The Power of Creation

An Introduction

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Introduction

This morning we are beginning our study of the book of Hebrews but before we get to far in to it I need to tell you about some things that we don’t know.

Authorship

We don’t know who the author of Hebrews is. There are internal evidence in the book that could make you believe that Paul wrote it, but there are as many evidences that would suggest that Paul did not write it. Theories include Paul, Peter, Clement of Rome, Luke, Matthew, Apollos, and even Pricilla and Aquila. But all of those are just guesses based on very little evidence.

Computer algorithms have been used against this text, programs that were designed to determine authorship based on a number of different factors. And with our advanced technology thrown at the question 3 algorithms came up with 3 different answers. Peter, Luke and Matthew. But averaging the scoring gives credit to a theory originally claimed by Clement of Alexandria that Paul dictated to Luke, or that Luke was writing from memory the teachings of Paul.

Really, all of that effort to conclude. We just don’t know and anyone that would be dogmatic about who the author of this book is, is being intellectually dishonest.

Recipients

And while we aren’t sure about who the book of Hebrews is written to we have a pretty good guess. Based on the content we can conclude that this book is likely written to Jewish Christians.

Purpose

What we do no for certain is that this is a book rich with theology and practical teaching. It bridges the Old Testament understandings of the Jewish readers into the New Covenant. Above all else, this book gives glory to God. It is my hope for this church, as we study this book that our hearts glorify God as well as we expound the scripture and meditate on these great truths.

Starting at the Beginning

If you have your bibles open to Hebrews 1 we will begin our series in verses 1 and 2 where the author quite literally starts at the beginning:

Hebrews 1:1–2 KJV 1900

1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

This mornings message is the first in a series we are calling The Power of Christ the message is entitled The Power of Creation

Pray

The Law and the Prophets

Tension

Verse 1 is the Old Testament and verse 2 is the new Testament.

What is read in the King James Version is a bit difficult for our 21st century ears to understand. Sundry times and divers manners. What this is telling us is that in the Old Testament God spoke to mankind many different times and in many different ways.

God Spoke

God spoke to Moses in a burning bush, He spoke to Balaam through a Donkey. At Sinai Moses heard the voice of God as thunder but Elijah heard God in a still small voice. God’s judgment has been communicated to mankind in a flood prophesied by Noah and by a drought prophesied by Elijah.

Our bible records over 50 prophets in the Old Testament and references several more. But we have to understand that this was an incomplete and imperfect communication.

Not Perfect

Something that any honest preacher will tell you is that there are times when you realize that you have said something preaching that was incorrect. It is about the most gut wrenching experience you can have, to know that you have mis-handled the word of God. Hopefully it doesn’t happen very often, but the reality is, preachers and pastors aren’t perfect.

The prophets weren’t perfect either. They were just people. And so mixed in with the truth’s of God you we had Moses’ temper, Jonah’s hate, Elijah’s defeatism and Jeremiah’s sorrow.

Overreach

By the time we get to the opening of the New Testament, the religious leaders of the time had piled on more rules and regulations, fences around the law of God. Matthew 23:4 resonates as to the heart of these religious leaders when Jesus says of the Scribes and Pharisees

Matthew 23:4 KJV 1900

4 For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.

And an obvious contrast presents itself. We have religious leaders who create superfluous rules and hold them as the standard for righteousness. The people under the weight of these rules are crushed, yet the these leaders do nothing to help the people bear the weight. Yet God only presents the true standard of righteousness and holiness, nothing added to it, and even that is more than man can bare. But in demonstration of his great love for mankind, God sent his Son not to move them with one of his fingers but to save them with outstretched arms.

These Last Days

Truth

A Repeated Theme

Verse 2 of Hebrews 1 begins

Hebrews 1:2 (KJV 1900)

2 … in these last days ...

This Greek phrase is something we find repeatedly in the Septuagint.

In Genesis 49:1 we read

Genesis 49:1 KJV 1900

1 And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.

In Numbers 24:14

Numbers 24:14 KJV 1900

14 And now, behold, I go unto my people: come therefore, and I will advertise thee what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days.

