by Ray C. Stedman
1:1 In the past God spoke to
our forefathers 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 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.
The epistle to the Hebrews begins as dramatically as a rocket shot to the
moon. In one paragraph, the writer breathtakingly transports his readers from
the familiar ground of Old Testament prophetic writings, through the
incarnation of the Son (who is at once creator, heir and sustainer of all
things and the fullest possible manifestation of deity), past the purifying
sacrifice of the cross to the exaltation of Jesus on the ultimate seat of power
in the universe. It is a paragraph daring in its claims and clearly designed to
arrest the reader's attention and compel a further hearing.
These introductory verses present a sharp departure from the usual
first-century epistolary practice, as seen so regularly in Paul's epistles.
There are no opening greetings, no indication of the writer's name and no
expression of good wishes. For this reason some have viewed Hebrews as a formal
address, perhaps even a sermon. This idea finds some support in 13:22, "my
word of exhortation." But the treatise clearly ends like a letter, with
the writer asking his readers to pray for him as he looks forward to seeing
them. He also gives them news of Timothy and brings greetings from others.
The Author's Purpose. The author intends to present a series of arguments for the
superiority of Jesus over all rival claims to allegiance which his readers were
feeling and hearing. Their attention was easily diverted off in other
directions, just as our attention is easily distracted today. They, like us,
were being tempted, frightened or pressured into following other voices and
serving other masters. In chapters 1-7, he examines these rival authorities and
reveals their inadequacies. None was, in itself, a false or fraudulent voice.
Each was ordained by God and proper in its intended place. Each had served the
people of God well in the past, and no teaching or expectation was wrong at the
time it was given. But now the final word, the ultimate revelation from God
toward which all the other voices had pointed, had come. To this supreme voice
the author directs his readers' attention, and ours, by contrasting this final
word with the past utterances.
First, there were the prophets, God's ancient spokesmen (1:1-3); then the
angels, Israel's guardians (1:4-2:18); then Israel's great leader, Moses
(3:1-4:7); Israel's godly general, Joshua (4:8-13); and finally the founder of
Israel's priesthood, Aaron (4:14-7:28). Each was a voice from Israel's past
that needed to be heard but that was woefully inadequate if followed alone. It
was clearly a case of the good being the enemy of the best. Eclipsing all
these, as the rising sun eclipses the light of the stars, is the figure of
Jesus, God's Son, creator and heir of all things. The abrupt beginning here
marks the intensity with which the author writes. It parallels, in that
respect, Paul's letter to the Galatians. The writer sees clearly that any
slippage in the view of Jesus as supreme is fraught with the gravest danger and
must be dealt with forthrightly and thoroughly. Since the same danger is
present today, Christians must take special care that no obscuring mists of
doubt or unbelief should diminish the stature of Jesus in their eyes. (1)
The Primacy of Jesus. Jesus' superiority to the prophets is marked in six ways.
First, he is the Son, and as such speaks with greater authority and
completeness than the prophets. Through them God spoke at many times
and in various ways, but not always when
men desired, nor as clearly as they might have wished. The word spoken through
the prophets and that spoken by the Son is marked by three particulars: a
contrast of method (various ways), of time (various times), and of agency (in
Son), all marking the prophetic revelation as inferior to that which comes
through the Son. 'What is communicated in parts, sections, fragments, must of
necessity be imperfect; and so also a representation which is made in many
modes cannot be other than provisional" (Westcott 1889:3-4). F. F. Bruce
puts the matter well: "Priest and prophet, sage and singer were in their
several ways His spokesmen; yet all the successive acts and varying modes of
revelation in the ages before Christ came did not add up to the fullness of
what God wanted to say" (1964:3).
God's word through the Son is final and complete. The apostles are but
additional spokesmen for Christ, for in their letters they only expand his
subject matter and do not add any new teachings or insights. Jesus affirms this
superior status himself when he says to his disciples, "Blessed are your
eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. For I tell you the
truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not
see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it" (Mt 13:16-17).
The phrase these last days means
more than merely the present time. It looks on to the second appearing of Jesus
(9:28) which brings the last days of the present age to an end, to be followed
by the new age of the kingdom referred to in 6:5. The appearance of the Son on
earth to reveal truth "kept secret from the foundation of the world,"
also marks the beginning of the last days which continue until he comes again.
Second, the Son's superior greatness to the prophets springs from his position
as both creator and heir of all things. Here Paul's argument in Colossians
1:15-17 is perhaps reflected. Creation's beginning and end form the boundaries
of time. Jesus stands both at the end of the future and at the beginning of the
past. He made this claim himself to the astonishment of the Jews, "Before
Abraham was born, I am!" (John 8:58). Jesus is also the heir of all
creation. The prophets were God's spokesmen, living out their allotted span of
time, circumscribed by the events of earth---but Jesus is the eternal Son, who creates,
and therefore owns, all things. Westcott sees the absence of the article before
Son as significant (by
his Son is simply "in Son" in the
Greek text). He expresses that significance by saying, " [it] fixes
attention upon the nature and not upon the personality of the Mediator of the
new revelation. God spake to us in one who has this character that He is
Son" (1889:7). Though Jesus is clearly superior to the prophets, he does
not replace their revelation. The Old Testament remains as valid Scripture for
the followers of Jesus, as the author will bring out many times. The prophets
were used by God as spokesmen, but the Son, by contrast, "stands"
(appointed) as heir of all things.
Those all things refer to the
material universe and all forces within it, seated by the Son in partnership
with the Father and the Spirit. (2)
In the phrase translated through whom he made the universe F. F. Bruce sees a trace of a primitive Christian
hymn or creedal confession of faith. One finds parallels in similar phrases in
John 1:3 and Colossians 1:16. The expressions the radiance of God's
glory and the exact
representation of his being also find a
parallel in "the image of the invisible God" in Colossians 1:15 and
"being in very nature God" in Philippians 2:6. There is no question
but that important Christian doctrines were formulated in hymnic style and used
widely in early church worship services. Indeed, when a modem congregation
sings "Fairest Lord Jesus," they are responding to the same urge that
moved the early Christians to praise their Lord.
Third, the Son shares fully in the divine nature. Though our author will argue
later that Jesus is also fully man, as other men are, here he unmistakably
asserts his deity. The Son is the radiance of God's glory. Radiance is light that streams forth from a source
of light. As no one can separate the sun's light from the sun itself, so also
no one can separate the nature of Christ from that of his Father. Whether the
radiance is seen as reflected brightness or inherent brightness, the thought is
clear: in Jesus we see the essence of God. He is, therefore, the
exact representation of his [God's] being.
As a coin reflects the exact image of the die, so the Son reproduces the
precise character (Gk: charakter---used
only here) of the Father. Thus Jesus could say to Philip, "Anyone who has
seen me has seen the Father" (John 14:9). No more powerful expression of
the deity of Jesus is possible. Any attempt to place Jesus as simply the
highest product of creation will fail because the evidence is decisive for the
contrary. Many sects have tried to teach that Jesus is only human, but they
have no scriptural basis to do so.
This full statement leads naturally to the fourth aspect of the Son's work as
the master of the universe: sustaining all things by his powerful
word. This statement of Hebrews is a direct
challenge to modern scientific humanism as well as to the older Deism. F. W.
