Hebrews 1:4-2:4

So Great A Salvation

Once the preacher has introduced his sermon (in vv. 1-3), he makes his first point in v. 4:  Jesus is superior to the angels of heaven and has inherited a more excellent name than they:  namely, Son of God (Phil. 2:9; Eph. 1:20; 1 Pet. 3:22).

Now in vv. 5-14, the preacher provides the biblical support for his claim which will find its resolution in the preacher's exhortation in 2:1-4 that you must now listen to the Son alone.

But why angels?  Why would the preacher bring up angels at this point in the sermon, which seems to be so out of place?

It makes perfect sense that if the preacher is going to show the supremacy of the Son of God over all creation that he would start with the highest of creatures:  the angels. 

But there is a more biblical-theological reason which is found in the central belief of the Jewish people that the very heart of God's revelation in the Old Testament, the Law, was delivered to Israel through the mediation of the angels, God's heavenly messengers (cf. 2:2; Deut. 33:2; Ps. 68:17; Acts 7:38-39; Gal. 3:19).  When Moses ascended to the top of Mt. Sinai to receive the Law of God it was revealed to Moses through mediators:  the angels. 

According to 1:14, the angels were created by God as servants to the Most High.  And they are sent by God to earth to minister to His elect, revealing God's will from on High.  As God's heavenly ministering servants, the angels perfectly revealed God's will to Israel.  That revelation of old was faithful and true so that Israel might know God and how to live and walk before Him in holiness.  As the preacher says in 2:2 that under a covenant mediated through angels, the Word spoken was unalterable-steadfast-firm to them.  And further, that covenant under Moses was a just covenant where Israel received just and righteous punishments for their transgression under the Law.  Israel had everything they needed to know to serve God in the Promised Land under Moses. 

But now, as the preacher says in v. 4, compared to what Israel had under Moses, mediated through angels, you have something better, superior, more excellent than they.  Though that revelation through angels was faithful and true it was also incomplete.  In the introduction we heard the preacher proclaim that in these last days, God has spoken to you, His people, in a new way that far surpasses the old ways in which he spoke through the prophets of old.  In this new way, God has spoken to you fully, completely, perfectly, and finally in His Son.  When God spoke to you through Jesus Christ, the Son, He has told you everything He wants you to know.  Once you have heard God's perfect Word there is no other reason to speak further.  You have Jesus; you have everything God wants you to know.

Now in vv. 5-14, the preacher provides three sets of passages from the Old Testament to show how even that revelation of old mediated through angels has been far surpassed with God's greater revelation through His Son.  There are seven passages in all, almost all taken from the Psalter.  Each of the three sets provide biblical support for the introduction of the sermon:  vv. 5-6 refer to the unique Sonship of Jesus (v. 2) as superior over the angels; vv. 7-12 show the superiority of the sonship of Jesus as the eternal, unchangeable, mediator of creation (v. 2); and v. 13 provides support for v. 3 that the Son was exalted above all others, including the angels.  Each of these three sets are bracketed by language contrasting the angels to the superiority of the Son (vv. 5, 7, 13).  

1.  v. 5 -- the preacher begins by quoting Ps. 2:7, already alluded to in v. 2 [Turn to Ps. 2].  Ps. 2 is an enthronement Psalm giving assurance to King David that upon sitting on the throne in Jerusalem (Ps. 2:6), God promises that all his enemies will eventually be brought to their final end and David will triumph as God's son.  As King over Israel, David served as God's vice-regent over His people.  He served in God's stead to provide rule, dominion and order over the nation which God had set his name upon.

But Psalm 2 speaks of the kingdom of David in such glorious terms that David could hardly be even the smallest spark in fulfillment.  Rather, now that we have seen the fullest revelation of God through His uniquely-begotten Son Jesus Christ, we now can look back on Ps. 2 and realize that David derived his title of "Son" from Christ because he served in the history of salvation as a type of Christ to come.  David was God's shadowy picture to Israel of the ultimate King that God would fully bring forth to rule eternally over His Kingdom.  David looked forward to Christ and it is only in Jesus Christ that the title "Son" finally finds its true and consummate fulfillment. 

