Hebrews 2:5-18 The Rescue

The road was hot and dust hung in the air infiltrating everything that passed through it.  The sun was high in the sky and Itzak had many more miles to go.  Alexander had sent him to fetch a shipment that had come in and it would take a full day to get there and back. He felt anxious because he had heard of a new wave of persecutions that had moved south and far closer to their town than they had ever been before.

A hot wind shifted the dust in the air and forced a new smell into the area.  Itzak was climbing a small hill when a larger gust hit him in the face and he gasped, covered his mouth and pinched his nose closed.  The smell was terrible and made him feel sick.  As he crowned the top of the hill he was stopped in his tracks.  Along both sides of the road were crosses.  To each cross was hung a naked person.  Most of their bodies were sagging and appeared dead.  Their bodies were decomposing rapidly in the hot sun.

Itzak blinked several times trying to comprehend what was before him.  The persecutions were fact, he had known that, but now the horrific reality was before him.  Soon he had to take a breath, but did not release his nose for fear of being sick.  Off in the distance he saw several Roman soldiers on horseback moving away from the terrible scene and in the same direction he was heading.  They appeared small and non-threatening at that distance, but the graphic scene before him betrayed their use of power and cruelty.  He wondered how they slept at night.

A dog barked behind him and he turned to see another man approaching.  His mouth and nose were also covered.  He stopped next to Itzak and groaned while looking on the scene.  The dog ran down the hill circling the crosses and sniffing the area.  The two men stood transfixed for some time, not saying anything. Finally Itzak spoke. “I must keep going.  Shall we go through this together?”  The man looked at Itzak, his eyes filled with tears, and nodded.  He pulled out a cloth and handed it to Itzak indicating that he should cover his mouth and nose with it.  The man unrolled his sleeve and pressed his arm up against his nose and mouth.  And the two set forward.

It was difficult not to look upon the people hanging on those crosses.  The gruesome nature of their wounds and decomposing bodies would stay seared in Itzak’s mind.  The man next to him became to mumble into his sleeve.  Itzak looked at him and understood that he was praying as he looked upon each person they passed.  Itzak thought he heard the name of Jesus, but he was not sure.  Even if this man was not part of The Way, his action prompted Itzak to begin praying for the families of each person they passed. 

They neared the end of the rows of crosses and were nearly through them when they heard a moan coming from the last one on the right.  The man ran up to the cross, glanced up and down the road to see if any soldiers were nearby and then reached up and put his hand on the man’s broken and bleeding foot.  The man on the cross was young and he was suffering in a most horrible way.  His chest heaved as he tried to take another breath.  Itzak’s companion called out to the man, “Brother, we are here with you!” 

That’s when Itzak saw the sign nailed to the top of the cross—“Of The Way.”  Itzak immediately moved next to the praying man and placed his hand on the other foot of the one on the cross.  He spoke quietly to the praying man, “I am of The Way as well.”  He heard another moan coming from the man on the cross and looked up to see him blinking down at them.

“Pray for me,” he rasped out, “my brothers!”

Itzak and the man next to him began to plead for the mercy of Jesus Christ on the young man.  They neither cared who heard them nor did they care any longer that Roman soldiers might be nearby.  Suddenly the man writhed against the ropes and nails and raised himself to take a breath.  Itzak and the praying man stood transfixed.  The young man looked down at them, his eyes blazing with joy.  “He is with us!” he cried out.  Then he collapsed in death. 

The broad side of a sword slapped Itzak in the side.  “Keep moving!” barked a Roman soldier looking down on them from his horse. “Keep moving!”  He leaned down closer and growled, “Or it could be you next.” 

Itzak and the praying man moved away from the young man on the cross.  They were not afraid.  They knew that whatever the soldier did to them mattered little.  They had a Savior who would rescue them in death and in life. 