Grant states, "There is thus no thought in Scripture of a creation which
shall be sufficient for itself, a perfect machine made to run eternally without
the Hand that made it" (1903:15). As scientists probe the nature of the
universe they increasingly confront the mystery of an unweighable, invisible
force which literally holds all things together. This force is identified here
as the powerful word of "One who carries all things forward on their
appointed course" (Bruce 1964:6). The thought includes more than mere
sustaining (as an Atlas holds the world on his shoulders), but expresses
movement and progress toward an appointed end. It results in what scientists
call "laws of predictability," and so technology becomes a source of
evidence for a God-ordered world. New objects discovered in space, such as
black holes, quasars and novas, present new problems for astronomers and
physicists. These new questions ought not to threaten a Christian's faith.
Rather, they can enhance it as God's power and majesty is revealed more and
more as our knowledge is increased.
Fifth, in sharp contrast to this image of universal power is the sentence: After
he had provided purification for sins. This
evokes all the agony and blood of the cross. In doing so, the Savior
accomplishes something which no prophet or sage of the past nor philosopher or
scientist of the present could ever do. Mere power, even vast, creative power,
cannot help here. "The glory of God is not the glory of shattering power,
but the glory of suffering love" (Barclay 1957:5).
Certain manuscripts emphasize the uniqueness of this act by adding the words by
himself. This stresses the preciousness of
redemption. It was not something done through an impersonal provision; it
involved the very heart and soul of the Redeemer and the shedding of his life's
blood! Even if the phrase is omitted the thought is retained by the middle form
of the verb. The terrible problem which human sin presents can be solved by
one, and only one, remedy---the death of Jesus. This is the central theme of
the epistle, to which the writer returns many times. It forms the ultimate and
final word to man, uttered by the Son and far more significant than anything
which has gone before or could ever follow. Creation rests upon power, but
redemption upon the sacrifice of one who was "crucified in weakness."
He rose and now is seated at the right hand of our majestic God in heaven.
Sixth, Jesus sat down to give expression to his cry from the cross, "It is
finished!" The phrase sat down at the right hand is meant symbolically, not literally, for God has no
right hand. It denotes the supreme honor accorded to the triumphant Lord, who
is risen from the dead. Surely it is a reference (the first of five in Hebrews
to Psalm 110, "The LORD says to my Lord: 'Sit at my right hand until I
make your enemies a footstool for your feet.'" Of this Bruce says,
"Ps. 110 is the key text of this epistle" (1964:8). That Jesus saw
himself in the psalm is evident by his words to the Sanhedrin, "From now
on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God" (Lk
22:69). In Hebrews 10:11, our author will contrast the seated Messiah with the
Aaronic priests who must stand as they offer sacrifices, because Jesus ended
the need for further sacrifice forever. That act of redemption reaches out to
include the material creation as well as man (Romans 8:20), so that finally
nothing remains untouched by its transforming grace. Paul argues this
eloquently in Colossians 1:19-20 and Ephesians 1:9-10.
Clearly the world we live in today is one which desperately needs redemption.
In this introductory paragraph Jesus has been portrayed as the supreme Prophet,
the unique Owner of all things, the uncreated Creator, the exact Image of God's
being, the Sustainer of the universe, the Sacrificing Priest who cleanses sin,
and the Conqueror who occupies the place of honor above all his creation. From
this lofty beginning the writer will assert the supremacy of Jesus above all
other names of honor in Hebrew thought or practice. He turns now, in 1:4-2:18,
to consider the sharp contrast between Jesus and the angels.
The nation was startled when Nancy Reagan was reported to be influencing her
husband's decisions on the basis of advice obtained from her astrologer.
Perhaps what is even more startling is to realize that pastors preaching to
evangelical congregations today may very well be addressing some, if not many,
in their audience who are worshipping angels. There may well be a woman in the
fifth row who consulted her horoscope before coming to church. Some teenagers
may be involved with experiments with Ouija boards or "channeling" to
obtain guidance in important decisions. Perhaps someone has already accepted
the teaching of reincarnation as the explanation of what happens to humans
after death. As many know, the New Age movement of the late twentieth century
encourages such teachings, calling fallen angels avatars or spirit-guides. Their human devotees practice channeling or
mediumistic activities, offering to awaken hidden powers within men and women
which will help them fulfill their greatest possibilities. Every pastor must
ask, What does the writer of Hebrews say that will help those who, knowingly or
not, are drawn to such teaching?
Obviously the teaching is not new. It has been present in every century since
the earliest times. The writer sees his readers as under attack from such ideas
and understands that he must deal with this first because these attacks
threatened their view of Jesus and his pre-eminence. Even angels could
challenge this truth. But why would angels pose a threat? Surely the Jewish
background of these readers would suffice to prevent them from honoring angels
above the Savior. The words of the First Commandment are clear: "Thou
shalt have no other gods before me!" It is evident from Paul's letter to
the Colossians that those with a strong Jewish background (Colossians 2:16-17)
could also "delight in false humility and the worship of angels"
(2:18). The danger then is apparent: "Those to whom this letter is sent
were entertaining, or being encouraged to entertain, teaching which elevated
angels, or particular angels, to a position which rivaled that of Christ
himself" (Hughes 1987:51-52). If we think this was only a first-century
phenomenon, we should remember the way humans have always responded to
manifestations of supernatural beings by treating them as gods, or at least
demigods, and giving obeisance to them. Indeed, the apostle John twice falls at
the feet of the angel who was his guide and is rebuked for so doing (Revelation
19:10; 22:8-9).
But their difficulty only serves to underscore the nature of their error. They
were being pressured by their former Jewish leaders and also by pagan contacts
to view Jesus not as God but as merely a man, and therefore less than the
angels. Angels had played a powerful role in Israel's past. There is no record
in the Old Testament of an angelic messenger whose message was rejected or
whose person was attacked or stoned. When an angel spoke, people listened
(Henrichsen 1979:24). The writer acknowledges this impressive impact in his warning
of 2:2.
This exaltation of angels above Jesus is intolerable to the writer of Hebrews
He devotes a major passage to its answer, supporting the infinite superiority
of Jesus over angels with several reasons. They are his superior name of Son
(1:4-5); the command to angels to worship him (1:6);the nature of angels versus
the nature of the Son(1:7-14);the great danger of ignoring the Son (2:1-4); his
glory as risen and enthroned man (2:5-9); his work as the author of human
salivation (2:10-13); and his unique ability to help the recipients of grace
(2:14-18). With these seven points, the writer reveals Jesus as the worthy
object of praise and worship which not even the most glorious angel could
claim.
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" ?
