OUR FATHER WHO MADE MEN A LITTLE LOWER THAN THE ANGELS OF GOD

The book of Hebrews, having established the supremacy of Christ in chapter 1, now explains what a special place mankind occupy in the heart of God. 

This chapter starts with the councel to be careful not to lose track of what they had had heard otherwise they could drift away from the truth by simple inattention.

The importance of this is highlighted by the writer of Hebrews using as illustrations the encounters that men had with angles where the messages conveyed were binding and failure to heed the instructions would result in consequences. If the words of angels could carry so much authority, how much more important is it that we heed the words spoken by the Lord God  Himself who provided so great a salvation and further to that, attested to the validity of the message given through signs and wonders and miracles as well as the distribution of supernatural gifts among believers.

1 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? 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.

The reason the stakes are so high on the salvation provided by God is that mankind has been given a position of glory and honor just a little lower than God Himself and the Lord has placed him over all of creation. The writer of Hebrews observes that the human race does not seem to have attained such status but Jesus is seen as the one among humans who was a little lower than God for a while and then was lifted up to glory and honor for He experienced the pain of death which He undertook in order to  suffer death on behalf of mankind.

5 It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. 6 But there is a place where someone has testified:

“What is mankind that you are mindful of them,

    a son of man that you care for him?

7 You made them a little lower than the angels;

    you crowned them with glory and honor

8     and put everything under their feet.”

In putting everything under them, God left nothing that is not subject to them. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to them. 9 But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

In the assembling of His family, God brought sons ( and therefore heirs ) to glory and by His absolute mastery of all of existence, made the saviour of men a perfect man whose extreme suffering was a demontration of His perfection and was indeed able to make men holy and through Christ are integrated in one family and are called brothers in the family of God because of the shared bloodline that the Lord Jesus had with mankind.

10 In bringing many sons and daughters ( in this verse, the NIV added "and daughters"  which negates the meaning of the term "sons" which is a very specific role in the spirit that applies to both men and women who have become eligable for an inheritance in God) to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. 11 Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters. ( the NIV here adds "and sisters" which follows through on the inclusion of "daughters" in a preceding verse ( the following verse alo  contains the suffix "and sisters" ) which is a distortion of the deliberate meaning of brothers ) 12 He says,

“I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters; 

    in the assembly I will sing your praises.”

13 And again,

“I will put my trust in him.”

And again he says,

“Here am I, and the children God has given me.”

The Lord Jesus presents Himself and the children God has given Him who the many sons he is bringing to glory. These children, having been taken hostage in the realm of flesh and blood, the Lord joined them in their realm sharing their  humanity and could thus pay the ransom for them by His shedding of blood and His death so that those held in slavery by their fear of death could be freed.

Because it was Abraham's descendants He was saving and not angels, he was made like us humans in everyway in order that from His shared experience with us, He might be a merciful and faithful high priest to God who could make atonement for our sins.

14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. 16 For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. 17 For this reason he had to be made like them, 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. 18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. 

Amen.

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OUR FATHER WHO SPOKE BY PROPHETS AND THEN SPOKE TO US BY HIS SON

In this examination of the book of Hebrews of the NIV translation, we will consider the context of every thought that is expressed in each chapter and when studying the next chapter, we will make sure  to trace the continuity of context from the previous chapter.

Up till now, we have used the New King James version as our text but in this study, we will be cognisant of translational variances that the NIV translators may have included.

Starting with chapter 1, the writer of Hebrews exalts the Son of God as being the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His being. 

This is an important scriptural anchor related to the divinity of Jesus because it clearly declares that the Lord Jesus is the exact represention of God's being and that it is Jesus who sustains all things by His powerful word.

To make clear the distinction between the angels of heaven and the Son of God, the writer of Hebrews makes references to the scriptures that clearly show the divine status of the Son of God who came to earth as a man. 

God the Father, in speaking of the Lord Jesus, calls Him His Son and declares that He is Jesus' Father.

Further to that, God the Father tells all the angels to worship the  Son and He describes an eternal throne occupied by the Son of God from where His scepter of justice would rule a righteous kingdom. The Lord Jesus will occupy this throne seated at the right hand of God the Father who declared that He would ensure that all of Jesus' enemies would be brought into subjugation.

The Lord Jesus is described as the one who laid the foundations of the earth and even when the fabric of existence wears out, Jesus will roll it up and replace it yet He will continue to be forever. 

1 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. 

3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. 4 So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.

5 For to which of the angels did God ever say,

          “You are my Son; today I have become your Father”?

Or again,

“I will be his Father,  and he will be my Son”?

6 And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says,

“Let all God’s angels worship him.”

7 In speaking of the angels he says,

“He makes his angels spirits, and his servants flames of fire.”

8 But about the Son he says,

“Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; 

a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.

9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;

    therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions

    by anointing you with the oil of joy.”

10 He also says,

“In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, 

and the heavens are the work of your hands.

11 They will perish, but you remain;

    they will all wear out like a garment.

12 You will roll them up like a robe;

    like a garment they will be changed.

But you remain the same,

    and your years will never end.”

13 To which of the angels did God ever say,

“Sit at my right hand

    until I make your enemies

    a footstool for your feet”?

14 Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?

Here, the writer of Hebrews highlights the fact that the angels of heaven are made to be spirits ( or wind ) and are also made to be  flames of fire 

Amen.

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