Careless Approximations!
Reflective Reading: Hebrews 1-2
In Hebrews chapter two we read:
Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. For if the word spoken by angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard.
To understand what this is saying, we need to go back to chapter one. Here, the writer introduces a summary of how God has been communicating to mankind since the beginning. He has spoken through angels, through prophets, and through special messengers. Sadly, for four thousand years, mankind did not listen. So now, God is going to do something new, something extraordinarily different. Now, he is going to speak to us through his Son—the King of kings, and LORD of lords! It’s as if he is saying you had better listen—or else!
Thus we enter chapter two, where we read four warnings:
· Give more earnest heed to the things you’ve heard.
· Don’t let them slip.
· If you do let them slip, disobedience will be justly rewarded.
· Don’t neglect this great salvation God has provided through his Son.
Of these four warnings, I would like to zoom in on “Don’t let them slip” and “Don’t neglect.” The word slip in Greek refers to a leaking liquid. Imagine with me freshly-pressed wine poured through a strainer into new bottles. But there’s a catch—one of the strainers has contracted a hole. Or, worse, imagine the wine being poured in a careless, distracted manner causing it to run over the edge and be wasted. The writer is driving forward the importance of listening carefully to God’s Son. Give earnest heed to the things you’ve heard—don’t let his words slip from your heart and mind.
Now we shall examine the word neglect. It carries the idea of being negligent, making light of, or not regarding seriously. The rest of Hebrews chapter two describes the depth of sacrifice that Jesus went through so that we might receive the benefits of His great salvation. The writer is conveying the idea that if Jesus went through this much to redeem us then we need to give the more earnest heed to what He has said.
I think Joshua understood this when he wrote:
This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success (Joshua 1:8).
To illustrate the ideas of slipping away and neglect, I would like to share a rather humorous story.
I was 21 years old. It was several weeks before my salvation—July, 1977. My boss at an international salt company had just promoted me to the chemical department. I was responsible to mix chemicals for the making of brown salt blocks for cattle. This was a big mistake because, little did they know, I failed chemistry in high school! I was an unsaved 21-year-old and not a good candidate, but I wasn’t going to say anything because of the promotion.
On my first day, I went through what was considered an orientation to the lab. I was introduced to the chemicals and the amounts that I was to mix. Everything seemed streamlined and organized, and after one day of training, I was ready to start mixing. Remember, I wasn’t a Christian and not real focused. My first day of mixing chemicals started like clockwork. The freshly-mixed chemicals were ready to be made into salt blocks. Hundreds, then thousands of salt blocks were made. The following week, I was exhausted. I was still bartending at night before I went to the salt company for my day job. As I got accustomed to my chemical mixing job, I got careless. (Or should I say negligent?) The exact measurements soon became “approximations.” These approximations then became guess-timates, and my guess-timates would soon get me fired!
It wasn’t long before I received the news that a lot of tattletale cattle in the Midwest spilled the beans. Actually, they weren’t spilling beans, they were experiencing explosive diarrhea! In short, I did not give the more earnest heed to what I had been told, and allowed the things that I had heard and been trained in, to slip away, resulting in—“You’re fired!”
Yes, this is a humorous and embarrassing story, but I think it illustrates the idea well. With all of these definitions in mind, let’s examine our text with fresh eyes:
Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. For if the word spoken by angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard.
Sincerely,
Mark Hamby
M.S., M. Div., Th. M., D. Min.
Recommended Reading and Listening
Teddy’s Button book/audio drama (Ages 6+)
Tip Lewis and His Lamp (Ages 9+)
Boy of Mt. Rhigi book/audio drama (Ages 9+)
Robbers Cave book/audio drama (Ages 9+)
