{"id":1640,"date":"2012-04-18T05:00:51","date_gmt":"2012-04-18T11:00:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/?p=1640"},"modified":"2023-05-11T06:16:02","modified_gmt":"2023-05-11T12:16:02","slug":"hebrews-21-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/?p=1640","title":{"rendered":"Hebrews 2:1-4"},"content":{"rendered":"

1 Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away.<\/span><\/em><\/h3>\n

2 For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward,<\/span><\/em><\/h3>\n

3 how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him,<\/span><\/em><\/h3>\n

4 God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?<\/span><\/em><\/h3>\n

therefore (v.1) \u2014 because of the superiority of Christ as the messenger \u2014 the Son of God through Whom God has spoken<\/h3>\n

give … heed (v.1) = hold to, turn attention to \u2014 in a practical way<\/h3>\n

drift away (v.1) = slip away, like a ring from a finger or a ship from a harbor \u2014 passing without regard<\/h3>\n

if (v.2) \u2014 fulfilled condition, not hypothetical case \u2014 “in view of the fact that”<\/h3>\n

word spoken through angels (v.2) \u2014 the Law (Acts 7:53<\/span><\/a>; Galatians 3:19<\/span><\/a>)<\/h3>\n

transgression (v.2) \u2014 the outward act of disobedience to the law \u2014 overstepping a line<\/h3>\n

disobedience (v.2) \u2014 the inward state that produces transgression \u2014 neglecting to hear<\/h3>\n

reward (v.2) = that which is due<\/h3>\n

This verse sets out a most important principle in connection with the governmental dealings of God: That principle is that the Judge of all the earth will be absolutely just in His dealings with the wicked. Though the direct reference be to His administration of the Law’s penalty in the past, yet, inasmuch as He changes not, it is strictly applicable to the great assize in the Day to come. There will be degrees of punishment, and those degrees, the sentence meted out to each rebel against God, will be on this basis, that every transgression and disobedience shall receive “a just recompense of reward.” In brief, we may say that punishment will be graded according to light and opportunity (Matthew 11:20-24<\/span><\/a>; Luke 12:47-48), according to the nature of the sins committed (John 19:11<\/span><\/a>; Mark 12:38-40; Hebrews 10:29<\/span><\/a>), according to the number of the sins committed (Romans 2:6<\/span><\/a>). \u2014 An Exposition of Hebrews<\/em>, by Arthur W. Pink, page 54.<\/span><\/h3>\n

we (v.3) \u2014 emphatic \u2014 we<\/span> who heard the Lord speak \u2014 Jews<\/h3>\n

neglect (v.3) \u2014 not “reject,” but recognize and admit but fail to do \u2014 Used in Hebrews 8:9<\/span><\/a> of God’s response (“regarded them not”) to Israel when they forsook the Mosaic Covenant<\/h3>\n

The Greek word here rendered “neglect” is translated “made light of” in Matthew 22:5<\/span><\/a>. In this latter passage the reference is to the King making a marriage for His Son, and then sending forth his servants to call them which were bidden to the wedding. But they “made light of “the King’s gracious overtures and “went their ways, one to his family, another to his merchandise.” The parable sets forth the very sin against which the apostle was here warning the Hebrews, namely, failure to give earnest heed to the things which were spoken by the Lord, and neglecting His great salvation. \u2014 Pink, page 56.<\/span><\/h3>\n

__________<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

The words “if we neglect” have their primary reference to the Jews of the period in which the writer lived, who had outwardly left the temple sacrifices, had made a profession of Messiah as High Priest, and who under stress of persecution from apostate Judaism, were neglecting attendance upon the means of grace (Hebrews 10:25<\/span><\/a>), were allowing themselves to drift by New Testament truth, were leaning back towards the First Testament, and were in danger of returning to the temple sacrifices, an act that would constitute the sin known as apostasy, from which there would be no recovery. The writer is trying to keep them from committing that sin. \u2014 Hebrews in the Greek New Testament<\/em>, by Kenneth S. Wuest, page 52.<\/span><\/h3>\n

Lord (v.3) = Jehovah<\/h3>\n

The First Testament was given by angels, the Second (New) was given by Jehovah Himself<\/h3>\n

those who heard Him (v.3) \u2014 the apostles<\/h3>\n

also bearing witness (v.4) \u2014 on word in the Greek = “joint-testimony,” “giving witness together”<\/h3>\n

gifts (v.4) = distributions, with the idea of “dividing among”<\/h3>\n

So, if the law firmly demanded obedience and justly punished disobedience, although given by inferior messengers (angels), how much more should we listen to the message given by the superior messenger, Christ?<\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

1 Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. 2 For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, 3 how … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1640","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-verse-study-hebrews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1640","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1640"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1640\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7798,"href":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1640\/revisions\/7798"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1640"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1640"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1640"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}