Free Bible Commentary
“Hebrews 1:8-14”
Categories: Hebrews“But of the Son He says, ‘YOUR THRONE, O GOD, IS FOREVER AND EVER, AND THE RIGHTEOUS SCEPTER IS THE SCEPTER OF HIS KINGDOM. ‘YOU HAVE LOVED RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HATED LAWLESSNESS; THEREFORE GOD, YOUR GOD, HAS ANOINTED YOU WITH THE OIL OF GLADNESS ABOVE YOUR COMPANIONS.’ And, ‘YOU, LORD, IN THE BEGINNING LAID THE FOUNDATION OF THE EARTH, AND THE HEAVENS ARE THE WORKS OF YOUR HANDS; THEY WILL PERISH, BUT YOU REMAIN; AND THEY ALL WILL BECOME OLD LIKE A GARMENT, AND LIKE A MANTLE YOU WILL ROLL THEM UP; LIKE A GARMENT THEY WILL ALSO BE CHANGED. BUT YOU ARE THE SAME, AND YOUR YEARS WILL NOT COME TO AN END.’ But to which of the angels has He ever said, ‘SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES A FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET’? Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?’”
---End of Scripture verses---
The Hebrews author pours fourth streams of Old Testament quotes in the first two chapters, mostly taken from the Psalms, for two critical purposes. Firstly, the most effective way to convince Jewish converts that Jesus is the Christ and worthy of their loyalty, even if suffering is required, is to do so through the Scriptures that they cherish and consider the final word in all matters.
Secondly, the writer demonstrates through these Old Testament passages the truthfulness of the assertions that he made about Jesus in the first three verses—That “He is the heir of all things;” that He shares God’s glory and essence; that He made the world and holds it together; and that He is now sitting “at the right hand of the majesty on high.” Today’s verses expand upon those bold statements about Jesus in verses 1-3 and use the Holy Scriptures to validate them.
Unlike all transitory earthly kingdoms and their fallible, impure rulers, the kingdom of Christ is eternal (forever and ever), and He reigns over it with a “righteous scepter” (verse 8). When the Father “anointed” Jesus as Sovereign over His kingdom, He did so with “the oil of gladness” (verse 9). Jesus was given a measure of joy that far exceeded that of any earthly king because he “loved righteousness and hated lawlessness.” Jesus lived a perfectly sinless, purely righteous life on earth which qualified Him to sit “down at the right hand of the majesty on high” (verse 3).
Although some religious groups make a fuss about Jesus being called “begotten” (verse 5), the “firstborn” (verse 6), and God’s “heir” (verse) to prove that Jesus was a created being, the Hebrew writer has an entirely different focus. The author refers to Jesus as “God” twice and “LORD” once, and ascribes to Him all the attributes of deity (verse 1-4). The terms “firstborn” and “heir” refer to Jesus’ preeminence and exalted status above all created people and things, and He was “begotten” when He powerfully arose from death (Acts 13:33), and ultimately ascended to the right hand of the Father. The things that the writer said about Jesus in verses 11-12 are also ascribed to Yahweh God in Psalm 102:24-27 and Isaiah 51:6.
The Hebrews writer stresses the superiority of the eternal Jesus over the angels that He created to set the stage for the argumentation that he makes throughout this letter that the New Covenant (Testament) is superior in every way to the Old Covenant (Testament). The New Testament prophets and writers say that the old law was “ordained by angels” (Acts 7:53, Galatians 3:19, Hebrews 2:2). Our “better covenant which was enacted on better promises” (Hebrews 8:6); our “new and living way” (Hebrews 10:19) was not administered by mere “ministering spirits” (verse 14), but by the Only Begotten Son of God who is the Creator of the Universe and King of kings and Lord of lords.
Please read Hebrews 2:1-4 for tomorrow.
Have a wonderful day!
- Louie Taylor
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