When our oldest grandchild was two years old, within a short time, he could operate our iPad far better than I could. It was just amazing to watch him flip through the screens from one application to another, master different children’s games, and access the pictures of the family. In short order, he was able to show some of the adults how to make this electronic gadget work. We were amazed at how adept he became with all this. I, on the other, am so unskilled in such things that I can only fumble around in frustration.

The book of Hebrews was written several years after the resurrection and ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ. There had been an ample amount of time for these believers to grow in their capabilities with the Scriptures that applied directly to them. Unfortunately, they had not grown beyond a very elementary understanding. In fact, they were still not grounded in even basic and essential doctrines. Therefore, Hebrews 5:12-13 states, “For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For everyone that useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.” There were three things that caused such a lack of spiritual growth. Verse 11 says that they were “dull of hearing.” They simply did not have enough interest in the things of the Lord to want to be under the teaching of God’s Word. This is why they needed to be urged to “not (continue) forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is…” (Hebrews 10:25). Just as we do today, believers were meeting weekly, and in many cases daily, to study, worship, and be encouraged in the Lord. But, apathy was keeping them from this needed time. They were also not spending adequate time in the Scriptures themselves. They could only digest the milk of God’s Word, because “strong meat belongeth to them…who by reason of use have their [spiritual] senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (Hebrews 5:14).

Don’t let these verses describe you. Cast away apathy. Make time to study God’s Word yourself every day. Then faithfully place yourself under the sound teaching of God’s Word at a local church that proclaims a clear gospel and the right division of the Scriptures.