Hebrews 2:3a

Hebrews 2:V3a      

“How shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation?” 

These are chilling words, the previous verse has set the scene, the history of the Jews had, and has, been turbulent to say the least. Their relationship with the Lord God had gone through many phases and rarely are they found to be in a faithful and obedient affiliation with Him. There are countless instances described in Old Testament history where the people went astray, both corporately and individually, and they had to suffer the consequences. As Verse 2 says, “every violation and disobedience received its just punishment.” And now the writer, quite justifiably, asks us the obvious question. “If they didn’t get away with it, why should we?” 

Too many treat the Christian faith as an optional “add on”. They can “take it or leave it”, they attend church when they feel like it or when there’s nothing better to do and they consistently compromise with the world. The commands of the Lord are written down and are quite clear but so many pay them little attention, they prefer to listen to the rationale of their culture and to the voice of the devil who taunts us all, “Did God really say?” 

Israel experienced God’s salvation in remarkable ways; deliverance from Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, the crossing of Jordan, endless victories over pagan forces, The defeat of all their enemies, freedom from captivity under the Babylonians, the restoration of their holy city and their Temple. The list is a long one and fills the Old Testament of our Bibles, but it makes solemn reading, for throughout their history they suffered for their disobedience and their rebellion against the Lord. Has He not done even greater things for us? Dare we reduce the salvation won for us at the cross, to nothing? Can we trifle with the faith and expect to go unpunished? Surely the Lord has the right to call us to account and to ask us to question our motives and our priorities and not to go around pretending to be followers of Jesus Christ and yet living as if He does not exist! “How shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation?”

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Psalm 106:13

Psalm 106:13 Do not forget We need to remember that Israel’s relationship with the Lord God was based on His laws and their obedience. It was possible for them to live lives that were highly blessed, that incorporated the provision of God in every tiny detail of their national and individual existence. God was prepared to give them everything they needed, He would provide food and water for them and their flocks. He would guide them on their journey. He would protect them from their enemies. He would inspire and direct their leaders. He would keep them from the heat of the sun and the terrors of the desert night. He would take them to the land that He had promised, in double quick time. There was no reason why they could not be in situ in just a few months. Everything they could possibly need was His to provide and He was willing to sacrifice anything to see them gratefully settled in Canaan.  There was just one snag, it all depended upon their obedience and faithfulness. God insis...
Read more
Psalm1:5       Our earthly journey will allow us, at times, to stand with the redeemed in holy awe and worship exhilarated by the presence of our Father.  In the Psalmists’ day these “assemblies of the righteous” would have been joyful times of worship at God’s sanctuary where music played, choirs sang and the people joined in the excitement and corporate wonder of being together in God’s presence. If our own church worship is anything, it should be a prelude to the time when we will join with a numberless throng and sing the praises of the Lamb and the One who sits upon the throne of heaven. Many go to events like Spring Harvest, Keswick Convention, New Day and the rest, primarily for this experience of joy and exhilaration.  Our earthly, joyful experiences are but a foretaste of what is to come and we are promised that we will join with heavenly choirs and our song will be “Worthy is the Lamb.”   Such music and exalta...
Read more

Psalm 119:83

Psalm 119:83 Wineskins in the smoke Well, this verse has caught us by surprise! What does it mean? As we will be aware, in ancient times, wine was not stored in purpose-made glass bottles but in animal skins. In order to keep the skin pliable and soft it must not be allowed to dry out for it would soon shrivel and crack. It follows that the last thing you would do with your treasured wineskins is to hang them up over a smoky fire, not only would they quickly wither but the smoke would clearly ruin the flavour and texture of the wine!  What does the author mean when he says that he is like such a wineskin?  It denotes the uncomfortable condition he was in or at least thought himself to be in; being caught in the midst of smoke is very uncomfortable, and he considered himself to be in darkness with sin and afflictions, like a wineskin in smoke, black and sooty. He felt like an empty wineskin with nothing in him. Maybe he was worn out with cares and old age and had become pale an...
Read more