The Superiority of The Son Over the Angels Part 1: Hebrews 1:4-14
Letter to the Hebrews • Sermon • Submitted
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· 265 viewsThe Superiority of the Son over Angels
Notes
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Introduction
Introduction
Angels were most important in the Jewish religion, because ten-thousand accompanied God when He handed down the law on Mount Sinai. (The Holy ones are the Angels)
2 He said, “The Lord came from Sinai, And dawned on them from Seir; He shone forth from Mount Paran, And He came from the midst of ten thousand holy ones; At His right hand there was flashing lightning for them.
17 The chariots of God are myriads, thousands upon thousands; The Lord is among them as at Sinai, in holiness.
19 Why the Law then? It was added because of transgressions, having been ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator, until the seed would come to whom the promise had been made.
Since the theme of Hebrews is the superiority of Christ and Salvation through Faith in Him alone rather than the Law of Moses, the writer of Hebrews needs to address Angels. The section of Hebrews that deals with Angels is broken into three parts:
Affirmation (Hebrews 1:4-14)
Affirmation (Hebrews 1:4-14)
The superiority of Christ to the Angels, as illustrated by seven quotes from the OT
Exhortation (Hebrews 2:1-4)
Exhortation (Hebrews 2:1-4)
Exhorting the readers (including us today) to pay earned=st attention to the Word God has given us through His Son.
Explanation (Hebrews 2:5-18)
Explanation (Hebrews 2:5-18)
Explaining how Christ with human body, could still be superior to the Angels.
Today we are going to discuss the Affirmation in Hebrews 1:4-14. We will cover the Exhortation and Explanation next week. On Easter Sunday, we will not be meeting.
Affirmation: Christ is Superior to the Angels Hebrews 1:4-14
Affirmation: Christ is Superior to the Angels Hebrews 1:4-14
These verses consist of seven OT quotations that demonstrate the superiority of Chris over the Angels. Scholars believe that the writer quoted from the Greek version of the Hebrew Bible, the Septuagint. Tradition has that seventy men translated the Hebrew Old Testament into Greek, thus providing the name “Septuagint”, Greek for “Seventy”. When I quote the Psalms from the Septuagint, please understand that Psalm 9 in the LXX is made up of Psalm 9 and Psalm 10 in our NASB. So, every Psalm after Psalm 10 is numbered one lower. What we refer to as Psalm 110 is Psalm 109 in the Septuagint.
Let’s look at these verses and the claims made.
He is the Son (vv. 4-5)
He is the Son (vv. 4-5)
4 having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they. 5 For to which of the angels did He ever say, “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You”? And again, “I will be a Father to Him And He shall be a Son to Me”?
The “more excellent name” is “Son”. In Job 1:6 , the angels are collectively called the “sons of God”, no single angel can claim that title.
6 And it came to pass on a day, that, behold, the angels of God came to stand before the Lord, and the devil came with them.
The first quote is from Psalm 2:7
14 I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. And when he happens to transgress, then will I chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the sons of men.
In Acts 13:3, Paul speaks to the Synagogue in Pisidian Antioch, pinpointing the begetting of the Son at the Resurrection.
33 that God has fulfilled this promise to our children in that He raised up Jesus, as it is also written in the second Psalm, ‘You are My Son; today i have begotten You.’
For all eternity, Jesus Christ was God the Son. He humbled Himself and became man. For our sins He suffered death on a cross. We read in Philippians 2:5-8
5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Upon His resurrection, his humanity was glorified and He received back the Glory He had left when He humbled Himself, as He prayed that High Priestly prayer beginning in John 17:1-5
1 Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You, 2 even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life. 3 “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. 4 “I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do. 5 “Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.
The Resurrection declares that Jesus is the Son of God! We read in Romans 1:4
4 who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord,
The second quote in verse 5 is from 2 Samuel 7:14 (Titled 2 Kingdoms 7:14 in the Septuagint)
14 I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. And when he happens to transgress, then will I chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the sons of men.