They walked down the road in confident silence, while the horseman plodded along behind them.  After a mile or so the soldier turned down another road and urged his horse into a gallop.  He said nothing to them as they heard him ride away.   The praying man paused and took Itzak’s hand stained with the blood of a martyr.  He looked deeply into Itzak’s eyes.  “I’m glad we came this way together, brother.  I kept walking with you until the soldier was gone, but now I must go back to that road and return home.  There is another road to the west of us that goes wide around this one.  Take that one on your way back.  It will be longer, but it should be safer.  May the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.” 

Itzak and the man stood silently for a moment, gripping one another’s hands.  “And may the peace of Christ be with you as well.”  Itzak did not feel alone as he walked away and his mind turned to the letter that was read again in the service the night before.

Read Hebrews 2:5-18.

After establishing the divinity and the rank of Jesus Christ as supreme, the writer to the Hebrews then turned to the humanity of Jesus.  And not only does the writer establish this, but he also reminds the readers of the original position of humanity itself.  In Genesis 1 and 2 we read of how God created humans as the highest of his creation by doing so in his own image.  He breathed the life-breath into them making them higher than the animals and just lower than the angels.  God gave them power and purpose—to care for the earth and to be fruitful.  This indeed is a special place that humanity has in the created order.  The writer takes the readers back to the wonderful Psalm 8 wherein that order is celebrated.

“And yet”—these words describe the unfinished truth about men and women.  Yes, we do have power.  Yes, we do have the ability to care for the earth.  Yes, we do have the power to do good.  But, we have not yet been crowned.  Sin has blocked our way and put our souls, and therefore also our actions, in dire peril. The outcome of Godlessness is cruelty, selfishness, wickedness and sorrow.  Just as the Roman rulers and their military carried out very real and horrific persecutions, so also every generation of humanity has their share of this same darkness.

“But we see Jesus . . .”  These marvelous words speak against the incredible weight of sin and for our need to be rescued from darkness.  The writer to the Hebrews understood that if the readers knew that Jesus was far more powerful than angels—thus the intense discussion on this matter—that they could also know the truth and necessity of the suffering of Jesus Christ.  The is the whole purpose of the Incarnation—the coming of Jesus in the flesh as we are in the flesh.  The act of Incarnation was only the beginning of the work of Jesus Christ.  Being born of the virgin Mary in a humble stable, living like us and with us, enduring terrible temptations, being fully connected to human loss and disappointment, and suffering agonizing physical pain on behalf of all of us—that is the work of Jesus Christ in total.

Jesus Christ was not imperfect and needed perfection.  Our English translations fall short of what is meant in the original Greek word which more rightly means whole, complete.  So, when Christ’s work was made perfect, whole, complete, finished we could be rescued from the darkness of sin.  The NIV Study Bible puts it this way:  “Jesus, who is the incarnate Son of God, is both the representative man and the one in whom man’s appointed destiny will be fully realized . . . He identified with us in the deepest level of anguish and so became qualified to pay the price for our sinful perfection . . .”[i] He fully experienced what it means to be broken and lost without being broken and lost, thereby rescuing us from the gravest of spiritual dangers.  Praise his wonderful Name!

And that is not where the rescue stopped!  Not only did he rescue us out of darkness, but he also rescued us into a new family.  His family!  Children, family, belonging, security, rest, hope, joy—all the things that come with a being part of a healthy, vibrant family founded on God is ours.  Jesus Christ is not ashamed of us when we come to him in humility.  He accepts our confessions and fully embraces us because he knows what it is like to suffer in the body.  He is deeply empathetic to our struggle, of which he is very familiar. And by this familiarity and empathy he has overcome and defeated the power of the devil and death! He authored, originated and initiated salvation for us.  He stood in the gap for us, taking the sin first onto himself so that he could make the Way back for us.   Because he rose again he could present all of us to the Father and ask for our sins to be blotted out by his very real and bloody suffering and death.

Jesus Christ is both merciful and faithful in what he has done for us and what he does for us.  His rescuing efforts are pervasive, deep and thorough.  He stands as a priest before God on our behalf.  His sacrifice atones for it all.  And he helps us now because he understands our temptations. This is our Lord and Jesus Christ, high above the angels, bending down to be with us, our brother, our friend, our helper our great Savior!

