In chapter one of Hebrews there are no commands for the church. We are not told to do anything. But in chapter two the first thing is a command or a duty -- something we must do. And the connection with chapter one is very important. Chapter two begins, "THEREFORE" In other words; chapter two begins by telling us that chapter one is the reason for this command. The reason? Because God has spoken in these last days, and because he is the Creator and Sustainer and Owner and Ruler and Redeemer of the world -- above all angels/prophets/men -- therefore (for this reason) “we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard.” Hence in essence, the first command to us in Hebrews is
“Listen.”
Here is a command to hear in our day. Whom do you listen to? God has spoken do we listen to Him? How does our listening to Him compare to our listening to others? When we want to listen to someone, we make provisions for listening—we focus on the voice.
There is urgency here in
Hebrews 2:1 which is telling us that, “It is exceedingly necessary that we give heed to what we have heard.” This is not an isolated command in the book of Hebrews. This command to get the readers to wake up and listen closely to God is repeated. One of the concerns of Hebrews is that we the readers will see how serious it is to listen the Word of God. This is the first commandment in the book. It is not a difficult command: Listen! Consider! Look! The first command of this book is not a “chore” to do for God but “listen to” God.
Pay Attention. Why? So we don’t neglect so great a salvation! The true Christian life is first and foremost a life centered on Jesus Christ - listening to, considering, fixing the eyes of our heart on Jesus Christ. Everything else in the Christian life grows out of this. Without this the Christian life is simply unlivable.
“How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?” “…lest we drift away from it.” In the parable of the Sower: “Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.”
Luke 8:14
Hebrews says if we do not pay closer attention to the Word of God, we will float by - we will drift away from God’s word. The life of this world is not a lake. It is a river. And it is flowing downward to destruction. Drifting is a deadly thing in the Christian life. And the remedy to it, according to
Hebrews 2, is “Pay much closer attention to what we have heard.” The argument given in verse 2 for why we will not escape if we drift and neglect our great salvation is that “The word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense.” In the Old Testament God did not yet speak directly on the earth. He spoke through intermediary messengers. Hebrews says angels were involved in the revelation of God’s word. Nevertheless, the firmness of this mediated word was so great that every neglect and rejection of it was punishable with a just recompense. Now something much greater has come: God has spoken to us not through angels, but unmediated through His Son. God Himself came forth from heaven -- Jesus Christ. Therefore Hebrews illustrates how our neglecting this great word results in guilt much greater than the Old Testament people who disobeyed the word of God given through angels, and therefore we will not escape.
But please note carefully... One need not "reject" or "actively fight" against this great salvation to “receive a just recompense”. Those who simply “drift away” through “neglect” will also not escape! Those that fail to pay attention will not escape!
“And they saw no man but Jesus – and a voice saying – hear ye him.”
Act 2:14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and spake forth unto them, saying, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and
give ear unto my words.
AND THE REST IS HISTORY.................
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