יּקנרק'ד

Hebrews Chapter 1 Verses 1-4

:1 “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; 3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;”

The book of Hebrews was primarily addressed to the Hebrew people by the Apostle Paul.  One of the main themes of the book of Hebrews is that we have something better in this New Testament time than what the children of Israel had in the Old Testament economy.  Moreover, to show the Hebrew people that much of what they had was pointing to this better New Testament day.  There are several things that the book tells us that are “better” than what was had under the Old Testament economy. 

"God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son..."  In the Old Testament days, God spoke unto the fathers by several prophets.  Sometimes he spoke many things unto the fathers by a single prophet such as Moses by whom God gave them the law and the ordinances of the Old Testament worship and through whose hand the Lord gave the covenant that established them as a nation and through which they were to govern that nation.  Sometimes he would send a prophet to a single individual or to a small group of individuals to give them instruction or encouragement.  Through the prophet Jeremiah he gave the children of Israel much admonishment and warnings of the things that would come upon them unless they repented and did what God required of them.  The prophets were all vessels of God by which God delivered many messages and instruction.  The messages were God’s message and those who heard were supposed to take heed to those messages.  In comparison, in this New Testament day we have a far better messenger as God spake unto us by his Son.  While the message of Christ is no more true than the messages by God’s prophets, yet these messages in the New Testament day are delivered by a perfect messenger and as Paul stated in Heb. 2:1: “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.”

Next, in our passage Paul list seven things about this New Testament messenger that make him far superior to the prophets:

1.  He is the Son of God.  This, of course, makes him equal unto God.

2.  Secondly, as the Son he has been appointed heir of all things.  Thus, everything that is the Father’s is also the Son’s.

         3.  He made the worlds.  He is the Creator of all things.  According to John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.”  

         4.  He is the brightness of God’s glory.  God’s glory was seen and manifested in several ways in the Old Testament.  His glory appeared in the cloud that led the children of Israel through their wilderness journeys.  It appeared in the cloud that filled the tabernacle and that filled the temple.  Moreover, it appeared in the miracles, signs and wonders God performed in delivering the children of Israel out of Egypt.  It appeared in many other ways.  However, in all the ways that we see the glory of the Lord in the Old Testament, it was always veiled in the types and shadows that pointed us to Christ.  When the Son of God came into the world, we began to see the brightness of God’s glory.  No longer was the glory of God veiled, but it was fully revealed in the person and work of the Son of God. 

5.  He is the express image of God’s person.  God expressed himself to us through the person and work of Jesus Christ.  The love of God was expressed through Jesus especially as he suffered and died for us on the tree of the cross.  The forgiveness of God was expressed to us when Jesus, while on the cross, said: “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”  The power of God was expressed to us in the miracles that Christ performed in raising the dead, giving sight to the blind, causing the deaf to hear, healing the lepers, etc.  Most of all it was expressed to us in his resurrection from the dead.  Just about every attribute of God is clearly expressed to us through the person and work of Jesus Christ while he journeyed here on earth. 

6.  Not only has he created all things, but he upholds all things by the word of his power.  There is no need to fear that global warming will destroy the earth, nor is there any reason to worry that a passing comet will one day destroy the earth.  The truth is seed time and harvest, summer and winter will not cease till the Lord brings the world to an end.  The same one who created all things also upholds all things by the word of his power. 

7.  The seventh thing Paul relates to us is that “he purged our sins.”  This should make every one of the elect to rejoice and shout for joy. 

“When he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.”  This verse of scripture by itself destroys the idea that man had anything to do with delivering himself from his sins.  After all, it was by himself that he purged our sins.  If it took a preacher to preach the gospel, and me to believe the gospel in order for Christ death to be effective in purging my sins, then Christ would not have done it by himself.  It would then be by Christ and two others that my sins were purged.  However, the scripture says that He did it by himself.  Case closed.

Moreover, Christ having purged our sins “sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.”  God never sits down until the work is finished.  We find this principle taught in creation.  God created the heavens and the earth in six days and then rested on the seventh.  The work was completed when he rested.  Likewise, the work of purging our sins was completed when Christ say down at the right hand of the majesty on high. 