In this quote, God is speaking of Solomon, the son of David. It can be further applies to Jesus Christ, the son of David: the Son of God, one who is greater than Solomon! Jesus addressing the Pharisees and Scribes when they asked for a sign:
42 “The Queen of the South will rise up with this generation at the judgment and will condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.
He is the Firstborn who receives worship (v. 6)
He is the Firstborn who receives worship (v. 6)
6 And when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says, “And let all the angels of God worship Him.”
The term firstborn does not always mean the one who was born first. It is a title of honor. It is conferred upon the one who receives the special blessing and the inheritance. Christ is the firstborn of all creation because He created all things and is the first and highest of all who came back from the dead.
13 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. 18 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.
God commands the Angels to worship Him in Deuteronomy 32:43, LXX English (Septuagint)
43 Rejoice, ye heavens, with him, and let all the angels of God worship him; rejoice ye Gentiles, with his people, and let all the sons of God strengthen themselves in him, for he will avenge the blood of his sons, and he will render vengeance, and recompense justice to his enemies, and will reward them that hate him; and the Lord shall purge the land of his people.
The angels would not worship a mere man, which proves Jesus Christ the Messiah, is God.
He is Served by Angels (v. 7)
He is Served by Angels (v. 7)
7 And of the angels He says, “Who makes His angels winds, And His ministers a flame of fire.”
This is quoted from Psalm 104:4. The Hebrew and Greek word for “Spirit” is also translated “wind”. The Septuagint version of Psalm 104:4 is
4 Who makes his angels spirits, and his ministers a flaming fire.
Angels are created being with no physical bodies, although they can assume the appearance of a body while ministering on earth. Angels served our Lord while He was in this world.
11 Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him.
42 saying, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.” 43 Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him.
They serve Him now!
He is God Enthroned and Anointed (vv. 8-9)
He is God Enthroned and Anointed (vv. 8-9)
8 But of the Son He says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, And the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom. 9 “You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness above Your companions.”
The quote is from Psalm 45:6-7. Jesus is God! He is seated on the Throne right now. He shall sit on the Throne forever and ever. The angels serve the throne, not sit upon it.
“Christ” and “Messiah” both mean the “Anointed One”. The Greek “Christos” is the translation of the Hebrew “Messiah” in the Septuagint. The main theme of Psalm 110 is the divinity of the Messiah and Jesus Christ, God’s anointed, is now enthroned in glory.
A Psalm of David. 1 The Lord said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. 2 The Lord shall send out a rod of power for thee out of Sion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. 3 With thee is dominion in the day of thy power, in the splendours of thy saints: I have begotten thee from the womb before the morning. 4 The Lord sware, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever, after the order of Melchisedec. 5 The Lord at thy right hand has dashed in pieces kings in the day of his wrath. 6 He shall judge among the nations, he shall fill up the number of corpses, he shall crush the heads of many on the earth. 7 He shall drink of the brook in the way; therefore shall he lift up the head.
Jesus quoted this Psalm in reference to Himself!
35 And Jesus began to say, as He taught in the temple, “How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? 36 “David himself said in the Holy Spirit, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Until I put Your enemies beneath Your feet.” ’ 37 “David himself calls Him ‘Lord’; so in what sense is He his son?” And the large crowd enjoyed listening to Him.
62 And Jesus said, “I am; and you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”
Peter quoted this Psalm on the Day of Pentecost.
34 “For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, 35 Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.” ’ 36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified.”
And we know He is ruling in Glory!
18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might 20 which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
When Christ ascended the throne, He was anointed with the “Oil of Gladness”. (v. 9) Angels praise Him, but they cannot share in His glory! They cannot share that position or that joy. His throne is forever: He is eternally God!
He is the Eternal Creator (vv. 10-12)
He is the Eternal Creator (vv. 10-12)
10 And, “You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the works of Your hands; 11 They will perish, but You remain; And they all will become old like a garment, 12 And like a mantle You will roll them up; Like a garment they will also be changed. But You are the same, And Your years will not come to an end.”
