Retrogression∙∙

Retrogression ∙∙

We must pay much closer attention to what we have heard so that we do not drift away from it. – Hebrews 2:1

Hebrews 5:11-14

 11 You have become dull of hearing.

 12 You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food.

 13 For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn’t know how to do what is right.

 14 Solid food is for those who are mature, who, through training, have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong.

Planetary motion refers to the way planets move in the sky relative to the stars. Typically, planets travel from west to east against the starry backdrop, a movement known as prograde motion. This is the regular, forward motion we observe most of the time.

However, there are periods when this movement appears to reverse direction, and the planets seem to move from east to west. This phenomenon is called retrograde motion. Despite how it looks, retrograde motion is not an actual change in the planet’s orbit. Instead, it is an optical illusion caused by the relative positions and movements of Earth and the other planets as they orbit the Sun.

Think of it like two cars on a racetrack. If a faster car overtakes a slower one, from the perspective of the faster car’s driver, the slower car might seem to move backward, even though both vehicles are moving forward. Similarly, when Earth, which is closer to the Sun and moves faster, overtakes an outer planet, that planet appears to move backward in the sky.

The term retrograde implies moving backward, reversing direction, or declining. It signifies retrogression instead of progression and relates to the concept of entropy from the second law of thermodynamics. Entropy describes a tendency toward disorder, degradation, or the universe’s gradual decline toward chaos and decay (James R. Newman).

In our imperfect world, it’s easy to lose momentum and forward progress, leading us to slow down, halt, or even regress.

Sadly, many of the children of the King feel they are not where they should be in their spiritual journey with the Father. Confronting this reality can be a harsh wake-up call. This was precisely the situation for the messianic believers, the Jews for Jesus, addressed in the book of Hebrews.

Hebrews 5:11-12

 11 You are spiritually dull and don’t seem to listen.

 12 You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food.

As we immerse ourselves in Scripture and grow in the Word, we learn to incorporate it into our daily lives. By doing so, we exercise our “spiritual senses” and cultivate spiritual discernment. A hallmark of spiritual immaturity is the lack of discernment. Just as a baby will indiscriminately put anything into its mouth, an immature believer may listen to any preacher without discerning their adherence to Scripture.

Our physical bodies rely on senses to function, and similarly, our inner “spiritual being” has “spiritual senses.” For instance, the Psalmist invites us to “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalms 34:8). Jesus also highlights this when He says, “Blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear” (Matthew 13:16). As we nourish ourselves with the Word of God and put it into practice, our “spiritual senses” are exercised and grow stronger and sharper. Paul referred to this process as training ourselves for godliness (1 Timothy 4:7-8).

Being able to discern between good and evil is crucial for Christian maturity. The Israelites during Moses’ time lacked this discernment, which caused them to miss out on their promised inheritance. Similarly, the recipients of this letter were at risk of repeating that mistake. In the Christian life, standing still is not an option: we either move forward and receive God’s blessings or fall back and wander aimlessly (Wiersbe)

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“I once heard a preacher say, ‘Most Christians are ‘betweeners.’

‘What do you mean by that?’ I asked.

‘They are between Egypt and Canaan – out of the place of danger but not yet into the place of rest and rich inheritance,’ he replied. ‘They are between Good Friday and Easter Sunday – saved by the blood but not yet enjoying the newness of resurrection life.’

Are you a ‘betweener’?” (Wiersbe)

REFLECT & PRAY

In our fallen world, drifting and spiritual atrophy are natural tendencies. We must make a conscious effort to counteract this decline.

Father, how often have I become complacent and strayed from the core of Your truth? Encourage me to renew my dedication, not just to recover what I have lost, but to surpass it and grow even closer to You.

INSIGHT

Hebrews 5:11 You have become dull of hearing.

The Greek term for “dull” is nothros, which conveys a sense of being sluggish, lazy, or negligent. It is often associated with culpable negligence (O’Brien). The Greek word for “hearing” is akoais, indicating the ability to listen with understanding and take appropriate action.

Understanding Greek verb tenses can shed light on this passage. The Greek verb translated as “become” is gegonte (from ginomai – to become). This verb is in the perfect tense, which in Greek signifies an action that happened in the past with ongoing effects in the present. Essentially, there was a time when they could hear and fully understand, but they have since grown dull in their hearing and now still are. They retrogressed.

Acknowledging this backward movement is crucial. A fitting metaphor is the atrophy of a muscle. When a muscle is regularly used, it stays strong. However, if a limb is immobilized in a cast because of a fracture, the muscle weakens and shrinks over time. Similarly, their spiritual sensitivity has diminished due to neglect, and they must recognize this regression to move forward again.

This issue goes beyond mere mental laziness; it is a form of spiritual resistance. There is no enthusiasm or yearning for the spiritual sustenance that the Scriptures provide. Instead, there is apathy and an overwhelming dullness. Their sluggish attitude is evident in their hesitance or perhaps their incapacity to listen, recall, or teach. They are now unwilling to put in the effort required to strengthen their spiritual muscles. They no longer wish to study the Word of God, meditate on it, memorize it, or apply it to their lives.

Their regression has led to a decline in understanding and the ability to teach, which is both ironic and tragic. They do not lack intelligence, but they can no longer employ it to grasp the deeper, more substantial aspects of the Word of God because they have become lethargic and obtuse.

However, there is good news. Spiritual degeneration is not permanent. People can choose to stop their downward spiral. The basic principles of the Word of God can be relearned and put into practice. A renewed commitment is essential to restoring our grasp of these basic principles and advancing to deeper understanding.

How do we get here from there? We choose to no longer remain in a state of dullness. We decide to awaken from our spiritual slumber and reclaim our vitality, developing a renewed hunger and thirst for the pure teachings of the Word of God as we renew our commitment to spiritual growth and maturity.

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© Dr. H 2024