Some of you have been reading ahead…which is totally acceptable. For those that are reading ahead is there anything in the next couple of chapters that stood out to you…struck your curiosity? Briefly.
Review:
· What is a doctrine?
· Can you list the three doctrines we stated last week?
o God/Jesus created all things.
o ONLY God is worthy of Worship…the angels told to worship Jesus!
o God NEVER changes
The writer of the Hebrews is building a foundation with which to make very a important point in the next chapter, chapter 2.
READ the end of Hebrews Chapter 1:10-4. He created all things and yet He will un-create or undo much of what we are familiar with… the heavens and earth. Last week we read a scripture in 2 Peter, 2 Pet. 3:10-3, stating that the heavens and earth will be burned up. Have you ever asked the question why? Did God just get tired of His creation and decide to start from scratch? As we look at chapter 2 there may be some reasons for this action.
Again, in the end of chapter 1 the statement is made of God’s unchanging nature. I personally get GREAT COMPORT and HOPE from this. He also restated the purpose of angels…ministering spirits, and that He/God never said to an angel “Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. The angels were sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation.
Read Chapter 2
As we begin chapter 2 we are going to find some important points that have their foundation or validation from chapter 1. If you were to think about how these Hebrew Christians received this letter…The letter was probably send to them as a group, probably delivered to one or several or a small group of trusted leaders. When they received the letter they would probably read through the letter before sharing this information with the general church. As we have heard many scholars believe their location was probably Italy, although not documented.
The church in that day may have a similar makeup as today’s local church to some degree, having a core of believers …those familiar to this local assembly- growing in their faith and searching for Truth…and those we would term as the crowd …curious but not yet committed. It could be assumed that many members of the assembly could not read. The writer of the Hebrews begins with the foundation of chapter 1. By itself chapter 1 is amazing, stating several major doctrines about God and in particular Jesus Christ!
As stated earlier, these Jewish Christians that were probably beginning to suffer some heated persecution, were beginning to drift back into their old ways. He wanted to reestablish the foundation that they began on when they came to the Lord…that is founded on Christ.
In chapter 2 verse 1 however, the writer of the Hebrews uses an interesting word to begin the chapter. He uses the word Therefore. Why is the word therefore used here and what is the point he is trying to make??
Because of these things, what I just stated, we ought to give heed or consider, to yield, or obey, or understand the following.. God is established as the Supreme Authority in chapter 1. Christ is clearly established as being FAR GREATER THAN those things named in chapter 1. The writer of the Hebrews makes it clear stating several key points that Christ is not just equal with God, but is God. (restate the three major doctrines above.)
God trumps religion. Judaism, or otherwise.
Because of Who He is we should give the following words HIGH priority!! If we do not guard, protect and ACT on these statements we will miss out on the benefit these words have on our relationship with God and benefit to our life. He states that these Hebrew Christians were in danger of letting their foundation slip or drift away.
· What was happening here? (These Hebrew Christians probably driven by persecution were beginning to slip back into Judaism.)
· What was the danger in this?
· Does this have any parallels to us today?
V.2-4 Read. Writing to these Jewish Christians, what did he mean by the statement in v. 3, “How shall we escape, ….if we neglect so great salvation?
· It seems that the writer if this book is reminding them that salvation is ESSENTIAL for ALL men, the Jew and the Gentile. Not just the Gentile. At this time the church was a mixed group not only of Jews and Gentiles, but also mixed with Jews that may have to some degree trusted in their heritage and not fully trusting in Christ for redemption.
· It seems that the purpose for the writing of this book is to encourage us/them to trust Christ alone and not all of these peripheral things, including heritage or familial affiliation. It is like someone saying my mother and father are Baptists and so am I. I am a good Baptist. I obey ALL of the Baptist doctrines and ordinances. And yet, the writer of the Hebrews would respond, “(v.3) transgression and disobedience have a just recompense of a reward. YOU also NEED A SAVIOR. How can we Baptists escape if we neglect so Great a Salvation… found only in trusting Christ.
· Judaism, like many religions can be a form of works salvation. Could they be saved by Judaism? Did Judaism EVER save them? Rom. 3:19-25
· These Jews had at one time learned about trusting Christ for salvation and had received Him willingly. However, they were letting their foundation begin to drift… Often, WE receive the Lord and over time begin to DRIFT and think that it is more important what we do for God than to LOVE HIM! He wants us to serve Him, but our foundation is found on forgiveness.
V.2b What is the meaning of every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense?
