A FOCUSED LIFE
Week of August 3, 2008
Bible Verses: Hebrews 1:1-6,10-14; 2:1-4.
Biblical Truth: Because Jesus is the perfect, most complete revelation of God, we need
to focus on Him.
God Has Spoken: Heb. 1:1-3.
[1] God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers
in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, [2] in these last days has spoken to us in His
Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.
[3] And He is the radiance of His glory
and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word
of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right
hand of the Majesty on high, [NASU]
In these last days means that in Jesus the new age, the
Messianic Age, has appeared. Jesus is more than simply the last in a long line
of prophets, He has inaugurated a new age altogether. In Jesus there is
continuity and there is discontinuity. The continuity comes out when we are
told that God has spoken to us by His
Son. The verb spoken is the same
one used in verse 1 of the prophets, and there is a grammatical connection. The
old prepares the way for the new, a truth that will be brought out again and
again in this epistle as the author backs up his arguments with quotations from
Scripture. The discontinuity is seen when we come to the reference to the Son.
The consummation of the revelatory process, the definitive revelation, took
place when He who was not one of the prophets but the very Son of God came. The
writer is concerned to show that in Jesus Christ we have such a divine person
and such divine activity that there can be no going back from Him.
This emphasis on
the Son leads to a series of seven propositions about him. (1) Appointed heir of all things: in the New
Testament, heir points to lawful
possession but without indicating in what way that possession is secured. Heir of all things, then, is a title of
dignity and shows that Christ has the supreme place in all the mighty universe.
(2) Through whom also He made the world: through
preserves the important truth that God is the Creator. But as elsewhere in the
New Testament the thought is that He performed the work of creation through the
Son [John 1:3; 1 Cor. 8:6; Col. 1:16]. World
is literally “the ages” and has a temporal sense, hinting at the temporal
nature of all things material. (3) brightness
of His glory: means either that Jesus is the outshining of the brightness
of God’s glory, or is the reflection of that glory. Glory indicates either the
presence of God or the revelation of God’s majesty. (4) the express image of his person: the word for express image originally denoted an instrument for engraving and
then a mark stamped on that instrument. Here the writer is saying that the Son
is an exact representation of God. The Son is such a revelation of the Father
that when we see Jesus, we see what God’s real being is. (5) upholding
all things by the word of His power: upholding
has a meaning of carrying along the universe toward a goal. All things is all inclusive, meaning that
nothing is excluded from the Son’s sustaining activity. The author pictures the
Son as active in creation and then as bearing creation onward towards the
fulfillment of the divine plan. All this He does by the power of his word. The word is thought of as active and
powerful. (6) purged our sins: this
is the heart of the matter for the writer. His whole epistle shows that the
thing that had gripped him was that the very Son of God had come to deal with
the problem of man’s sin. The word purged
is most often used in the New Testament of ritual cleansing [Mark 1:44], but
here (and in 2 Pet. 1:9) it refers to the removal of sin. The verb is in the
aorist tense; the cleansing in question, being based on a past action, is
complete. (7) sat down at the right hand
of the Majesty on high: sitting is the posture of rest, and the right hand
position is the place of honor. This says that Christ’s work is done and He now
sits in the place of highest honor. The word translated Majesty appears again in the New Testament only in 8:1 and Jude 25.
It means greatness and thus came to signify majesty.
Jesus is
[4] Having become as much better than the angels,
as He has inherited a more excellent name than they. [5] For to which of the angels did He ever say,
"You are My son, today I have begotten you"? and again, "I will
be a father to Him and He shall be a son to Me"? [6] And when He again brings the firstborn into
the world, He says, "And let all the angels of God worship Him."
[10] And, "You, Lord, in the
beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the works of
Your hands; [11] they will perish, but
You remain; and they all will become old like a garment, [12] and like a mantle You will roll them up; like
a garment they will also be changed. But You are the same, and Your years will
not come to an end." [13] But to
which of the angels has He ever said, "Sit at My right hand, until I make
your enemies a footstool for your feet"? [14] Are they not all ministering spirits, sent
out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation? [NASU]
[4] The comparative adjective
“superior” (much better) is a key
word in this epistle, occurring no less than 13 times. The Son who was
described above [2] as having been appointed the heir of all things is here spoken of as the inheritor of a name
which in itself attests His supremacy. The Son who for our redemption humbled Himself
for a little while to a position lower than the angels has by His ensuing exaltation
become superior to the angels, and in doing so has achieved and retains the
inheritance of a name which is more excellent than theirs. The name which distinguishes Christ from
the angels and elevates Him above them is that of Son. The Son inherits the position of privilege and authority,
whereas angels are no more than ministers or servants in the realm of God’s
creation. But why is our author so concerned to demonstrate at some length the
superiority of the risen and glorified Redeemer to angels, as though, in the
thinking at least of his readers, angels posed a threat to the lordship of
Christ. It is important that the supremacy of Christ in this as in all other
connections should be unequivocally established. Evidently, those to whom this
letter was sent were entertaining, or being encouraged to entertain, teaching
which elevated angels to a position which rivaled that of Christ Himself.
