May 20, 2002
BaptistWay Bible Study for Texas lesson for June 2
Spiritual things are worthy of greater attention
____By Gerald Aalbers
__Hebrews 1:1-4; 2:1-11, 14-18
___1:1 In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. 3 The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. 4 So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs. ...
___2:1 We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. 2 For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, 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. 4 God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.
___5 It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. 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? 7 You made him a little lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor 8 and put everything under his feet." In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not subject to him. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him. 9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
___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. 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. ...
___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-- 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. 16 For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham's descendants. 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. 18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
___Memorial Day 2001 will forever be indelibly imprinted on the memory cells of my mind. After months of anticipation, a dream of a lifetime came true. On that day, I was strapped into a NASCAR race car and drove around Texas Motor Speedway at up to 150 miles per hour for 10 laps.
___My anxiety level increased to record proportions as I approached the tunnel entrance on the south side of the track. I sat through an hour-long class in the garage area, and then rode around the track in a van to be shown how to negotiate the course.
___I was fitted for a helmet and changed into a driving suit. Finally, I was assigned a car. I was buckled into an immoveable, tight-fitting seat with a five-point safety harness.
___After two laps at a mere 90 to 100 mph, the ride-along instructor turned me loose and the car's rev-limiter engaged before the end of that lap. I was told I was going 150 mph.
___That was the ride of my life. My kids, who were there to watch, told me they thought I had the fastest car on the track. I actually drove a real race car, at a fast pace, on a real racetrack. For those moments, there was absolutely no time to think about anything else but driving, much less talk on a phone, munch on a french fry or sip a drink. My total concentration had to be on what I was doing.
___I don't think I have ever concentrated on spiritual things as intently as I concentrated on my driving during those short-lived minutes. But the lesson before us reminds us we are to pay much closer attention to spiritual things.
___God spoke
___Forget trying to figure out who wrote Hebrews. Origen said the author "is known but to God." We do know the writer immediately jumped into his subject matter without introduction or salutations and told us God spoke (1:1).
___God spoke to the forefathers through prophets at different times and in different ways. To Moses, he spoke from a burning bush (Exodus 3-4) and later with smoke, fire and thunder on a mountain (Exodus 19:16-18). To Joshua, he said, "Be strong and courageous" (Joshua 1:6,7,9). To Gideon, he said, "The Lord is with you" (Judges 6:12). To Micah, he said, "He has shown you, oh man, what is good" (Micah 6:8). To Zechariah, he said, "Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit" (Zechariah 4:6).
___Yes, God spoke, but his final, complete, authoritative revelation of himself came through his Son Jesus Christ. Since that is the case, the only logical and rightful conclusion we can make is Jesus is the only acceptable criterion by which all Scripture must be interpreted.
___That same Jesus is declared authoritatively to be incomparable (1:2-3). He is heir of all things, the exact representation of God's being and the radiating beacon of God's glory. He created all things, and by his powerful word he holds everything together (Colossians 1:16-17).
___After he had offered up his sacrifice for sin, "once for all" (7:27), he sat down, meaning his atoning work was completed, and he sat at the right hand of God. The right hand is the place of power, authority and honor. That seat is the throne of God where he rules as sovereign Lord. He's a victorious Savior, not a defeated martyr.
___He is vastly superior to everything--including angels. The Jews held angels in very high regard as the highest beings next to God. Hebrews tells us Jesus is superior to angels (1:4). Indeed, he is "far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given" (Ephesians 1:21).
___Pay attention
___Just like us in the 21st century, the recipients of the letter we call Hebrews could have stood a little improvement in their dedication and attention span toward things of God. We are to pay more careful attention (2:1) to what we have heard--to the complete revelation made through Jesus who deserves our full loyalty. We should do that so we won't "drift away." The idea is that we need to be anchored to the solid rock, which is Jesus, so the currents of the time won't carry us along and let us drift away from the solid ground.
