Hebrews 2

Heb 2:1 we must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.

‘After presenting the glory of the Son, our author pauses to warn about the practical consequences of our response to what he has done. The message of the OT covenant spoken by angels was sure and its punishments sure. The greater salvation Jesus brought was more secure, so its punishment was more severe. Jesus announced it; his hearers confirmed it; God added his witness to it. The system of Mt. Sinai brought a just punishment for violation. There is likewise no escape if we neglect this greater salvation personally brought by Jesus himself.’ (College Press)

‘From 2:1-4 it appears that the original readers held the popular Jewish belief that angels were involved in the giving of God’s law to Moses. {cf. Ac 7:53 Ga 3:19} They needed to be assured of the superior status and character of the one who was the agent of the new revelation. Likewise, many people today need to be convinced that Jesus Christ is more than a prophet or an angelic messenger. No greater revelation of God has been given or can be expected. Hence the danger of disregarding the message of salvation that has come from him.’ (NBC)

‘In the first chapter all previous revelation from God was contrasted with the final revelation of God in his Son. In chapter two our author narrows this view to put the NT over against the single finest, fullest pinnacle of OT revelation, i.e., the covenant of Mt. Sinai. He says that the Sinai revelation was spoken through angels. {Heb 2:2} Stephen mentioned this {Ac 7:53} and so did Paul (Ga 3:19; see 3:28), although it was only suggested in the Pentateuch. {De 33:2} The thirteenth century rabbi, Nachmanides, claimed, “Though myriads of angels were present, the Torah was communicated to Israel directly by God.” By contrast, the new message was much more significant, because it was given by the Son, who is much more significant than the angels.’ (College Press)

We must pay more careful attention – This is the first of many exhortations in the book of Hebrews. They appear sometimes in the ‘you’ form, and sometimes, as here, in the ‘we’ form. See 2:1-4; 3:6, 7-19; 4:1, 11, 14-16; 5:11-14; 6:1-12, 18-20; 10:19-39; 12:1-17, 25-28; 13:1-22.

We are apt to forget what we have learned, and therefore need to be reminded.

Hebrews uses no less than four different words to indicate necessity: (a) “compulsion;” Heb 7:12,27 9:16,23), (b) “must;” Heb 2:1 9:26 11:6), (c)”to owe;” Heb 2:17 5:3,12) and (d) “to be fitting;” Heb 2:10 7:26). Here, ‘we must’ pay more careful attention because of the greater offer from a greater person with greater confirmation at a greater point in the history of redemption and greater evident consequences of improper response.

So that we do not drift away – as a ring might slip off a finger; as water might run through the fingers; as a travellor might take a wrong direction; as a boat might drift from its moorings.

The whole epistle is called In Heb 13:22 “a word of exhortation.” So often does the writer sound a note of warning that he evidently had some reason to think that his readers were in danger of drifting away. See 3:12-14; 4:1-2, 11, 15; 5:11-6:12; 10:19-11:3, 6; 12:1-13:25.

‘Regularly meeting together with other Christians {Heb 10:25} and daily encouragement from other Christians {Heb 3:13} combined with daily prayer and Bible reading {Heb 4:12-16} will greatly reduce the risk of drifting away.’ (College Press)

Heb 2:2 For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment,

‘The paragraph contrasts the two systems. The Sinai covenant was (a) a message spoken by angels; (b) it was binding; and (c) it included a just punishment for every infraction. The covenant Christ brought was (a) announced by the Lord himself; (b) confirmed by hearers and by God himself; and (c) included no escape for ignoring or even drifting away.’ (College Press)

Notice the ‘if…then’ structure of the argument in vv2f: ‘If the message was binding, and every violation was punished, how then shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation?’

The message spoken by angels – De 33:2 says that angels were present on Mt. Sinai when the law was given, but does not say what they did. Stephen {Ac 7:38,53} and Paul {Ga 3:19} also testify to the activity of angels at that time.

Binding – The word is a legal term, used, for example of wills.

Just punishment – Punishment received from God is always just.

Heb 2:3 how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him.

How shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? – In the context of v2, the issue here is to do with escaping punishment. The gospel is greater than the law, but punishment for neglect of the gospel is by the same token greater than that for neglecting the law. There is no escape, because there is no other means of evading the ‘wrath to come’?

Salvation is great in (a) its source, v3; (b) its confirmation, v4; (c) its mediator, 1:4; (d) its method, 2:10; (e) its effects, 2:10.

First announced by the Lord – not by angels, showing once again the superiority of the gospel of Christ. The gospel was announced both directly by the Lord, Joh 18:20-21, and also indirectly by his messengers, Mt 10:5 ff Lu 10:16.