Today is the day of Salvation.  If you have not yet believed on and received the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, I invite you to do this today.  Ask the Lord to forgive your sins, turn and see Jesus who will rescue you from the darkness and who will call out to you, “Brother!  Sister!”

Copyright M.R. Hyde 2013 

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[i] NIV Study Bible, 1995, p. 786, 1860.

Hebrews 2:1-4 The Drift

Itzak was so grateful for the work.  It was hard labor, but it had put food on his family’s table for some time.  The man who hired him, Alexander, was a metal worker and needed someone to stoke the fires and keep the forges hot and ready.  He had learned quickly and was fascinated by the process of bending and molding the orange and yellow metal made pliable by the intense heat.  Alexander and his apprentices produced some of the finest work he had ever seen—everything from beautiful gates to bits for horses and even some occasional jewelry.  They avoided the jewelry making, though, because it was not to their liking.   They left that work for others.

One day Alexander heard Itzak humming a tune.  He laughed a bit and then cocked his head to the side as he watched Itzak stoking the fire.  “I used to know that tune.  What is it again?”  He stepped toward Itzak, pointing to another area of the fire that needed some help. 

“Oh, that’s a song I learned in—in—,” Itzak paused a moment counting the potential cost of letting someone else know that he was a Christian.

“Come on now, Itzak.  I know the song. I used to sing is quite a lot.”  Itzak’s eyes lit up, eager to know if Alexander was a Christian.  “Don’t get your hopes up, Itzak.  I gave that up long ago.”  Alexander laughed a little bit more and with just a hint of mockery.

Itzak gave Alexander a puzzled look.  Alexander leaned a bit closer.  “Look, son, it doesn’t matter to me what you believe as long you keep those fires hot.  I used to be like you, so I understand.”

Itzak turned from the fires fully toward Alexander.  “Why did you leave the Way?”

“Oh, so that’s what they call it now, eh?  The Way.  Very interesting.”  Alexander picked up a poker and began to stir the fire alongside Itzak.  “I remember it all at first.  It was exciting and I felt quite free.  Jesus seemed to be the answer to all of my problems.”  He paused, giving Itzak a chance to inquire further.  But Itzak was cautious.  Alexander did not care, so he continued.  “But after a while business started picking up—especially when they needed more nails and prison bars.  I couldn’t keep up with all the work, so I stopped going to services. It was nice making more money than I had before.  And then I met my wife, she’s a Samaritan.”  Alexander smiled when Itzak winced at that word.  He jabbed Itzak in the ribs and chuckled.  “I figured that might get a rise out of you.  Anyway, she really opened my eyes to the fact that there are many ways to serve God.  We have a very calm and peaceful home now.  I let her have her silly, little idols and I pray to God, and sometimes to Jesus, every day.  A happy wife is a good thing.  I don’t need to go to services and besides our lives are so full it’s hard to keep up with everything.” 

The two stoked the fire for some time together in silence.  Itzak wasn’t sure, but he thought he sensed some regret in Alexander’s voice.  Alexander’s name was called from the front of the building.  He turned and waved someone back toward the forges.  “Look Itzak, it’s that man I was telling the others about this morning.  We’ve got a good thing going here and I think we’ll land some great business in making idols next.  I might even be able to take you on as an apprentice if this goes through.”  Alexander tossed the poker on the side and patted Itzak on the shoulder as he turned toward his opportunity.

There are many temptations in the Christian walk.  One of the most accessible is the temptation to let things slide.  In Hebrews 2 we see the deep concern that the writer has for Christians living in a pervasively pagan environment as well as living near those who may come to try to convince them to return to Judaism.  It seems that one of their greatest temptations was to let their belief slip through their fingers.

Read Hebrews 2:1-4.

We have already seen how the writer has worked very hard to establish Christ’s divine power and authority.  Jesus Christ’s position is always more powerful and always above that of the angels. Now the writer takes a more parental and instructional role and issues the first of several stark warnings found in the book of Hebrews.  And the writer is very sure to make it plain that this temptation is not something that has already been mastered.  A very inclusive “we” starts this admonition and that should bring us some comfort as well.  We are not alone in this struggle.

