Today God is giving me another lesson on the first chapter of Hebrews. I will be starting at verse five and finishing the chapter.
5 For God never said to any angel what he said to Jesus:
“You are my Son.
Today I have become your Father.[a]”
God also said,
“I will be his Father,
and he will be my Son.”[b]
6 And when he brought his supreme[c] Son into the world, God said,[d]
“Let all of God’s angels worship him.”[e]
7 Regarding the angels, he says,
“He sends his angels like the winds,
his servants like flames of fire.”[f]
8 But to the Son he says,
“Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever.
You rule with a scepter of justice.
9 You love justice and hate evil.
Therefore, O God, your God has anointed you,
pouring out the oil of joy on you more than on anyone else.”[g]
10 He also says to the Son,
“In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundation of the earth
and made the heavens with your hands.
11 They will perish, but you remain forever.
They will wear out like old clothing.
12 You will fold them up like a cloak
and discard them like old clothing.
But you are always the same;
you will live forever.”[h]
13 And God never said to any of the angels,
“Sit in the place of honor at my right hand
until I humble your enemies,
making them a footstool under your feet.”[i]
14 Therefore, angels are only servants—spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation.
Let’s look at a commentary from Enduring Word – https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/hebrews-1/
The Scriptures prove Jesus is superior to the angels.
1. (5) Jesus is superior to the angels because He is the Son of God, as shown in Psalm 2:7 and 2 Samuel 7:14.
For to which of the angels did He ever say:
“You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You”?
And again:
“I will be to Him a Father,
And He shall be to Me a Son”?
a. For to which of the angels did He ever say: The author of Hebrews proved that Jesus is superior to any angelic being because God the Father says things to God the Son that He never said to angels.
i. “The Jews venerated angels because of their place in the giving of the Law (Acts 7:53; Galatians 3:19), and it was essential that Jewish Christians should learn by this comparison something of the infinite superiority of our Lord over those heavenly beings that held so prominent a place in Jewish life.” (Thomas)
ii. Lesser things, if allowed more focus, take a bigger place than the greater and more important things.
iii. Did He ever say: The writer to the Hebrews clearly thought that God spoke through the human authors of the Old Testament.
b. You are My Son: Psalm 2:7 shows that God the Father called Jesus, “Son” – the more excellent name of Hebrews 1:4. This shows that Jesus is greater than the angels, because no angel was ever given this great name.
i. Though the angels may collectively be called “sons of God” (such as in Job 1:6), but no angel is ever given that title individually.
c. Today I have begotten You: God the Father also spoke to God the Son and described Him as begotten. The word begotten speaks of the equality of substance and essential nature between the Father and Son. It means that the Father and the Son share the same being.
d. I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son: This quotation from 2 Samuel 7:14 is another example of something that God the Father said to God the Son that He never said to any angel.
i. This statement is a good example of an Old Testament prophecy that had two fulfillments in mind. In a near and imperfect sense, the promise of 2 Samuel 7:14 was fulfilled in David’s son Solomon. In a more distant and perfect sense, it is fulfilled in the Son of David, Jesus Christ.
2. (6-7) Jesus is superior to the angels because angels worship and serve Jesus, who is their God, as shown in Deuteronomy 32:43 (in the Septuagint and the Dead Sea Scrolls) and Psalm 104:4.
But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says:
“Let all the angels of God worship Him.”
And of the angels He says:
“Who makes His angels spirits
And His ministers a flame of fire.”
a. When He brings the firstborn: This word was used both as an idea and to designate the one born first. Since the firstborn son was “first in line” and received the position of favor and honor, the title “firstborn” could indicate that someone was of the highest position and honor.
i. Many of those not born first in the Bible are given the title “firstborn.” David is an example of this (Psalm 89:27) and so is Ephraim (Jeremiah 31:9).
ii. According to Rabbi Bechai (quoted in Lightfoot) the ancient Rabbis called Yahweh Himself “Firstborn of the World.” It was a title, not a description of origin.
iii. Rabbis used firstborn as a specifically Messianic title. One ancient Rabbi wrote, “God said, ‘As I made Jacob a first-born (Exodus 4:22), so also will I make king Messiah a first-born (Psalm 89:28).’“ (R. Nathan in Shemoth Rabba, cited in Lightfoot)
b. Let all the angels of God worship Him: Deuteronomy 32:43 shows that Jesus is superior because He is the object of angelic worship, not an angelic worshipper. The angels worship Him; He does not worship among them. Revelation 5 gives a glimpse of the angelic worship of Jesus.
c. Who makes His angels spirits and His ministers a flame of fire: Psalm 104:4 demonstrates that Jesus the Messiah is Lord over the angels. They are His angels and His ministers. The angels belong to Jesus, and He is not among them.
3. (8-12) Jesus is superior to the angels because the Father Himself calls Him (and not any angel) God and LORD (Yahweh), as shown in Psalm 45:6-7 and 102:25-27 from the Septuagint.
