Free Bible Commentary
“Hebrews 1:1-7”
Categories: Hebrews“God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they. For to which of the angels did He ever say, ‘YOU ARE MY SON, TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU’? And again, ‘I WILL BE A FATHER TO HIM AND HE SHALL BE A SON TO ME’? And when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says, ‘AND LET ALL THE ANGELS OF GOD WORSHIP HIM.’ And of the angels He says, ‘WHO MAKES HIS ANGELS WINDS, AND HIS MINISTERS A FLAME OF FIRE.’”
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The author gets right down to the business at hand. He doesn’t extend greetings. He doesn’t introduce himself. The most important message for him to convey to his readers (us) is that “God…spoke” (verse 1). Friends this is such a profound concept and statement that we dare not breeze by it. God spoke, and still speaks, to the people that He created. He wants to communicate His will to us. He wants us to know why He created us, how much He loves us, what He requires of us so that we can have a relationship with Him on earth and in heaven’s eternity.
God “spoke long ago” to our spiritual forefathers through His chosen prophets in many separate instances (portions), and by many different methods (ways). He communicated His will directly and verbally to them or through dreams, visions, signs, Urim and Thummim (1 Samuel 28:6). His past methods of revelation were continual and varied and scattered about over time and location. But, “in these last days” God “has spoken to us” His final, complete, compiled, perfect revelation “in His Son” Christ Jesus (verse 2). That these are the “last days” confirms the concept of the final and complete revelation and covenant in Jesus.
The author explains more fully HOW God speaks to us through Jesus in chapter 2. “It was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard” (2:3). Those authorized ambassadors (apostles) who walked with Jesus and heard Him speak were subsequently inspired to speak His words for Him (John 16:13). These “spokesman” then recorded God’s vital message of “everything pertaining to life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3) in the inspired documents that comprise the New Testament. It behooves us to closely “pay attention” to the “prophetic word made more sure” (2 Peter 1:19).
Now to the glory and supremacy and excellency of Jesus. He is greater than the sum total of all the prophets who ever spoke before Him in that He is the Only Begotten Son of God. Beyond this, as “heir of all things” Jesus holds the place of preeminence in everything in heaven and earth, He Himself being the Creator who “made the world.” To express that the Lord is “the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature” is to say that Jesus possess all the “splendor” and “essence” and attributes of deity that God the Father intrinsically owns. If any of the readers of this letter were (are) tempted to look for a better offer from God and a greater being than Jesus and a more perfect plan of salvation, they were (are) looking in vain. Jesus is the Messiah that was promised “to the fathers in the prophets” and He is over and above all, the First and the Last, the Alpha and the Omega. After “He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high” (verse 3), and reigns as eternal King over His church kingdom.
Much more could be said about these verses but I don’t want to write a book.
Question and thought for tomorrow: Why does the author emphasize the superiority of Jesus over the angels?
Please read Hebrews 1:8-14 for tomorrow.
Have a great day!
- Louie Taylor
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