The passage from 1:5 to 1:14 constitutes a marvelous choreography of Old
Testament passages which, like a well-programmed ballet, catches immediate
interest with a pas-de-deux of two Messianic phrases: one from Psalm 2:7 and
the other from 2 Samuel 7:14. Both center on the name of Son which must belong properly to Jesus and to no one
else. These verses distinguish him from the Father, but also place the Father's
imprimatur on his brow. (3)
It is true that angels are called "sons of God" in the book of Job
(1:6; 2:1; 38:7, KJV) because, like Adam, they are direct creations from God's
hand. This fact may seem to mark angels as equal with Jesus and therefore
proper objects of worship. But Jesus is God's Son from ail eternity---the
uncreated Son. Furthermore, the quotation from Psalm 2 highlights Jesus' status
as the exalted Son of Man, as Paul declared in his sermon at Pisidian Antioch
(Acts 13:33) referring to his resurrection from the dead. Thus he was both the
eternal Son and the glorified human Son (Son of God and Son of Man).
The writer here especially claims the superiority of Jesus over the angels as
the Son of Man. No angel could claim either eternity or resurrection as the
basis of his sonship, but Jesus had both. Though the angels collectively were
called sons of God, no individual angel ever is given that title, or singled
out as having a unique status before God. So the writer demands rhetorically, To
which of the angels did God ever say, "You are my Son; today I have become
your Father."
Psalm 2 is specifically applied to Jesus in Revelation 12:5 and 19:15 and to
those who share his kingdom reign in Revelation 2:27, especially in conjunction
with the words "you will rule them with an iron scepter" (Ps 2:9).
Several scholars have felt that Psalm 2 represents a coronation liturgy which
was included in enthronement ceremonies of the Davidic dynasty. One of the
rabbis in Midrash Tehillim says
of Psalm 2:7, "And when the hour comes, the Holy One---blessed be
He!---says to them, I must create him a new creation, as it is said, 'This day
have I begotten thee.'" Of this F. F. Bruce says, "The implication
here seems to be that Psalm 2:7 refers to the time when Messiah, after
suffering and death, is brought back to the realm of the living" (1964:13,
fn. 63). This understanding would agree with Paul's use of Psalm 2:7 in Acts
13:33 and clearly the word today
refers to the resurrection of Jesus rather than the day of his birth in
Bethlehem, or of his baptism in the Jordan.
The second source of support from the Old Testament draws on 2 Samuel 7:14.
Historically the words "I will be his father, and he will be my Son"
were spoken to David concerning Solomon when the prophet Nathan told David that
Solomon will build a house for God in Jerusalem. There is, however, a hint that
David's power would extend to his progeny, which would also include the
Messiah. The prophets in later times spoke often of a greater son of David who
would fulfill all the promises to David of an eternal reign. Bruce quotes from
the Dead Sea Scrolls where 2 Samuel 7:14 is linked with an expectation of the
imminent restoration of David's house by the "shoot of David," the
Messiah (1964:14). Note again how the human nature of the Lord is underscored
by his title Son of David. As the risen Man, he claims the throne of David, but
as such the Father calls him "my Son." By these two quotations, with
their royal implications, the writer of Hebrews claims that being related to
God as a Son is a far greater title than any angel could claim. This rests on
the base of a shared eternity and a resurrection, which is the "new
creation."
6 And again, when God brings
his firstborn into the world, he says, "Let all God's angels worship
him."
The angels were created, but the Son is begotten. His superiority is now
upheld by a verse from the Septuagint version of Deuteronomy 32 which commands
all angels to worship the Son (v. 43 LXX). (4) The passage
is the Song of Moses uttered before the crossing of the Jordan. At that time
Moses said to the people: "Take to heart all the words I have solemnly
declared to you this day. . . . They are not just idle words for you---they are
your life" (Deuteronomy 32:46-47). Allusions to this hymn are found in
eleven books of the New Testament (twice in Hebrews --1:6 and 10:30), which
indicates its importance to early Christians. In the Song of Moses, the angels
are called to worship Yahweh (Jehovah). New Testament writers apply such
passages without hesitation to Jesus. Many places in Scripture witness the
obedience of the angels, notably Job 38:7, Luke 2:13, and Revelation 5:11-12.
Mark 3:11 indicates that even the demons (fallen angels) fell down before Jesus
when they saw him and addressed him as the Son of God.
Since the earliest times, Christian commentators have differed on what the again refers to in verse 6. If it is taken with the verb he
says ("he says again"), as in the
NIV, it simply means another quotation that supports the superiority of Jesus.
If, however, it is linked with the verb brings ("he brings again"), it is a reference
either to the coming of Jesus at the Incarnation, his reappearance after the
resurrection, or his Second Coming at the end of the age. In view of the
connected character of these quotations, it seems best to take it as a second
support citation, "he says again." Twice in Hebrews Jesus is called firstborn (here and in 12:23). In this verse it seems to refer
to his creative work. Bruce rightly says, "He is called 'the firstborn'
because He exists before all creation, and because all creation is His
heritage" (1964:15). Paul's great assertion is recorded in Colossians
1:15, "the firstborn over all creation." The point of it all is: He
whom the Hebrews thought to be subordinate to angels is the very one whom the
angels are commanded to worship as their creator!
7 In speaking of the angels he
says, "He makes his angels winds, his servants flames of fire." 8 But
about the Son he says, "Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever,
and righteousness 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, O 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?
In 1:7-14 the author for the third time sweeps through the Psalms to display
a chorus of verses that praise the Son who has a nature inherently superior to
angels. In the Hebrew of Psalm 104:4 the natural elements of wind and fire are
called the messengers of God; in the Septuagint it is the angels who are made
to be these elements. Though they are as powerful as the wind and can be as
destructive as lightning, they are, nevertheless, only messengers of the Son while
Jesus is the Son of God himself.
This sharp contrast is sustained also by two verses coming from Psalm 45:6-7.
Their antiphonal character with verse 6 is clear in the way they are
introduced: In speaking of the angels he says, . . . But about the Son he
says . . . Psalm 45 is a wedding song,
originally describing a king of Israel, but later understood by the rabbis as
messianic. The contrast between a royal personage and his servant-companions is
the point of the quotation. This king is addressed twice as God; possesses a
throne, a scepter and a kingdom; loves righteousness and hates wickedness; has
a special anointing of joy; and continues as king forever and ever. No angel
could claim these attributes. The cause of the king's joy is traced to his love
of righteousness and hatred of wickedness. Here, by contrast, may be a hint of
the moral defection of the host of angels who fell with Satan. Angels could and
did sin, but the Son's love of righteousness kept him safe through the most
severe temptations. Even those unfallen angels who also, presumably, love
righteousness do so on the basis of choice, while the Son's love of
righteousness is inherent in his very nature. For this reason (therefore) God has set him above his companions. (5)
Once more our author displays the dazzling glory of the Creator, who is
infinitely superior to any angel, by summoning the words of Psalm 102:25-27: In
the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens
are the work of your hands. This is not
simply a restatement of truth he has already declared ("through whom he
made the universe"---v. 2), but the point he now twice asserts is the
timeless endurance of the Son: They will perish, but you remain; . .
. they will be changed. But you remain [Gk: "you are"] the same. He will make the point again in 13:8, "Jesus
Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." Psalm 102 is
addressed to Yahweh by a sorely afflicted suppliant who feels the brevity of
his own life in light of the heavens and the earth. But even they shall pass
away in due course, like garments that grow old and are changed. This is a
marvelous poetic description of what scientists call the law of entropy, or the
second law of thermodynamics, which views the universe as running down. But the
Creator is above his own laws and remains unchanged forever. These words,
applied unhesitatingly to Jesus, place him as far beyond the angels.