___Hebrews says the "message spoken by angels was binding" (2:2). What angels? Moses said in his farewell address that at Sinai the Lord came with myriads of holy ones (Deuternomy 33:2). In his defense, Stephen refers to the angel that spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai (Acts 7:38).
___Obviously, there were angelic beings present at the giving of the law, and any casual reading of the Pentateuch reveals the precise punishment for breaking one of those laws. Proceeding from the lesser to the greater, if that's the way it was in the Old Testament, what hope is there for us if we ignore God's salvation?
___When many of his followers left him, Jesus asked his disciples, "You do not want to leave too, do you?" (John 6:67). Peter replied, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life" (John 6:68). Not only is there no escape if we ignore Jesus, but there is nowhere else to turn.
___We need to pay attention to our relationship with Jesus. It would be very easy for me to browbeat you by pouring guilt upon guilt upon you until you try in your own strength to maintain your relationship with him.
___There's incredible freedom in Jesus Christ (Galatians 5:1). God does the work. Simply make yourself available to him. God's desire is that you pay careful attention to walk with him so your relationship with him will not dwindle into meaninglessness. Anchor yourself to the solid rock, and he'll see you through.
___Recently, I was called to be a witness in a courtroom hearing involving the disintegration of a relationship. I can't begin to convey to you how I have agonized over the loss that will be suffered because that relationship was not properly nurtured and embraced. Keep your relationship with Jesus fresh every day.
___And, while I'm in the neighborhood, let me simply remind you that only what I knew from first-hand knowledge and fact was admitted as testimony in the hearing. If you keep your relationship with Jesus fresh, you will be well versed with first-hand experiential knowledge and testimony about your Lord and Savior.
___In our society, people try many ways to get to God. We extend our regrets to the misinformed, but there is only one way to be at peace with God and that's through Jesus (John 14:6). The point of the passage is to listen to Jesus.__
___Jesus has no equal
___In this passage, Jesus is portrayed as having no equal. He is completely superior to everyone and everything. He is God. He is man. He was made to be like his brothers in every way. Yet he completed his messianic work.
___Jesus is God in that everything has been put under his feet (2:8). The psalmist spoke of him when he said, "The Lord said to my Lord, 'sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet'" (Psalm 110:1). In this age, not everything appears to be subject to him.
___It is obvious enemy forces are still active and as yet unsubdued in the world, but through faith we can see that Jesus is enthroned on high. So let's not judge by appearances. All the powers of evil and rebellion and anti-Christianity, which are so much in evidence in our world, do not contradict the fact that judgment already hangs over them because the supremacy of Christ is a present reality.
___Jesus was made to be like his brothers because, like us, he was made a little lower than the angels. He shared in our humanity (2:14), and he had to be made like his brothers in every way (2:17). He is not ashamed to call us brothers (2:11).
___But Jesus also came to earth with a job to do, and he completed that messianic work. It was by God's grace that he tasted death for everyone (2:9). He was made perfect through suffering (2:10). He brought many sons to glory (2:10). It was through his death he destroyed the one who holds the power of death (2:14), and because of that, Satan is a defeated foe. He made atonement for our sins (2:17), and he freed us from our fear of death (2:15). Because he suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help us when we are tempted.
___Oswald Chambers wrote the classic daily devotional book, "My Utmost for His Highest." Just like Jesus, who came to serve rather than to be served, we should serve him as well as one another in complete humility and faith while giving our all for our Lord.
___May we be able to chorus like Chambers and say that we are giving our utmost for our Lord. It was the Apostle Paul who wrote to the Philippians to "Press on!" (Philippians 3:12,14). With the resources God gives us, with the power of the Holy Spirit and Christ's strength, may we pay much better attention to the things of God.
___Gerald Aalbers is pastor of First Baptist Church in Elgin
Questions for thought and discussion
___When did Jesus become more than just a name to you? How has that knowledge changed your life? What place does Jesus have, and deserve, in your life?
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