This is a quotation of Psalm 102:25-27
25 In the beginning thou, O Lord, didst lay the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands. 26 They shall perish, but thou remainest: and they all shall wax old as a garment; and as a vesture shalt thou fold them, and they shall be changed. 27 But thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.
The angels did not have a hand in the creation of the earth - they themselves are created beings. Jesus Christ is the creator and He will do away with His created world and create a new world. Yet He will remain the same. Everything around us changes. He does not change.
That is the battle we are facing today! The progressive church claims that the Word of God was written for the times in which it was written, and that it needs to change with the times. We cannot apply it’s truth to today because the world has changed since its writing.
But truth is always true; otherwise it would not be truth. Believing something does not make it true. We will read in Hebrews 13:8
8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
Creation is like a garment that will be taken off and discarded and a new one put on at the end of this world.
Christ is Sovereign - Angels are servants. (vv. 13-14)
Christ is Sovereign - Angels are servants. (vv. 13-14)
13 But to which of the angels has He ever said, “Sit at My right hand, Until I make Your enemies A footstool for Your feet”? 14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?
Here the writer of Hebrews quotes Psalm 110:1. The fact that Jesus Christ is seated at the right hand of God the Father is mentioned numerous times in the New Testament. Angels are ministering spirits who serve the Lord.
Isaiah 6:1-7 related His entrance into the Throne Room of God:
1 And it came to pass in the year in which king Ozias died, that I saw the Lord sitting on a high and exalted throne, and the house was full of his glory. 2 And seraphs stood round about him: each one had six wings: and with two they covered their face, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. 3 And one cried to the other, and they said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. 4 And the lintel shook at the voice they uttered, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 And I said, Woe is me, for I am pricked to the heart; for being a man, and having unclean lips, I dwell in the midst of a people having unclean lips; and I have seen with mine eyes the King, the Lord of hosts. 6 And there was sent to me one of the seraphs, and he had in his hand a coal, which he had taken off the altar with the tongs: 7 and he touched my mouth, and said, Behold, this has touched thy lips, and will take away thine iniquities, and will purge off thy sins.
The Seraphs are angels who serve God, the Lord of Hosts. The angels serve the Risen Lord. And they minister to us today. We are heirs of Salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.
It is impossible to ignore the evidence that Jesus is greater than the angels, and greater than the Law which helped to deliver the people of Israel from the bonds of slavery.
Let us ponder this truth.
As we draw closer to Psalm Sunday, when our Lord entered Jerusalem triumphantly, only to be rejected, tortured and crucified less than a week later for our sins, let our prayer be one of repentance for the sins we have committed. Let us also pray that God will continue to be uppermost in our minds and hearts as He leads us into HIs kingdom.
And, let us look forward to that day when creation will pass away and a new heaven and earth will be created.- and the New Jerusalem will descend from Heaven. There will be no need for the sun or the moon because God will dwell with us forever.
1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, 4 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” 5 And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.”
10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God. Her brilliance was like a very costly stone, as a stone of crystal-clear jasper. 12 It had a great and high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels; and names were written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel. 13 There were three gates on the east and three gates on the north and three gates on the south and three gates on the west. 14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 15 The one who spoke with me had a gold measuring rod to measure the city, and its gates and its wall. 16 The city is laid out as a square, and its length is as great as the width; and he measured the city with the rod, fifteen hundred miles; its length and width and height are equal. 17 And he measured its wall, seventy-two yards, according to human measurements, which are also angelic measurements. 18 The material of the wall was jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. 19 The foundation stones of the city wall were adorned with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation stone was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald; 20 the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprase; the eleventh, jacinth; the twelfth, amethyst. 21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; each one of the gates was a single pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. 22 I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. 25 In the daytime (for there will be no night there) its gates will never be closed; 26 and they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it; 27 and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.