SOUNDING OUT:
Give More Earnest Heed (Part 1 of 3)

  We find in Hebrews chapter 2, verses 1-4, a strong warning against neglecting God's Word. God not only warns us, but He also gives reasons for the warning. Over the next three newsletters we will cover all four verses. In this first one we will look at the warning. In the next one we will see the reason why. Then we will close with verses three and four,

Hebrews 2:1[KJV]
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.

Hebrews 2:1[NIV]
We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.

Hebrews 2:1: [NAS]
For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.

  2:1. “Therefore” shows that this admonition arose directly from the preceding material. Since the Son is so supremely great and has been given a name above every name, we should pay careful attention to the realities of what God has done for us in Christ Jesus. Although this urgent warning is set in this particular context of God communicating to us through His son, it can be transferred and applied to all of scripture because all scripture is equally inspired of God. Since it is all God-breathed, we must give all of it careful attention.

  Ought is dei. It is not just a simple word for an obligation; it is a stronger word which means "it is imperative" or "it is necessary." Our word “ought” doesn’t do it justice. The more recent translations use “must” instead of “ought.”

  Must:

  This word means, in everyday English, something like the following: “Given my circumstances, what I do next must be both logical and necessary. In other words, I am in such a compelling set of circumstances that my next move is almost without choice. The impact of must is to almost remove our choice. After all, if we must do something what choice do we really have. If we believe the must we defer the option to choose. If on the other hand we do not believe the must, we can opt not to do it. The force or impact of the must negates our will to do the opposite.

  However we know only too well that freedom of will is never forfeited. My next move is just dictated by my circumstances; I must choose to do what is required. Circumstances are so forceful that, to be logical, I have only these necessary options open to me. Anything else is insane. If I must do something, then what I do next must be logical. What I do next is also necessary if I’m to survive!

  To give the more, earnest heed translates a verb meaning "to pay careful attention" and an adverb (based on an adjective in the comparative degree) meaning "even more extremely." The result is an exceptionally strong exhortation. "Because of these things," he is saying, "it is absolutely necessary for us to be extremely careful to pay attention." No matter how much heed we give now, we can always give more. An interesting use of this verb is “to safely bring a boat to dock in port.”

  We are to hold to the things which we have heard lest we let them slip. This is the only place it occurs in the New Testament. Now this is an interesting term in the Greek. It denotes something which flows by or glides by, as if being swept along by a river. The emphasis it stresses is the relatively little effort that is required to instigate the action. You can see the emphasis on how easy it is from the only occurrence of the root word.

  The word translated slip was used by Greek writers of sliding on snow or of foul language slipping into a conversation. The writer urges extreme care lest his readers slip from steadfast obedience to what they heard. Perhaps you heard someone say “that escapes me” or “that slips my mind.” Slip may be better translated "lest we drift away (from them)," as in the later versions. The same word is used in the LXX in Proverbs.