Verses 4-7

:4 “Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. 5 For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? 6 And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him. 7 And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.”

The angels of God are a part of God’s creation.  They are considered a higher order of creation than man.  According to the scriptures, God’s elect family will be like the angels after the resurrection of the dead: Matt. 22:30 “For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.”  While man in nature thinks very highly of himself, yet to consider that there is a creature of a higher order, would seemingly lead men to praise and adore the creature of a higher order.  However, in comparison to the Lord Jesus Christ, we are told that Jesus was made better than the angels.  Moreover, he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than the angels.  The angels have no right to an inheritance from God.  Yet as the Son of God, Christ has obtained an inheritance of all things. 

That Christ has obtained a more excellent name than the angels and is so much better than the angels we read an Old Testament prophecy: Psa. 2:7 “I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.”  According to Acts 13:33 “God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.”  Thus, Christ is the first begotten from the dead.  Christ is the eternal Son of God and was never not the eternal Son of God.  He did not become God’s Son when he was conceived in the womb of the virgin or at his birth.  He has always been the eternal Son of God.  However, he was begotten from the dead in his resurrection from the grave.  Both as the eternal Son of God and as the first begotten from the dead, he has obtained a more excellent name than the angels and is so much better than the angels. 

“I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?”  This was taken from an Old Testament prophecy of a coming king who would sit on an eternal throne reigning forever: 2 Sam 7:14 “I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men:”  Therefore, Christ as a King reigning forever over the house of God and sitting on an everlasting throne, he has a more excellent name than the angels and is so much better than the angels. 

And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.  This was fulfilled in Luke 2:13 “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”  This was done at the birth of the Christ child.  Therefore, since the angels worshipped him, it proves that he has been made so much higher than the angels and that he hath obtained a more excellent name than they have. 

“And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.”  This was taken from the Old Testament as follows: Ps. 104:4 “Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire: 5 Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever.  Moreover, we see that Christ hath obtained a more excellent name than the angels and so much better than the angels, as he who has laid the foundations of the earth is the same who maketh his angels spirits.  In conclusion, the angels are a creation of God. 

Verses 8-14

:8 “But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. 9 Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. 10 And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: 11 They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; 12 And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail. 13 But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool? 14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?”

In this passage Paul continues his discussion of the superiority of Christ to the angels. 

 “But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.”  This was taken from Ps. 45:6 “Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre. 7 Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.” 

There are several important points in these parallel passages of scripture:

1.  Christ is God.

2.  Christ is a king sitting on the throne of God in the kingdom of God.

3.  Christ is perfect in his love of righteousness and hatred of iniquity.  In this he is far greater than any earthly king. 

4.  It was the custom to anoint kings with holy anointing oil.  Christ was anointed of God with the oil of gladness above all his fellows. 

5.  The scepter is used in the scriptures as a rod of authority and judgment of a king.  That the scepter of Christ is a scepter of righteousness teaches us that Christ reigns in righteousness and rules in righteousness and that his judgment is in righteousness. 

“And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: 11 They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; 12 And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.”  This passage also teaches us several lessons:

1.  Christ is the creator of the heavens and the earth.  He created all things.  This demonstrates both his eternal nature, and his almighty power, and his great wisdom. 

2.  The heavens and the earth shall not last forever, but only so long as God shall decree.  Peter taught that they were reserved unto fire: 2 Pet. 3:7 “But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.” 

3.  The natural creation of God is gradually growing older and will wax old as doth a garment.

4.  Finally, God shall fold them up and they shall be changed.

5.  Through all of the above, Christ does not change and his years do not fail.  He shall not grow old. 

“But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool? 14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?”  Psa. 110:1 reads:  “A Psalm of David. The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.”  This verse introduces us to a few thoughts:

1.  Christ sits at the right hand of God on the throne of God.

2.  The footstool was at the foot of the throne.  Here the subjects came and bowed down before the King. 

3.  That Christ’s enemies would be his footstool plainly teaches that he has the complete victory over them. 

4.  These things were never said unto the angels.  The angels are made ministering spirits.  They are servants of the King.  Their purpose is to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation. 

In conclusion, though the angels frequently brought messages from God to the heirs of salvation, they were far lesser in glory and honor than the King whom they serve.