As a finale for his presentation of Old Testament support for the superiority
of the nature of the Son over that of angels, the author returns to his mildly
scornful rhetorical question: To which of the angels did God ever
say, "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your
feet"? This second reference to Psalm
110 restates the thought of 1:2, "whom he appointed heir of all
things." Even his enemies will find their place at the Son's feet when
God's purposes are fulfilled. It reflects Paul's declaration in Colossians
2:15, "And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public
spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross." The cross won the
beginning of the ultimate triumph, but its fulfillment awaits the return of
Jesus as King.
Contrasted to this Supreme Conqueror, the writer asks, Are not all angels
ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation? Even the mightiest angel is under orders to the Son
of God, and gladly helps in fulfilling his desire to bring many sons to glory
(2:10). Though the author does not enlarge on the specifics of angelic ministry
here, it only requires a review of Bible stories to see that such ministry
involves protection (Ps 91:11), guidance(Genesis 19:17), encouragement (Judg
6:12), deliverance (Acts 12:7), supply (Ps 105:40), enlightenment (Mt 2:19-20)
and empowerment (Lk 22:43), as well as occasional rebuke (Num 22:32 ) and
discipline (Acts 12:23). Their service is rendered largely unseen and often
unrecognized, but a passage like this should make us watchful for such help and
grateful to the gracious Lord who sends angels to our aid.
2:1 We must pay more careful
attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. 2
For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and
disobedience received its just punishment, 3 how shall we escape if we ignore
such a great 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 gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed
according to his will.
Having proved beyond all argument that angels cannot compare in importance,
power or glory to the Son of God, our author now raises a warning voice against
taking lightly what the Son has said. This is the first of five major warning
passages in Hebrews each designed to prevent a specific form of unbelief The
five warnings are found in 2:1-4, 3:12-19, 6:4-8,10:26-31 and 12:25-29. Our
author is deeply concerned lest his readers succumb to the pressures they were
feeling and either renounce the gospel outright or gradually turn from public
confession and lose its influence entirely. The danger faced in this first
warning is that of drifting away from truth. A dramatic word is employed for
"drift away," pararreo, which
means "to flow by" or "slip away from." It describes that
carelessness of mind which, perhaps occupied by other things, is not aware it
is losing ground. Plato used it of something slipping away from the memory, and
Plutarch of a ring slipping from a finger. Another figure often suggested is
that of a ship loose from its moorings. The danger highlighted is that of a
great loss occurring unnoticed.
The cause is not taking seriously the words spoken to them. Inattention or
apathy will rob them of their treasure. (6)
With these words, the writer reveals his shepherd's heart, since he is not
content with instructing the mind with intriguing doctrine. He also longs to reach
the heart and move the will to action. The remedy urged is pay more
careful attention to the things heard (from
the Son). This would suggest the frequent reading or hearing of the four
Gospels, which contain the actual words of Jesus, and a repeated and careful
reading of the further exposition in the Epistles. To neglect or ignore these
is to be in deadly danger of drifting away from essential truth, and losing, by
default, the great salvation
which the Son has brought. It is not necessary to openly renounce the gospel.
One can remain lost by simply and quietly drifting away from hearing it, or
hearing it with no comprehension of the seriousness of its message.
The word salvation forms the link
between chapters one and two. The chapter division was not intended by the
writer, who moved immediately (dia touto, "therefore") to draw a practical conclusion to the truth he
has presented. Soteria,
"salvation," is found seven times in Hebrews more than in any other
New Testament book. In Zechariah's song concerning his son John the Baptist (Lk
1:67-79), he says that the Baptist's ministry was "to give his people the
knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins" (Lk 1:77).
Salvation, then, begins with a moral cleansing and in later New Testament
development includes justification, sanctification and, finally, glorification
with Christ. As Brown astutely observes, "The author is deeply persuaded
that a personal relationship with Christ expressed in repentance and faith
determines the believer's salvation. But in the teaching of the letter
salvation is clearly portrayed as an ongoing process" (1982:24). That
Jesus, "the author of their salvation" should have achieved it only
by being made "perfect through suffering" (2:10), makes salvation an
infinitely precious gift in the eyes of this author.
And that anyone should prefer the ministry of angels, who mediated the giving
of the law, to the salvation available in the Son was almost incredible to him!
"Come on," he seems to say, "haven't you heard what I've been
saying? You value highly the law, though it was given only by angels, but you
pass lightly over the final word from God which came in the flesh and blood,
and through the death and resurrection, of the very Son of God himself." Both
Paul (Galatians 3:19) and Stephen (Acts 7:53) acknowledge the part angels
played in the giving of the law, though the Old Testament is almost silent
about it. Deuteronomy 33:2 and Psalm 68:17 represent only vague references to
angels present at Sinai.
But to ignore even the law's partial revelation carried with it certain
inevitable consequences (just punishment---2:2). Even under the law the divine principle which Paul affirms
("God cannot be mocked; a man reaps what he sows") was operating. The
Old Testament gives countless illustrations of this truth. Yet, "if the
breakers of the law did not go unpunished, certainly despisers of the gospel
cannot expect to do so" (Hughes 1977:73). To ignore the great
salvation found in Jesus is to find oneself
unable to escape the consequent wrath of God, and the judgment of hell. There
is no other offer of release!
How great this salvation was is seen in three measures. First, its proclamation
began with Jesus himself! This great fact astonished the writer of Hebrews from
the beginning of his letter. The incarnate Son has himself announced the impact
of his redemptive work upon the cross, and even before that work was
accomplished. Mark 1:15 records Jesus as saying, "The time has come. The
kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!" "From the
moment of his public appearance to the day of his ascension, Jesus unfolded the
full redemptive revelation of God" (Kistemaker 1984:59). So much greater
was this announcement than the help which the law held forth that Jesus could
say to his disciples: "I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous
men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear
but did not hear it" (Mt 13:17).
Second, though verse 3 suggests that the writer of Hebrews did not personally
hear the good news from the lips of Jesus, he says, it was confirmed
to us by those who heard him. These were
surely the twelve apostles and perhaps others as well. This statement rests the
gospel securely on eyewitnesses who recorded accurately what they both saw and
heard (1 John 1:3; 2 Peter 1:16). But, as Hughes observes, this apostolic
witness "goes back not just to the apostles, but through the apostles to
the Lord" (1977:79). It was he who sent them forth and promised them the
Holy Spirit to bring to their remembrance whatever he had said to them (John
14:26).
This implication of the writer that he had not personally heard the Lord
removes the twelve apostles as possible authors of this letter---and also
virtually rules out Paul (as Luther, Calvin and others have pointed out) since
Paul stoutly asserts in Galatians 1:1 and 1 Corinthians 15:3 that he had not
obtained his gospel from men but directly from the Lord. He must be included as
one of those who had heard the Lord, and the writer of Hebrews does not claim
this for himself.
But it is not simply on human memories that the authenticity of the apostolic
gospel rests, as the writer adduces a third confirmation of great importance. God
also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the
Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.