But the title "Son" is conferred upon Jesus Christ only now that He has come in the flesh, suffered under his sacrificial death, and has been raised and exalted to the right hand of God's Majesty on High (cf. v. 3).  It is perfectly true that the second member of the Trinity has always been the uniquely, begotten and eternal Son of God. 

But the Psalm is referring to a gift that is given to the Son by God as a result of His completed work:  "Today I have begotten you!"  A new day has arrived now that the eternal Son of God has taken on your human nature and has completed what both Adam and Israel failed to accomplish and through his perfect obedience He has now provided for you all that was promised to father Abraham.  Today, the Son has accomplished your salvation and because of His victory He has been given a name which is superior even to the angels of Heaven:  He is Son of God!, an unique name which no angel will ever attain.

2.  v. 5 -- The preacher next quotes 2 Sam. 7:14 which was once again a promise made to King David through the prophet Nathan concerning David's son, Solomon.  There Solomon is promised by God that he will place him upon the throne of his father David and his house and kingdom will be established forever and ever. 

But we know that the kingdom of David soon perished beginning immediately after Solomon's death when his kingdom was split in two.  Therefore, again, we have a promise that cannot be satisfied with King Solomon.  But God did send One to whom He declared fully and completely that He would be His Father and Jesus would be His Son. 

Jesus alone is recognized by God that He is the unique Son. 

3.  V. 6 -- begins with a reference to God bringing "the firstborn" into the world of heaven, or the "world to come" (2:5).  Note the context of the whole passage is what is conferred upon the Son as a result of His sacrificial death and session at the right hand of God in Heaven (v. 3).  When Jesus appeared before the Father in Heaven at his ascension, the Father declared Him to be the "firstborn" over all creation. 

The title, "firstborn," is a title of honor expressing priority of rank.  This is most likely an allusion to Ps. 89:27-28 where the throne of the "firstborn" of God will endure as long as the heavens will endure. 

Israel was first referred to as the "firstborn" of God (Deut. 6:10; 11:29; Ex. 4:22; Num. 11:12; Hos. 2:1; 11:1, 3-4; Jer. 31:9).  God had brought his "firstborn" into the Promised Land of Canaan. 

But only in Jesus Christ is the declared "firstborn" now the ruler over all creation, of heaven and earth. 

The preacher then quotes from Deut. 32, the "Hymn of Moses," which was latter appended to the Greek translation of the Psalter.  As appended to the Psalter, the hymn declares that the angels bow down to worship God.  Some have also found here a reference to Ps. 97:7, where God alone deserves the worship of the angels.  As a reference to God, the preacher now declares that when Jesus ascended into heaven that even the angels bowed down to worship Him.  It is to Him that worship is rightly due as He sits upon His throne over His eternal kingdom.  Even the angels of glory must bow a knee before the Son.

4.  In v. 7 --  the preacher now begins the second section of texts where the changing nature of the angels is compared to the eternal, unchanging character of the Son shows His superiority over the angels of heaven.  Here he begins by quoting from Ps. 104:4, where the angels, as part of God's creation, are compared to the winds of the air and flames of fire.  As part of God's creation, even the angels are subjected to God's creative activity and they were created as servants to bid God's will.   

5.  vv. 8-9 -- But in contrast, the Son is above all creation and is therefore not subject to change or decay.  The preacher quotes from Ps. 45:6-7 where the Son is addressed as "God" and His throne is declared to be established forever and ever, an affirmation which can only be fulfilled by the eternal Son.  And He now rules over even His angelic companions in Heaven.  The angels have been made to serve, but the Son has been placed upon His throne to rule.  The angels, as a part of creation, are subject to change, while the Son does not change.  The rule of the Son is one of righteousness and justice, which has been revealed to you through the Gospel of Peace, which is why God has crowned Him with Joy.

