A Picture of God's Plan

To think that we, who struggle every day to obey the Father, in His infinite grace and mercy has chosen us to be exalted to be His children, and so, so much more.

As we have been going through Hebrews, we have discovered that the Author’s main theme is the Superiority of Christ.

Today we learn about God the Father’s Superior Plan, for the World, for us as Christians, and for His Son Jesus Christ.

As we look at this passage before us tonight, we will see that verses 6-8 are quotations from Psalm 8:4-6.

The Psalm is written concerning man.

But the words can rightly also be applied to man and to Christ.

What is being said is true of both applications.

So, which is the meaning and true interpretation?

Who is Scripture talking about man or Christ?

The Greek scholar Kenneth Wuest says:

“The question as to whether the Messiah or man is spoken of in verses 6–8 [Psalm 8], is settled easily and finally by the Greek word translated ‘visit.’ The Psalmist is exclaiming as to the insignificance of man in the question, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? That is clear. But to whom do the words ‘son of man’ refer, to the Messiah who is called the Son of man, or to mankind? The Greek word ‘visit’ is episkeptomai. The word means ‘to look upon in order to help or to benefit, to look after, to have a care for.’ This clearly indicates that the son of man spoken of here is the human race. God looks upon the human race in order to help or to benefit it. Thus, the picture in verses 6–8 is that of the human race in Adam” (Hebrews. “Wuest Word Studies,” Vol.2. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1947, p. 55).

Another Greek scholar, A.T. Robertson, in His very helpful book Word Pictures in the New Testament, says,

“The normal meaning of son of man in Hebrew is nothing other than man, as indeed it is in English also. In the psalm quoted here the two parallel phrases: ‘What is man that you remember him?’ and ‘Or the son of man that you visit him?’ are different ways of saying exactly the same thing. The psalm is a great lyric cry of the glory of man as God meant it to be” (The Letter to the Hebrews, p. 16).

All of this seems to point to the idea that verses 6-8 are to applied to man.

God has planned for man to rule and reign with Jesus, His Son.

With Christ we are to have dominion over the whole universe.

It is Christ who has secured the supremacy for man.

Now we are given dominion over this world and the animals that live in it.

We have messed a lot of things up through greed, laziness, pride, arrogance, and wastefulness.

But when the day comes that we will rule and reign, and are given dominion once again…this time in Christ…we will take care of the things that God has created.

So here in verses 5-13 here in Hebrews chapter 2, we see a picture of God’s Plan....His plan for the world, His plan for man and His plan for Christ.

So let’s begin with ...

I. God’s Plan for the World

God had an original plan for the World we now live in.

God originally put man in the garden to tend to it.

To care for his creation.

God created every beast of the field, and teh air and brought it to Adam, and Adam named them, and they were given dominion over them...

Genesis 1:26 KJV

26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

His original plan for the world was for man to care for it and have dominion over the animals.

But man proved himself unworthy of this task.

But God knew from the beginning of time what we would do.

And still had a plan for us.

He would send His Son to us, He would die to pay for our sins, we would trust in Him for that payment, we would be in Christ…and Christ would be in us...

Then one day God would recreate the earth, and once again place man in dominion over it.

Verse five speaks of this world to come when he asks...

5 For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak.

It was not the angels that he plans to put in charge of the world to come.

It is us.

It is really astounding the love that God has for us!

To think that the future world is to be subjected to man after we have messed up so badly already!

Verse 6 seems to echo those thoughts...

6 But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him?

Why would God not give the next world to the angels?

The answer comes in the next two points...

Here in these first two verses of this passage, He jsut declares the amazing fact: God has not subjected the world to come to the angels, but to man.

We are to rule and reign over the future world—rule and reign with God’s own Son, Jesus Christ.

This is all a part of the so great Salvation that the author of Hebrews talked about back in verse 3.

Now he is just elaborating a little more fully the Great salvation that Christ has brought to us.

We will rule and reign with Christ.

We will have dominion over the world to come.

Serving with Christ forever and ever!

Job 7:17–18 KJV

17 What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him? And that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him? 18 And that thou shouldest visit him every morning, And try him every moment?

We see God’s plan for the World, and saw a peak into His plan for us…but now in verses 6-8, we see a little more of...