This admonition also moves to a clear declaration that it is possible to drift away from salvation.  This is the kind of message that may alarm new Christians and should definitely be heard by seasoned Christians.  The writer to the Hebrews is intent upon this warning and sets up multiple reasons why being aware of the possibility of drifting away, letting go or sloughing off is imperative for all Christians to understand.

The first movement is that the angels not only witnessed and helped deliver God’s Word and the Law to the ancient Hebrews (Deuteronomy 33:2), but they were also servants of God that were employed at times to carry out judgment on the violators of that Law. In Matthew 13:47-52 Jesus is quoted as saying that the “angels come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace . . .”  That’s what Jesus said!  So, the writer affirms that if those who were disobedient back then were served God’s justice, why would the present-day people be free from this same kind of judgment both in the present day and at the final judgment?  This passage in Hebrews is not designed for our comfort.  It is designed to be a warning!

The second movement of this warning is the affirmation that Jesus is indeed the same Law Giver as in the Old Testament and that, in his coming and giving the New Covenant, he also has given a way of salvation that is even more powerful than the temporary provisions of sacrifices found in the Law.  By his coming to us and announcing salvation (see Luke 19:9) and then providing the final and perfect sacrifice his salvation is better and best.    

A third movement is the affirmation that the testimony of the first witnesses—the disciples later called the Apostles—is valid testimony.  The readers of this letter would be several spiritual generations away from Matthew, Mark, Peter and John.  These first disciples actually heard Jesus’ voice, they listened directly to his stories and they participated immediately with him in many of his miracles.  We have eye-witness accounts that are trustworthy and accredited.  Historical revisions cannot wipe away that fact. And those first believers testified to the next generation of Christians and so on and so on and so on.  What if we were to ignore their testimony?  What if we were to drift away because we gave in to the temptation that maybe those people did not exist, or that they were beguiled by an influential teacher or that someone just made this Jesus up?!

A final and profound movement in this warning is that God himself testified—spoke out loud—by means of confirming and affirming signs, wonders and miracles of this Salvation that is superior to any other purported salvation.  It is through unusual, powerful, unearthly events that God himself speaks.  Many were delivered of demons.  Five thousand men men and more were fed one afternoon from a boy’s lunch.  Countless people were healed and delivered.  Ultimately the Resurrection was the triumphant miracle. And the Holy Spirit gave gifts to new Christians starting in Jerusalem and pouring out all over Gentiles everywhere.  God’s voice thundered through these and who are we to defy God?!

These warnings, so stark and strong, also serve as great comfort. For if we heed them, we continue to be saved!  We must, must, must pay more careful attention and never let our minds and our hearts drift from such an amazing salvation.

Itzak sat in the service trembling with joy.  He heard the words of the writer to the Hebrews as they were read again. He knew that he had made the right choice.  He bowed his head deep in prayer that Alexander would return to the Way. He also prayed that he and his family would never drift from the marvelous presence of Jesus Christ—their great Savior, Redeemer and Friend.

Copyright M.R. Hyde 2013

Hebrews - Jesus Greater Than Angels

Itzak’s wife Hannah fumbled with the package.  It was quite heavy, but pliable.  The messenger left very quickly after leaving the package, refusing to stay for any kind of refreshment.  He seemed nervous and looked over his shoulder many times, anxious to leave.  Hannah did not understand his nervousness until she opened the package and saw the note.  The handwriting was unmistakable. It was from Itzak’s mother.  Hannah trembled as she unfolded the note.  Her mother-in-law had ceased all communications with them since they had converted to Christianity.  Hannah and her mother-in-law had had a reasonably good relationship prior to that.  But when Itzak declared their conversion and baptism by the church leaders, the woman’s face had gone pale and she trembled with what Hannah thought was rage.  She never knew if it might have been fear, because his enraged father had thrown them out of the house and told them to never return.  Hannah had hoped it was only fear in Itzak’s mother, but until the moment of holding the note in her hand it was not clear what her mother-in-law’s emotions had truly been.

