Near to the Heart of God
A Study of the Book of Hebrews
Lesson 4
Hebrews 2:1-4
Words of Warning and Exhortation
I. Introduction
A. A comment from a seminary professor, and a bridge
that gave way
B. Where we are in Hebrews:
God has spoken through His Son Who is higher
than the angels (1:1-14)
Exhortation: Listen well! (2:1-4)
The Son became “lower than the angels” to save
sinners (2:5-18)
C. This is the first “warning text” in Hebrews
II.
Hebrews 2:1
Therefore we must pay closer attention to what we
have heard, so that we do not drift away.
A. Therefore” looks back to chapter 1
B. “We” – here is our first challenge
1. Does this refer to Jewish unbelievers (Mac Arthur)?
2. Does this refer to believers?
3. Does this refer to the church, composed primarily of
believers?
4. What does Hebrews tell us?
II.
Hebrews 2:1 and the meaning of “we”
1 Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, partners in a
heavenly calling, take note of Jesus, the apostle and
high priest whom we confess, 2 who is faithful to the
one who appointed him, as Moses was also in God’s
house (Hebrews 3:1-2).
12 See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you
has an evil, unbelieving heart that forsakes the living
God. 13 But exhort one another each day, as long as
it is called “Today,” that none of you may become
hardened by sin’s deception. 14 For we have become
partners with Christ, if in fact we hold our initial
confidence firm until the end (Hebrews 3:12-14).
9 But in your case, dear friends, even though we speak
like this, we are convinced of better things relating to
salvation. 10 For God is not unjust so as to forget your
work and the love you have demonstrated for his name,
in having served and continuing to serve the saints. 11
But we passionately want each of you to demonstrate
the same eagerness for the fulfillment of your hope
until the end, 12 so that you may not be sluggish, but
imitators of those who through faith and perseverance
inherit the promises (Hebrews 6:9-12).
32 But remember the former days when you endured a
harsh conflict of suffering after you were enlightened.
33 At times you were publicly exposed to abuse and
afflictions, and at other times you came to share with
others who were treated in that way. 34 For in fact you
shared the sufferings of those in prison, and you
accepted the confiscation of your belongings with joy,
because you knew that you certainly had a better and
lasting possession. 35 So do not throw away your
confidence, because it has great reward. 36 For you
need endurance in order to do God’s will and so receive
what is promised (Hebrews 10:32-36).
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great
cloud of witnesses, we must get rid of every weight and
the sin that clings so closely, and run with endurance
the race set out for us, 2 keeping our eyes fixed on
Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy
set out for him he endured the cross, disregarding its
shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the
throne of God. 3 Think of him who endured such
opposition against himself by sinners, so that you may
not grow weary in your souls and give up. 4 You have
not yet resisted to the point of bloodshed in your
struggle against sin. 5 And have you forgotten the
exhortation addressed to you as sons? “My son, do not
scorn the Lord’s discipline or give up when he corrects
you. 6 “For the Lord disciplines the one he loves and
chastises every son he accepts” (Hebrews 12:1-6).
• Let love of brethren continue (13:1)
• Don’t neglect hospitality (13:2)
• Remember the prisoners (13:3)
• Be sexually pure (13:4)
• Be free from the love of money (13:5-6)
• Remember your leaders (13:7)
• Don’t be carried away with strange teachings
(13:9)
• In Christ, offer up a sacrifice of praise (13:15)
• Obey your leaders (13:17)
20 Now may the God of peace who by the blood of the
eternal covenant brought back from the dead the great
shepherd of the sheep, our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 equip
you with every good thing to do his will, working in us
what is pleasing before him through Jesus Christ, to
whom be glory forever. Amen. 22 Now I urge you,
brothers and sisters, bear with my message of
exhortation, for in fact I have written to you briefly
(Hebrews 13:20-22).
II. Hebrews 2:1
Therefore we must pay closer attention to what we
have heard, so that we do not drift away.
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
“Therefore” looks back.
“We must” = necessity of corrective action
The reason for attentiveness: because God has
spoken fully and finally in His Son, who is “higher
than the angels.”
Some attention has been paid, but not enough.
Closer attention is required because there has
been “neglect” (v. 3) of the Word.
Therefore we must pay closer attention to what
we have heard, so that we do not drift away.
A. “From it” (NASB, ESV) is supplied.
B. What does it mean to “drift away”?
1.
2.
3.
To “slip away”
To go in the wrong direction
*To drift (as a ship that is carried off by the
current)
(Guthrie, p. 84)
“That church’s experience 2,000 years ago intersects
our lives in this way: drifting is the besetting sin of our
day. And as the metaphor suggests, it is not so much
intentional as from unconcern. Christians neglect
their anchor – Christ – and begin to quietly drift away.
There is no friction, no dramatic sense of departure.
But when the winds of trouble come, the things of
Christ are left far behind, even out of sight. The writer
of Revelation uses different language, but refers to the
same thing when he says to the ostensibly healthy
Ephesian church, ‘Yet I hold this against you: You have
forsaken your first love’ (Revelation 2:4).”