Confirmed to us by those to us by those who heard him – ‘These words are understood by some to indicate that the author of Hebrews must have been a second generation Christian. How else could he say the message of Christ “was confirmed to us by those who heard him?” These scholars remind us that Paul, by contrast, strongly defended his firsthand information which he received directly from the Lord himself because he was an apostle. See 1Co 11:23 15:1-3 2Co 10:8,13 11:5-6,10-12 12:1-13 13:2-3 Ga 1:1,11-12,16-17 2:6-15.’ (College Press) Alternatively, the author may be using an editorial ‘we’ here, as in Heb 5:11 6:9 7:15.

Heb 2:4 God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

God testified to the gospel with signs, wonders, miracles, and spiritual gifts. God testified to it – not to (a) the apostles, or to (b) Scripture, but to (c) the message of salvation. If either of the former, then we might reasonably suppose that miracles died out when the apostles died or when the Scriptures had been written.

Signs, wonders, and various miracles – as recorded, of course, in the Gospels. The three terms refer to the same phenomena from different angles: ‘signs’ point to things away from themselves; ‘wonders’ excite amazement in observers; ‘miracles’ (or ‘powers’) are demonstrations of unusual might. John describes these supernatural occurences as ‘signs’, while the Synoptists give many examples of ‘wonders’ and ‘miracles’.

‘By putting these together an event called a “miracle” would be an unusual display of power which is admired by beholders and points to something beyond itself. It is unfortunate that the word “miracle” has come to be used for wonder alone, i.e., anything which excites man’s wonder, like a sunset or a birth or one’s transformation at conversion. While these are certainly admirable events, they are in a totally different class from the events mentioned in the Bible as miracles.’ (College Press)

The writer regards these things as common knowledge: if not, he would scarcely have appealed to them in this way.

These events have an important role in testifying to and confirming the gospel message. They continued to be performed during the first Christian era, as the message of salvation was proclaimed. But their purpose, as Calvin reminds us, is to testify to God’s word. How strange then to find those (both in Calvin’s day and our own) who ‘employ fictitious miracles for the purpose of overthrowing the truth of God.’

‘It is unfortunate that the word “miracle” has come to be used for wonder alone, i.e., anything which excites man’s wonder, like a sunset or a birth or one’s transformation at conversion. While these are certainly admirable events, they are in a totally different class from the events mentioned in the Bible as miracles.’ (College Press)

Gifts of the Holy Spirit -

According to his will – the sovereignty of God in distributing the gifts of the Holy Spirit should be noted by those who deny the continued possibility of extraordinary spiritual gifts. On the other hand, it should also be taken to heart by those who teach that these gifts are ours ‘for the asking’.

Heb 2:5 It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking.

‘Who has ever read this chapter for the Christmas story? Matthew chapter one and Luke chapter two are used. Rarely will anyone read Philippians two, though for variety some might dare to use John chapter one. But Hebrews two demonstrates its value to us in that while we were lower than the angels he came to rescue us. If Hebrews one is titled the grandeur of the Son, Hebrews two should be called the grandeur of the Savior.’ (College Press)

Heb 2:6 But there is a place where someone has testified: “What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?”

TNIV translates: ‘What are mere mortals that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?’ It has been noted that ‘The TNIV obscures the Messianic application of “son of man” to Jesus Christ by mistranslating the Greek singular words anthropos (man), huios (son), and autos (him) with neuter plural forms. These changes also obscure the quotation from Ps 8:4.’

Heb 2:7 You made him a little lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honour

‘It was a marvellous humiliation to the Son of God, not only to become a creature, but an inferior creature, a man, and not an angel. Had he taken the angelical nature, though it had been a wonderful abasement to him, yet he had staid (if I may so speak) nearer his own home, and been somewhat liker to a God, than now he appeared, when he dwelt with us: for angels are the highest and most excellent of all created beings:For their nature, they are pure spirits; for their wisdom, intelligences; for their dignity, they are called principalities and powers; for their habitation, they are stiled the heavenly host, and for their employment, it is to behold the face of God in heaven. The highest pitch, both of our holiness and happiness in the coming world, is expressed by this, we shall be “isangeloi,” “equal to the angels,” Lu 20:36.’ (Flavel)

Heb 2:8

Heb 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honour because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

There is a run of three ‘everythings’ in v8, and another in v10. This context suggests that the ‘everyone’ of v9 should also be ‘everything’. The Gk, which is similar in all 5 cases, allows this, and consistency supports it.

