Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
For to which of the angels did God ever say,
“You are my Son, today I have begotten you”?
Or again,
“I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son”?
And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says,
“Let all God’s angels worship him.”
Of the angels he says,
“He makes his angels winds, and his ministers a flame of fire.”
But of the Son he says,
“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.
You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.”
And,
“You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands;
they will perish, but you remain;
they will all wear out like a garment,
like a robe you will roll them up,
like a garment they will be changed.
But you are the same,
and your years will have no end.”
And to which of the angels has he ever said,
“Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”?
Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?
Observation
- In the past God spoke through the prophets.
- God spoke by the prophets in many ways.
- God spoke by the prophets many times.
- In these days God has spoken through His Son.
- These are the last days.
- Jesus is the heir of all things
- God created the world through Jesus.
- Jesus is the exact imprint of the God’s nature.
- Jesus is the radiance of God’s glory.
- Jesus up holds the world.
- Jesus up holds the world not by His power but by the mere word of his power.
- Jesus sat down at the right hand of the God
- Jesus sat down at the right hand of God after making purification for sins.
- Jesus is superior to the angles.
- Jesus’ name is superior to the angles’ names.
- God did not say to any angel, “You are my Son.”
- God did not say to any angel, “I have begotten you.”
- God did not say to any angel, “I will be a father to him.”
- God did not say to any angel, “You shall be my son.”
- God said all the angels were to worship Jesus.
- God makes the angels wind.
- God makes His ministers a flame of fire.
- God calls Jesus God.
- God said Jesus’ throne will be forever.
- The scepter of Jesus’ kingdom is the scepter of righteousness.
- Jesus loves righteousness
- Jesus hates wickedness.
- God has anointed Jesus with gladness.
- God has anointed Jesus with more gladness than any of Jesus’ companions.
- Jesus laid the foundation of the earth.
- The heavens are the work of Jesus hands.
- Heaven and earth will perish.
- Jesus will remain forever.
- Heaven and earth change.
- Jesus remains unchanged.
- Jesus will never end.
- God has never told an angel to sit at his right hand.
- God has never told an angel he would subdue the angels enemies.
- Angels are ministering spirits
- Angels are ministers to those who inherit salvation.
- Angels are sent out by God for the elect.
Interpretation
The opening of the Book of Hebrews reminds us that it is God who is speaking. He may be speaking through scripture, but it is God who is none-the-less speaking. In the past, God spoke by the prophets. Today, the last days, He speaks though Jesus Christ His Son. In the past God spoke in various ways. He spoke in visions and dreams. But today God speaks through Jesus Christ His Son. We should not only receive this message but also be satisfied with it. God no longer speaks in riddles but plainly and clearly.
The message that Christ brings is qualitatively superior to the one given by the prophets. The prophets including Moses, the greatest prophet, were only servants. Jesus Christ is Lord. God has given everything to Christ. But not only has God given everything to Jesus, God created everything through Jesus. Since Jesus, the Son, made everything and is over everything, it follows that we too are subject to Him. Therefore, we possess nothing, except as we are united to Christ, it is all Christ’s.
The Son also is eternal. He existed before the world was created. Christ is said to be heir in the since that He put on human nature and as such received an inheritance so that we might be restored. Yet while He put on human nature He did not lose, set aside, forfeit, or diminish His divine nature in any way. He is the radiance of God’s glory. We are blind to this radiance until Christ reveals it to us. God is made known to us only in Christ.
Jesus Christ is the exact image of God’s nature. Not only was the world created through Jesus but he sustains the world. He currently sits at the right hand of the Father. He remains there ever since he purified the sins of the world. Therefore, Jesus is so much better than Moses or any of the prophets. He is even above the angles.
The writer to the Hebrews spends the rest of the chapter proving or explaining how much great Christ is to the prophets and even to the angels. To do so, he goes to the scripture.
The first quote in verse 5 comes from Psalms 2:7. There is no doubt in the Psalm that the person this refers to is David. So the writer to the Hebrews is saying that the things found in this Psalm were a foreshadowing by David. The full accomplishment, however, was in Christ. David enlarged the kingdom of Israel. This was a foreshadowing of the promise, “I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.” Christ’s kingdom extends to all the earth.
We are adopted as sons and though we do not share in Christ’s divinity, as adopted sons of God we participate in Christ’s redemptive work.
The second quote in verse 5 is from 2 Samuel 7:14, “I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of me.” Here again the verse clearly speaks of Solomon and those earthly kings that succeed David. But again they are only a foreshadowing of Christ who did not commit iniquity. And God will not need to discipline. But none-the-less, God has Him suffer the rod of men and bear the stripes of the sons of men. He bore them for our sake.
Christ is the Son. Angels are simply ministers. The writer points out the vast difference in glory and honor of Christ over the angels. This contrast is never clearer than when God addresses Christ as God. “But of the Son He says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.”
Christ sits at the right hand of the Father. No angel has ever been given this honor. This is a place reserved for the Son, Jesus Christ. God will subdue all of Christ’s enemies. There are many today who oppose Christ and His kingdom. From the faith healing scammers, to the atheist, all oppose Christ’s kingdom. Many even oppose Christ using the name of Christ. But they will all be subdued and made a footstool at Christ’s feet.
The role angels server is meaningful and honorable. They are spirits who are sent to serve for our sake. But even this role is far less than that of Christ’s role.
Application
There is a tendency of many in the church today to try to “hear” God through visions or feelings, or a sign, or some mystical way other than the scriptures. But the writer to the Hebrews tells us today God speaks through His Son. And His Son speaks through the Scripture. We are to be satisfied with what He has given us and stop looking elsewhere for, “a message from God.”
So often we go off looking for some special revelation from God. We seek some secret hidden knowledge. That was the heresy of the Gnostics. They taught that there was a secret knowledge that not everyone was privileged to have. It was this secret knowledge that we should seek. The writer to the Hebrews opens his letter condemning this way of thinking. Not only does God speak through the scriptures. We should be satisfied with that.
Magicians guard their secret jealously. But there is a saying among magicians, “If you want to keep something secret put it in a book.” Magicians know that people are lazy and do not work for the knowledge. The secrets of God are in a book. We call it the Bible. If you want to know the secrets of God, study the Bible. It is as simple and as difficult as that.
