Thank you for the interpretation question, “We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. Hebrews 2:1, NIV. What does this mean? Drift away to where?”
Here are some thoughts for one’s considerations:
A. Definition of Drift.
The Greek word is “pararheo” which literally means to flow past, guide by without giving attention to a thing. It’s like to a person flowing down the river being distracted or not heeding what is before or around that person. It’s being passive.
The writer of Hebrews says that believers are to look at the Author and Finisher of their faith. It’s not taking one’s eyes off what is most important. In Hebrews 2:1, it is looking away or being distracted so that one’s eye is one something else.
B. What is the drifting away from and to?
A clue to what was preached to the Jewish believers is found in Heb. 1:1. The text says this, “In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe” (NIV).
The believers are called to remember the words of the Son. In Heb. 2:3, the writer confirms it by the words, “This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. 4 God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will” (NIV).
The Jewish believers were now recipients of the message that was shared to them. The writer warns them to guard against drifting or departing from the message of salvation.
Heb. 2 says, “We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. 2 For since the message spoken through angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, 3 how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation?
As I look at this passage and the Book of Hebrews, there are two primary drifting away to:
1. There are the Jewish individuals who heard the Good News of salvation but begin to question, doubt, or consider less the message of salvation. In other words, these individuals may be Jews who have not come to faith yet. He is encouraging them to continue pursing the salvation for ignoring that salvation offered by the Lord will lead to judgment for their own sins.
It appears that the Jewish believers were being persecuted for their faith in Jesus. The Jews who have not come to faith may be considering that the price to believe is too high. They were looking at what material blessings would be loss or the ostracizing from the Jewish community. They were refocusing on what they had before, the things on earth and forgetting the treasures in heaven.
2. There were Jewish believers who have come to faith but now they were seeing their possessions or positions in the Jewish community being stripped away from them. They needed reminding of the cost to follow Jesus and their willingness to focus on the eternal and the temporary.
The writer reminds the believers of the sacrifice of Jesus in condescending to becoming lesser in rank than the angels. Jesus fulfilled the will of God despite having nothing on earth. “16 For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. 17 For this reason he had to be made like them,[k] fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people” (NIV). God has now highly exalted him. They too will be richly reward for holding fast to their faith.
As one considers the warning passages in Hebrew, there seems the temptation or challenge to revert back to Judaism, to drift back to Judaism. It is forgetting about the heavenly treasures and letting one’s mind think about what they had before being a Jewish Christian.
There isn’t the drifting to the Greek-Roman gods. That would be idolatry. They knew the Law prohibited worshiping other foreign gods. Thus it is most likely that they were reconsidering the position as a Jew. Do they want to remain in Judaism or do they want to remain a follower of Jesus? They can’t have it both way.
SUMMARY: The drifting to is the consideration of reverting to Judaism again to avoid religious persecution and to maintain their social stating in the Jewish community.
-Kingston