Podcast Introduction

Today is Epistles Sunday. We’ll begin the book of Hebrews by reading chapters 1-4  I’ll have some comments after the reading. And of course I’ll have an “On This Date In Church History” segment for you, too. I’m calling today’s episode “The Sweet Spot.“

Comments on Hebrews 1-4

Thoughts on Hebrews 1 and 2

We do not know the author of the book of Hebrews, but we do know to whom it was written: Christian Jews, and for their benefit (as well as ours), most of chapter one is dedicated to establishing who Jesus is in light of the Old Testament. 

Chapter 2 begins with this sentence: 1 Therefore we must pay closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.

Whenever I study the Bible and come across the word “therefore”, I ask myself, “What’s the therefore there for?” The word “therefore” is a link between two thoughts. It’s like saying “Because of what I just said, now I’m going to say this.” 

So in this case, the therefore refers to the message of chapter one, namely the truth of who Jesus is. 

Chapter two, verse one could say: “Since Jesus is God, we need to really pay close attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.” 

I grew up here in southern California, and I lived within about a half hour’s drive to the beach. When I was in high school I learned how to surf. For some time, I would go surfing almost every day. When you’re surfing, you often spend a lot of time sitting on your board waiting for the next wave. Waves often come in sets, and there could be several minutes between sets. So you’re just sitting on your board, watching for the next set. 

Many times here in southern California, there are currents in the water that flow parallel to the beach. If you were standing on the sand looking out at the water, the current could be from left to right or right to left. 

Now, an interesting thing about these currents is that when you are in the current, you can’t feel it. You are carried along in the current at the exact same speed as the current, so you don’t have a feeling of movement. The only way you know you’re moving is if you look at some sort of landmark on the beach, you’ll see that you are moving in relation to that landmark. Maybe it’s a lifeguard tower, or a towel or big rock.  

Sometimes the current is quite strong. So if you are sitting on your board, you can easily be carried quite far from where you started. It takes no effort at all to find yourself 100 yards or more from where you began. To stay in that “sweet spot” you want to be in when the next set comes through, you have to continually be paddling against the current. It takes effort to stay close to the spot.

Or you’ll drift away.

“1 Therefore we must pay closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.”

Beloved, we must put effort into our relationship with Jesus so that we do not drift away. If we ignore the teaching we have received, if we do not continually paddle our spiritual surfboard to fight the current of life that is continually trying to move us away from Him, we will find ourselves far away from where we want to be. Just because you are close to Him today does not guarantee that you will always be in the sweet spot. 

This is as true for a new believer as it is for an old codger like me who has been a believer for over 50 years. The current never goes away. We must continue to paddle that board to stay close to Jesus. 

Thoughts on Hebrews 3

The author, in chapter 3, compares Jesus to Moses. Why would he do that? Because the primary audience for the book is the Hebrew, or Jew, and Moses was their most highly regarded person. The author was explaining how and why Jesus was to be held in even higher regard. 

He does this by making some opening statements in the first six verses, then he refers back to Psalms chapter 95, a book from the OT, or as the Jews know it, the Torah. In doing this, he takes them to familiar ground. Psalm 95 is a warning to the Jews not to harden their hearts toward God as their ancestors did when Moses led them through the desert for 40 years. Because they did that, God did not allow them to enter the Promised Land. He waited until that entire generation passed away before allowing the next generation to receive the promise.

We humans tend to be forgetful, don’t we? When I was a new believer, the first time I attempted to read through the Bible and read about how God delivered the Jews from the Egyptian pharaoh and slavery, how God parted the Red Sea to make an escape route as they were being pursued by Pharaoh and his army, and how they soon turned to worshipping a golden calf when Moses was on the mountain receiving the tablets from the hand of God, I was amazed at how quickly they forgot the Lord. 

“How stupid can these people be,” I thought. “How can they forget the miraculous way that God delivered them? Why would they so quickly turn their backs on God?”

And then God spoke to my heart and said, “You do the same thing.”

And it was true. Being so young in my faith…I had only been a Christian for about five years…I knew there were times that I had forgotten God. I knew that I had already failed Him and decided to do my own thing. Yes, God is faithful, and when I asked forgiveness, He was quick to forgive. And as He gently spoke to my heart about how I was no different than the Jews who forgot Him, I realized that I was no better and no worse than them. I realized that I must make a concerted effort to stay close to Him, to make an effort to remember the times that He did something wonderful, and yes, miraculous for me. 

I wish I could say that since that day I never turned my back on God, but I would be lying. I was about 21 years old then, and I’ll be 68 soon. Over the years between then and now, I’m sorry to say that I have failed Him countless times. I’m not proud of it. Being a bit of a perfectionist, I hate falling short. Like the apostle Paul wrote in Romans 7:19: For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. And then, dropping down to verse 24: 24Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? 25Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! Yes, beloved, over the years I have learned, and I have grown ever more appreciative of His gift of forgiveness. 

He promises in His Word to forgive us, not because we deserve it, but because of what Jesus did for us. As I look back, I am amazed and humbled that God cares for me, but it is only because He sees me through the lens of the sacrifice of Jesus. The Father sees me as blameless. Psalm 103:12 says, “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” 

Does God forgive? Oh yes, he does. Praise His name, yes He does! Hallelujah!

Today’s Bible Translation

Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 1-4 NET

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