HF178 - Hebrews 2:1-4 (#4 Signs and Wonders)
To: Hebraic-Foundations@YahooGroups.com
From: "Pastor Buddy Martin" <Bro.Buddy@ChristianChallenge.org>
Date: Saturday, April 12, 2008
Subject: Bible Study HF178 - Hebrews 2:1-4 (#4 Signs and Wonders)
Hebraics,
This is our 4th study in the book of Hebrews. Keep in mind that this book was written to targeted readers, the Jewish peoples. It will be good to remind ourselves of this at various points.
This is Bible Study HF178 - Hebrews 2:1-4 (#4 Signs and Wonders)
Here are the Scriptures we will look at in this study:
Heb 2:1: "For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it.
We will often catch hints of the approaching judgment upon the temple and Jerusalem by which all vestiges of the covenant of Moses are going to disappear. But in the meantime the Jewish believers are having to face certain difficulties. The temple is still standing. Sacrifices are yet being offered. In fact there are even believing priests will involved with the temple offerings.
Consider Acts 6:7; "The word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith."
v2: "For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty, ...
It was commonly taught among the Jews that the Law of Moses came about through the agency of angels. This reflects back on the truth that Jesus Christ is not an angel, but is indeed the Son of God.
The issue is that if the Law proved to validate itself by judgments, how much more will the new covenant validate itself also with a judgment.
A question may arise as to what judgment is being considered. The early Jewish Christians carried with them the testimony of Christ concerning the destruction of the temple. But now that it has been some thirty odd years since the cross, they are still waiting.
Jesus and said to the apostles, "Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down." (Mat24:2 - With regard to the temple.)
v3: "how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard."
Here the readers are directed back to the announcement of the kingdom God that was proclaimed by Jesus, that was validated by his death, burial and resurrection, and how this message was 'confirmed' by the apostles themselves.
v4: "...God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will."
Continue to keep in mind that these readers are Jewish people who were among the very early harvesting of the gospel. It is likely that many of them had had been under the apostles themselves and had witnessed the apostolic miracles.
This brings us to an important consideration with regard to signs and wonders. There is no question that miracles will always be a part of the kingdom of God. But here the writer is drawing attention to something different. The apostles had been given particular authority in doing works of wonder. It was there place to lay the foundation for the church.
We catch a hint of this when Jesus separated the twelve disciples from the hundreds of His followers. It says, "And He called the twelve together, and gave them power over all the demons and to heal diseases. And He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to perform healing." (Luke 9:1,2)
It is these kinds of works of power that the writer of Hebrews is calling his readers to remember. His point was that the new covenant came into being with signs and wonders and great works of power, and that all these things were validations that Jesus Christ had truly risen from the dead and was seated in heaven as Lord and Messiah.
The importance in drawing attention to the signs and wonders is that the ancient Jews had long been taught that when Messiah came, He would do wonders that were equal to Moses and even beyond. There is no question that Jesus superseded Moses in many of the things that He did. The writer is again reminding the readers that Jesus had proved who He was.
The study is open. Share your thoughts or ask questions. This is an excellent area for discussion.
Blessings,
Buddy
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Lawrence "Buddy" Martin
email: Bro.Buddy <at> ChristianChallenge.Org
Web: http://www.ChristianChallenge.org
Forum: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Hebraic-Foundations/
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"See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled." (Heb12:15)