Better than the Prophets Heb. 1:1-3

Introduction

Hebrews is the only New Testament Epistle that the authors name is not directly given.

Most would say that it was Paul who wrote this book, but I will show you in a minute that it doesn’t matter who the Author is because God wrote the whole book through divinely inspired men.

The book of Hebrews was written to Hebrew Christians and is full of Old Testament scripture and references to the tabernacle and the sacrificial offerings.

The key thought of Hebrews is that Christ is better.

Christ is greater than the prophets

Christ is greater than the Angels

Christ is greater than moses

Christ is greater than Joshua

Christ is greater than Aaron

Christ is greater than the Tabernacle

The writer gives us warnings for

drifting

Doubting

Dullness

Departing

Despising

The book of Hebrews tells us we have hope

Heb. 3:6 “But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.”

Hebrews 6:11 “And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:”

Hebrews 6:18-19 “That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;”

Hebrews 7:19 “For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.”

The First 10 Chapters of Hebrews are doctrinal

The first 7 chapters of Hebrews shows us the person of Christ and how he is better in character than the OT persons.

Chapters 8-10 show us the provisions of Calvary and how we are in a better contract than the old testament.

Chapters 11-13 are practical

Chapters 11-13 show the principles of Christianity through the better consequences than the Old Testament

If we were to sum up the book of Hebrews in three words it would be Christ is better and that will be the title of our study of the book of Hebrews.

This morning I want us to look at the fact that Christ is better than the prophets

The author vs. 1a

God

While there is a lot of argument on who wrote the book of Hebrews I believe God gave us the answer he wanted us to have in the first word of Hebrews “God”

2 Tim. 3:16 “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:”

All scripture is inspired, which literally means God breathed.

At the end of the day it doesn’t matter who wrote Hebrews because it was divinely inspired by God.

How he spoke vs. 1b-2a

He spoke at sundry times

The word sundry means several

The Bible is unlike any other religious book. Despite forty authors writing from three continents over nearly two thousand years, it maintains a perfect consistency of message. Its words point unerringly to Christ, whose work on the cross was ordained by God—the true author of the Bible—before the world began.

He spoke in divers manners

The word divers means different, we would say diverse

The Old Testament scriptures are all from God, he used many different writers over the ages and different manners of inspiration to write them.

Numbers 12:6-8 “And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?”

Henry Morris said this “ Whatever method he used, whether direct dictation or special revelation or the individual knowledge and ability of the writer, all were guided and illuminated by the Holy Spirit that the words were finally written down as though spoken by God himself.”

He spoke in times past i.e. the OT unto the fathers by the prophets

Shows Hebrews is written primarily to Hebrew Christians because the Old Testament Prophets were for Israel.

He spoke in the last days by His Son

In the Old Testament God spoke intermittently and partially by the Old Testament Prophets, but finally and fully by His son through the apostles

Heb 2:3 “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;”

How Christ is better than the prophets vs. 2b-3

God appointed him heir of all things because he created all things

The son is the creator of all things

John 1:1-3 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.”

Eph. 3:9 “And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:”

Col. 1:16 “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:”

Scripture here tells us that christ is the creator of everything including space and time.

Someone asked where God was before the world began, He was in his Glory. When God through Christ created the world, he created time and Space

He is the brightness of His glory

Jesus literally would radiate the Glory of God

John 1:14 “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

He is the express image of his person

2 Cor. 4:4 “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”

He upholds all things by the word of his power

Jesus created all things by his omnipotent Word

Ps. 33:6 “By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; And all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.”

Now he is holding up his creation by the word of his power

This passage along with others such as Romans 11:36 “For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.” and Colossians 1:14-20 summarize the past, present and future work of Christ in relation to the whole universe.

He purged our sins

The word purge means to clear from guilt or moral defilement

When the Bible says by himself purged, that the purging was accomplished solely by christ and we have contributed nothing to His great work of Saving our souls.

He is seated on the right hand of the father

There are 21 references to Jesus being at the right hand of the father and 5 of them are in hebrews.

By Christ being seated at the right hand he showed that the work was complete.

Conclusion

Christ is better than the prophets and deserves first place in our lives, does he have fist place in your life?