CHAPTER 2

(A.D. 64)

COVENANT

¹Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard (actually refers to the New Testament Message of the Cross), lest at any time we should let them slip. (In the Greek Text, it carries the idea of a ring slipping from a finger. Regrettably, the Church presently has let the Message of the Cross slip and, as a result, the Church hardly knows where its been, where it is, or where its going.)

²For if the word spoken by Angels was stedfast (actually refers to the Law of Moses, which had many Angels in attendance), and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward (sin is either addressed at the Cross, or else it is addressed in Judgment; so, each person has a choice);

³How shall we escape, if we neglect so great Salvation (if we neglect the Cross, we have destroyed ourselves); which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord (announced by Christ when He said, repent: for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand [Mat. 4:17]), and was confirmed unto us by them who heard Him(confirmed by healings and miracles which were witnessed by the original Twelve, plus untold numbers of others);

⁴God also bearing them witness (presents the highest evidence of all, actually that which is absolutely indisputable), both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles (which began with Christ, and continued on through His Apostles), and Gifts of the Holy Spirit (has to do with those listed in I Cor. 12:8-10), according to His Own Will? (These things were the Will of God then, and are the Will of God now!)

REDEMPTION

⁵For unto the Angels has He not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak. (The Lord hasnt given the Angels dominion and rulership as He has Christ.)

⁶But one in a certain place testified, saying (Ps. 8:4-6), What is man, that You are mindful of him? (This delves into the reason God has given man so much notice.) or the son of man, that You visit him? (This refers to looking upon in order to help or benefit. This clearly indicates the son of man spoken of here is the human race and not Christ.)

⁷You made him a little lower than the Angels (should have been translated, You made him a little lower than the Godhead; the Hebrew word translated Angels is Elohim which means God, and should have been translated accordingly); You crowned him with glory and honour (proclaims that which was never said of Angels), and did set him over the works of Your hands (some of that dominion is retained despite the Fall; however, as would be obvious, much has been lost; but to be sure, it has all been regained in Christ, and will ultimately be realized in Christ):

⁸You have put all things in subjection under his feet. (This speaks of Adam before the Fall, but more particularly it speaks of Christ and what He did at the Cross on our behalf.) For in that He (God) put all in subjection under him (man), He (God) left nothing that is not put under him. (Once again speaks of the original Adam, but more than all speaks of the Last Adam, the Lord Jesus Christ.) But now we see not yet all things put under him. (Due to the Fall, we do not now see what was originally intended for man, but through Christ it will ultimately be seen.)

⁹But we see Jesus, Who was made a little lower than the Angels (the Incarnation) for the suffering of death (unequivocally proclaims the fact that Jesus came to this world for one specific purpose to die upon a Cross, which was planned even before the foundation of the world [I Pet. 1:18-20]), crowned with glory and honour (the mission was accomplished, and now Christ is exalted); that He by the Grace of God should taste death for every man. (This proclaims the fact that He needed the Grace of God to accomplish this task, because He was a man, the Man, Christ Jesus.)

¹⁰For it became Him (refers to Gods Way, as it concerns the Redemption of mankind), for Whom are all things (God is the final reason for all things), and by Whom are all things (through Whose agency), in bringing many sons unto Glory (speaks of the Divine Purpose), to make the Captain of their Salvation perfect through sufferings. (This carries the idea that Christ had to suffer the Cross in order to bring about Redemption for humanity.)

¹¹For both He Who Sanctifies and they who are Sanctified are all of One (of Christ): for which cause He is not ashamed to call them Brethren (refers to the fact that Jesus became one of us, but only in the sense of humanity, not in the sense of sin),

¹²Saying, I will declare Your Name unto My Brethren ([Ps. 22:22] meaning that Christ will declare the Name of God to all the Brethren, in effect, owning them), in the midst of the Church will I sing praise unto You. (Christ will praise God because of this great Victory, which has brought many sons into the Kingdom, all made possible by the Cross.)

¹³And again (II Sam. 22:3), I will put My trust in Him. (Christ puts His Trust totally in God.) And again (Isa. 8:18), Behold I and the Children which God has given Me. (The Cross makes it possible for us to become a Child of God.)

¹⁴Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood (refers to the fact that this Creation has a human, not Angelic, nature), He (Jesus) also Himself likewise took part of the same (the Incarnation, God becoming man); that through death (the Cross) He (Jesus) might destroy him (Satan) who had the power of death, that is, the Devil (the wages of sin is death, which speaks of separation from God; Jesus atoned for all sin at the Cross, thereby removing the cause of spiritual death, at least for all who will believe [Jn. 3:16]);

¹⁵And deliver them (speaks of mankind held in captivity by Satan) who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. (It has been well said that the two terrors from which none but Christ can deliver men are guilt of sin and fear of death. The latter is the offspring of the former.)

¹⁶For verily He took not on Him the nature of Angels (Christ did not come to be the Saviour of fallen Angels; they are of another creation); but He took on Him the seed of Abraham. (This refers to His Humanity, which He became and was the manner in which Redemption would be brought about.)

¹⁷Wherefore in all things it behoved Him to be made like unto His Brethren (refers to our Lord laying hold of the human race for the purpose of saving those who would accept Salvation by Faith), that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God (as our High Priest, He is our Representative to God, which He could be by becoming a Man and going to the Cross as well, which He did), to make reconciliation for the sins of the people (to make an atoning Sacrifice in order to regain the favor and goodwill of God on behalf of the human race).

¹⁸For in that He Himself has suffered being tempted (in His Incarnation as the last Adam, our Lord was put to the test, and was also solicited to do evil [Mat. 4:1-11]), He is able to succour them who are tempted. (The Cross alone is the answer to temptation and sin. We overcome temptation by placing our Faith strictly in Christ and the Cross, which is the only way it can be overcome, thus giving the Holy Spirit latitude to strengthen us, as He always stands ready to do [Rom. 8:2, 11].)