II. God’s Plan for Man

6 But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him?

7 Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands:

8 Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him.

We see three things regarding God’s creation and plan for man in these verses.

A. Created Lower Than the Angels

7 Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands:

God created man to be lower than the angels.

There are two aspects of the words that are used here that are important for us to understand...

First, we are created a little lower in standing to the angels.

Angels are more powerful than us.

But God only created them to be lower for a little time.

The words that are used here have two meanings, a little lower in standing, but also lower for a little time.

It speaks to the temporariness of this arrangement.

Paul tells the Corinthians...

1 Corinthians 6:3–4 KJV

3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? 4 If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church.

There will come a day, when we rule and reign with Christ that we will be exalted to a position over the angels.

For now, we are created a little lower, for a little while.

B. Created to Have Glory and Honour

7 Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands:

In man’s unfallen state, man was a glorious being with a body unlike any other of God’s creation.

We were created with a superior mind to the rest of God’s creation.

We were created iwth a greater ability than the rest of God’s creation.

We were created with the power to subdue the rest of God’s Creation.

Man was given everything that they needed to rule over the earth and care for God’s Creation.

Best of all, man was given the ability to walk and fellowship with God himself in communion and worship.

Man was created with glory and honour and he held the highest of positions in the earth.

There was peace on earth, between man and animals, and all of nature was under control.

The Garden of Eden was a perfect place that was at perfect peace.

We can not truly understand what that was like.

But one day, God will give it to us again, but this time we will be with Christ.

I remember as a child, or young teenager, thinking if God gives us a fresh start, won’t we just mess it all up again?

There is a glorious difference that I wasn’t remembering at the time…we will be with Christ, and He will be with us - we will never be apart.

And we will rule and reign with Christ.

So God created man a little lower than the angels for a little time.

God created man with glory and honor.

But third...

C. Man Is Now in a Fallen State

His authority and control over the world is not seen as clearly today.

We are very far away from the noble creatures that we were supposed to be.

Truth be told we do not control the world, that we were given dominion over…the world controls us.

Man is enslaved by evil, the evil nature and lusts of his own heart, to accomplish evil over every imaginable kind...

Murder

hate

war

greed

power

selfishness

envy

prejudice

pride

suffering

adultery

fear

disease

gluttony

drunkenness

immorality

In addition to all of these things which end up having dominion over us…the worst of all is death.

We are all doomed to die, if the Lord does not come back.

The statistics are clear - one in every one person dies.

What a tragedy!

Man who was originally created to control and have dominion over the earth, no longer controls the earth, but dies and leaves the earth.

What caused all of this?

What caused us to lose our glory and honor and rule and dominion?

Sin — not doing what God said— is what caused us to lose it all.

Not doing what God says will destroy any person!

God knows what we need to do, and He tells us in His Word what we ought to do, and when we miss the mark that He has set for us to achieve—we sin.

Romans 5:12 KJV

12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

Romans 6:23 KJV

23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Because of this great and marvelous gift of God we can be redeemed to the honorable and glorious creatures that we were meant to be.

So, we see that God has a plan for the world… and that He has a plan for us, mankind, His Children.

III. God’s Plan for Christ

9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

10 For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

11 For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,

12 Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.

13 And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.

The most wonderful of all the plans of God, is the plan for Christ, His Son.

This plan offers the only hope that man has for fulfilling his destiny — the plan of God for man.

Man is fallen and enslaved by sin…and he lives in a dying world that is engulfed by suffering.

But Jesus, by God’s Plan, has come to deliver us from the evil, death and suffering of this world.

How can we be delivered?

By what God has planned in Christ...

A. God Made Christ a Little Lower than the Angels

9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

In that plan Christ tasted death for ever man.

The word taste means to experience or partake of something.

God sent Christ to experience death for us.

Notice that Christ came with glory and honour.

He came and lived on this earth possessing hte full measure of God’s Spirit and obeyed God perfectly, never sinning.

So He secured perfect righteousness.

And as the ideal and perfect Man, whatever Christ did would stand for man.

In His death, man would be covered and free from having to experience the death that comes from sin.

When He arose, His resurrection would cover man and assure man that he too would arise and live eternally.

