HEBREWS 1:7

This part of Hebrews chapter one is continuing to explain why Jesus Christ should be honored so much more than the angels. The problem is that Jesus should be worshipped, and Christian congregations are always tempted to worship someone or something other than Jesus. The Bible says in Hebrews 1:7-8, “And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire. But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of thy kingdom.” Angels are “spirits,” and angels are “ministers.” Jesus has a body, but angels do not. In His body He bears the scars of what it took to purchase the salvation of the human race. We will see His body and His scars forever.

Angels are ministers. This means that angels are servants. They are sent by the One in authority and they serve Him. Jesus is the One in authority. The Father said to the Son, “Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever.” Jacob saw angels ascending and descending between heaven and earth. Undoubtedly angels are still doing the same thing: going from God to earth and back, and doing His bidding. Angels are called ministers who are “a flame of fire.” The fire represents the power of the angels. They are powerful beings because they receive their power from God. Of course, they are not as powerful as Jesus who has all power. This includes the fallen angels of whom Satan is the chief. They are powerful, but not compared to Christ. Eventually Satan will be cast into the lake of fire where he belongs.

Concerning the power of God that Christ embodies, it says in Hebrews 1:8 that Jesus has “a scepter of righteousness.” This statement emphasizes the fact that the Lord always does the right thing. Therefore, the Lord’s kingdom is in great contrast to the kingdoms of this world. The kingdoms of this world often do only what is politically expedient or politically correct. Those who hunger and thirst after righteousness will always be dissatisfied with the unjust kingdoms of this world. Turn to the Lord Jesus Christ, and then you will find righteousness.

Some people think that they will lose if they do the right thing. They are wrong. It is always better to do right even if it appears that you might lose. Concerning the results of doing the right thing, the Bible says in Hebrews 1:9, “Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore, God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.” This is a very important verse that tells the source of true happiness. Even though Jesus is called a man of sorrows and well acquainted with grief, He is also the happiest individual who ever walked upon this earth because He was the best who ever walked on the earth. When you do wrong your spirit is diminished, your conscience is pricked, and your relationship with Christ is severed. Sin brings regret and torment, and it drives away happiness. If you want to be as happy as you can, repent of your sins, find forgiveness in Jesus Christ, and start doing the right thing.

In Hebrews 1:10-11 Jesus is compared to His creation. Some false religions worship various things in creation, so it is good to have a reminder that Jesus is far greater than all that has been created. It says, “And, thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands. They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment.” The eternal existence of Christ is emphasized here. The reason that Jesus was present when the beginning began is because He eternally exists. Jesus called Himself Jehovah and expressed His eternal existence when He said, “Before Abraham was, I am.” Jesus also said in Revelation 1:8, “I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending.” Everything that was created is wearing out and running down: a fact which speaks against the theory of evolution. But Jesus Christ is the “same yesterday and today and forever.” The fact that Jesus stays the same means that you can have great confidence that He will show you love and forgive your sins. If there was once a day when you repented of your sins and found eternal life from Jesus Christ, then you can have great assurance that you can find forgiveness from Him if ever you fail. He does not change. The same merciful Savior can touch your life again.

Hebrews 1:12 continues with the same theme and says, “And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.” Everyone understands that clothing eventually wears out. You might get new clothes today, but eventually they will have to be replaced. The Bible says that the creation is just like that. Nothing in the universe stays the same. Everything is changing. That is another fact of science. The world is heading towards a future event in which Jesus will change the world. Until that day comes, everyone in the world needs to repent of their sins and turn to Jesus as their Savior and God.