But to the Son He says:
“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;
A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.
You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness;
Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You
With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.”
And:
“You, LORD, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth,
And the heavens are the work of Your hands.
They will perish, but You remain;
And they will all grow old like a garment;
Like a cloak You will fold them up,
And they will be changed.
But You are the same,
And Your years will not fail.”
a. But to the Son He says: Again, the emphasis is that God the Father says things to God the Son that are never said to angelic beings.
b. Your throne, O God: Psalm 45:6-7 plainly says that God the Father calls the Son God. When the First Person of the Trinity spoke to the Second Person of the Trinity, He called Him God. This is unique and powerful evidence of the deity of Jesus.
i. Some argue that there are many beings called “gods” in the Bible such as Satan (2 Corinthians 4:4) and earthly judges (Psalm 82:1 and 6). But these others are supposed gods, pretenders to their throne. If Jesus is not the true God, He is a false god, like Satan and the wicked judges of Psalm 82.
ii. But Jesus is the True and Living God, called so here by God the Father; and also by John in John 1:1, by Thomas in John 20:28, and by Paul in Titus 2:13 and Titus 3:4.
c. Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You: This passage shows striking interaction between the Persons of the Trinity. “God, Your God” speaks of the Father and His position of authority over the Second Person of the Trinity. “You” refers to the Son. “Anointed” has in mind the ministry and presence of the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Trinity.
d. You, LORD, in the beginning: Psalm 102:25-27 shows that the Son is not only called God, but also LORD (Yahweh). Then the Son is described with attributes and terms that belong only to God.
i. You, LORD, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth: This shows that Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Trinity, is the Creator. Yahweh is specifically said to be the Creator (Isaiah 45:12, Isaiah 45:18).
ii. They will perish, but You will remain: This shows that Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Trinity is self-existent, even as Psalm 102:25-27 says this of Yahweh.
iii. Like a cloak You will fold them up, and they will be changed: This shows that Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Trinity is sovereign, with authority over all creation and history, even as Psalm 102:25-27 says this of Yahweh.
iv. You are the same: This shows that Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Trinity is immutable, unchanging, and eternal (Your years will not fail). Psalm 102:25-27 says this of Yahweh and the writer to the Hebrews says that it clearly applies to Jesus as well.
4. (13-14) Jesus is superior to the angels because He sat down, having completed His work, while the angels work on continually, as shown in Psalm 110:1.
But to which of the angels has He ever said:
“Sit at My right hand,
Till I make Your enemies Your footstool”?
Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?
a. But to which of the angels has He ever said: Now for the seventh time in this chapter, the writer to the Hebrews quotes the Hebrew Scriptures to demonstrate that Jesus the Messiah is far superior to any angelic being. He quoted Psalm 110:1 to show again that God the Father said things to Jesus the Messiah never said to angelic beings.
b. Sit at My right hand: Psalm 110:1 says that the Messiah has this exalted placed and posture in heaven. Anyone who sits in the divine presence shows that they have the perfect right to be there. There are no seats for the angels around the throne of God, because they are constantly busy praising God and serving Him. Yet Jesus can – at the invitation of God the Father – sit at the right hand of God the Father.
i. It isn’t good to be too comfortable in the presence of majesty. There is a story about a man named Lear who was hired to give Queen Victoria art lessons. Things went well, and Lear started to feel quite at home in the palace. He enjoyed standing in front of the fire, leaning on the hearth and warming himself in a relaxed manner, but every time he did one of the Queen’s attendants invited him to look at something on the other side of the room, making him move. No one explained it to him, but after a while he got the idea: good manners said it was wrong for a subject to have such a relaxed attitude in the presence of their Queen. Jesus is not a subject – He is the Sovereign, so He sits in the presence of majesty.
c. But to which of the angels has He ever said: “Sit at My right hand.” The angels are not permitted to relax before God. They stand before the Father, but the Son sits down – because He isn’t a subject, He is the Sovereign.
d. Are they not all ministering spirits: Angels are ministering spirits, not governing spirits; service, not dominion is their calling. In this respect angels are like a toy that won’t quit. They keep working while the Son takes a posture of rest because He is the Son.
i. Jesus is also called a servant and a minister, but this is part of His voluntary humiliation, not his essential nature – as it is in the essential nature of angels to be servants.
e. Sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation: The angels are commanded to serve God, but He shares His servants with redeemed men and women. This shows the great love of God for us, and how He wants to share all things with us.
i. Comparing Hebrews 1:2 and 1:14, “It is particularly noteworthy, as bearing on the main theme of the Epistle, that both Christ and Christians are described as heirs.” (Thomas)
My question to God: “What do you want me to learn from this?
God’s answer: My son is so much greater than the angels or anything else. He is the Ultimate Power above all others. The kings of the world unite against him, but he will prevail and will be known as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Steve Holder 