The argument of the passage is: God made Christ a little lower than the angels (ie, in the form of a man), and made everything in creation subject to him. At present, because of sin, all things are not yet subject to him. But the final and assured victory of his death will be that all things do become subject to him, for he suffered death that everything might be brought under his rule. Christ’s death, then, not only brings many sons to glory but also (eventually) removes the curse of sin from God’s creation. Cf. Ro 8:19-22.

A little lower than the angels – ‘In becoming man Christ took upon him a nature that was capable of dying. This the angel’s were not; and in this respect he was, for a season, made lower than they.’ (A.W. Pink)

Foundatonal Truths

1. Incarnation – a little lower than the angels

2. Atonement – he suffered death

3. Resurrection – we see Jesus

4. Exaltation – crowned with glory and honour

(Pickering, 1,000 Subjects)

Heb 2:10 In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering.

Bringing many sons to glory – ‘God overcame many obstacles in bringing many sons to glory. (1) Man fell. (2) Man was inclined toward heavy sinfulness. {Ge 6:5-7 Ro 3:10-20} (3) God’s own holiness prevented his simply brushing man’s guilt aside. (4) his unique son Jesus must die in man’s place to bear the brunt of this wickedness. (5) Satan lured many angels away from God and encouraged man’s sinfulness. Yet God was not content to lose man or even let him sink to a lesser role. He was determined to bring him all the way to the throne to be with him for all ages to come.’ {Eph 1:3-2:10} (College Press)

Author of their salvation – ‘Jesus is the author (Gk. archegon, as in Heb 12:2) of their salvation, or perhaps more accurately ‘the pioneer of their salvation’. He certainly accomplished something unique on behalf of others (9) and is rightly called ‘the source of eternal salvation’ in Heb 5:9. But the writer also wishes to stress that Jesus is in some respects the leader who acted like a trail-blazer, opening up the way for others to follow.’ {cf. Heb 6:20 12:1-3} (NBC)

“Take heart therefore, O ye saints, and be strong; your cause is good, God himself espouseth your quarrel, who hath appointed you his own Son, General of the field, called ‘the Captain of our salvation’.” (Gurnall)

Perfect – ‘Three times we are told that he was made perfect (Gk. teleiosai, cf. 5:9; 7:28). There is no sense in which he was morally imperfect, but by his suffering and temptation, his death and heavenly exaltation, he was ‘qualified’ or ‘made completely adequate’ as the saviour of his people.’ (NBC)

Heb 2:11 Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers.

Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers – and we should not be ashamed to do so either; see Heb 13:1.

Heb 2:12 he says, “I will declare your name to my brothers; in the presence of the congregation I will sing your praises.”

See Mt 12:49-50 Mr 3:34-35. The quotation is from Isa 8:17-18 (LXX). ‘The immediate reference, of course, is to the Prophet Isaiah and his unique sons who were given significant names. {see Isa 7:3 8:1-4} But the ultimate reference is to Jesus Christ. Not only are believers his brethren, but we are also his children: “Behold I and the children which God hath given me”.’ {Heb 2:13} (Wiersbe)

Heb 2:13 And again, “I will put my trust in him.” And again he says, “Here am I, and the children God has given me.”

“Here am I, and the children God has given me” – we can picture Isaiah standing with his two children, Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz (whose name predicts the removal of his oppressors – “the spoil speeds, the prey hastes.”) and Shear-Jashub (whose name means, “a remnant shall return”). With their God-given names, his sons provide reassurance that they (and all God’s people) have a future.

‘These words, applied to Christ, are a sublime statement of confidence. It is as if he places his arms around the sons and daughters of the suffering church and says, “Here am I, and the children God has given me” {Heb 2:13} -”The fact that I have family-brothers and sisters-is a prophecy of the future. This blessed remnant will survive the onslaught, whatever comes.”

Taken together these three Messianic quotations provide huge comfort to the fearful little church because they reveal rich benefits coming from Christ’s solidarity with his people.’ (R. Kent Hughes)

‘Christ brings none to the Father, but those given him by the Father; and this donation, we know, depends on eternal election; for those whom the Father has destined to life, he delivers to the keeping of his Son, that he may defend them. This is what he says by John, “All that the Father has given me, will come to me.”‘ {Joh 6:37} (Calvin)

‘The description of Christians as the “children” or “sons” of Christ is peculiar to this epistle among the New Testament writings; yet the Old Testament precedent for it might be found not only in the words of Isa 8:18 but in a statement about the Suffering Servant in Isa 53:10 “when he makes himself an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring” (RSV).’ (Bruce) But other commentators think that the writer is referring to Christians as children of God, and therefore brothers of Christ, as in v12.

