Defiled!
"Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has
trampled the son of God under foot, counted the blood of the covenant by which
he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the spirit of grace?" (Hebrews
10:29)
Imagine for a moment inheriting a family heirloom. Perhaps ,it is a precious
vase or piece of pottery. Now imagine that when it is given to you it is not
received with appreciation. Pretend you take the vase out to your driveway, and
in defiance you smash it with your hammer! The precious gift is defiled!
Here the Hebrew writer uses strong terms to describe the attitude of the
apostate. He has "trampled", "insulted", and "counted" a "common thing" the
gifts of God! To "trample" means to treat contemptuously. To "insult" is to
despise God's very spirit of grace. To "count as a common thing" is to deem the
very blood of Jesus as invaluable or worthless. In essence the apostate has
defiled the gift of God.
God's gift includes the death of his only son (Jn,
3:16), the blood of his son which sanctifies and cleanses from sin (Mt. 26:28),
and the "spirit of grace" or Divine favor from whence these gifts were offered
(Rom. 3:24). These gifts the apostate has defiled.
What other gift has God given? He has given us a family
name! We are called by his name - the name of God (I Cor.1:2), and the
name of his Son (Rom. 16:16). What if we by our lives fail to live worthy of
that name? Shall we defile the gift God has given?
God has given us a body through which we may have the
strength to serve him. God tells us to glorify God in our body (I Cor.
6:20). He reminds us that it is the "temple of the Holy Spirit". But, if we use
it to serve ourselves rather than the Lord, we defile the very gift he has given
us!
God has given us a family - his church, his people.
(Mark 10:29,30) He has richly blessed us with the greatest family on earth. But,
if I fail to serve them (Hebrews 10:24,25) and encourage them, then I defile the
wonderful gift God has provided.
So, my brother, praise Him who is the giver of all of these things! Honor Him by
living each day in gratitude for his gracious blessings.
By George Slover
From Expository Files 10.3; March, 2003
