Hebrews 1:1-2:4

Compiled notes from my BSF group


Hebrews 1:1–3; 2:1; 3:6; 6:1


The author of Hebrews wished to remind all Christians that we must anchor our faith in Christ, because Christ is faithful to us. We also must be diligent in our faith and mature in Christ.


Zondervan NIV Introduction to Hebrews:


* The letter was addressed primarily to Jewish converts who were familiar with the OT and who were being tempted to revert to Judaism or to Judaize the gospel (cf. Gal 2:14). Some have suggested that these professing Jewish Christians were thinking of merging with a Jewish sect, such as the one at Qumran near the Dead Sea. It has also been suggested that the recipients were from the "large number of priests who became obedient to the faith" (Ac 6:7).


* The theme of Hebrews is the absolute supremacy and sufficiency of Jesus Christ as revealer and as mediator of God's grace. The prologue (1:1-4) presents Christ as God's full and final revelation, far surpassing the revelation given in the OT. The prophecies and promises of the OT are fulfilled in the "new covenant" (or "new testament"), of which Christ is the mediator. From the OT itself, Christ is shown to be superior to the ancient prophets, to angels, to Moses (the mediator of the former covenant) and to Aaron and the priestly succession descended from him.


* Practical applications of this theme are given throughout the book. The readers are told that there can be no turning back to or continuation in the old Jewish system, which has been superseded by the unique priesthood of Christ. God's people must now look only to him, whose atoning death, resurrection and ascension have opened the way into the true, heavenly sanctuary of God's presence. To "ignore such a great salvation" (2:3) or to give up the pursuit of holiness (12:10, 14) is to face the anger of the "living God" (10:31). Five times the author weaves into his presentation of the gospel stern warnings (see note on 2:1-4) and reminds his readers of the divine judgment that came on the rebellious generation of Israelites in the desert.


The author encouraged people in difficult times with the following phrases:


* Christ is faithful (3:6)


* We need to make every effort to observe the Sabbath (4:11)


* We need to hold firmly to the faith we profess (4:14)


* We need to move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity (6:1)


* We need to take hold of the hope set before us (6:18)


In Hebrews 1:2-5, we learn the following about Jesus:


* Jesus was appointed heir of all things


* Through Jesus, God made the universe


* Jesus is the radiance of God's glory


* Jesus is the exact representation of God's being


* Jesus sustains all things


* Jesus provides purification for sins


* Jesus sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven


* Jesus is superior to the angels


* Jesus is God’s son


Zondervan NIV footnote:


* Hebrews 1:2-3 The superiority of God's revelation through his Son is demonstrated by seven great descriptive statements about him: 1. appointed heir of all things.The incarnate Son, having performed the work of redemption, was gloriously exalted to the position of the firstborn heir of God, i.e., he received the inheritance of God's estate ("all things"). See Ro 8:17. 2. through whom he made the universe. See Jn 1:3; 1Co 8:6; Col 1:16 and note. 3. radiance of God's glory. As the brilliance of the sun is inseparable from the sun itself, so the Son's radiance is inseparable from deity, for he himself is God, the second person of the Trinity (see Jn 1:14, 18 and notes). 4. exact representation of his being. Jesus is not merely an image or reflection of God. Because the Son himself is God (see note on Ro 9:5), he is the absolutely authentic representation of God's being (see Jn 14:9; Col 1:15 and note). 5. sustaining all things. Christ is not like Atlas, the mythical Greek god who held the world on his shoulders. The son dynamically holds together all that has been created through him (Col 1:17). 6. provided purification for sins. Through is redeeming death on the cross (see 7:27; 9:12; Tit 2:14 and note). 7. sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. Being seated at God's right hand indicates that Christ is actively ruling with God as Lord over all (see v. 13; 8:1; 10:12; 12:2; Mt 26:64; Ac 2:23; 5:34; Ro 8:34; Eph 1:20; Col 3:1; 1Pe 3:22).


Hebrews 1:4–14


Old Testament references to verses in Hebrews:


Hebrews 1:5; Psalm 2:7
"You are my Son; today I have become your Father"


Hebrews 1:5; 2 Samuel 7:14, 1 Chronicles 17:13
"I will be his Father, and he will be my Son"


Hebrews 1:6; Deuteronomy 32:43 (see Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint)
"Let all God's angels worship him."


Hebrews 1:7; Psalm 104:4
"He makes his angels spirits, and his servants flames of fire."


Hebrews 1:8-9; Psalm 45:6-7
"Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy."


Hebrews 1:10-12; Psalm 102:25-27
"In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will roll them up like a robe; like a garment they will be changed. But you remain the same, and your years will never end."


Hebrews 1:13; Psalm 110:1
"Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet"


By using Old Testament references, the author provides scriptural proof of Christ's superiority to angels, that Christ is the Son of God.


Zondervan NIV footnote:


* Hebrews1:5-14 Christ's superiority to angels is documented by seven OT quotations (see NIV text notes), showing that he is God's Son, that he is worshiped by angels and that, though he is God, he is distinguished from the Father.