[5] The superiority of Christ to
angels is now confirmed by a sequence of seven quotations from the Old Testament
which attest His Sonship and His sovereignty. It is apparent that the recipients
of the letter acknowledged the authority of the Old Testament and were open to
persuasion from its pages. The first of the seven quotations comes from Psalm
2:7, one of the messianic psalms. What is the significance of the assertion, today I have begotten you? At what
point of history is the “day” of his begetting to be fixed? In the apostolic
perspective the day of the resurrection of Jesus is the chief focal point in
the interpretation of the Psalmist’s words. It is by that event that Jesus was
designated the Son of God in power [
[6] Our author’s designation of the
Son as the firstborn carries important doctrinal implications. It carries on
the thought of the immediately preceding verse in which the Mediator is
assigned the dignity of the divinely begotten Son. As the unique Son He is also
the firstborn, and as the firstborn He has precedence over all others who, in a
secondary and non-essential sense, may at times be addressed as sons, whether
angels or men. As the firstborn, moreover, He is the heir to whom the birthright
with all its privilege and prestige belongs. The designation firstborn belongs to Christ both as the
eternal Son and also as the incarnate Redeemer who, after humbling Himself for
our salvation, has been exalted to the place of highest honor. Thus the term firstborn indicates the exalted place
of highest honor and worship that belongs only to Christ as the firstborn of
God.
[7] The fourth quotation is from Psalm
104:4, which, in its original setting, is generally taken to mean that God
employs winds as His messengers and flames as His servants. The contrast here
is between, on the one hand, the status of angels, which is that of servants,
and their function, which is effective but intermittent as are the elements of
wind and fire through which their activities may be displayed. And, on the
other hand, the status and authority of Christ, which are resident in the
abiding glory and supremacy of His royal and eternal Sonship. It is, in short,
the contrast between Him who is the Son and Heir and them who are the servants
under His command in the royal household of God’s kingdom.
[8-9] The fifth quotation proclaims
the everlasting sovereignty of the Son taken from Psalm 45:6f. The everlasting
rule of the Son is marked by absolute justice and equity. The main reason for
the introduction of this quotation here is to underline the contrast between
the royal and eternal office of the divine Son and the subservient function of
the angels. The anointing with the oil of gladness refers to the triumphant entry
of Jesus into the heavenly glory. It is the logical consequence of the completion
of His earthly mission. The achievement of eternal redemption for mankind and
the world is the cause of gladness and rejoicing in the presence of God.
[10-12] Number six in the series of
quotations is a sublime passage from Psalm 102:25-27, applied here to the Son,
and extolling Him as the one who brought into being the totality of heaven and
earth and who, despite the change and dissolution of all created things,
remains constant and unchanging. Moreover, if God is unchangeable, so also are
the word of His promise and His oath. How inescapable, once again, is the
contrast between the Son and the angels. He is the Lord God; they offer Him
worship and homage. He is the Creator; they are His creatures. He is infinite
in being and power; they are finite and dependent. Though all else should pass
away, He remains.
[13-14] The seventh quotation comes from
the messianic Psalm 110. This psalm plays an important part in this letter,
providing scriptural authentication of the uniqueness and supremacy of Christ,
not only as Son and Lord but also as High Priest and Redeemer. It is evident
that Psalm 110:1 was seen as an Old Testament pillar supporting the doctrine of
the exalted session and rule of Christ. The radical contrast between the
enthroned Son as described in Psalm 110:1 and the subordinate status of the
angels is unmistakably plain from these texts.
The Consequences
of Neglect: Heb. 2:1-4.
[1] For this reason we must pay much closer
attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it. [2] For if the word spoken through angels proved
unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty,
[3] how will we escape if we neglect so
great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was
confirmed to us by those who heard, [4]
God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various
miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will. [NASU]
[1] This is the first of a number of
admonitory passages which are interspersed throughout the letter [3:12-4:3;
4:14-16; 5:11-6:8; 10:32-39; 12:3-13; 12:14-17; 12:25-29]. These passages serve
to demonstrate that the teaching of this epistle is not merely theoretical and
unrelated to the realities of everyday life, but is intensely practical and
therefore full of intense seriousness. The conjunction Therefore points to the essentially logical connection between
theology and practice. It is precisely because Christ is incomparably superior
to all others that what we have heard,
that is, concerning Him who is God’s final word to mankind and whom apostles
and evangelists proclaimed as Savior and Lord, is of such crucial importance.