The Bible says in Hebrews 1:13, “But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.” This is the second time that we have been told in Hebrews chapter one that Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father. In verse three we pointed out that to be seated is a picture of ceasing from one’s labors. Also, to be seated at the right hand of God is a place of power and authority. Of course, Jesus has authority as the divine Son of God and as the Lord of lords. When Jesus came to the earth, He subjected Himself to the will of man, and wicked man did to Jesus whatsoever man wanted. But the tables will be turned. The religious leaders had Jesus put to death because they were afraid that they would lose their power. And the political leaders went along with it because they were afraid that they would lose their power. Oh the sins that mankind has committed for the sake of gaining power! But their seeking will be in vain. The power belongs to the Father and to the Son. That fact is known by the believers. And it will be made known to all when his enemies are made into his footstool. What a day that will be! Things are not as they appear. The tide will be turned.

The Bible says in Hebrews 1:14, “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?” One of the primary purposes for angels is to serve human beings. Of course, they serve human beings who are “heirs of salvation.” To say that angels are “sent” means that they are sent by God. God has a plan for every believer. The final destination for the believer is heaven. The journey through life can have many obstacles and sorrows, but it will always be a journey with angels. God takes care of His children. Jesus said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” We are weak and of the earth. The Lord knows that we are going to need help along the way. The Lord has many ways to help us. One way He plans to help us is through angels who are sent to minister to us.

The Bible says in Hebrews 2:1, “Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.” Of course, God is not going to do everything for us, and neither are the angels. There is something for us to do: “give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard.” Just because someone has heard, and received, and learned the first oracles of God does not mean that such a person will continue to walk in them. Many have fallen by the wayside. Many have taken their eyes off of Jesus and put them on something else. One of the main reasons for that is one’s internal effort and motivation. How badly do you want to stay in fellowship with Christ and not become someone who has let things slip? To let things slip is to neglect the teachings in regards to what you are doing and why you are doing it.

Hebrews 2:2-3 is a warning to believers. It says, “For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him.” We have already seen in the book of Hebrews that Jesus is far superior to the angels. The good angels who have been sent from God have sometimes spoken. Their words were certain and true because what they said came from God. If someone were to oppose the words of an angel sent from God, that person would be in trouble.

An angel talked to Joseph and told him what to do in Matthew 1:20. “But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.” And the Bible says in Matthew 1:24, “Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife.” In the future angels will also be sent with words to say. They will play a large role in the time of the Great Tribulation. It says in Revelation 14:9-10, “And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the lamb.”

The words spoken by angels sent from God will surely come to pass. How much more surely will the words of Jesus Himself come to pass! The point of this passage in Hebrews is that anyone who disobeys the words of Christ will pay a heavy price. This warning is written to believers. Jesus is a just Judge and He will punish sin. That is why it says, “How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation.” You might have salvation by grace through faith, but after you receive that salvation it is possible to neglect it. If you neglect the salvation that has been given to you, there will be some terrible consequences. Judgment must begin at the house of God. This verse was written to Christians: “Be not deceived, God is not mocked. Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” Some verses in First Corinthians speak of sickness and death that can come to Christians because of not giving the proper consideration to the wounded body and shed blood of Jesus Christ. It says in First Corinthians 11:29-30, “For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.”

The last part of Hebrews 2:3 gives us the source of the New Testament as God planned it: “first began to be spoken by the Lord.” Of course, it is based upon the things that Jesus said. His teachings are the greatest teachings ever given to the human race. Jesus taught, but He did not write anything, other than when He wrote with His finger in the dirt in the case of the woman taken in adultery. But the disciples and their close associates did write. They wrote as they were inspired by the Holy Spirit so that the teachings of Christ would be preserved for all generations. And so the last phrase of Hebrews 2:3 says that the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ were “confirmed unto us by them that heard him.”

Concerning the apostles and those who worked with them in the first century the Bible says in Hebrews 2:4, “God bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?” One of the reasons that there were so many miracles and so many signs and wonders during the first century is that God was establishing His truth, and He was bearing witness to the things that were said and written about Jesus. Once the written Word was completed there was no longer a need for so many of those miraculous events. Of course, one of the greatest miracles is to be born again through faith in Christ. If you do not have that miracle, you can obtain it today by repenting of your sins and turning to the Lord Jesus.

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