Faith, my friends, may your faith be encouraged and strengthened and joy fill your soul over all we study today.
Welcome to chapter 2 of Hebrews here at afaithtalk.com. I’m glad you’ve come to study with me. I am reading the NIV so grab yours or go here. And get something to write with and write upon.
Before we begin, let’s pray.
Lord Jesus, this chapter is difficult to understand, so I ask You, take my hands, take my mind and lead us through these eighteen verses. All for You, Lord. Amen.
Read Hebrews 2:1
Warning to Pay Attention
Pay what kind of attention?
To what?
Why?
Read Hebrews 2:2-4
In the footnotes to the AMP the explanation for verse 2 is “It was a tradition in Judaism that angels, whom the Jews highly regarded, had an important role in God’s giving of the Law to Moses. See Acts 7:38; Gal 3:19.”
Sometimes it is very helpful to read in different translation or paraphrases. I love the AMP for it’s many bracketed explanations and the MSG for it’s plain and somewhat easy to understand words. Still, the NIV is the one I read most often. Another benefit to reading multiple versions is hearing or seeing something new is much easier that way. So if you’re having difficulty with this chapter, biblegateway.com also has the AMP and the MSG and lots of other Scriptures translations you can read.
Based on other studies we’ve done, the Law that came from God to Moses is this message the ‘angels gave’ and in it, nobody got away with anything. All sin lead to death. That remains the just punishment for those who “ignore so great a salvation” That great salvation is the Gospel of our Lord Jesus who died to save us. He died to cancel all our sins and bring us back into full connection with God. Don’t ignore the gift of Jesus. Eternity, your eternity depends on your relationship with Jesus.
This salvation was announced by whom?
Confirmed by whom?
Testified to it by whom?
And what was the amazing gift that still confirms it?
Read Hebrews 2:5-9
Jesus Made Fully Human
Here’s verse 9 in the AMP
9 But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while [by taking on the limitations of humanity], crowned with glory and honor because of His suffering of death, so that by the grace of God [extended to sinners] He might experience death for [the sins of] everyone.
David Crowder’s Forgiven song says it perfectly.
Complete and total forgiveness. Eternal Life gifted to us. And we get to escape the experience of death through Him. There is now nothing to fear. With Jesus we are assured complete and total victory.
Read Hebrews 2:10-13
Verse 11 in the AMP
11 Both Jesus who sanctifies and those who are sanctified [that is, spiritually transformed, made holy, and set apart for God’s purpose] are all from one Father; for this reason He is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters,
In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was what? that God, for whom and through whom everything exists.
It’s all for God.We’re all for God. Jesus made it so we could really be with God like we were always meant to be. And God made Him our Lord and Savior. All of life is through God. Not one moment of any day are we left by Him. Always He is watching, bestowing favor and blessing and giving grace over and over in place of grace already given. It’s like David wrote in Psalm 139 (AMP) here are a few of those verses:
Lord, you have searched me [thoroughly] and have known me.
You know when I sit down and when I rise up
[my entire life, everything I do];
You understand my thought from afar.
You scrutinize my path and my lying down,
And You are intimately acquainted with all my ways.
Even before there is a word on my tongue [still unspoken],
Behold, O Lord, You know it all.
You have enclosed me behind and before,
And [You have] placed Your hand upon me.
Such [infinite] knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is too high [above me], I cannot reach it.
Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in Sheol
(the nether world, the place of the dead),
behold, You are there.
If I take the wings of the dawn,
If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,
Even there Your hand will lead me,
And Your right hand will take hold of me.
If I say, “Surely the darkness will cover me,
And the night will be the only light around me,”
Even the darkness is not dark to You
and conceals nothing from You,
But the night shines as bright as the day;
Darkness and light are alike to You.
Read Hebrews 2:14-15
When Jesus said “It is Finished” before he died, he was declaring victory. He broke the power that death had over us and gave us Life. Took away the fear and gave us eternity. Praise Him.
Read Hebrews 2:16-18
Abraham’s descendants. Yep, I am one, if you believe in Christ, you are too. He is our merciful and faithful high priest and through His death, made atonement for our sins. Once for all, for all time. The perfect blood of Jesus making us all at-one with God. And not just then, but every single day. He is there for us. Trust Him. Believe Him. Count on Him. Talk to Him.
Pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. Remember, Trust, Live in and with Him. He is right there, closer than your next breath.
Lord Jesus, thank You for this lesson, these words, the wonders of Your Word. Thank You for the time to study and the many other things You lead us to through the words of this chapter. You are everything for us. In Your name, I pray. Amen.