Just as the Father had borne witness to the Son by signs and miracles (John
5:3637), so he worked with (Gk: synepimartyrountos, "testifying with") the apostles and
others, confirming their word by similar signs and wonders and gifts of the
Holy Spirit. The authority from which the gospel flows include all three
persons of the Godhead: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Son makes the full
announcement of it and completes the basis for it through pain and blood; the
Father works with him to confirm his word with signs and wonders; and the
Spirit continues the confirmation by distribution of spiritual gifts.
John, in his Gospel, tells us that the miracles were "signs," symbols
whose meaning revealed the nature of God. John, Matthew and Mark also call them
"wonders," that awaken awe and fear; the Synoptists frequently refer
to "miracles," or more properly "powers." All three terms
appear often in Acts, especially the first fifteen chapters, and mark the
validation by the Father to the ministry of the early preachers of the gospel.
The phrase gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will is a bit ambiguous. Taken objectively, it means
"gifts which the Holy Spirit distributes." Subjectively, it refers to
the imparting of the Holy Spirit himself, as distributed by God. Paul, in his
list of spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12:7-11, says, "All these are the
work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines."
The last phrase would slant the decision on Hebrews 2:4 toward the objective
meaning, that spiritual gifts are given to each believer by the Spirit as the
continuing witness of the Spirit to the truth of the gospel.
Do the signs, wonders and various miracles also continue throughout the present age? It is
impossible to set aside the testimony of Christians through the centuries to
the miracle-working power of God in human lives. Many well-attested occurrences
of such miracles have been recorded throughout the church centuries, including
today. Missionaries and Christian workers of the most sterling character have
reported such miracles in widely separated places and cultures so that it
cannot be said that the age of miracles ever ceased.
But it must also be remembered that both Jesus and Paul warn clearly that as
the age draws to its close there will be manifestations of counterfeit
miracles, signs and wonders, done through Satanic agencies, which will deceive
many (see Mt 24:24 and 2 Thessalonians 2:9)! It is the effect of these signs
and wonders on the lives of those involved which will reveal the genuine
teachers from the false ("By their fruit you will recognize
them"---Mt 7:15-16). It must also be considered that the profound power of
the mind upon the body often produces dramatic improvements in health. But
these are not always, or even frequently, associated with religious influence.
They are scarcely to be equated with the healings recorded in Scripture, which
usually consist of the kind Jesus described to John the Baptist's disciples:
"The blind receive sight, the lame walk those who have leprosy are cured,
the deaf hear, the dead are raised" (Mt 11:5).
But let us not lose our way at this point. The concern of Hebrews is not to
defend miracles but to warn against losing the so great salvation by a careless inattention to its content or its
practice in daily life. An individual's response to these great truths
determines his destiny. Leon Morris well says, "This Epistle leaves us in
no doubt but that those who are saved are saved from a sore and genuine peril.
Christ's saving work is not a piece of emotional pageantry rescuing men from
nothing in particular" (quoted in Brown 1982:52). Neglecting the word of
angels brought immediate earthly consequences; ignoring the salvation of the
Son, confirmed by decades of divine ministry through godly men and women,
results in eternal tragedy beyond description.
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 man that you are mindful of
him, the son of man that you care for him? 7 You made him a little lower than
the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor 8 and put everything under his
feet." In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not
subject to him. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him. 9 But
we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with
glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might
taste death for everyone.
Still thinking of the supremacy of the Son over angels, our author, in
2:5-9, approaches the theme from a different view. In chapter 1 the deity of
Jesus was primarily in the foreground; in chapter 2 his perfect humanity means
that he is the superior of every angelic being. Verse 5 carries forward the
subject of verse 4, It is not to angels that he [God] has subjected the world
to come, about which we are speaking. (7)
Some fascinating themes are introduced by this observation. It raises
immediately the question, What is meant by the world to come? It can mean (1) life after death, (2) the future
kingdom of Christ on earth (the millennium) or (3) the new heavens and the new
earth. Since almost nothing is said in Hebrews about life after death (9:27),
(1) can be dismissed without further development for it is obviously not what
he refers to in the phrase about which we are speaking. That limiting phrase probably looks back to 1:11-12
which emphasizes the changes which the material creation will experience. Paul,
in Ephesians 2:7, speaks of "coming ages," indicating that at least
two more ages lie ahead. The two which Scripture continually name are the
restored Davidic kingdom (the millennium) and the new heavens and the new
earth. In several places Scripture describes the new heavens and earth as
lasting forever, intimating it would be the last age yet to come. But the word world (Gk: oikoumene) in 2:5 refers not to the cosmos, but to the inhabited earth, and this
would strongly suggest the writer has in mind (2), the kingdom of Christ on
earth. Hughes calls the world to come, "the age of the Messiah in which
the messianic promises and prophecies of old find their fulfillment"
(1977:82). It is surely to this that Jesus refers in Matthew 19:28,
"Truly, I say to you, in the new world [palingenesia, 'restoration'], when the Son of man shall sit on his
glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones,
judging the twelve tribes of Israel" (RSV). Several passages in Hebrews
(6:5 and 12:22-24) suggest that this kingdom is in some sense already available
to those who live by faith. Perhaps, we should see this new age to come as
spiritually arrived, yet physically still to come.
A reference to the new heavens and new earth seems unlikely in view of the
mention of judgment in Matthew 19:28, for sin will have no place in the new
creation. Also Israel will not play a distinctive role among the nations, for
then "the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and
of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever" (Revelation 11:15
KJV).
If, as the writer claims, the world to come has not been subjected to angels,
it raises the possibility that the present age is subject to angelic
governance. F. F. Bruce supports this view, citing the LXX rendering of
Deuteronomy 32:8:
When the Most High gave to the
nations their inheritance
When he separated the children of men,
He set the bounds of the peoples
According to the number of the angels of God.
He further quotes Daniel 10:20, which names angelic beings as "the
prince of Persia" and "the prince of Greece," and Daniel 10:21
and 12:1 speak of Michael as "the great prince" who champions the
people of Israel (1964:33). This concept would explain why the fallen angel
called Satan is referred to as "the god of this world" and is
permitted his control until the Lord returns and the new age begins and the
curse is lifted from nature. Then, too, the devil will be bound and cast into a
bottomless pit for a thousand years (Revelation 20:2-3).
This background serves to give special meaning to the quotation from Psalm 8
which the writer of Hebrews now invokes. His vague reference to his source (Gk:
"Someone somewhere has testified") is not due to uncertainty but to a
desire to stress Scripture as speaking, not a mere human author (Bruce,
Kistemaker and Hughes). David's psalm is a wondering reaction to the majesty of
the night sky as it reveals the power and wisdom of God and forces the
question, What part do puny human beings play in such a universe? The answer is
that we were made a little lower than the angels, but then crowned with glory
and honor, and everything has been put under our feet. This is a direct
reference to Genesis 1:26:
Then God said, "Let us make
man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea
and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all
the creatures that move along the ground."