Another example of Old Testament passages speaking of Christ is Isaiah 53.


*Isaiah 53:5
"But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed."


*Isaiah 53:6
"We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all."


Based on the above examples, we need to realize that understanding the Old Testament is critical. The Old Testament documents historical events and prophecies that culminate in the birth of Jesus and His sacrificial death. Without knowledge of the Old Testament, one cannot fully comprehend 1) Jesus’ death on the cross; 2) central role of Israel; 3) the rise of the Gentiles; just to name a few. And why is that important? Because Jesus told us to know the times we are in (Matthew 24), and one of the most important books filled with prophecies that have yet been fulfilled is the Book of Revelation. Without knowledge of the Old Testament, we would not be able to appreciate nor comprehend the mysteries listed in Revelation. That is, we would not have the most important tool we need to understand the times!


Hebrews 1:4–14


Jesus is superior to angels:


* Jesus is the Son of God, whereas angels are only messengers


* Angels worship Jesus


* Jesus is a ruler; angels are only servants


* Jesus is the Creator


* Jesus will live forever


* Jesus sits at the right hand of God


* Angels serve us; we serve Christ; that makes them at least two tiers lower than Christ


http://www.gci.org/bible/hebrews1
The author uses a chain of scriptures to support his point that Jesus is superior to the angels. He does not stop to demonstrate that these scriptures are really about Jesus — that seems to be something he figures the readers already agree on. On this topic, he is writing to a sympathetic audience, not a hostile one. But in preparation for the subjects that he deals with in later chapters, he does want to remind them of how great Jesus is, and he begins by comparing him to angels. Hebrews 1:5: "For to which of the angels did God ever say, ‘You are my Son; today I have become your Father’? Or again, ‘I will be his Father, and he will be my Son’?" The answer is that God never said this to any angel, but he did say it for Jesus. The first quote comes from Psalm 2:7, which was originally about the kings of Israel, but was often understood as a messianic prophecy. The second quote is from 2 Samuel 7:14, which was originally about Solomon, but came to be applied to the end-time Son of David, the Messiah. The point in both quotations is that Jesus is the Son of God, whereas angels are only messengers. Although angels are great and powerful, they aren’t even in the same league as Jesus. They are the hired help; Jesus is the Son of God. The next two quotations are about angels. "And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, ‘Let all God’s angels worship him.’ In speaking of the angels he says, ‘He makes his angels winds, his servants flames of fire’" (Heb. 1:6-7). The first quote is from the Greek version of Deut. 32:43; the Hebrew original doesn’t say this. And even in the Greek version, the scripture is about the angels worshipping God. But the author makes no attempt to explain why he can use this verse for Jesus — he apparently knows that these readers already understand the verse in this way. The second quote is from the Greek version of Psalm 104:4; the Hebrew version has a different emphasis. Like God in every way The next two quotes are much longer. "But about the Son he says, ‘Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy’" (Heb. 1:8-9, quoting from Psalm 45:6-7). Again, there is no attempt to explain why these verses can be used for Jesus Christ, even when they plainly call him God: "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever..." Apparently the author is reminding the readers of something they have already been taught. The point is that the Son is a ruler, but the angels are only servants. The next verses are quoted from Psalm 102:25-27: "He also says, ‘In the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will roll them up like a robe; like a garment they will be changed. But you remain the same, and your years will never end’" (Heb. 1:10-12). The original psalm is about God. In Hebrews, it is applied to Christ, saying that he is the Creator and that he will live forever. In every respect, Jesus is greater than angels. "To which of the angels did God ever say, ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet’?" (v. 13). As in verse 5, the answer is "none." God never put an angel at his right hand, but he did put Jesus there. This is quoted from Psalm 110:1, the Old Testament verse that is quoted the most often in the New Testament. This verse will be used again in Hebrews, but here, it is used simply to say that the Son is better than the angels. They are merely "ministering spirits," as it says in verse 14, "sent to serve those who will inherit salvation." Angels serve us; we serve Christ; that makes them two steps lower than Christ is. He is really great — exactly like God, called God, creating like God and living like God. 9. a. What have you learned about angels from this passage? Answer: Although angels are powerful, they are in no way greater than Jesus Christ.


Zondervan NIV footnote:


* Hebrews 1:4 superior to the angels. To most Jews angels were exalted beings, especially revered because they were involved in giving the law at Sinai (see 2:2) and to the Jews the law was God's supreme revelation. The Dead Sea Scrolls reflect the expectation that the archangel Michael would be the supreme figure in the Messianic kingdom. name. See Php 2:9 and note. What follows indicates that this name was "Son" - a name to which no angel could lay claim.


Hebrews 2:1–4


We are warned not to drift away from God’s Way.


The message of the Gospels help us remain faithful in God's Way, for it reminds us that Christ died for us on the cross to wash us of our sins and that we are all saved through the grace of God in Christ.


Zondervan NIV footnote:


* Hebrews 2:1 what we have heard. The message of the gospel, including that of Christ's person as the God-man and his redemptive work on the cross. drift away. From the greater revelation given through the Son.