6.  In vv. 10-12 -- The preacher now quotes from Ps. 102:25-27 and applies it to the Son as the creator and sustainer of the whole universe.  Even the angels are part of this creation and are therefore subject to change.  But the Son stands above the change and decay of this creation as the one who forever remains.  Even the angels stood on the sideline and watch the entire cosmos come into being at the Word of the Son.  And as the Lord over all creation, the Son will one day put away this creation as an old garment and like a cloak it will be rolled up and put away, but Jesus alone remains forever.  In all things, including even the angels, Jesus Christ alone is the same yesterday, today, and forever (13:8).

7.  Finally in v. 13 the preacher quotes from Ps. 110:1 showing that the Son alone has attained to a position of glory that no angel can know -- the Son alone has sat at the right hand of God!  God has invited the Son to sit in a position of power and honor where angels will bow down before and worship.

Though there are myriads and myriads of glorious angels shining brightly throughout the heavens, no angel sits at God's right hand:  only the Son alone.

And these angels are by nature made to serve God, to bow down and worship the Son (v. 14; cf. vv. 6-7).  And they have been sent by God to serve you who alone will inherit the salvation that the Son has victoriously accomplished for you.        

But can't we say the same of the Son?  Didn't He come to serve you who will inherit the salvation He accomplished?  Yes!  But as Calvin points out, whereas the angels were created to be servants and had no choice in being made to serve, Jesus humbled Himself as your servant according to His own will.  Calvin writes:

The service which God allots to angels is indeed honorable; but the very fact that they serve, shows that they are far inferior to Christ, who is Lord of all . . . [but Christ] being a servant was not owing to his nature, but to a voluntary humility, as Paul testifies, (Phil. 2:7;) and at the same time his sovereignty remained to him entire; but angels, on the other hand, were created for this end, -- that they might serve, and to minister to what belongs to their condition.  The difference then is great; for what is natural to them is, as it were, adventitious and accidental to Christ, because he took our flesh; and what necessarily belongs to them, he of his own accord undertook.  Besides, Christ is a minister in such a way, that though he is our flesh nothing is diminished from the majesty of his dominion (Commentary on Hebrews, 49-50).

And now Jesus serves you as ruler over all creation and He alone sits at God's right hand over such a great salvation which He will oversee, even to the very end of the age.

Therefore, as the preacher now exhorts:  Listen to Him! (2:1)

The preacher follows his exhortation with a grave warning, which would have pressed heavily upon the hearts of his hearers in the ancient world.  Imagine those Jewish Christians, who because of the pains and trials of life weighing upon them, were being tempted to turn away from Christ and to turn back to Moses, even as the Israelites in the wilderness desired to turn back to Egypt.  This is a constant temptation in the wilderness period of all of our lives -- to turn back to what we can see and touch for help.

But the preacher warns that there is no turning back because there is no salvation in anyone but Jesus Christ alone.  He is God's ultimate revelation and under whom we have such a great salvation.  With the coming of the Word of Jesus we now see God's ultimate declaration of His will upon our hearts.  Why is this?  Because it is only through the Gospel of Jesus Christ that salvation comes with God's power.  As Paul writes:

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes (Rom. 1:16).

Therefore to seek that salvation through any other means, including even Moses, is to seek it apart from the power of God.

This serves as a warning to all who are confronted with God's power through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  If under the old covenant, mediated through angels, the transgression of God's Word was met with just penalties, how much more now than when we have been offered an even greater salvation mediated through the Son?  If the message delivered by angels demanded accountability, how much more of the message delivered by the Son Himself who far surpasses the angels? 

At the cross, Jesus has met all those penalties and curses, both of old and the penalty of judgment at the end of time for those who believe on His name!  There is therefore now no condemnation for anyone who is safely resting in Jesus Christ alone for salvation.  He has therefore granted you a greater salvation that has been confirmed to the apostles through many signs, wonders, and various miracles -- a greater salvation that has been accompanied by the gift of the Holy Spirit poured out at Pentecost.  With the coming of the consummation of God's glorious salvation of His elect comes the only way of salvation.  In His Son, God has spoken His ultimate Word to you.  You must pay closest attention to Him because once God has spoken completely in His Son, He has left no other name under heaven, not even Moses, by which the sinner might be saved. 

Therefore, Jesus is God's beloved Son with whom He is well-pleased - Listen to Him!

Amen! - SDG-