Hannah read a very heart-felt note.  “My dear Itzak and Hannah, I felt compelled to send you this gift.  From the time you have left our home I have not stopped praying to Gabriel that he would bring you back to us.  Your angels weep over you and long for you to return to the truth faith as well.  I have made something for you and hope that it will lead you back to where you belong.  I miss you and your children terribly.  With love and many prayers and deep and abiding hope, Your Mother.”   Hannah unwrapped the package slowly.  A beautiful deep maroon cloth was rolled loosely around a decorative pole about the length of her arm. Hannah carefully unrolled the fabric on the table.  The afternoon sun pierced through the window and was caught by golden thread and ribbon.  Hannah covered her mouth in a gasp of surprise and awe.  A golden angel was woven with wonderful artistry into the cloth.  Its wings touched the top of the rod and its flowing robes touched the bottom.  Itzak’s mother was an artist of the first order and her weavings, tapestries and handwork went at a very high price.  This must have been one of her finest achievements. And there it lay on their humble table, shining and beautiful.

Hannah remembered praying to the angels throughout her life.  But since they had believed in Jesus Christ, those prayers had seemed unnecessary.  Their hearts and lives and been so filled with joy and many prayers to Jesus had been answered, even in their sorrow at losing brothers and sisters in the persecutions.  The church leaders had carefully and gently instructed them that praying to angels was neither necessary nor appropriate.  And they had dutifully followed this direction.  Faith in Jesus Christ had been sufficient . . . until this moment.  Hannah looked around their humble home.  It was simple, dark and bleak—so different than the beautiful home they used to live in before they were baptized.  But they had lost nearly everything by selling it off to survive while Itzak worked as a day laborer and looked for steady work.  They had everything they needed, but it was not much. Her fingers gently traced the ribbon and thread image.  It was so beautiful she felt she must hang it up immediately just to see what it looked like on the wall.  After it was hung she stepped back near the door to look at it in all of its glory.  Indeed, this was the finest thing she had ever seen come from her mother-in-law’s hand. 

Almost instinctively she ran to the image and fell on her knees.   With one hang pressed against the image she cried out, “Oh, Gabriel!  Gabriel!  Help us!  We are so poor and I worry so much about Itzak . . .”

“Hannah, what are you doing?!”  Itzak’s thin frame stood in the doorway. 

“Oh, Itzak!”  She got up and ran to him, throwing her arms around him.  “Look what your mother sent to us and she has been praying to Gabriel this whole time!”

Itzak looked stunned and stared at the hanging on the wall.  Seeing his mother’s artwork brought back so many memories and the deep aching in his heart to see his family again pressed against his chest.  “It is very beautiful,” he mumbled.  “Were you praying to Gabriel?” he asked softly.

“Yes, and what could it hurt?  Don’t we need more help?”

“Indeed we do,” he said softly as he kissed his wife on the top of the head.  “I have lost my work again.”

Hannah had not noticed through her tears that Itzak’s face was bloody and bruised.  She rushed to get the water basin, pulled him to a chair and began to clean his face.

“I told them I was a Christian.  That’s all I said.  And they turned on me as if I were a criminal.”  He could not take his eyes off of the wall hanging.  “They did not even give me my day’s wages.”

Hannah was silent.  She turned to look at the angel on the wall.  “Why don’t we pray together right now, Itzak.  Surely Gabriel and Jesus will help us again.”

Itzak rose slowly, taking his wife’s hand.  They moved quietly over in front of the angel and knelt down.  Neither of them spoke for some time.  Then they looked at each other.  Hannah spoke first.  “This does not seem right.  It just does not seem right.”

Itzak nodded.  Her pulled her to her feet.  “Do you remember what the letter said?”

“You mean the letter to the Hebrews at meeting?  Yes, I remember.”

“I think I believe, Hannah, that we should just pray to Jesus from now on.”

Hannah was silent for a moment.  “Me, too.  I didn’t feel right bowing down to that either, Itzak.  Something told me that it wasn’t necessary.”

