Hebrews 2:1-4
If asked what the
difference between Christianity and other religions, it is that the Christian
God came to us and not us going to God.
The first two chapters
of Hebrews reveals the distinction of Christian religion. Hebrews tells us that
God has taken the burden to do the work of our salvation and to reveal Himself
to us. Considering that God has spoken to us, how should we respond?
In the last sermon,
we learned that our responsibility to God's revelation is to respond in
obedience. The instances that we go through in our lives and being obedient to
His word is how we should respond.
In Genesis 3 Adam and
Eve are in physical and frequent contact with God and were familiar with God.
God fully intended to have fellowship with people. God gave them instructions
which foods to eat excluding the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. After Adam
and Eve sinned, they were aware of who God was and hid themselves.
And they heard the
sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man
and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees
of the garden.
Genesis 3:8 ESV
There are many other
people which God also spoke to, like Noah.
And God said to Noah,
“I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with
violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
Genesis 6:13 ESV
Another prophet is
Abraham to whom God also speaks and reveals himself in physical form.
Now the Lord said to
Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the
land that I will show you.
Genesis 12:1 ESV
And the Lord appeared
to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of
the day.
Genesis 18:1 ESV
As one can see, the
Old Testament has many instances of God revealing himself to the prophets or
the people of Israel. In the New Testament, it is Jesus and the Holy Spirit who
speaks to us.
but in these last
days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things,
through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God
and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of
his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of
the Majesty on high,
Hebrews 1:2-3 ESV
The author of Hebrews
makes an effort to show how God has sent His Son to us. God has used
accommodating communication so we can have some understanding. God is ineffable
and greater than what we can understand, but he revealed Himself to us in a way
we can understand.
These digestible glimpses
God reveals to us is an invitation for us to draw closer to God. Through the humbling
of Himself to become a human who is then defeated by worldly standards on the
cross. God is telling us that He wants us to humble ourselves and live the
example that Jesus set.
One of hero of the Bible
who followed God, but at time failed in faithfulness was Abraham. Abraham does follow
God, but there is a famine and then Abraham sins by lying about his wife Sarah
to the Egyptians because Abraham did not have faith that God would protect him.
Pharaoh and other Egyptians are punished with a plague, yet Abraham is not
punished even though he deserved to be punished. Eventually Abraham with his wife,
Sarah, leave Egypt. Abraham then does something to show he has learned about
God’s faithfulness and mercy; he builds an altar and calls on God as his God.
to the place where he
had made an altar at the first. And there Abram called upon the name of the Lord.
Genesis 13:4 ESV
Abraham sees that God
is merciful and treated him better than Abraham deserved. Soon after making the
altar, Lot demands to take the best land for himself. Abraham concedes to keep
the peace. Later when Lot is captured, Abraham rescues Lot. Abraham shows
obedience to God because he understood how God rescued Abraham when he did not
deserve it.
God wants us to
behave mercifully and be obedient to His word. It is best shown in the book of Isaiah.
Oh that you had paid
attention to my commandments! Then your
peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of
the sea;
Isaiah 48:18 ESV
In Hebrews, the
Christian Jews are enduring much affliction and need encouragement to hold onto
God's promises. The author tells the readers not only to pay attention, but to
pay close attention to what is happening.
Therefore we must pay
much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.
Hebrews 2:1 ESV
We are not the first
ones to suffer hardships or face difficult or impossible situations. The Bible
shows us many examples of others who suffered for long times before God
intervened. More importantly, God always comes to save and rescue those who
seek His assistance. God has been consistent in His promises and plans. We can
trust in God because He does not change.
There is also a
warning to the readers.
Therefore we must pay
much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.
Hebrews 2:1 ESV
It is easy to doubt
God and His promises. We must be intentional with our decision to hold onto
God's words. The author uses the word drift away which has an original meaning
of slowing slipping through our fingers without out us even noticing. By
committing ourselves to knowing and believing His word, we will hold onto it.
We also need to take initiative to yield to God's word and respond to it. If we
do not commit, His word will not have any effect on our lives.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.