of sins—and then he sat down (1:3). His status as Son exceeded that of angels, and his inheritance was more distinguished than theirs (1:4). He had accomplished what others were not able to do for over a thousand years. The work was finished and Jesus sat down next to God at God’s right hand.
Remember blackboards? I don’t know why we went from blackboards to green boards and now to whiteboards. Sometimes the writing on chalkboards sort of stays there, even after it’s been worked over with an eraser. Sometimes the chalk just gets smudged around on the board. The worst situation with a blackboard is when in school your name gets on the board. Maybe you were talking, cut in line, or just forgot your homework—maybe worse. You can see your name on the board, maybe a few marks next to it. Even after the board is erased, there’s still a faint reminder of your wrongdoing.
It doesn’t matter what your spouse or your closest friend may tell you, you have not always been perfect—you have not yet arrived. I’m sure you are wonderful in every way, but you’re not perfect. You also may be great at forgiving others, making restitution, finding ways to make things better, but you can’t make up for the failures of others and especially for yourself. If we had the power to wipe our slate clean, we would have to keep using the magical eraser until we wore it out.
That’s not true of Jesus. What we couldn’t do, Jesus has done. He’s not standing at the chalkboard continually erasing the marks against us. He finished erasing the board, washed it clean of all the chalk dust so there’s not even the hint of writing against us, and then he went and sat down—next to the principal, if we continue the metaphor. So now we have a chance to live life the right way. We know who this one is and we’ve become his followers. There have been great teachers, prophets, and world leaders, but Jesus is the one who did it all. The message of Hebrews will be, So don’t you dare neglect, forget, grow tired, become weak, or turn away from this one. He is the one on whom we are pinning our hopes and we must continue on so that we may arrive at our final destination.
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In this first section, the author started to draw a comparison of the Son to angels in the way God has communicated to us over the thousands of years. Put succinctly, Jesus is God speaking to us, the radiant image of who God is, and he is the effective agent of God in the world.
Every so often I will watch the Matrix movies again. Do you remember the question, Is Neo the one? They had been waiting for the One, looking for the One. We learn that there had been others, but the cycle of the Matrix had continued. Neo became the One and stopped the cycle. He broke through and freed everyone. But people still had to accept reality, they had to make choices, they had to persevere.
No, Neo is not the one (and certainly Keanu Reeves is not the one). Jesus is the One, not the angels of God. Jesus is the One who has spoken God’s message to us. Jesus is the One who radiates the very essence of God’s being. Jesus is the One who set us free. Jesus, God’s Son, is the One.
1. George Fox, “A Journal or Historical Account of the Life, Travels, Sufferings of George Fox: In Two Volumes,” vol. 1 in Works of George Fox (Philadelphia; New York: Marcus T. C. Gould, 1831), 74. Accessed: March 14, 2008. Online: http://dqc.esr .earlham.edu/toc/E12877488A-000.
Angels Worship the Son (1:5–13)
Some of the most intriguing religious figures for people are angels. Back in the 90’s we seemed to have been going through an angel craze. My family and I were living in southeastern Massachusetts at the time. A newspaper photographer took a photo of the sky and in that photo people saw the image of an angel. For many people that was a meaningful revelation of the presence of the angelic world. Some people think they have a guardian angel that is always with them. One tradition about angels is that when people die they become angels. For some religious groups, the angelic world is a very real presence and is part of their everyday experience.
In the pre-scientific world of antiquity, people were even more fascinated by the spirit world. For the Hebrew people, angels were God’s messengers and often accompanied the great acts of God among the Israelite people. God was called Lord Sabaoth, the Lord of Hosts—the hosts referring to the angelic army of God. Worship in the temple was often characterized by the presence of angels, particularly the creatures known as cherubim and seraphim.
After the time when much of the Judean nation was exiled in Babylon and then returned to the land under the domination of the Persians, the literature of the Jews, particularly apocalyptic writings, came to be filled with stories of angels. Angels are involved in creation, the Fall, the Flood, the Patriarchs, Moses and the exodus, the giving of the law, the institution of the tabernacle and sacrificial system, and the settlement in Judea. Most of all they are connected to the heavenly realm, and in the future will be involved in the final battle.
When the author of Hebrews decided to write about the superiority and finality of Jesus, he first selected the greatest personages of biblical history in order to compare Jesus to them and show that Jesus has surpassed them. The author of Hebrews will present a chain of quotations to show that Jesus has a greater status than the angels. In fact, he will show that the angels bow to the authority of Jesus (1:5–6), and that angels are even the servants of those who will inherit salvation (1:7–12). The Son has been chosen above all others; all others serve the Son, the Son being the only one who reigns on the throne next to God (1:13).
Angels Are Not Chosen But are Worshippers of the Son (1:5–6)
The author of Hebrews writes, “For to which of the angels did God ever say.” The expected answer is, none of them. The first quotation is from the enthronement or coronation Psalm 2, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you.” Remember that in the Old Testament, the anointed king of Israel is referred to as God’s son. The author of Hebrews most likely knew Psalm 2 as a unit. From all indications in Hebrews, the author most likely was reading and quoting from a Greek translation of the Bible, one not too dissimilar from the manuscripts still in existence. This Psalm describes the installation or inauguration of Israel’s king, the messiah, the “anointed one.” In the Greek Bible, the word is “Christ.” The rulers of the Gentile nations are in opposition to Israel—to Yahweh and his Christ. In verses 6–9 the king is speaking about his inauguration as king. It’s as if God says to the one to be anointed, “This day is like the day of your birth, when you become my son. It is your inheritance day, and I will give you the Gentile nations (in battle) if you only ask.”
The next quotation in 1:5 (“I will be his Father, and he will be my Son”) comes from 2 Sam 7:14. Again, the king is described as God’s son. In this text God is speaking to David through Samuel. After David dies, God will raise up another king from David’s line (2 Sam 7:12). This descendant will build God’s house, and his throne will be established eternally (2 Sam 7:13). God will have a father and son relationship with this messianic figure (2 Sam 7:14). This messiah will experience punishment at the hands of humans, but his reign will continue eternally (2 Sam 7:16).
Verse six cites another biblical text (“he brings the firstborn into the world”), this one from Psalm 89. The author of Hebrews, reading this psalm in Greek, would certainly understand 89:6 as referring to Jesus, “For who in the heavens shall be compared to the Lord (Jesus) and who shall be likened to the Lord (Jesus) among the sons of God (angels)?” This understanding of “sons of God” is made stronger by recognizing that the Greek Bible of Job 1:6 and 2:1 translate the Hebrew “sons of God” as “angels of God.” Psalm 89 goes on to describe a vision of David, who calls upon God saying, “You are my Father, my God, and the helper of my salvation” (Ps 89:26; LXX 88:26). The next verse identifies the person in question as the pre-eminent son, the firstborn. The psalm goes on to talk of the enduring character of the reign of this messiah who is God’s firstborn son (Ps 89:28–29).
The next quotation
