God has spoken
God has spoken, let’s listen to Him
Text: Hebrews 1: 1 – 4
Introduction: Memorial Day yesterday to remember those who gave their lives for the freedom. “Lest we forget” the motto says and we have very good idea of what that means. Like Abel though he is dead but still speaking (11: 4). Those veterans were dead but still speaking to us. We must listen. We honor and respect to those who sacrificed their lives as if they are speaking to us, much more so when God who is alive speaks.
Authorship: No one knows for sure who wrote this Epistle. Some believe Paul because of thought expressed in this is so called Pauline but the literacy of the Greek is much better than what Paul would have written. Some say, it was Barnabas, Apollos, some even believe Priscilla wrote this and since it was a man’s world, she withheld her name usually observed in greetings. But when we see 11: 32 the author says, “if I tell of Gideon…” in masculine participle denies this claim. Whoever it was, we do not know the author for sure.
Background: There was a time in the history of Christianity great persecutions spread all over the land and many people were martyred but also many have forsaken their faith. That exactly happened to the Jewish Christians. Judaism was protected by the Roman law but Christians were persecuted. Jewish Christians faced the choice whether they should keep their faith and suffer persecution even to death or forsake faith and return to the safety and security of Judaism. Just like some of you who go back to Japan and face some difficulty living as Christian.
This letter warns Christians against returning to Judaism and encourages them to go on to maturity in Christ.
Are you going through tough time that you are verge of forsaking your faith?
How are you encouraging yourself? Or you may have a friend who is in the verge of forsaking faith. What would you tell that person?
Let’s see how the author of Hebrews does it.
I. Listening to God who spoke vss. 1, 2
“Listen to God” is his exhortation because God has spoken.
He spoke different times and many different ways. Our God is a personal God who loves to reveal Himself for us. There are so many so called gods in the world but God of Christianity is the only One who continually speaks in that He spoke many times and many different ways. He spoke through the burning bush to Moses (Exd. 3: 4), He spoke with a small voice to Elijah (I Kings 19: 12), God spoke to Isaiah in a vision in the temple (Isa. 6: 1ff). Our God even used donkey to speak to Balaam (Num. 22: 22ff). Wow! See how uninhibited our God is. He is not limited in certain place when He speaks. He is self revelatory God.
Illust: When I teach and preach, as you notice, I speak a lot but when I am not teaching I don’t speak a lot because I don’t like to expose my folly, proverb says, “Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise; When he closes his lips, he is considered prudent” 愚か者でも、黙っていれば、知恵のある者と思われ、そのくちびるを閉じていれば、悟りのある者と思われる。(Prov. 17: 28). When you speak a lot, you prone to make unnecessary mistakes and cause a lot of troubles. But our God is not afraid to speak because He will never make any mistakes.
You remember that the Jews were commanded not to use the name of God in vain. In fact Matt. avoided the name of God and every time when he wanted to say “kingdom of God,” he replaced with “kingdom of heaven.” Here in this Epistle, “God” is used 68 times, that is every 73 words. This is the one of the reasons this epistle was addressed to Jewish Christians whose hearts were changed and transformed but shaken by the hardships. It is no longer vain to use the name of God. Once fearful of using the name of God, but now they love to hear and cherish to use the name of God who speaks. Now they have totally different view of God. Do you cherish the name of God? How many times do you call on God with His name: God, Father, Lord, Jesus, etc. We want to tell God something, but try to listen to Him for a change. I know something will happen. Do you want to listen to God? That is the way to encourage your spirit.
Then God spoke to us in His Son in “these last days” (Lit: the last of these days). It means that through Jesus the new age, the Messianic age has arrived. His Son who loved the Father and submitted Himself to do the Father’s will thus no distortion of Father’s will be conveyed. See, God still speaks to us and interest thing is that in Jesus there is continuity and there is discontinuity. God still speaks but no need of speaking through His prophets. Jesus is now the spokes person for the Father and in that He speaks to you and me through His Word. Prophets prophesied partially but Jesus revealed entire message of God. So listen to Jesus. But there was a problem. What was that problem? The perception of Jews over Jesus was not what we know of Jesus. They thought Jesus was one of the Angles and some thought just like Moses, Jesus was one of the prophets.
