? According to v.20, have family devotions. She doesn’t care that her husband wants to read the Bible and go to church. She doesn’t care if he wants to spend time in prayer. She wants her husband to be her king-boy at home, not out serving God with the common people! And so, the one person that ought to be his biggest supporter is his biggest critic. The one place that ought to be a haven and rest for his weary soul – home – is a battleground. We ought to put our helmet on when leaving the house and take it off when we return. But because of a spouse that was critical and had little heart for God, David had to prepare for battle before he crossed the threshold!

After a couple trips home like that, many spouses don’t come home! I’m not saying that’s right, but I can see why they’d rather stay out doing something else than come home to their biggest critic! If you spend so much time criticizing your spouse, you better hope they’re patient – or there’ll come a day when you go out to meet them half way home to tear into them and there won’t be anyone there!

What she should have been for him: Proverbs 31:10-12 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.

Spouses should rejoice in the work of the Lord together, worshiping and serving together, not criticizing. Stay close the Lord and support your spouse.

John 11: For Your Sakes - What to Remember in Troubling Times

The Lord has great purposes for each of our lives. First, we must see our sin nature and our need for Christ. Then, it His desire that each of us become a great Christian, full of faith. And he makes us into that kind of Christian by using difficult trials.

In John 11, notice what God does to make Mary and Martha the great believers they were. Jesus is in Jerusalem when messengers from Mary and Martha arrive. They tell Jesus that Lazarus, their brother is sick. Based on Jesus’ response, it appears that Lazarus is terminally ill. Jesus tells the messengers that the sickness is not to result in permanent death, but rather so that God would be glorified.

In v.5, we read that Jesus loved not only Lazarus, but Mary and Martha as well. Jesus was going to raise Lazarus from the dead, but he would so in a way that would teach Mary and Martha how to be better Christians.

Jesus is informed that Lazarus is sick and he took four days to leave where he was beyond Jordan to get to Bethany where Lazarus was. I’m sure his disciples must have been wondering what the boss was doing. “Why is he waiting? This is a life and death situation, we need to get moving, Jesus!” Four days they waited and prayed. Finally, God came and did a greater miracle than just healing Lazarus. As a result, many believed!

Why did he make Mary, Martha and others wait on God? The answer is in v.15: “For your sake.” Jesus allowed Lazarus to become sick and die for their benefit. He desired those that knew Lazarus to believe that Jesus is the Son of God and offers eternal life. That’s why he was glad he was not there to heal Lazarus and prevent his death. If Jesus prevented his death, there would be no opportunity to raise him from the dead and fewer people would see who God is and believe on Him.

Think of how many people would never trust in Christ as their Savior if God never allowed anything bad to happen. If we never needed deliverance, why would we ever call upon the Lord? If we never saw how frail and powerless we really are, would we ever need God?

Now consider this. We see the big picture in the life of Mary and Martha. We’re cruising at 30,000 feet looking down and reading the announcement of Lazarus’ terminal illness, his death and resurrection four days later. We don’t see any reason for Mary and Martha to worry because we know the outcome. Why should they fear and be dismayed that Jesus didn’t come yet? Why do they worry? Don’t they know Jesus is God? Four days to wait on God is not that long. How confident we are in God when we know how the story ends!

But what about when you don’t know how the story ends? What about when it’s your family member diagnosed with cancer? Or you lose your job? Or some other calamity happens in your life and you can’t escape the pressure and cruise 30,000 feet above the situation because you’re in up to your neck in the calamity as it slowly unfolds, one plodding and painful day after another? You’ll give anything just to make it end! It’s those days when we need to remember who God is and what he is doing, just as He did for Mary and Martha:

Remember that He sees all things: He knows the suffering you endure. 1 Peter 3:12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers...

Remember that He is all powerful. He is in control. Look to see what God is doing – what is God accomplishing through your trial?

Remember that it is “for your sakes” that God does not provide deliverance when you want it. We don’t become more faithful and consistent Christians that trust in Him more and love him more because only good things happen. It’s when we continue to walk with him through hardships that we become better Christians.

Don’t accuse God. Mary and Martha blamed God for the death of Lazarus – “God if you did something, none of this would have happened. It’s all your fault!” When God allows something bad to happen, look to see what God is doing instead of blaming Him.

Remember that God does the unexpected. Upon learning of Lazarus’ illness, the expected reaction would be to heal Lazarus immediately, not wait for him to die. And we would certainly not expect to open a grave! But God is not limited to our expectations and be glad He isn’t: We’re not always right!

Remember, it takes time to build great faith. We’ll have seasons of pain and difficulty that will not be short if we are to be the great Christians God wants us to be. But praise God, those four days didn’t seem so long when Lazarus walked out of that cave! When we get what we prayed for, the season of prayer always seems shorter after the fact!

Remember, God loves us. “Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.” He loved them and had a purpose for them in this trial. It was for their sakes that he was not there. And he loves you and has a purpose for you in your trial. The sooner we figure that out, the sooner we can patiently wait on God.