When he was exalted to heaven, His exaltation would cover man and make it possible for man to be exalted into heaven…and one day rule and reign with Christ.

Christ has made it possible for man to be restored to the glory and dominion that was God’s plan all along for man.

B. God Sent Christ to Show Us the Nature of God

10 For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

The word in the King James is an old English word that means fitting - We may say that that dress is very becoming.

This is from this old English word.

The point being that God says that it was fitting for Him, for whom all things exist, and they exist because of Him, to bring man sons to glory through His coming to earth to show us the very nature of God.

God created us that we might know, believe and understand Him.

Isaiah 43:10 KJV

10 Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, And my servant whom I have chosen: That ye may know and believe me, And understand that I am he: Before me there was no God formed, Neither shall there be after me.

He created us that we might know the riches of the glory of His grace and kindness toward us.

Ephesians 2:7 KJV

7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

God wants us to know Him, so He sent His Son to be the perfect and complete revelation of God to us.

How would we ever understand His true nature His love, His grace, His kindness?

There is only one way: Through Christ.

God sent His only son to earth to reveal Himself to show us that he was loving, gracious and kind.

He did this in two ways:

God reveals who He is by bringing many sons to glory.

When a person believes that Christ died and arose for him, the death and resurrection of Christ covers that person.

God identifies the person with Christ.

He counts the person as having died and resurrected with Christ.

So the person stands before God in the righteousness of Christ.

When we leave this world, through physical death or else rapture…we will stand before God righteous and acceptable to God.

So then the eternal purpose of God for that man is complete!

The believer lives before God in glory and praise and worship.

He shall serve the Lord Jesus Christ, ruling and reigning with Him forever in the new heavens and earth.

Matthew 16:27 KJV

27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.

Matthew 25:23 KJV

23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

Secondly, God reveals who He is by making the captain of our salvation perfect through suffering. v10

This of course is Jesus.

The word captain (archegos) means pathfinder, pioneer, author.

It means the one who blazes the trail…Jesus opened up the way or trail to God.

Jesus never sinned, He never failed…He learned obedience through His suffering…perfectly.

So he secured a perfect and eternal righteousness for us.

All who believe and trust in Him are covered.

All who believe and trust in him are made presentable to God.

That is the meaning of verse 11.

11 For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,

That leads us to the third point of God’s plan for Christ...

C. God Sent Christ to Make Man One with Christ

11 For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,

Both Christ and believers are of One — of God.

They have the same Father.

Through Christ we are born again, spiritually born of God.

We are adopted into the family of God.

God becomes our Father, just as he is the Father of Christ.

Romans 8:15 KJV

15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

Not only this, but...

Both Christ and believers share the same position, the position of brothers.

Christ is not ashamed to call a believer His brother.

Why?

Because the believers trust Him as their Savior and have set apart their lives to live for Him.

Romans 8:16–17 KJV

16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

But not only this...

Both Christ and believers share the same worship.

12 Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.

Christ declares the name of God to His brothers int he midst of the congregation.

Christ lives within our hearts and lives, and He stirs us to learn more about God and to worship Him more and more.

Romans 15:6 KJV

6 That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 13:15 KJV

15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.

And verse 13 tells us, that Christ and believers share the same truth.

When Christ was on earth, He trusted God perfectly.

So therefore gives us the perfect example of trusting God.

Psalm 18:2 KJV

2 The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.

Christ is then able to present believers to God.

“Behold I and the children which God hath given me.”

He claims us as His own in realization that God has given us to Christ.

This second part of the verse is quoted from Isaiah 8:18

Conclusion

We serve a wonderful God.

A God who has a plan for this world.

This world that we have messed up, but He will redeem.

A wonderful God who has a plan for us who believe on Him.

A plan where we will live eternally with Him in a New Heaven and New Earth where we will rule and reign with Him.

A wonderful God who has a glorious plan for our Lord Jesus Christ, His Son.

The plan to have Him become man so that He can die for us.

The plan to show us Who God truly is, by perfectly revealing Him to us.

The plan to have Christ make us One with Him, children of God, brothers with Christ.

What a wonderful passage revealing a picture of God’s Wonderful Plan!

Now let’s live up this high calling that God has called us to!

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