The Epistle to the Hebrews part CXXXXI

Hebrews 6:4
"For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,” or "it’s impossible for those who were once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and were made partakes of the Holy Ghost"

(of the Holy Spirit). That’s what it said. They were made partakers of the Heavenly Gift. Now I’m not a Greek scholar, not by any stretch of the imagination. But once in while I’ll take a verb or a word and look it up and this word "partaker" does not follow what Paul says, "you have been indwelled by the Holy Spirit," but a "partaker" was just someone called along side to help, ie. to partner with. And it was just that. He didn’t really envelop them. For to be a partaker means that we eat or drink of Him, to belong to Him, again this is language used by Jesus which is found in the four gospels. And His meaning is only understood when we've been enlightened by the Holy Spirit as He opens up to us the hidden meanings and purposes of Christ. Another meaning is that we're con-joined to Him or closely united to Him.

Alright, let’s go back and see what the Scripture says and first, let’s go to 1 Samuel and we’re going to look at King Saul. Now I know a lot of people, a lot of Sunday School writers, think that Saul’s going to be in Glory, because they think he was a believer. No-no. Saul is another one of the typical candidates that Hebrews 6 is talking about. He was enlightened. And he spent a period of time under the influence of the Holy Spirit, but it never registered. He ended up turning his back on everything. 1 Samuel chapter 10, drop in at verse 6, and you all know the story. How that Samuel went and found Saul of the Tribe of Benjamin - a big, tall, good looking fellow - and anointed him King.

I Samuel 10:6-7
"And the Spirit of the LORD (and it’s capitalized, so we’re talking about the Holy Spirit, Yhovah) will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man. (in other words, Saul’s going to be different than he was before) And let it be, when these signs are come unto thee, that thou do as occasion serve thee; for God is with thee."

Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it? Alright but now let’s go on over to chapter 13 still in 1 Samuel, and drop in at verse 9. And here it is just a little while later, and here Saul is told to wait for Samuel. And of course, the enemy is approaching, and Saul gets impatient. He doesn’t wait for Samuel and he does something that he had no business doing.

I Samuel 13:9
"And Saul said, Bring hither a burnt offering to me, and peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering."

Did he have any business doing that? No! That was the job of the priest. But what’s he doing? He’s assuming his own importance. That’s not Spirit led. He is acting in the flesh, do you see that? Alright now then, come on down to verse 13. Now look what Samuel says when he gets there and this has just been done and Samuel says to Saul,

I Samuel 9:13-14a
"Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever." (but because of Saul’s rank disobedience, in lawlessness here it comes.) But now thy kingdom shall not continue:…"

Because of one act of disobedience? Yes. Because it showed that Saul was not really what he thought he was. Now, let’s see what happens as he moves on through his life, which of course, went quite a number of years. I think he reigned 40 years if I’m not mistaken. And let’s come on over to chapter 28, verse 7. Now goodness sakes, even a novice in Scripture would know that this is something that a man of God would never do. And look what he does.

I Samuel 28:7
"Then Saul said unto his servants, Seek me a woman that has a familiar spirit, (what’s he looking for? A fortune-teller, a soothsayer, a witch. See? Which was totally forbidden in Israel) that I may go to her, and inquire of her. And his servants said, to him, Behold there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor."

You know what happened. He sought her out, because he wanted help to determine how he should handle things at hand and so he thought the best way would be to bring up Samuel so he could talk to him. Well, I can’t explain that situation, but we know that in some way or another, Samuel appeared. Alright now let’s just come on over to see the end of this man who became a rebel and lawless. Chapter 31, still in 1 Samuel at verse 3. Now remember what’s been happening. Oh sure, first he was anointed King. He had the Spirit of God upon him. And then it wasn’t long until he took things in his own hands that he shouldn’t have done. Then he goes another step down and instead of going to ask the things of God, he goes to a soothsayer, a fortune-teller, a witch and now here’s his end.

I Samuel 31:3-4
"And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was sore wounded of the archers. Then said Saul unto his armour bearer, ‘Draw thy sword, and thrust me through herewith: lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armour bearer would not; for he was sore afraid." (after all this is the King) Therefore, Saul took a sword, and fell upon it."
What did he do? He committed suicide. That was his end. He committed suicide. And yet here’s a man that began with the Holy Spirit. Also II Samuel 28: 16 tells us: "The LORD had become Saul’s enemy."

Alright, let’s look at another individual in Scripture that everybody knows everything about, I think. Come all the way up now to the New Testament to John’s Gospel, chapter 6, and I’ll let you guess who I’m going to talk about. Who is another apostate that ends up killing himself? Judas! Now I’m not going to look up all the Scriptures, I’m just going to look at the one in chapter 6, and verse 70.