Hebrews 2:1-4
Hebrews was mainly written to Jewish believers who were returning to Judaism to avoid persecution or ridicule by the friends, neighbors, and families. The writer exhorted them to go on in the Faith to perfection. The appeal of this book is based on the superiority of Christ over the Judaic system. He is better than the angels, for they worship Him. He is better than Abraham, for He created him. Better than the priesthood, for He paid the supreme sacrifice once for all. He is better than the Law for He mediates a better covenant. In short there is more to be gained in Christ than wherever you were before. By pressing on in Christ produces tested faith, self-discipline, and a visible love seen in good works.
The writer is trying to impress the necessity of applying this to the Christian walk. “Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.”
How often do we let things slip? “It must have slipped my mind!” seems to be a popular phrase of many people. But it ought not to be that way with the Word and Doctrines of God. There have been countless times where Christians have stood before large audiences and not been able to give satisfactory answer for the hope that is within them. Not that they didn’t want to, they just don’t know or don’t remember. I know there have been times where I myself have had a hard time answering, or even couldn’t answer questions that I ought to have known or did know and then remember the answer later. Matthew Henry said Quote, “Our minds and memories are like a leaky vessel, they do not, without much care, retain what is poured into them.” Unquote
But God bears witness to His Word that it is steadfast and sure through all eternity!
1. The Concern Remonstrated.
We find that the writer is correct as he states, “We ought to give more earnest heed to the things we have heard lest at any time we should let them slip.”
The Greek word for slip here refers to water leaking through a crack in the pottery, the word means to flow or glide by. Only in this place is the word used as an unstoppable river. The words that were used to compose this phrase paint a vivid picture of peril in being swept past by a strong current just out of reach of safe anchorage. It is a warning and plea to give more earnest heed lest we fall away and destroy our lives and faith.
It is the great concern of every one under the gospel to give the most earnest heed to all that they find in the Scriptures, to all the directions that they realize in God’s Word. To prize them highly as matters of the greatest importance, to understand and obey them diligently in all the opportunities you have for that purpose, to read them frequently, to meditate on them closely, and to base your faith upon them. We must embrace them in our hearts, retain them in our memories, and regulate our words and actions according to them.
Jesus said; If ye love me, keep my commandments.
John 14:15 Later on in the chapter, V23 If a man love me, he will keep my words:
Keep His very words! not just the commands.
A young farmer boy regularly attended the Sunday school in town. While the father let him go he hated him for it, and took every opportunity to ridicule the lad. It was a small farm and the father regularly milked cows, while the son’s main chore was to split and bring in firewood. One day the father fell sick, which was very unusual, unquestioningly the boy picked up the milk pails after the wood was in and went out to milk the cows. An hour later he set the heavy, brim full, buckets down with a clang on the kitchen floor. The fathers voice snarled from the other room, “Where ya been, choir boy? Quit making so much noise! I want you to go out and milk those cows before dark.”
“It’s already done dad.”
“What? I don’t understand, why’d you do it?”
“Because I love you.”
A seemingly simple thing, yet he let the love of Christ shine through his young life. Through the ridicule he not only kept the commands of his father but also what he knew needed done.
He knew what to do because he had taken heed, he understood the situation. That is what the book of Hebrews is saying; take heed to the Scriptures that you might be armed to face trials and temptations. Every disobedience will receive just recompense before the Lord.
Proverbs 3:3-4 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
What we find in the Scriptures gives good understanding in God’s sight. We are to keep them, bound about neck and written on your heart.
Peter also realized and exhorted the importance of this; 2Peter 1:12 Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth.
Though you know them we can’t afford to forget. It has been said that if you slip when climbing it takes longer to regain the place you fell from than it took to get there in the first place. Keep truth always in remembrance, lest at any time you slip.
2. The Command Repeated.
This command is repeated many times over in the Bible if you take the time to look.
De 4:23 Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the LORD your God, which he made with you, and make you a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, which the LORD thy God hath forbidden thee.
Josh 23:11 Take good heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye love the LORD your God.
The Lord said unto Joshua
Joshua 1:6-9
Charge of David to Solomon
1Chronicles 22:12-13
And then in the book of wisdom;
Proverbs 7:1-3 My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee. Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye. Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart.
Not just to adults
Prov 4:1-4
Our lack of ability to remember comes from the corruption of our nature, temptations, worldly cares and pleasures. Sinning against the gospel is neglect of this great salvation; it is a contempt of the saving grace of God in Christ, making light of it, not caring for it, not regarding the worth of gospel grace, and our undone state without it. Later on in Hebrews says that to return to your old ways or to remake your salvation is to put Christ to open shame! The Lord's judgments under the gospel dispensation are chiefly spiritual, but are on that account the more to be dreaded. Even partial neglects will not escape rebukes; they often bring darkness on the souls they do not finally ruin. Even neglect can let you slip past that safe harbour. The setting forth the gospel was continued and confirmed by those who heard Christ, by the evangelists and apostles, who were witnesses of what Jesus Christ began both to do and to teach. And all this according to God's own will. It was the will of God that we should have sure ground for our faith, and a strong foundation for our hope in receiving the gospel. Let us understand this one needful thing, and attend to the Holy Scriptures, written by those who heard the words of our gracious Lord, and inspired by the Holy Spirit; then we shall be blessed with the good part that cannot be taken away.
3. The Conclusion Reached.
Well I’m not a bad person. I might not do all the things in the Bible, but I have not gone back to the world!
Let me tell you something.
James 4:17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed, because the message to us is spoken, not by angels or prophets, but by the Son of God. The message of the Gospel of Salvation through Jesus Christ, and to His words of instruction. The things which we have heard! Lest we should let them slip away from us because we drift away from them and refuse to heed them.
This consideration should be a strong motive both to our attention to the gospel and our retention of it; and indeed, if we are not attentive, we be able to retain the Word of God; inattentive hearers will soon be forgetful hearers.
Christ reprimanded the Disciples for their neglect.
Mark 8:14-21
Christ tried to warn them of things that would distract and they were already distracted!
It was the will of God that we should have sure footing for our faith, and a strong foundation for our hope in receiving the gospel. As at the giving forth of the law there were signs and wonders, by which God testified the authority and excellency of it, so he witnessed to the gospel by more and greater miracles, as to a more excellent and abiding dispensation.
Give more earnest heed to the Scriptures tomorrow, and all through this week, and more the next week, and more the coming month, and even more throughout this year, and more yet as your life goes on! Give More Earnest Heed means each day
Why because we ought to! God is bearing witness of your actions.
You will be surprised how much more you can realize and learn. Just remember it is not of ourselves“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” John 14:26
