In our previous study, we came to understand that the author of Hebrews was trying to establish the supremacy of the Son above the prophets and the angels. We understood that Christ is the ultimate, supreme…the final and full expression of the Father! (If you have missed the previous teaching, please click here.)
Observation Level
Hope you’re ready for another week of deeper study through the book of Hebrews! If you don’t have a Bible you can just move over the verse hyperlink, and you will be able to see the quote from the ESV translation. Today we will be looking into Hebrews 1:5-14
Make sure you read the passage a number of times. Don’t stop reading through it even if it seems boring or uninteresting. I also want to add that all we are interested to do here is to understand what the author of Hebrews is relating to his readers. We are not interested in detouring from the heart and purpose of the message conveyed by the author.
Now, take some time to observe if there is any structure in the passage. Finding the structure helps you see the thought process of the author, and also gives you a vivid picture of how the author presents the truth. Here’s a structure I have come up with:
As you can see, the author has used the Jewish Scriptures to reason and relate to the Jewish mindset. He uses a total of seven references here. His purpose is obviously to show his readers the supreme position of Christ over the angels.
In block 1, from the highlights, you will be able to see a clear contrast the author portrays between the Son and the angels. The Son has a unique position with the Father, while the angels are His servants.
In block 2, we see the Spirit of the Father speaking to the Son, and declaring the eternal reign of the Son. Take some time to observe the words I have highlighted in the 2nd block. In turquoise, I have highlighted what the Father calls the Son. In light gray, I have highlighted the kingdom or the reign. And in bright green, I have highlighted the eternal nature of the Son’s kingdom or reign.
In block 3, again the author contrasts the position of the Son, and the servant hood of the angels.
Understanding Level
Please do take time to write down questions you may have in this passage in the comment section. I want to bring in a question that was asked last time, which I believe is central to these verses. And the question is: Why is the author exalting Christ above the angels? It is because the Law was put into effect or administered through the ministry of angels (Ref. Galatians 3:19). The writer’s main purpose throughout the book of Hebrews is to proclaim this superiority of Christ over the Law. We will continue to see this in the upcoming studies.
Look forward to an active discussion and learning with all of you!
Siddharth,
How were the angels used to minister the law ? In the Old testament, I just seem to recall isolated cases were angels were physically present to enable some supernatural miracle or act. Or is Paul, when he mentions ‘angels’, also including within the ambit of its definition, powerful men of God, like Moses ?
Please excuse this question if you were going to elaborate on this in the next study.
That’s a good question, Sunil!
There are two incidents I want to point out from Scripture, both relate to Moses. We know the incident of Moses and the burning bush (Exodus 3:2) and the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai (Exodus 19, 20).
Now, if you read Stephen’s preaching in Acts 7, where he narrates these two accounts again. He tells his listeners that angels were messengers of the word from the Lord in both cases (Acts 7:30, Acts 7:53). So it is quite clear that angels were instrumental in delivering the Law to Moses.
It could also be that the angels were instrumental in administering judgment. I’ll look into this and let you know.
/Sidharth
1. The fifth verse says, “You are my Son, today I have become your Father”. I am bit confused here, does this refer to people who have accepted Christ? Otherwise why is the word “today” used?
2. “He makes his angels winds and his servants flames of fire”, what does “wind” and “flames of fire” signify and does “his servants” refer to angels only?
3. “God has set you above your companions”. Whom does “companion” refer to ?
4. “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation”. Is this referring to all the ones who will inherit salvation that angels are there to serve, or does it have a different meaning?
Thank you Betty for taking time to study this passage with us and for writing down these questions.
1. To answer your first question, the verse is not referring to those who accept Christ. In order to understand this verse, we need to understand what the author of Hebrews was referring to when he said, “You are my Son, today I have become Your Father”. The exact same verse (Ref. Psalm 2:7) is quoted in Acts 13:32-33, where the verse is used in connection with the resurrection of Christ. In other words, the fact that Christ was not overcome by death, proved His divine origin as begotten or the Son of God. He carries the same eternal substance as the Father.
I like the way Amplified puts it, “You are My Son, today I have begotten You [established You in an official Sonship relation, with kingly dignity]” (Hebrews 1:5, AMP)
2. Let me give you a little background before I answer your question. If you look into the OT reference where the author quotes this from, you might see a discrepancy (that is, if you’re reading it in English). The NIV and many other translations translate it as : “He makes winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants.”. And If you read Psalm 104:4 in it’s context, it does seem like the writer was narrating about natural creation elements, and not angels, since in verses 2 and 3 the heavens, waters, clouds and winds are mentioned. However, if you look into Psalm 18:9-10, you will see a similar pattern, where the Psalmist says: “He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet. He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind.”. So Psalm 104:4 perfectly harmonizes with Hebrews 1:7.
Now why are angels related to “wind” and “flames of fire”? It could be because they are swift as the wind (Daniel 9:21), and are fire beings (especially the Seraphim). However, the emphasis here isn’t on the wind and the flames of fire. The emphasis is as shown below:
“He makes His angels winds, and His servants a flame of fire”.
Angels were created beings and servants, while Son was involved in the process of Creation and is co-equal with the Father (Hebrews 1:2-3).
“Does His servants refer to angels only?”. In this verse, yes.
3. The Greek word for “Companions” here is “metochos”, which means “partaker or sharer”. It could be referring to men in general, to whom he became related to and shared in their human nature through His incarnation.
4. Yes, it is exactly what you said. But the emphasis here again is that angels are servants. Never forget the purpose of the author in Hebrews 1. He is exalting Christ above the angels. The only way the author could relate to the Jewish mindset was by connecting to them by using the Jewish Scriptures.
/Sidharth
Hi everyone!
Betty kinda covered some of the questions that I had- so that’s super!
I guess for me vs 5-14 highlight to me Jesus’ character- He loves justice and hates evil. God acknowledges Jesus as creator. The fact that Jesus is impersihable and our world isn’t reminds me to look at life from an eternal perspective.
With regards to ‘God has set you above your companions’ – I wondered if the author was referring to everyone! Not just human beings. I guess it depends on which version you read.
Here’s my question: Were angels a big deal for the Jewish community? Why compare Jesus with angels? There’s no comparison with Moses – who was someone that Jews regarded highly of.
That’s good Natasha. Do continue to join us in this study. As we go on, the purpose of the book of Hebrews will become more clear. As I said earlier in this post, and in the post before, the author compares Jesus with the angels, because it was through the angels that the Law was administered (Galatians 3:19). This is the point, not whether the community thought highly of angels or not. And by exalting Christ above the angels, He was exalting the Gospel above the Law. This is the issue the author is dealing with in the book of Hebrews, since the Jewish Christians were going back into the practices of the Law, fearing persecution from the Jewish Community. We will see how this unfolds in the coming days. Later in Hebrews 3:1-6, the author exalts Christ above Moses through whom the Law came.
Regarding “companions” (Greek means “sharers” or “partakers”), later in Hebrews 2:14, you will see that the author places great importance in Christ sharing with his fellow brothers in their humanity.
Hope this answers your questions and brings more clarity.
/Sidharth