R. Kent Hughes, p. 48.
“C. S. Lewis sagely remarked: ‘And as a matter
of fact, if you examined a hundred people who
had lost their faith in Christianity, I wonder how
many of them would turn out to have been
reasoned out of it by honest argument? Do not
most people simply drift away?’” C. S. Lewis,
Mere Christianity (New York: Macmillan, 1976,
p. 124), as cited by Hughes, p. 48.
III. Hebrews 2:2-3a
2 For if the message spoken through angels proved to
be so firm that every violation or disobedience
received its just penalty, 3 how will we escape if we
neglect such a great salvation?
A. Spoken through angels
1.
2.
3.
Deuteronomy 33:2 (LXX)
Acts 7:38, 53
Galatians 3:19
He said: The Lord came from Sinai and revealed
himself to Israel from Seir. He appeared in
splendor from Mount Paran, and came forth
with ten thousand holy ones. With his right
hand he gave a fiery law to them [ LXX: on his
right hand were his angels with him]
(Deuteronomy 33:2).
This is the man who was in the congregation in the
wilderness with the angel who spoke to him at Mount
Sinai, and with our ancestors, and he received living
oracles to give to you (Acts 7:38).
You received the law by decrees given by angels, but
you did not obey it (Acts 7:53).
Why then was the law given? It was added because of
transgressions, until the arrival of the descendant to
whom the promise had been made. It was administered
through angels by an intermediary (Galatians 3:19).
2 For if the message spoken through angels
proved to be so firm that every violation or
disobedience received its just penalty, 3 how will
we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?
B. “Such a great salvation”?
1.
2.
3.
The Old Testament law could not save, it could
only condemn (Romans 3).
Neglecting the law brought punishment.
Neglecting the New Testament (the gospel)
disregards our great salvation.
2 For if the message spoken through angels
proved to be so firm that every violation or
disobedience received its just penalty, 3 how will
we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?
C. Escape what?
1.
2.
3.
Disobedience to the law brought punishment
on believers (like David).
Neglecting the New Testament also brings
punishment (1 Corinthians 5, 11).
Thus, we will not escape “divine discipline.”
IV. Hebrews 3b-4
It was first communicated through the Lord and was
confirmed to us by those who heard him, 4 while
God confirmed their witness with signs and wonders
and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit
distributed according to his will.
A. Question: How do we know it is reliable
communication?
B. It was first spoken by the Lord.
C. It was confirmed to the author and his
generation by those who heard it directly.
D. God confirmed their witness.
V.
Conclusion and Application
A.
The danger of drifting
“The transcending concern of this warning text is for
those who have heard. Even more, the concern is not for
those who reject the gospel, but for those who ‘ignore’
it. The concern is for one’s attitude – the one who has let
the greatness of Christ slip away – the one who no longer
marvels at the atonement – the one who no longer has a
desire for the Word – the one who really does not pray in
his spirit – the one who is drifting back to where he came
from and has little concern about his drifting.” Hughes,
p. 52.
B.
I am drifting when . . .
1. My sense of wonder wanes
2. Nearness to God is ancient history
3. My love and desire for God’s Word falls short of what I
see in Psalm 119
4. The realities of heaven and hell fade into the
background
5. I am unaware of the ever present “pull” of the world,
the flesh, and the devil
6. Prayer, Bible study, witnessing, and going to church are
a duty, not a delight
7. The Lord’s Table is dull and preaching is boring
8. My theology is in the fiction section of the library
9. I lack joy and gratitude to God
10. I’m looking for something “more” outside Scripture,
and outside of Christ
C. How to be an “Expositional Listener”
1. Meditate on the sermon passage during your quiet
time.
2. Invest in a good set of commentaries.
3. Talk and pray with friends about the sermon after
church.
4. Listen to and act on the sermon throughout the week.
5. Develop the habit of addressing any questions about
the text itself.
6. Cultivate humility.
Thabati M. Anyabwile, What is a Healthy Church Member?
Pages 22-25
D. To those who have never “dropped anchor”
24 “Exert every effort to enter through the narrow door,
because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be
able to. 25 Once the head of the house gets up and shuts the
door, then you will stand outside and start to knock on the
door and beg him, ‘Lord, let us in!’ But he will answer you,
‘I don’t know where you come from.’ 26 Then you will
begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you
taught in our streets.’ 27 But he will reply, ‘I don’t know
where you come from! Go away from me, all you
evildoers!’ 28 There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth
when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in
the kingdom of God but you yourselves thrown out. 29
Then people will come from east and west, and from north
and south, and take their places at the banquet table in the
kingdom of God” (Luke 13:24-29).
Copyright © 2008 by Robert L. Deffinbaugh. This is the edited PowerPoint
presentation of Lesson 4 in the series, Near to the Heart of God, A Study of
the Book of Hebrews prepared by Robert L. Deffinbaugh for August 3, 2008.
Anyone is at liberty to use this lesson for educational purposes only, with or
without credit.