· EVERY sin has a penalty and must be judged.
· Is one sin ENOUGH…enough to separate us from God?
· Can you think of an example?
· Was Adam and Eve’s sin enough to separate them from God?
· Was their sin that bad? By our standards? By God’s standards?
· What was Satan’s sin?
Creation will be destroyed/ BURNED UP because of sin. Even the heavens in its vastness will be consumed and burned up.
Every transgression/sin received a just recompense of reward. Not ONE sin will go unnoticed and/or un -judged? NOT ONE! HOW SHALL WE ESCAPE if we NEGLECT so great SALVATION…. READ Heb. 9:27
The warning: Salvation is NOT an OPTION, it is a NECESSITY! John 3:18 Gen 2:17 Ezek. 18:4 James 1:15
How important is this point? OUR ENTIRE FOUNDATION IS WON OR LOST HERE! THIS IS THE CORNERSTONE OF THE FOUNDATION OF THE BUILDING THAT WE BUILD! Evidently these Christians did not have the old gospel hymn, “The Solid Rock” to help them remember…
The Solid Rock -
My hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus' blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
but wholly lean on Jesus' name.
Refrain:
On Christ the solid rock I stand,
all other ground is sinking sand;
all other ground is sinking sand.
Romans 15:4, “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that
through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” (Romans
15:4, NIV).
READ Heb. 2:5-8
v. 5 Further distinction between Christ and the angels. Man has a special place in the order of God’s creation. God did not give this dominion to angels. He set man over the works of His/God’s hands, not only in this world, but in the world to come. Gen. 1:28-30. I. e. Gen. 2:19-20 How is mankind doing at caretaking for God? Is His Church doing any better?(Hard question) Why?
V.6 quotes from Ps. 8:4-6. God did not have to make us so special.
V. 7-8 He set us over the works of His creation.
· How is this thought contrary to the thinking of the world today? (i.e. Man is just another member of this earth, and often demined as less important than other parts of God’s creation.)
· How does understanding God’s view of who He created man to be and the responsibilities He gave us impact our life and our actions?
· Do you feel special? Do you ACT special?
V. 10 He was Perfect before His suffering…He was shown Perfect through suffering. Suffering was in His forecast FOR OUR SAKE…it had to be. The Hebrews probably needed to be reminded of this due to their current persecution.
READ v. 11-3 God identifies with us in a way that He identifies with NO other part of His creation. In the movie “The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe” taken from the book with the same title, Edmund is the perfect man…perfect in the fact that he is overcome by his WEAKNESSES, found wondering toward the witches/Satan’s camp, lured by the sweetness of sin. As Edmund is brought back to the rest of God’s untarnished creation, much of creation stands in wonder asking WHY God even bothers with him/us. And yet, God stands in the gap for man/Edmund…fully identifying with his/Edmund’s plight, willingly suffering to pay for his debt. READ 2 Cor. 5:21
In V. 11-2 he uses an interesting term…Brothers and my brethren.
· How do you feel personally by the writer of the Hebrews using these terms.
· READ John 15:15-7
V.14 The writer of the Hebrews is going to begin to reveal to us JUST HOW MUCH Christ had compassion on us and IDENTIFIED with our plight. He takes the term inheritance and makes it personal. We were CREATED IN HIS IMAGE! We were brought into the family through SALVATION AND FORGIVENESS of sins, GIVING US FULL PRIVALIGES and a FULL INHERITANCE in the family of God. Above angels and other parts of God’s creation.
HOWEVER, THIS LOFTY POSITION FOR MAN DID NOT COME WITHOUT A COST. Christ’s identification with us cost Him a lot!! But, he willingly paid the price it cost, giving us FULL privileges and a FULL INHERITENCE.
Points of Doctrine found in this section:
· Salvation is ESSENTIAL for the redemption of man
· Man given dominion over God’s creation
· God sovereign over death
The Solid Rock – words by Edward Mote
My hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus' blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
but wholly lean on Jesus' name.
Refrain:
On Christ the solid rock I stand,
all other ground is sinking sand;
all other ground is sinking sand.
When Darkness veils his lovely face,
I rest on his unchanging grace.
In every high and stormy gale,
my anchor holds within the veil.
(Refrain)
His oath, his covenant, his blood
supports me in the whelming flood.
When all around my soul gives way,
he then is all my hope and stay.
(Refrain)
When he shall come with trumpet sound,
O may I then in him be found!
Dressed in his righteousness alone,
faultless to stand before the throne!
(Refrain)
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