Hebrews 1

     The author of this Epistle is unknown.  Late MSS. often attached Paul’s name to the title, but most all recent authorities have rejected this.  There are all kinds of guesses.  Luther’s suggestion of Apollos has the most appeal to me, but God only knows who his scribe was.  “…one may say with considerable confidence that the Epistle was most probably written between AD 60 and 70”  (A.M.Stibbs).  It was written to Greek speaking Jews of the Dispersion, converts to Christ who like their forefathers in the wilderness were being tested and tempted to turn back.  The author uses the Greek OT (LXX) to set forth Christ as the fulfillment of the hope of Israel, and to exhort and warn them not to reject God’s grace, which is received by faith.  Thus it is of tremendous value to Gentiles also, for it opens up the word of God in the OT to us as our own spiritual history and heritage, for by faith we are all sons of Abraham and are the Israel of God, and heirs according to promise (Gal. 3:14, 29; 4:28; 6:16).

     1:1-14.  The Son of God is superior to all whom God had sent to us before him in ages past, whether as prophets, priests, or kings (1-3), or even angelic heavenly messengers (4-14).

     1:1-3.  He is superior to all the prophets, for they spoke only by the limited measures and various ways they were given (1).  In contrast, the Son is heir of all that belongs to the Father, for it was through him that the Father created all things, whether visible or invisible (2).  Not only that, but the Son represents the Father exactly.  Just as the rays of the sun represent the nature of the sun and give life and sustaining energy to all the world, so the Son is the radiance of the Father’s glory, and upholds all things by his word of power.  He is thus superior to all kings and priests, for just as his rule over his creation is complete, so was his purification for sins complete, and thus he is now seated at the place of all authority and power, at the right hand of the Majesty on high (3; Mt. 28:18).  Unlike all others, the Son’s rule in these three offices is universal, complete, and eternal.

     V.2.  These last days; the NT is consistent in teaching that Christ ushered in the last age of the world, having accomplished purification for sins, and being raised to power and glory.  The age will end on the Last Great Day, the day when Christ shall come to judge the world at the consummation of all things.

     He made the world (margin, Lit., ages); this plural word apparently means all that God has made, i.e., all that is other than the eternal God himself.  I think the “literal” term ages perhaps best focuses on what the “Hebrews” minds would have noted.  This is the final age (these last days) of a succession of ages that God has made and ordained for this world order.

     In support of this, I will repeat again some of what was noted at Mt. 1:1-17, as Matthew traced Jesus’ genealogy from Abraham (see notes there).  We noted there (crediting Gordon Pols) that the rabbis had divided human history into ten “world weeks” of seven generations each.  Israel’s history, starting with Abraham, was to unfold in six of the remaining seven weeks.  By Matthew’s reckoning, Christ is the seven times seven, or forty-ninth, generation from Abraham.  Thus Christ brings Jewish history to its intended conclusion, ushering in the final world week, which the NT calls the last days (2; 1 Cor. 10:11; 1 Pet. 1:20; 4:7; 1 John 2:18).  So the end time is a time the duration of which is known only to God, a time of grace called  “today” (Heb. 4:7), in which Israel and the world are to obtain to Jubilee, for in Christ the kingdom of God has come (cf. Mark 1:15; Luke 4:18-19; Lev. 25:8-10).

     1:4-5.  With an inspired use of OT texts, the author sets forth the vast superiority of the divine Son to the angels.  He has a more excellent name than they, for he is called God’s Son (4-5; cf. Eph. 1:21).

     Ps.2:7 is also quoted in 5:5, and in Acts 13:33 where it is aptly applied to Christ’s resurrection.  But please note that it is the eternal Father who says this to his eternal Son.  The “today” of God is an eternal present in which the Son is always being begotten of the Father.  But Acts 13:33 rightly applies it to the resurrection, and Heb. 5:5 rightly applies it to the welcome the Son received when he came as our high priest into the heavenly Holy of Holies to present his perfect sacrifice for the sins of his people.

     He also quotes 2 Sam. 7:14, which is part of God’s covenant with David that one would come forth from his loins who would inherit a kingdom that would never end.

     1:6.  I suspect the margin reading may be correct, and that he is merely saying, “And again,” to refer to another text, as he does in v.5, rather than making reference to Christ’s second coming as the reading in the text seems to indicate.  However, Ps. 97 (the quote is from 97:7) could support either view.

     1:7-9.  Ps. 104:4 is contrasted with Ps. 45:6-7.  The angels are powerful created beings that do God’s will (7), but the Son is called God enthroned forever, ruling with the righteous scepter, and anointed by God the Father with the oil of gladness above his companions (8-9).

     1:10-12.  Ps. 102:25-27.  This Psalm is in praise of Jehovah (LORD).  Thus is the divine ineffable name used in praise of Christ, the eternally begotten Son, of one essence with the Father.  He is the creator of the material universe, and its time is in his hands, but he never changes or has an end.

     1:13.  The Father shall place all Christ’s enemies as a footstool beneath his feet (13; Ps. 110:1).  Ps. 110 is a frequently quoted Psalm, that Jesus applied to himself (Mt. 25:34, etc.).  1 Chr. 28:2 calls the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies God’s footstool (cf. Ps. 99:5).  No doubt all God’s enemies are brought beneath it.  In Is. 66:1, the Lord says that the earth is his footstool.

     1:14.  In contrast to Christ’s sovereign majesty, the angels are ministering spirits sent to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation (cf. Rev. 22:8-9).