Here is glory and honor (made in the image and likeness of God) and
authority and power (ruling over all the earth). Some commentators take the made
a little lower than the angels in a
temporal sense, "made for a little while," to imply that human
existence in this space-time continuum is only for a brief lifetime, and then
we are freed to live the life of eternity. Whichever way the phrase is read, it
is clear that our intended destiny was one of power and authority over all the
conditions and life of earth. If this was our commission from the moment of
creation, what light it sheds on our responsibility to care for this planet and
its creatures! We were not given dominion so the earth and the animals should
serve us; rather, we are given authority to develop them to the fullest extent
intended by the fruitful mind of the Creator. We are to serve them by thorough
knowledge and loving care, in the form of servant-leadership which the Lord
himself manifested when he came.
Yet, says this writer in what must be the understatement of the ages, we
do not see everything subject to him. No,
there are many things fallen humans cannot control: the weather, the seasons,
the instincts of animals, the tides, our own passions, international events,
natural disasters, and on and on. The increasing pollution of the planet, the
spread of famines and wars, the toll taken by drugs, accidents and disease, all
tell the story of a lost destiny.
But almost with a shout the author cries, But we see Jesus! He is the last hope of a dying race. And that hope
lies both in his deity and his humanity. He alone, as a human being, managed to
fulfill what was intended for us from the beginning. When we read the Gospels,
we are forced to ask, Who is this man who stills the winds and the waves with a
single word; who multiplies food at will; who walks on the waves; who summons
fish to bring up coins at his command; who dismisses disease with a touch; and
calls the dead back to life? Who is he? He is the Last Adam, living and acting
as God intended us to act when he made us in the beginning. It was the First
Adam who plunged the race into bondage and limitation; it is the Last who sets
us free in soul and spirit, so that we may now learn how to live in the ages to
come when the resurrection gives us back a body fit for the conditions of that
life.
The writer traces in terse phrases the steps Jesus took to solve forever the
problem of human sin. (1) He was made a little lower than the angels. There is the whole wonder of the Incarnation; in
John's phrasing, "the Word became flesh and lived for a while among
us." Then (2) because he suffered death, he was (3) crowned with glory and honor and thus he achieved as a human being the position intended for us in the beginning: the
being who was to be closest to God, higher than any angel, and in authority
over all things! Then, lest we should forget the cost, the writer adds (4) so
that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. To taste death does not simply mean to die, but to experience death in its full
horror and humiliation. He comes under the penalty of sin in order that he
might remove it. The emphasis here is that what Jesus did through his death and
exaltation was for everyone.
Salvation is now open to all; no one who comes to Jesus will ever be refused.
His death was for everyone in the sense that everyone was thereby rendered
savable.
Ever since the death of Jesus the way to glory has always Included a death
which leads to life. Some forms of media-evangelism have presented the
Christian life as the way to fulfillment of great possibilities without also
making clear that it includes a death to self-indulgence and learning
obedience. We dare not extol the incredible benefits of the Christian life
without reminding ourselves that they will also lead us to a cross.
To whom, then, is the world to come subject? Not to angels, that is clear. It is to be subject to
the human race---to the human race as God intended us to be, redeemed and
restored through sharing the life of the Man in glory, seated at the right hand
of God. This is the theme of verses 10-13.
2:10 In bringing many sons to
glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists,
should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. 11 Both
the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family.
So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. 12 He says, "I will declare
your name to my brothers; in the presence of the congregation 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."
Commentators on Hebrews have pointed out that there is no reference to the
love of God in this epistle. Though technically this is true, a text such as
2:10 reveals that behind the suffering and sacrifice of Jesus is the heart of a
Father who longs to bring many sons to glory. Though the Father was in full control of all forces and events in the
universe (for whom and through whom everything exists), it was necessary that
he subject his beloved Son to a degree of agony and humiliation that could
alone fit him to carry out that purpose. This is clearly the meaning of make
. . . perfect through suffering. Jesus had
always had a perfect character since his birth; perfection of function required
the whole process of incarnation, ministry, death and resurrection. But it was
love for the lost human race that drove both Father and Son to choose that
process.
Thus did Jesus become the author of . . . salvation. Other versions substitute "pioneer" (RSV),
"captain" (KJV) and "leader" (NEB), for "author."
The Greek word archegos implies
someone who initiates or originates a plan or program for others to follow.
Every American knows that in 1804-1806 two explorers, Captain George Clark and
Captain Meriwether Lewis, were sent by President Thomas Jefferson to find a way
across the old, trackless West from St. Louis to the Pacific Coast. Such an
exploration involved tremendous preparation, special provisions and wise
decisions. It was accomplished through great danger and many hardships, as the
Lewis and Clark journals make clear. When the explorers returned the whole
American West lay open to development. This is the thought behind the word archegos Jesus, our archegos, opened up a completely new spiritual country, the
realm of universal dominion for the human race, which was originally intended
for us but was lost by Adam. Those who follow Jesus now are fitted and trained
to live in that new world as they walk in the footsteps of him who has gone
before.
This concept fits well with the thought of verses 11-13. These describe the
Savior and his redeemed as belonging to one family who share the same nature. The
one who makes holy [sanctifies] is Jesus
who had, first, to solve the problem of sin before he could apply it to those
who are made holy, the redeemed. The act of
making holy implies the impartation of a new life, the life of God himself since
only God is holy. Those who by faith become sons of God are made holy
(sanctified) because they share the life of the Son of God. John 1:12 declares,
"To all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the
right to become children of God," and 1 John 5:11-12 adds, "God has
given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son; he who has the Son has
life."
Because of this shared life the writer of Hebrews can say they are, literally,
"all of One" (ek henos pantes), which refers to the Father. (The NIV's of the same family, to my mind, somewhat weakens the force of this
declaration.) Jesus, who is of different rank and origin, still is not
ashamed to call them brothers. Since he has
made them holy by imparting his own life to them, he cannot deny the very
holiness he has given. Now the groundwork is laid for believers to learn to
live everyday on the basis of the new men and women they have become rather
than continuing to live on the old level of humanity they had once been. It is
Paul's constant exhortation: "Put off the old man; put on the new."
The writer of Hebrews urges the same activity in 12:14. Holiness of nature is
the possession of all true Christians; holiness of behavior is to be their
goal. But even before that goal is attained to any appreciable degree, it is
still true that Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. The picture is that
of an oldest son affirming to another his pride in his younger siblings, even
though they do not always act in ways pleasing to him.
To support this wonderful fact, the writer summons three texts from the Old
Testament. (8) The first, verse 22, from the well-known
Messianic hymn, Psalm 22, reflects the praise of the resurrected Lord as he
shares with his brothers and sisters the glories of God's grace. He appears as
their teacher, opening their eyes continually to the wonders of the Father
whose family they have joined. They then join him in sharing those wonders with
the whole congregation. The quotation suggests that his reason for not being
ashamed of them is because they share with him the endless adventure of
discovering the full meaning of the name of God.
The second text, from Isaiah 8:17, expresses the common sense of dependence
which children share toward God; and the third, Isaiah 8:18, recognizes the
relationship of children as all equally under the care of one father. Isaiah 8,
from which these verses are taken, is the prophet's prediction of a great
invasion of Assyria into the land of Judea. Yet in the face of that terrible
threat the people are exhorted to continue to trust the Lord Almighty and to
wait for his deliverance, though it seem delayed. The Messiah is seen as
"a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall,"
and it is of him that Isaiah cries, "I will put my trust in him. Here am
I, and the children the LORD has given me."
