Hebrews 1:4-14 (Part 3)

I. The Son is superior to the angels.
-He is superior because of:
a. His unique relationship with the Father.
b. The positive but inferior position of the angels.
i. Angels are commanded to worship the Son.
ii. Angles are temporal and changeable; the Son is eternal and unchangeable.
iii. Angles are servants; the Son is Lord.
c. His divine nature.
i. His throne endures.
-Ps. 45:6-7
ii. His rule is righteous.
-loved = agapeo = to love
-hated = miseo = to hate; both are aorist tense verbs.
-companions = metochos = partner, companion, comrade; one who shares in
iii. His work as Creator.
-Ps. 102:25
-laid the foundation = themelioo = lay a foundation, establish firmly
iv. His existence is infinite.
-perish = apollumi = to perish, be ruined, pass away
-changed = allasso = to change clothes
-II Pet. 3:10-11
-remain = diameno = continue throughout
-come to an end = ekleipo = to leave off, fail
v. His reign is eternal.
-has said = lepo; Perfect tense
-Ps. 110:1
-Matt. 22:41-46

Hebrews 1:4-14 (Part 2)

I. The Son is superior to the angels.
-angels = aggelos = messenger, one who is sent.
-He is superior because of:
a. His unique relationship with the Father.
b. The positive, but inferior position of the angels.
-ESV "And again, when he brings his firstborn into the world..."
-world = oikoumene = inhabited world
-firstborn = prototokos
-idea is of rank, status and position, not time
-Gen. 49:3
-Ex. 4:22
-Jer. 31:9
-Gen. 41:52; 48:14, 20
-Ps. 89:27
i. Angels are commanded to worship the Son.
-Ps. 97:7
-gods = elohim
-LXX translates as angels.
ii. Angels are changeable and temporal; the Son is unchangeable and eternal.
-Ps. 104:4
iii. Angels are servants; the Son is Lord.

Hebrews 1:4-14 (Part 1)

MacArthur "In this chapter we are going to be dealing with meat as opposed to milk...To some extent, it is like an iceberg. You can see the top clearly enough, but it may not appear too impressive or meaningful...below the surface of this passage...(are) deep truths."

I. The Son is superior to the angels.
-so much = tosoutos = so great, so much
-better = kreiton = superior, better, superior in dignity, worth, goodness;
What are angels?
(Much of the following description of angels is from MacArthur commentary on Hebrews)
1) Angels are spirit beings without flesh and bone.
2) Angels can appear in various forms.
3) Angels are power beings.
4) Angels have emotions and are very intelligent.
5) Angels don't marry or procreate.
6) Angles don't die.
7) People don't become angels when they die.
8) Angels are highly organized and divided into ranks.
9) Angels carry out God's ministry.
-Acts 7:51-53, Gal. 3:19

-He is superior because of:
a. His unique relationship with the Father.
-become = ginomai = be, become
-inherited = kleronomeo = to inherit, be an heir
1) Implies that at some point he became lower than the angels.
-made (2:9) = elatoo = to make less, to take lower rank
2) Demonstrates His superiority by nature and action.
-Cockerill "Thus He who was superior to them as the eternal Son became superior to them in a new way at the exaltation by procuring human salvation."
-Ps. 2:7
-II Sam. 7:14
-F.F. Bruce "The eternity of Christ's divine Sonship is not brought into question...the suggestion rather is that he who was the Son of God from everlasting entered into the full exercise of all the prerogatives implied by his Sonship when, after his suffering had proved the completeness of his obedience, he was raised to the Father's right hand."

Hebrews 1:1-3. (Part 2)

I. The preeminence of the Son displayed.
a. He was appointed heir of all things.
-Ps. 2:8
-Gareth Cockerill - "The Son fulfills beyond all expectation the promise of universal dominion given to David's heir in Ps. 2:8."
-Rom. 8:17
b. He made all things.
-worlds = aion = age, world order, eternity
-John 1:3, Col. 1:16
-made = poieo = make, to do, create
c. He is the radience of the glory of God.
-radiance = apaugasma = send forth light
-John 8:12
d. He is the exact representation of God.
-exact representation = charakter = exact likeness, full expression; stamp impression
-nature = hupostasis = essence, substance, nature, reality
-O'Brien "The Son is the exact representation, the embodiment of God, as he really is. His being is made manifest in Christ, so that to see the Son is to see what the Father is like."
-John 1:14, 18
-explained = exegeomai = make known, report, explain
e. He sustains all things.
-upholds = phero = bear, carry, bring, uphold
-The nucleus of a proton atom contains 8 positively charged protons and 8 neutrons with no charge. The protons should repel each other and explode. But they don't. To which Karl Darrow said, "You grasp what this implies. It implies that all the massive nuclei have no right to be alive at all. Indeed, they should never have been created, and if created, they should have blown up instantly. Yet here they all are...Some inflexible inhibition is holding them relentlessly together."
-Christ upholds it by His word.
f. He made purification for sins.
-purification = katharismos = cleansing, purification; idea of the removal of the defilement of sin.
g. He sat down at the right hand of God.
i. Sign of honor.
ii. Sign of authority.
iii. Sign of completion.
iv. Sign of intercession.