Hebrews 2:1–4

Explore the Bible
Assistant Professor of Christian Ministries, University of Mobile

PAY ATTENTION

Hebrews 2:1–4

One of the ancient symbols for the Church is a ship. The idea originated in the Gospel accounts when Jesus compelled His disciples to get into the boat and sail to the other side of the Sea of Galilee and then they encountered the ferocious storm (Matt. 14:22–33; John 6:16–21). Ancient art typically pictures the Twelve crowded into a stylized little boat with their wide-eyed faces visible above the sides of the boat.

It is a particularly appropriate symbol of the church to which the Book of Hebrews was written, a church under stormy siege. This church was probably a small house church somewhere in Italy, possibly in or around Rome. It is easy to imagine the huge waves that were poised above their “little boat” amid the persecutions of the Roman Emperor Nero. Some in the church also were in danger of being blown away from their moorings and drifting back into “the Dead Sea of Judaism.”

Listen! (1)

In order to counter this potential drifting from Christ, the writer has held high the supremacy of Christ as Prophet, Creator and Savior in Hebrews 1. In Hebrews 2, with the supremacy of Christ ringing in their ears, the writer warns the church to “pay much closer attention” to what they have heard so they do not drift away from Christ. The vivid warning here uses nautical, sailing language, suggesting the image of a ship whose anchor has broken loose from the ocean floor and is dangerously drifting away.

These Jews in the church had heard the gospel. They appeared ready to desert Jesus, and this prospect horrified the writer of Hebrews. Therefore he reminded the people of the importance of the message about Jesus. They needed to listen because the truths of the gospel were too important to push aside. 

The Peril of Neglect (2–3a)

The writer moves from a truth of less importance in verse 2 to one of greater importance in verse 3. The message mediated by angels was binding, so binding that “every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution.” The message declared by angels was the Old Testament law. Jewish understanding associated the giving of the law with the work of angels (Gal. 3:19). Our writer’s word is that the Old Testament law, despite its less impressive origin through angels, was still binding. God punished every violation of the law. Violation of a single commandment brought a prescribed penalty. People who deliberately disregarded God’s law faced death (Num. 15:30).

If even violators of the law received punishment, how much more could those who ignored, rejected and spurned the Lord from heaven expect judgment? Here is the more important issue. God’s Son Himself brought the gospel into view. Anyone neglecting to respond to its serious appeals could expect to receive God’s severest displeasure.

Truth Verified (3b–4)

The angels mediated the law, but Jesus was more than a mediator of the gospel. He was the divine Son, but He also was the incarnate Son, which makes His communication infinitely superior to that of the angels. The text says that the salvation “was attested to us by those who heard.” This primarily refers to the apostles attesting what Jesus said and passing it along from faith to faith through the succeeding generations.

God also bore witness through signs, wonders, miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit. These four things bore weighty testimony to the authenticity of the word of Christ and the confirming word of those who heard Him.

If the word of the law that was mediated by angels was so binding that every infraction was punished, then how much more accountable are those who have the word of salvation direct from the lips of Christ, plus the confirmation of eyewitnesses, plus the testimony of miracles, signs, wonders and gifts. Thus the weighty question of our text: “How shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?”