Heb 2:14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death-that is, the devil-

Remember that in all his supreme exaltation, Christ has retained his human nature, Heb 9:24, and remains united to us and committed to us. The same Christ who, after his resurrection, walked and talked with his disicples, occupies the highest place in heaven. He takes up his position at the right hand of God as representative of his people, and not to be considered apart from them, Heb 2:14.

So that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death – that is, the devil – ‘God has allowed Satan astonishing freedom. {Lu 4:6 1Co 10:13} Satan rebelled at the beginning and has always appeared in opposition to God and his people. He drew a large number of other angels away from God. He lures people into sin, {Ge 3:1-19 6:1-7} for example, Peter, {Mt 16:23} Judas, {Lu 22:3 Joh 13:27} Elymas {Ac 13:10} and Ananias and Sapphira. {Ac 5:1-11} he even tried to entice Jesus to sin. {Mt 4:1-11 Lu 4:1-13} he hinders the gospel {Mr 4:15 Ac 26:18 1Th 2:18} and spreads destruction. {Mt 13:24-30,36-43} he blinds the eyes of unbelievers. {2Co 4:4 Eph 2:2 Col 1:13} his cunning ranges from fearsome lion-likeness {1Pe 5:8} to beauty like an angel of light. {2Co 11:14} he is the father of lies. {Joh 8:44 Eph 6:11} his demise is sure. {Mt 25:41 Joh 12:31 16:11 Ro 16:20 Re 20:1-15 21:8} Satan probably did not understand what God was going to achieve through Jesus’ death. None of the rulers of this age understood it or they would not have crucified Jesus. {1Co 2:6-10} On the cross Jesus crushed the head of the serpent. {Ge 3:15} As Jeremiah learned, good work is not entirely building things up. Some things must be torn down.’ {Jer 1:9-10} (College Press)

‘It was not enough that Christ should die for us. In dying he must be a conqueror, otherwise his death would not profit us. Indeed, he suffered in order that he might overcome, Heb 2:14, That1 through death he might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil. This was shown and proven by his resurrection. This is the reason why Paul, after he had demonstrated by many arguments that Christ was risen, and then shown what was the glorious cause of it, concluded the passage with a note of triumph, 1Co 15:57, But2 thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. It is true that Christ conquered all on his cross: there the battle was fought and there the victory was gained. But that victory was made into a triumph in his resurrection. Now his enemies fled, quitting the field. Ps 68:1, Let3 God arise, let his enemies be scattered; let those also who hate him flee before him. He made a conquest of death itself, and it lay dead at his feet. Christ would never be known as a conqueror, except for this. If death had held him as her captive, where would his victory be?’ (Samuel Willard)

Heb 2:15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.

Free – The word is used in non-biblical literature for divorce.

Heb 2:16  For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants.

Heb 2:17 For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.

Tniv translates: ‘For this reason he had to be made like his brothers and sisters in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.’ It has been noted that ‘it is impossible for the Greek word adelphoi (brothers) to mean “brothers and sisters” in this context because Jewish high priests were exclusively male and Jesus is male. Jesus was not “made like his sisters in every way.”‘

Make atonement – Gk. hilaskomai.

Heb 2:18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

‘Jesus, being divine, was impeccable (could not sin), but this does not mean he could not be tempted. Satan tempted him to disobey the Father by self-gratification, self-display, and self-aggrandizement, {Mt 4:1-11} and the temptation to retreat from the cross was constant (Lu 22:28, where the Greek for “trials” can be translated “temptations;” Mt 16:23; and Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane). Being human, Jesus could not conquer temptation without a struggle, but being divine it was his nature to do his Father’s will, {Joh 5:19,30} and therefore to resist and fight temptation until he had overcome it. From Gethsemane we may infer that his struggles were sometimes more acute and agonizing than any we ever know. The happy end-result is that “because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted”.’ {Heb 2:18} (Concise Theology)

Joseph Mallord Turner, English painter, invited Charles Kingsley to his studio to see a picture of a storm at sea. In rapt admiration, Kingsley exclaimed, “It’s wonderful! It’s so realistic! How did you do it?”

The artist replied, “I went to the coast of Holland and engaged a fisherman to take me out to sea in the next storm. Entering his boat as a storm was brewing, I asked him to bind me to the mast. Then he steered his boat into the teeth of the storm.

“The storm raged with such fury that at times I longed to be in the bottom of the boat where the waves would blow over me. I could not, however. I was bound to the mast. Not only did I see the storm in its raging fury, I felt it! It blew into me, as it were, until I became a part of it. After this terrible ordeal, I returned to my studio and painted the picture.” It is written of the Savior, “For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted.” {Heb 2:18}