It is easy to see how our author saw these verses as a description of Jesus and
his faith-siblings (Christians). That first-century world was coming apart at
the seams, just as Isaiah's world had been. And just as Isaiah and his children
looked to their invisible Lord for help, so Jesus stands ready to support those
who take refuge in him from the threats of a crumbling world.
These two texts, in their original setting, were part of a prophecy of an event
yet 100 years in the future, and beyond this, reached to the coming of the
Messiah both in his first and second comings. To apply fragments of such
prophecies to the Hebrews circumstances may seem strange to us, but this is
fully in line with the use of the Old Testament by all the New Testament
writers. The specific verses quoted here are all found in a messianic context.
2:14 Since the children have
flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might
destroy 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 his brothers 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.
Drawing on his use of Isaiah's quotation, the writer picks up the word children and declares, Since the children have
flesh and blood, he too [Jesus] shared in their humanity. This description of the Incarnation answers fully all
docetic notions that his humanity was simply a phantom appearance. The purpose
of Christ becoming a flesh-and-blood man was to enable him to die: that is the
startling claim of verse 14! In Charles Wesley's great hymn "And Can It
Be?" he begins a verse:
'Tis mystery all, the Immortal
dies!
Who can explore that strange design?
In vain the first-born seraph tries
To sound the depths of love divine!
How can one who is immortal die? That is a puzzle which even the angels
could not solve. But the Son of God solved it by becoming flesh and blood. He
took upon himself our humanity which, even in perfection, was doomed to die (as
happened to Adam and Eve). Yet this must be balanced by the gospel's statement
that Jesus did not have to die (as all of us must), but gave up his life
voluntarily. And die he must if he was to deal with the great enemy of all
flesh and blood---death! Behind death the writer sees the power of Satan, who
uses God's righteous judgment against sin to bring to death all human beings
who sin. But when God's Son willingly entered the dread realm of death on
behalf of the race, he could not be held there because he himself was sinless.
By his resurrection he broke the power of death over all who accept his
invitation to share his risen life. He rendered impotent (katargeo---"to annul," "to make inoperative")
the devil's power to carry out the full effects of death---that is, spiritual
separation from God forever. Physical death remains for all, believers and
nonbelievers alike, the transition point between this life and the next. But
for believers the "sting of death" is gone, the grave no longer has
its victory (1 Corinthians 15:54-57)!
But this is not a blessing to be obtained only in the future. It has an
immediate effect as well, delivering the redeemed from all fear of death, and
so liberating them from a lifelong bondage. Since death is the absence of life,
spiritual death is already present in human affairs, appearing as depression,
fear, boredom, despair, waste, limitation and defeat (Romans 8:6---"The
mind set on the flesh is death"). The devil's lie is to convince many that
they can avoid such experiences by amassing wealth, maintaining youth by
strenuous exercise or expensive treatments, searching for adventure, falling in
and out of love, gaining the marks of success, indulging in widespread travel,
satisfying every whim, and so forth.
It is the fear of that kind of death which creates the frantic restlessness
found in so many. That unsatisfied restlessness, that yearning for what cannot
seem to be found, is at least partly what the writer here means by slavery. Like a slave bound to a cruel master human beings
find themselves forced to keep searching for what they never attain. They try
everything, but nothing satisfies. There is pleasure and fun---but seldom peace
and contentment. Soon everything palls and the search must begin again. It is a
lifelong bondage, for the quest
never ends till life itself does. No better example of this futile search can
be found than Howard Hughes. Bill Hybels recounts his quest for more money,
more fame, more sensual pleasure, more thrills, more power, and concludes, in
the end "he died a billionaire junkie, insane by all reasonable
standard."
But even on our deathbed the bondage is not over, for there again lurks the
dread question, What lies beyond?
Against all this stands the words of Jesus, "Whoever finds his life will
lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it" (Mt 10:39).
He came to free those who all their lives were held in slavery by
their fear of death. His method was first
to impart a new life to all who come to him, and join them to a great family of
similarly reborn brothers and sisters. Then, through his word, he instructs
them in how that new life should be lived and promises the Spirit himself who
accompanies the believer throughout his entire journey, teaching him how to
turn from the world's ways and Satanic wiles to loving relationships and
fruitful service until at last he grows old and steps, through death, into
glory and power that beggars description. "The man or woman who lives by
this principle will find that for them the devil is impotent" (Stedman
1974:30). James writes, "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you"
(4:7). Thus freedom from the lifelong bondage of self-serving is clearly
included in the victory of Jesus over death!
If it seems that the writer has drifted far from his intent to show the
superiority of Jesus over angels, verse 16 brings us back directly to the
point: For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham's
descendants. (9) Only
by living himself as a human being could he fully sympathize with, and
therefore help, those who struggle with great temptation on their way to glory.
The term Abraham's descendants
clearly envisions Paul's declaration, "If you belong to Christ, then you
are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise" (Galatians 3:29).
This help for Abraham's struggling spiritual descendants is not offered to
angels (who are neither redeemed nor Abraham's seed), but it is constantly
available to those who come to Jesus as their merciful and faithful
high priest. It is mercy which he shows
toward sinners; faithfulness is exhibited before the Father. This is the first
designation in Hebrews of Jesus as high priest, and introduces a theme which
will become a major emphasis in chapters 7 through 10.
The record of the four Gospels gives us the details of how Jesus was made
like his brothers in every way. Everyday he
felt the perturbations caused by living in a sinful world; he knew
disappointments and sorrows, physical pains and frustrations of spirit; he grew
weary and sore and must often have longed for home and comforts; he was lied
to, falsely reproved, argued with, disliked and cheated. The earthly
temptations which he endured in the wilderness and at other times (Lk 4:13)
from the devil, and daily from the "opposition from sinful men"
(12:3), including even his own disciples, made him a sympathetic priest. By
virtue of his atonement (propitiation) he can make effective intercession
before the Father for any who bring their burdens to him. The fact that he made
atonement for the sins of the people lifts
him to an incomparable level of priestly help. No priest under the law could do
that, except in a symbolic and token fashion. But Jesus not only holds forth
the hope of finding forgiveness of sins, he has actually taken them away
already! To be able to be both merciful toward sinners and faithful to a holy
God is possible only because the offense of sin before God has been removed.
The genuine humanity of Jesus reminds him continually of the way temptation
feels to us when we are under assault, and his atonement overcomes any
limitation of help caused by our sins, so that he may uphold us with both
sympathy and integrity before the Father. "If anybody does sin, we have
one who speaks to the Father in our defense---Jesus Christ, the Righteous
One" (1 John 2:1). Bruce puts the case well: "A high priest who has
actually, and not merely in symbolism, removed His people's sins, and therewith
the barrier which their sins erected between themselves and God, is a high
priest worth having" (1964:53).
What a Friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear;
What a privilege to carry,
Everything to God in prayer.
