Hebrews 2:1 ¶
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. 2 For if the word spoken by angels was
stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence
of reward; 3 How shall we escape, if we
neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord,
and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; 4 God also bearing them witness, both
with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost,
according to his own will?
When you’ve read everything in chapter one
and absorbed it Paul warns the reader not to neglect these fundamental truths. If
the Law given to Moses by God’s angels, who clearly it says here assisted in
the dispensing of that Law, and through the presence of God Himself in the
preincarnate Christ was not to be ignored or disobeyed then how can we dare
ignore the gospel of Christ?
Remember, an angel is a presence,
an appearance of something that is somewhere else, representing that person or
thing but with power and ability that would prevent us from distinguishing the
difference.
Isaiah 63:9 In all their affliction he was afflicted, and
the angel of his presence saved
them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and
carried them all the days of old.
Matthew 18:10 Take heed that ye despise not one of these
little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.
Acts 12:15 And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she
constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel.
Revelation 1:20 The mystery of the seven stars which thou
sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven
churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven
churches.
Christ is the appearance of God;
the angel of the Lord, His presence. I want to repeat the definition of an
angel in Isaiah 63:9.
Isaiah 63:9 In all their affliction he was afflicted, and
the angel of his presence saved
them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and
carried them all the days of old.
Galatians 4:14 And my temptation which was in my flesh ye
despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.
(Even can link two things that are the same such as I, even I, in Genesis 6:17 and over a
dozen other verses.)
Who
led the Hebrews out of Egypt.
Judges 2:1 ¶ And an
angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and
have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I
will never break my covenant with you.
You can imagine the angel of the LORD (LORD with all letters
capitalized is Jehovah in the Old Testament) or the angel of God as this Angel.
How then can we afford to neglect or ignore
the gospel, good news, glad tidings given to us directly by the Lord Jesus
Christ Himself through the Apostles and through His disciples? This is far
better news than the Law given to Moses provided.
How can we hold in contempt the salvation
provided by the Lord Jesus Christ?
Hebrews 2:5 ¶
For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come,
whereof we speak. 6 But one in a certain
place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son
of man, that thou visitest him? 7 Thou
madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and
honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands: 8 Thou hast put all things in subjection under
his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that
is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him.
9 But we see Jesus, who was made a
little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and
honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
Only Jesus Christ reigns supreme. No angel or
son of God, lowercase s, has such authority.
Matthew 28:18
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me
in heaven and in earth.
The Messiah coming to earth, God in the
flesh, in human form, is referred to in David’s Psalm, chapter 8, which is
alluded to here.
Psalm 8:1 ¶
«To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm of David.» O LORD our Lord,
how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the
heavens. 2 Out of
the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou
ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy
and the avenger.
3 ¶
When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the
stars, which thou hast ordained; 4 What
is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest
him? 5 For thou hast made him a little
lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. 6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the
works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: 7 All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of
the field; 8 The fowl of the air, and
the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.
9 O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy
name in all the earth!
Now, in His state of glory, His power is
revealed.
1Peter 3:22
Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and
authorities and powers being made subject unto him.
Although we cannot tell this truth the way
the world appears to us so that now we see not yet all things put under
him.
Philippians 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not
robbery to be equal with God:
7 But
made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was
made in the likeness of men: 8 And being
found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death,
even the death of the cross. 9 Wherefore
God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every
name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every
knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the
earth; 11 And that every tongue should
confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Hebrews 2:10 ¶ For it became him, for whom are all
things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to
make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 11 For both he that sanctifieth and they who are
sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call
them brethren, 12 Saying, I will declare
thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto
thee. 13 And again, I will put my trust
in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.
Think on verse 10;
Romans 3:26
To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be
just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
Colossians 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are
in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be
thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by
him, and for him: 17 And he is before
all things, and by him all things consist.
Christ, as the Word, by which all things were
created, not some fictional “singularity”, and are held together, not some
fictional “dark matter,” or, “dark energy,” has made us perfect to God through
His suffering on the Cross.
What is also amazing is that by His
sanctification of us He has made us His family.
Ephesians 3:14 ¶ For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ,
15 Of
whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
Romans 8:29 ¶
For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to
the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
For verse 12 see from the Psalm Jesus quoted
the first verse of from the Cross;
Psalm 22:22 ¶
I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the
congregation will I praise thee.
Then 13 alludes to a sentiment common
throughout the Psalms and elsewhere;
Psalm 16:1 ¶
«Michtam of David.» Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust.
Psalm 36:7
How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of
men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.
Remember that Christ has generated us. We are
God’s children because of Him.
Psalm 22:30
A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a
generation.
Given to Him by the Father.
John 10:28
And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither
shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29
My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able
to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.
Hebrews 2:14 ¶ Forasmuch then as the children are partakers
of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that
through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the
devil; 15 And deliver them who through
fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. 16 For verily he took not on him the nature
of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. 17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be
made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful
high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the
sins of the people. 18 For in that he
himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are
tempted.
God took on the form of a human being, flesh
and blood, that dying in that flesh He would show His preeminence over the one
who is said here to have the power over death, Satan himself. John Gill wrote
that Satan’s empire is supported by death, the death of the unsaved.
We are all of our lifetimes one step, one
heartbeat from death and in our fears and efforts to prolong our lives show our
preoccupation with death, even if it is an unconscious preoccupation.
He
came to live as one of us, not in the appearance of an angel, but in human
form, specifically a Jew of the seed of Abraham. Remarkable stuff. His ability
to be our high priest was based on His appearance here in flesh and blood as
one of us, a human being. He appeased the wrath of God and justified those who
believe in Him. The fact is that by suffering temptation He is able to uplift
and help those who are tempted, that is we men and women.
For me this is the essence of the plan. To
deliver us from our sins, from death and Hell, and from temptation itself,
Christ became one of us. This made God’s ministry of reconciling mankind to
Himself possible. It is an amazing plan, a bold plan, and a complete plan
showing God’s foreknowledge, His mercy, and His sovereignty. Praise God.
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