Without any further conversation, Itzak moved to the wall, took down the hanging and rolled it back onto the rod.  “Come, my dear.”  He led his wife outside to the fire pit.  A few coals were still warm and smoky from the morning’s baking.  Itzak bent down and blew into the coals until they burned orange and yellow and then he placed his mother’s handiwork on top of them.  Very quickly the ribbon caught fire and soon the hanging was ablaze.  Hannah wept as she watched as some of the finest work of Itzak’s mother’s hand went up in smoke.

Itzak prayed aloud, “Blessed are you, O Lord, maker of the heavens and the earth.  We thank you Jesus for sending the angels to help us.  Please accept this sacrifice this day as our testimony that you send your angels to guard and guide us, but that we worship you alone.”

Hannah clung to her husband confident that they had done the right thing. 

The writer of the Hebrews had some very real concern for the Christians reading this letter.  Of primary importance was their understanding and faith in the Incarnate Christ—both God and Man.  Already in verses 1-3 the writer established the Christian fact that Jesus Christ is one with God and the exact representation.  Even in his time on earth, and primarily during in the Resurrection and Ascension, Jesus Christ is the only one who is simultaneously God and Man, who has redeemed us by his loving sacrifice on the cross and who has overcome death and now sits in heaven because his work is completed.

But there were other ideas that were pervading the Christian community that posed great threat.  There were many theological errors and influences not only from Pharisees and Sadducees but also from secular philosophies that would bend and twist true Christian doctrine.  For many years there had been a growing belief among some Jews—primarily those of the Diaspora[1] that prayers to angels could be combined with magical practices.[2]  The Apostle Paul was equally concerned about this when he wrote to the Colossians.  Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind. (Colossians 2:18)  So also the writer to the Hebrews was deeply concerned that the person of Jesus Christ would be diminished in his position as the third part of the Godhead to that of just another angel. The writer was intent upon making sure that these New Testament Christians understood that angels indeed are part of God’s creation, not equal to Jesus nor to be worshiped, and that Jesus Christ alone was worthy of worship.

Read Hebrews 1:4-14.

Here we see a substantial amount of Scriptures from the Old Testament employed to establish the heavenly hierarchy.  Each one of these Scriptures would have been very familiar to the Jewish Christians who heard this letter read.  And each of these Scriptures is used to describe the ultimate and absolute position and authority of Jesus Christ.  Christians were to avoid any attribution of that kind of power and authority to anyone or anything other than Jesus.  At the same time, angels were affirmed as part of God’s Kingdom, demonstrated throughout the Old Testament, and servants sent by him to help humanity!

Read the following Scriptures in total this week to be familiar with the context of each of the quotes used in Hebrews. 

- Psalm 2

- 2 Samuel 7 and 1 Chronicles 17

- Psalm 104

- Psalm 45

- Psalm 110

The first verse that is quoted cannot easily be found in our modern editions of the Bible.  This is because it is only found in the Greek translation of the Old Testament, the Septuagint (285-247 B.C.).  This tells us that the first readers of this letter to the Hebrews would have some context in the Greek-speaking Jewish community and for them this verse was Scripture. 

What we see in these verses are profound statements about who Jesus Christ is.  He is superior to angels.  He is equal to the Father.  He is worshiped by angels.  He has the power and authority to make angels as strong as wind and fire.  Even the elements—heaven and earth—will fade, but his person, rule and power will never fade.  Nor does his nature and will change. 

Yes, angels exist!  Indeed they are our helpers!  But they are sent by God through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit to serve us, not for us to serve or worship them. They are his beautiful and powerful creatures able to go where even wind and fire go, but only at the bidding of Jesus Christ.

We must be careful, as the writer to the Hebrews admonishes, in our day to not be pulled aside, distracted, caught up in worship of anything but Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Copyright M.R. Hyde 2013

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[1] The Diaspora was the Jews who had been exiled after the Assyrian and Babylonian conquests of Palestine.  This term is frequently used for any military or political displacement of Jews from Israel. Read 2 Kings for an understanding of the first dispersion.

[2] The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, Keener, Craig, Inter Varsity Press, Downer’s Grove, Illinois, 1993, p. 577.