So the section concludes, and the writer completes his arguments. How can
anyone, given the facts, continue to follow angelic guidance (be it from
demigod, avatar, spirit guide, ancient master) when the Son of God himself has
come, before whom all the angels, fallen or unfallen, are commanded to worship;
for whom angels are but messengers committed to do his wishes; who has himself
revealed a far greater message than the Law; and who has recaptured for all who
come to him the lost heritage of creation; who has lifted, through the ultimate
personal sacrifice, the terrible burden of sin and guilt which lies on us all;
and who offers to us each day an inner supply of strength and wisdom for the
journey through life? What angel can do all or any of that?
3:1 Therefore, holy brothers,
who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and
high priest whom we confess. 2 He was faithful to the one who appointed him,
just as Moses was faithful in all God's house. 3 Jesus has been found worthy of
greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than
the house itself. 4 For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder
of everything. 5 Moses was faithful as a servant in all God's house, testifying
to what would be said in the future. 6 But Christ is faithful as a son over
God's house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of
which we boast. 7 So, as the Holy Spirit says: "Today, if you hear his
voice, 8 do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time
of testing in the desert, 9 where your fathers tested and tried me and for
forty years saw what I did. 10 That is why I was angry with that generation,
and I said, `Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my
ways.' 11 So I declared on oath in my anger, `They shall never enter my
rest.'" 12 See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving
heart that turns away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another daily,
as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's
deceitfulness. 14 We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the
end the confidence we had at first. 15 As has just been said: "Today, if
you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the
rebellion." 16 Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all
those Moses led out of Egypt? 17 And with whom was he angry for forty years?
Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the desert? 18 And to
whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who
disobeyed? 19 So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their
unbelief.
Houses come in many sizes and designs. The first house my wife and I lived
in was a tiny building in Hawaii which served as a parsonage for a church where
I was not the pastor (they had none at the time). It had only one bedroom, one
bath, a tiny kitchen and a small living room. It's long gone now, and over the
years we have lived in several houses. Our last one in California had five
bedrooms and three baths and was a virtual mansion compared to the first. But
all the houses we have lived in have had two things in common: a preconceived
design and a builder.
In Hebrews 3, the writer turns from the angels to compare Jesus to Israel's
greatest and most revered leader, Moses, whose primary honor was that he was
faithful as a servant in all God's house.
But, he immediately adds, Christ is faithful as a son over God 's
house. (10)
As in many chapter divisions in the New Testament, the opening words could as
well have been the closing words of the previous chapter. The therefore ties them together and introduces a fifth title for
Jesus thus far in Hebrews Son, Firstborn, Lord, High Priest and now Apostle. We
are encouraged to fix [our] thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high
priest whom we confess. The recipients of
this encouragement are called holy brothers and those who share in the heavenly
calling. These phrases represent a delicate
shift from a well-known Jewish-Christian description ("brothers") to
that which is distinctively Christian, and not Jewish ("heavenly
calling"---Ephesians 1:3; 2:6). This explains his plea to look beyond
Moses and Jewish things to Jesus, who combines, in his divine-human person,
both functions which Moses exercised (apostle and high priest). However, Jesus
fulfilled these to a loftier and far greater level.
The reference to Moses' faithfulness in God's house looks back to Numbers 12:7-8
where God describes to Aaron and Miriam how he spoke to prophets in visions and
dreams. He continues: "But this is not true of my servant Moses; he is
faithful in all my house. With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in
riddles." Though several commentators take "God's house" to
refer to the nation of Israel, it is better to link it to the tabernacle. Its
precursor is the Tent of Meeting, where God spoke these words, and the typology
of which is developed more expansively in Hebrews 9. The tabernacle is called
"the house of God" at least six different times in the Old Testament,
and its successor, the temple, is so designated 43 times. Moses is especially
connected with the tabernacle as the one who received its design on Mount Sinai
and oversaw its building and ritual. If the tabernacle was the symbol of the
dwelling place of God in the midst of his people, as will be seen more fully in
3:6, then we may view the phrase God's house as referring both to Israel and the building itself, each standing for
the other.
At any rate, the meaning of verses 3-5 is clear: the builder of a house is more
worthy of honor than the house which he builds. The house is only the product
of the builder's skill and wisdom. Overall conception and the design of
infinite detail originates in the mind of the architect-builder; the house
simply makes it visible. Thus, Jesus, as the agent of God in building all
things, is more worthy of honor than Moses, who was just a servant in the house
which the Son was building. This is support for the argument of the existence
of God. Cornell University astrophysicist Carl Sagan and many others today
insist that we are alone in the cosmos; the cosmos is all there is. If every
earthly house shows the design and craft of a builder, how much more does the
universe reflect, in its complexity and interrelatedness, a Mind and Hand that
put it all together? This Mind and Hand belongs to Jesus as John 1:3 and other
Scriptures attest. As the builder of everything, he outranks even a faithful servant
like Moses, who served in the house Jesus made.
The phrase testifying to what would be said in the future supports the idea that the tabernacle, with its
intensive typology, would teach future generations much about human nature, God
and redemption. Stephen, in Acts 7:44, says, "Our forefathers had the tabernacle
of the Testimony with them in the desert.
It had been made as God directed Moses, according to the pattern he had
seen." This is expanded in chapter 9 where we shall learn much more about
this idea of testifying about the future.
But Christ is faithful as a son over God's house, declares verse 6. (11) And
we are his house introduces a theme which
will become dominant throughout the rest of the letter. The role of a servant
and of a son in a house are worlds apart. I recall in my high-school days in
Montana a visit I made to a large cattle ranch on the Missouri River as a
friend of one of the cowboy employees. We slept in the bunkhouse with the rest
of the help and had no access to the main quarters. We rode a couple of rather
scruffy horses, and I was involved in helping him do certain assigned chores.
Later I visited the same ranch as a friend of the son of the ranch's owner.
What a difference! We had the run of the big house, ate in the main dining
room, rode the best horses on the ranch and could go anywhere at any time. It
made me forever aware of the difference between a son and a servant. The author
wants to make this difference clear to his readers' minds also.
It will become readily apparent in chapter 9 that the reality which the
tabernacle pictures (and which harmonizes the two peoples of God, Israel and
the Church), are human beings themselves. The writer declares: "We are his
house!" It is redeemed humanity who is to be the dwelling place of God (1
Corinthians 6:19; Ephesians 2:22; Revelation 21:3). The writer has just
presented Jesus (in chapter 2) as the Man who fulfills God's intent for the
human race. That ultimate intent is that we may be indwelt by God. This is
surely the meaning of Jesus in John 14:20, "On that day you will realize
that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you."
Again, in John 17:22-23, he prays to the Father, "I have given them the
glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you
in me."
These concepts are revolutionary to the Jewish mind, as Jesus himself
understood in trying to teach them to his disciples, and as the writer of Hebrews
realizes as he seeks to lift his readers to views of themselves which they had
only grasped dimly, if at all. At this point he ventures to use for the first
time the Greek term for the Messiah (Christ---literally, "anointed") and so help turn
their minds from Jewish hopes to the "better things" of which the Jewish
shadows spoke.
We [believers] are his [Christ's] house, he asserts, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of
which we boast. This if has troubled many people for it seems to imply that
being a member of Christ's house can be lost after it is gained by wavering in
our courage or hope. But the statement is more likely descriptive rather than <