II. Listing: who Christ is and what He has done. vss. 2, 3
Verse 2 tells us that Jesus was appointed to inherit everything Father gave Him. “through whom also He made the world”: He also is the creator of all creation. The word “world” literally means “ages (αἰῶνας).” Jesus created all ages and Father spoke to people through prophets in the past ages but in this last day Father spoke to us in Jesus.
1. Radiance of His glory 御子は神の栄光の輝き
Jesus emits glory of God. It is not a reflection but the very glory of God He radiates. Moses’ face was glowing when he came down from Mt. Sinai and people were afraid to see it so that he had to cover his face (2 Cor. 3: 13) but eventually it faded but Jesus continue to glow the glory of the Father. That means you can see the glory of the Father anytime when you look up to Jesus.
2. Exact representation of Father’s nature 神の本質の完全な現われ
Jesus said to Philip: “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? (John 14: 9)
χαρακτὴρ : “Originally it denoted an instrument for engraving and then a mark stamped on that instrument. Hence it came to be used generally of a mark stamped on a thing, the importance of a die.” The impression on coins. Mint factory.
3. Upholds all things by the word of His power. 力あるみことばによって万物を保っておられます
Jesus has a sustaining power. Many people believed that God created everything and then withheld to His comfortable throne, He disengaged Himself from His creation, and let the creation take its course observing how it’s going to be. This is not our God. Jesus still engages in His creation. The Greek word used here “uphold” φέρων literally means “Carrying along” toward goal.
Phi. 1: 6 says, “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” あなたがたのうちに良い働きを始められた方は、キリスト・イエスの日が来るまでにそれを完成させてくださることを私は堅く信じているのです。
4. He made (ποιησάμενος ) purification of sins 罪のきよめを成し遂げ.
Jesus made not only the forgiveness of sin but He cleansed our sins. God the Father does not and will not see our sin. We are as if never sinned before God because of Jesus’ completed act of purification. “He made: ποιησάμενος” is in Aorist tense. It is done once for all. When Jesus cried on the cross, “It is finished” is in this tense (John 19: 30). Τετέλεσται : it is a business word when you pay off you debt, it is singed this way, indicating paid in full.
Jesus has done it once for all.
Do you notice in the church, we shy away from using the word “sin?” I wonder why? See Jesus did not come to give us happiness, or health nor wealth. Those are all bi-products of all what Jesus has done. Jesus came to complete the cleansing of sin. Let us talk more about sin: our struggles, battles, defeat and victory and bring Jesus into every bits of our conversation. See what happens to church life.
5. He sat down (ἐκάθισεν ) at the right hand of the majesty on High.
すぐれて高い所の大能者の右の座に着かれました
Again is in Aorist tense. There was no chair in the tabernacle that high priest’s work was never ending but Jesus accomplished cleansing of sin and sat down. Father will not ask Him to stand up and do the same thing again. Never! He sat down once for all. Is this precious to you?
This is the message of the Hebrews: “Better.” The author starts with comparing Jesus with angels.
vs. 4 having become as much better than the angels
“superior” “better” κρείττων 13/19 times in Heb.
6: 9 in your case (for you)
7: 7 lesser is blessed by the greater
7: 19 better hope
7: 22 better covenant
8: 6 better covenant
9: 23 better sacrifice
10: 34 better possession and a lasting one
11: 16 better country
11: 35 better resurrection
11: 40 better something
12: 24 better than the blood of Abel
Is Jesus better than your dream?
Is Jesus better than your plan? Bank account?
Is Jesus better than your life?
Is Jesus precious to you?
We come to church every Sunday. We go to Bible studies and prayer meetings and get together once a while. Nothing wrong and we encourage one another to keep doing it but are these habitual, mechanical motion of your faith? Do you cherish Jesus? Is He precious to you?
Jim Elliot, the martyred missionary, wrote in his personal journal: "I walked out on the hill just now. It is exalting, delicious, to stand embraced by the shadows of a friendly tree with the wind tugging at your coattail and the heavens hailing your heart, to gaze and glory and give oneself again to God — what more could a man ask? Oh, the fullness, pleasure, sheer excitement of knowing God on earth! I care not if I never raise my voice again for Him, if only I may love Him, please Him . . . If only I may see Him, touch His garments, and smile into His eyes.