Our author is pressing on his readers the extreme seriousness of carelessness
and unconcern. The dangerous consequence of lack of due seriousness where this
vital teaching is concerned is that we may drift away from it. The metaphor in
mind here seems to be that of allowing the current to carry one away from a
fixed point through carelessness and unconcern, and, instead of keeping a firm
grip on the truth, of failing to maintain a secure anchorage which will keep
one from drifting from the gospel. Those to whom this letter is addressed are
evidently not far from losing their right to be acknowledged as authentic
Christians because of a loss of nerve, a failure of application, or a willful
negligence in practicing the faith they profess.
[2-3] The word spoken by God at Sinai,
namely, the law, was communicated through angels, who mediated to Moses what
God had to say [see Acts 7:53; Gal. 3:19]. Our author has already given
scriptural evidence to demonstrate the inferiority of angels to Christ; yet, he
now says, the word of the law spoken through their mediation at Sinai was valid
or binding and unchallengeable, as is evident from the consideration that every
infraction of the law received a just retribution. The law, of course, was firm
and valid precisely because it was spoken by God; but there is another
mediation of great significance in the central teaching of this epistle, that
of the Son who is the mediator of the new covenant [8:6;9:15;12:24]. Here is
the immensely greater mediation to men of everlasting redemption sealed by the
blood of the incarnate Son Himself. The argument, then, is if under Moses the
law stood firm and its penalties were stringently enforced on those who
deliberately or through negligence broke its precepts, it cannot but be that
the direst consequences await those who are careless and unconcerned about the
gospel, which is here described as such a great salvation: it is so wonderful
that no language is adequate to do it justice. Unlike the law which was, as it
were, mediated by word of mouth, the gospel was mediated by the
Word-made-flesh. The law, as Paul insists, is holy and good and also glorious [Rom.
7:12,14; 2 Cor. 3:7ff]. How could what is God-given be anything less? The
problem lies not with the law, which is the divine standard of life [Lev. 18:5;
Ex. 20:11,13; Neh. 9:29; Luke 10:28; Gal. 3:12], but with sinful man who is a
law-breaker, with the consequence that the law stands over against him as an
ordinance of condemnation and death, precisely because it is holy and just. But
the glory of the law is completely surpassed by the glory of the gospel because
the latter brings life where the former brought death.
[4] The message spoken by God
through angels at Sinai is exactly balanced here by the declaration that the
gospel was spoken by God through the Lord. The mediatorial qualification of the
Son is infinitely superior to that of the angels, for, as both God and man, He
is uniquely qualified to effect reconciliation between God and mankind. As God,
the incarnate Son is supreme in power and grace, in contrast to the impotence
and resourcelessness of fallen mankind. As man, the incarnate Son is able fully
to identify Himself with mankind, and in particular in man’s place to endure
the divine punishment of sin on the cross, thus securing for mankind eternal redemption.
In Christ mediatorship is raised to an eternal category, truly bridging the
gulf between heaven and earth caused by man’s sinful rebellion against the
sovereignty of His Creator. The validity, firmness, and authenticity of the
gospel is demonstrated primarily by its dynamic effect in transforming human
lives and attitudes. A sign indicates that the event is not an empty
ostentation of power, but is significant in that it points beyond itself to the
reality of the right hand of God in operation. A wonder is an event which,
because of its superhuman character, excites awe and amazement on the part of
the beholder. A miracle (or literally power) emphasizes the dynamic character
of the event, with particular regard to its outcome or effect. The mention here
of various miracles indicates the diversity of these powerful manifestations.
Questions for
Discussion:
1. List and discuss the seven things said about
the uniqueness of Christ in vv. 2-3. How would meditating on these seven
statements enable you to endure patiently through hardships and attacks on your
faith?
2. What divine names and descriptions are
ascribed to Christ in 1:4-14?
3. In 2:1 we have the first command given in
Hebrews. The writer’s first command was not labor for Jesus, or serve Jesus or
witness for Jesus, but listen to Jesus, give heed or pay attention to him. Pay
attention means both to focus the mind on a thing and to act upon what one
perceives. What makes it easy or difficult to pay attention to someone or
something? What implications does the importance of listening have for our
spiritual lives? How do we become effective listeners to the revealed Word?
4. What picture does drift away present? How do we or other believers tend to drift away from God, or fail to pay much closer attention to what He
has said? What restorative steps would you advise for those who have drifted
away from God or failed to pay attention to his Word?
References:
The Book of Hebrews, Philip Hughes, Eerdmans.
Hebrews 1-8,