Hebrews 1:5-14

Today we finish chapter 1 of the Epistle to the Hebrews.

In verses 1-3, the author asserts that Jesus is superior to the prophets of Judaism. The author states in verse 4 that [Christ] became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.. In verses 5 through 13 the author provides scriptural evidence to the claim that Jesus is superior to the angels.

Today there are many different views on who/what angels are. Views range from simply non-autonomous servants of God to a large, hierarchical community of spiritual beings capable of free will. The view most prominent at the time Hebrews was written is based on the apochryphal Jewish writings on angels, where they were protrayed as heroes with free will and were divided into diverse hierarchies under God.

While the New Testament writings are more silent on this issue, Hebrews at least puts Jesus above them, regardless of any hierarchy that may exist among angels. While it may be easy to say Jesus was another hero angel, Hebrews presents Jesus as divine (ruling above the angels, the same person as God the Father).

An important point to note is that the author had access to the writings of the Old Testament. In Judaism, this is referred to as the Tanakh. Based on the quotes presented, the author referenced the Greek translation of the Tanakh, the Septuagint.

On to the text!

You Are My Son

Verse 5 rhetorically asks, “which of the angels did God ever call his son?”. The answer is none. Verse 5 quotes Psalm 2:7:
You are my Son; today I have become your Father
In traditional Jewish theology, this passage refers to David. God anoints David and calls him his Son. Anyone who opposes Israel will be crushed by God’s wrath. In Christian theology, this refers to Christ, ruler of the entire material universe (as established in Heb 1:1-3). Psalm 2 is prophesy that God will anoint his Son as ruler of the world. The nations will resist his rule, but in the end they will be judged.

This confirms David’s Psalms as prophecy of Christ’s coming.

One of my favorite classical pieces is a polyphonic choir piece by Heinrich Schutz. Schutz put together a group of works based on David’s psalms. One of them is Psalm 2. Schutz was one of the first composers after the Reformation to put biblical texts in a non-Latin language into song. It is titled, Warum toben die Heiden? (or, Why Do the Heathens Rage?) and is part of Psalmen Davids, SWV 22-47.

Verse 5 also simultaneously quotes 2 Samuel 7:14 and 1 Chron. 17:13:
I will be his Father, and he will be my Son
These verses both document the promise that God made to David, that his line would give birth to the one who will establish the house of God on earth and rule over it. What’s interesting from these quotes is that God specifically said that he will be this ruler’s father. This points to Jesus as the son of David through Mary, as well as his miraculous conception and divinity.

Let all the Angels Worship Him

Verse 6 quotes Deutoronomy 32:43, saying that the angels will worship Christ:
And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.”
This quote comes from a song that Moses sings for the Israelites shortly before his death. You’ll notice that this quote is nowhere to be found in Deut 32:43 in the NIV. The reference comes from the Septuagint text but was missing from some Hebrew texts. However, the texts of the Dead Sea Scrolls contain the quoted text.
The song illustrates how God is the protector of his people and that he is the only God. The end of the song states that God himself will provide perfect vengeance for his people and will himself atone for (forgive) their sins:
Rejoice, O nations, with his people,
and let all the angels worship him,
for he will avenge the blood of his servants;
he will take vengeance on his enemies
and make atonement for his land and people.

This quote shows that even Moses prophesized the coming of Christ.

Angels are His Messengers and Servants

The author quotes Psalm 104:2 in saying:
In speaking of the angels he says, “He makes his angels winds, his servants flames of fire.”
While Psalm 104 does not directly reference a messaih or atonement, it describes God as using angels to carry out his will. Since we have established Jesus Christ as the same essence as God, the angles carry out the will of Christ.

Christ’s Rule is Eternal and Above His ‘Companions’

Verses 8 and 9 are a quote of Psalm 45:6-7: 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.”

Again, as in Heb 1:2, Christ’s throne is eternal and above everything. This reference adds that “righteousness will be the scepter of his kingdom.” In ancient Greek culture (and modern culture) the scepter is the symbol of authority. Therefore, Christ’s perfect goodness (righteousness) is the basis of his authority. Because of Christ’s righteousness, he is set above his ‘companions’ (the angels) by God the Father. In Jewish government, the king was simply anointed with oil, rather than crowned. Saying that Christ is “anointed with the oil of joy” says that Christ was made king through the anointing with the Holy Spirit.

The Heavens and the Earth Will Perish

In verses 10 through 12, the author quotes 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.”

This was shocking to me at first. The earth and the heavens will pass away? I thought we were all going to heaven? Will we be destroyed once we get there? It turns out that in Revelation 21:1-5, John says that the old heaven and earth will be destroyed and a new heaven and earth will be created. Sweet! So this must mean that the angels will be either destoryed or at least changed in some way.

Whatever it means, the basic premise of this example is that God never changes, even though the heavens and the earth may change, including the angels. The point is that the Son is God and thus never changes or perishes, unlike the angels.

Sitting at the Right Hand

The author gives one more example that God the Father only intended the Son to be in a position of absolute authority in verse 13: To which of the angels did God ever say, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”? This is a reference to Psalm 110:1 and is prefixed by “The LORD says to my Lord, Sit at my right…” When David says “The LORD says to my Lord” in his Psalms, he is talking about the Messiah. So we know that he’s clearly saying that the Messiah will be at the right hand of God. This was only spoken to the Messiah, and we have no scriptures saying that God will empower any angels over another.

Angels as Ministers

The last verse in chapter 1 states, Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?

This one is tough to unpack without doing an entire biblical study on angels. Suffice it to say that if the angels are supposed to minister to us until we go to heaven, that clearly puts them in a role of servanthood to God (in carrying out his provision to us). Again, this shows that God and his Son are above the angels.