Hebrews 2:1 - Forerunner Commentary

Hebrews 2:1

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Articles, Bible studies, and sermons that contain Hebrews 2:1:

Hebrews 2:1-4
Excerpted from: What Do We Do at the End of an Age?

As you are probably aware, Hebrews is dedicated to showing the supremacy of Jesus Christ over every being and institution except the Father. The previous chapter establishes Christ's role as the Son of the Highest, and thus a divine Messenger who is superior to all the prophets and all the angels. So, the author begins by reminding the audience of the overwhelming significance of this Messenger, and thus, His message. That's what leads up to this therefore statement in verse 1.

In other words, because of the overarching significance of Jesus Christ and His gospel message, the author says we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard so we don't drift away from it. Here is an early hint that the pressure at the end of an age can lead to drifting, which is something for us to watch out for. As the intensity of the times increases, we can either use it to draw closer to God and grow stronger now, or we can drift, and end up spiritually out of shape and unprepared for when things really get tough.

Starting in verse 2, the author adds some weight to his admonition by using a contrast. The word spoken through angels is a reference to the covenant with Israel, in which angels played a key role (Acts 7:53; Galatians 3:19; see Deuteronomy 33:2). He points out that God backed up fully everything that was delivered to Israel through these lesser messengers.

Then he takes it one step further and asks rhetorically that if the previous things were binding, how can we expect to escape fitting retribution if we neglect, as it says, so great a salvation. He identifies the salvation as first being announced by the Lord, meaning the gospel of the Kingdom. He goes on to say that this message was confirmed by those who heard Christ, and the Father Himself also bore witness to His Messenger and His message in various ways. In other words, if what was spoken to Israel was backed-up, and covenant-breaking was dealt with decisively, we dare not think that God will let us off the hook if we let this far greater opportunity slip out of our hands.

This passage about neglecting salvation teaches that salvation is not limited just to having our sins forgiven. This world's Christianity tends to view salvation quite narrowly, as relating only to Christ's blood paying for our sins in the past. When combined with the pestiferous belief in once saved, always saved, the general approach within much of Protestantism is that Jesus either has done or will do it all for us, so we just have to vaguely believe, claim the blood, and then live life pretty much as we want because His grace is so great.

Yet notice that God's word says salvation can be neglected or ignored, with the implication that doing so will have devastating consequences. That flies in the face of the idea of one's salvation being eternally secure. And there are even stronger and more direct warnings later in this book.

There is a significant event in Israel's history that the author may have had in mind, based on his rhetorical question about escaping. Please turn with me to Ezekiel 17. This is about King Mattaniah, who was renamed Zedekiah.

This is about when Nebuchadnezzar took the upper echelons of the kingdom of Judah into captivity in Babylon. However, God granted a sort of salvation to a remnant of Judah: They were allowed to remain in the land, and Nebuchadnezzar installed Zedekiah as the king. A covenant was made, and Zedekiah was put under oath, such that he and the kingdom had to remain subservient. It could not be lifted up.

But instead of gratitude for the salvation that allowed the nation to continue, Zedekiah broke the agreement by trying to throw off the yoke. He had made a pledge to get through the immediate crisis because he really didn't have any other option, but after that crisis had passed, he tried to do his own thing. It seems he could not accept that God had him and the nation right where He wanted them because of their spiritual condition. Even … . . .

Hebrews 2:1-3
Excerpted from: Our High Priest

Here, we see a complete change in the way God is working with His people versus Israel's relationship with God prior to Christ's arrival and His ministry. No longer is God sending the prophets as He did with Haggai, or angels as He did with Daniel, or a mediator. I am not saying He cannot. It is just not the norm. As He did with Moses. But the Son Himself now speaks to us. What a great honor and privilege we have to know and to know that we know we are directly being taught by Christ Himself, and what He has heard from His Father, He speaks to each one of us. No one before spoke as He is speaking. And it is through Him we see the Father. Certainly more than enough of a reason why we should of course give the more earnest heed. Christ, who is the express image of His Father, Christ, who made the worlds and upholds all things by the word of His power. In these last days has spoken words that are spirit and are life for each one of us. It is a great advantage to us to listen, just as it would be a great loss to ourselves if we failed to give heed and obey.

Hebrews 2:1-3
Excerpted from: Examples of Divine Justice

This is where Paul warns us not to neglect so great salvation. So we have a similar illustration. The person who is neglecting his salvation is not deliberately setting his mind to turn away from God—His way of life. He is simply, through neglect, allowing himself to drift in that direction. He is not planning to go that way. He gets distracted by things in his life—by hobbies, by work, by rearing children, and a great many other things that it could be. It does not matter what it is, but he allows himself to neglect what has been given to him.

The metaphor that is used there in Hebrews 2 is of a boat that has slipped its mooring and it is drifting within the harbor. Just drifting with the current.

Articles
Contend Earnestly
Eating: How Good It Is! (Part Seven)
Living by Faith and God's Justice
Many Are Called, Few Are Chosen
Presumption and Divine Justice
Presumption and Divine Justice (Part Two)
Remaining Unleavened
The Beatitudes, Part Two: Poor in Spirit
The Elements of Motivation (Part One): Fear
Why Hebrews Was Written (Part Ten): Christianity's Claims
Why Hebrews Was Written (Part Thirteen): Hebrews 2 and the Next Five Years  (2)
Why Was Hebrews Written? (Part Eleven): God Is Not Silent

Bible Studies
Are You Justified?

Booklets
Prepare to Meet Your God! (The Book of Amos) (Part Two)

Essays
Each Other (Part One)
Each Other (Part Two)
Reaching for the Goal
The High Places (Part Six)

Sermons
The Need to Escape and Be Rescued
Make Sure NOW of Your Focus
Hebrews as a Sermon (Part Two)
Hebrews 12 and 13: Advice for the End Time
A Pre-Passover Look
Jude
The Five Warnings of Hebrews
Built as a Witness
Does Doctrine Really Matter? (Part 12)
The 'Rest' of Hebrews 4
The Teaching of Jesus and Prophecy
Hebrews (Part Eleven): A Simple Recap
Wilderness Wanderings (Part Two)
Studying the Bible
Deuteronomy: Being Careful
Lessons From First-Century Christianity
Four Warnings (Part Four): Founded on the Rock
Hebrews (Part Nine): Chapter 1: Jesus' Exultation and Christianity's Claims
Start Now to Begin Walking
Faith and the Christian Fight (Part 10)
A Feast Message From Hebrews
Our Awesome Destiny
Deuteronomy (Part 2)
What Is the Work of God Now? (Part 4)
Knowing Christ (Part 3)
Intimacy with Christ (Part 1)
The Fourth Commandment (Part 4)
Don't Take God for Granted
How to Know We Love Christ
Reflections on the COVID-19 Pandemic

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