Daniel 10:14 reads

Daniel 10:14 KJV 1900

14 Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days.

And the list goes on, at least 13 times we find a form of this phrase and in each case it is referring to the period in which people are living at a time of fulfilled prophecy.

Like I stated earlier. Verse 1 is the Old Testament, Verse 2 is the New Testament.

J. K. S. Reid wrote in the Scottish Journal of Theology:

The Epistle to the Hebrews A. God’s Final Revelation in His Son (1:1–4)

The progression is one from promise to fulfilment

A Better Communication

Let me continue in Hebrews 1:2

Hebrews 1:2 KJV 1900

2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

The transition between the testaments, the transition between promise and fulfilment is marked by the perfect representation and communication of Gods will. It is marked by the Son of God.

The writer of Hebrews wastes no time in declaring the supremacy of Christ and he gives his divine credentials in two ways: First, that Jesus Christ is heir of all things and second that by this same Jesus Christ the very worlds were made.

Heir of all things

When we think of the sonship of Christ we should think of it in this way: That this person of the triune Godhead, the Word of God, Our Lord Jesus Christ, is that person for which — all of existence — has been given — as his dominion. And that he was given this dominion by God the Father.

My Son

There are many ways that you can identify my son as being my son. There are facial features that are similar, we have similar personality traits. He lives in the same household with me and we share a last name. But there is another way you can identify him as my son that might be less obvious.

See, when I was a kid my favorite toys were my legos. I could spend an entire day building with them and crafting adventures with my creations. Once my son was old enough I was able to hand those legos down to him. I joke that this is his first inheritance, but really, It wouldn’t have been right for someone else to have gotten those Lego’s. You can identify my son’s sonship by his inheritance, something I hope is limited to Lego’s for the foreseeable future.

And while I know that this illustration is pretty crude by comparison, we can identify Christ by his inheritance. This Jesus we speak of is heir to all things and if that is the case he must have inherited all things by He who owned all things --- This demonstrates, his sonship, to the All-Mighty. Jesus is no mere man, he is not just a moral example or a great prophet, he is none other than the God-Man....The second person of the Holy Trinity manifested in flesh.

Maker of the worlds

Hebrews 1:2 continues that this Son of God is He

Hebrews 1:2 (KJV 1900)

… by whom also he made the worlds;

Worlds in the Greek is αἰών (aiōn). It means age, as in the times where things exist.

In Hebrews 1:1 we read that in one age God spoke through prophets and in the next age God spoke through creator over the very ages to which He speaks.

This rings of what we find in John 1:1-3

John 1:1–3 KJV 1900

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

Trinitarian Explanation

Follow me carefully here, because it’s a bit difficult to express this concept and I am going be as deliberate as possible in the words I use:

The Word of God, his communication of himself, is both singular with him in being God, but also has a unique personhood. Now I understand how difficult of a concept that is, but just follow with me none-the-less. In Genesis 1, when we read of God speaking the universe into existence it is the power of His Word that goes out from him to create. I know it is impossible for us to wrap our mortal heads around, but it is this same Word who incarnates in flesh, who we know as Jesus. And so the very existence of Jesus in flesh is the communication of God to mankind.

Communication through the Ages

In the age of Old Testament the Word of God was buffered, if you will. Buffered by the prophets. Communication was to the prophets and the prophets communicated God’s Word to man.

John 1:14 says

John 1:14 (KJV 1900)

14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us ....

The buffer of a prophet was no longer required in communicating the Word of God because the Word of God himself was with us and needed no intermediary. And so when we look at the prophets of the old Testament we read the message that they are given by God, but also we read of their very flawed lives. When we read of Jesus not only is His message the world of God, His very existence and every action are also the Word of God.

The power of creation is the same power we read of chastising the Scribes and Pharisee’s, the same power that took children into His arms and the same power whose flesh was overwhelmed with emotion to the point of weeping for those He loved.

Who better to communicate the Word of God than the Word of God. Who better to speak to the ages, than the creator of the ages.

Are we Listening?

Application

God has clearly spoken, but are we listening?

C.H. Hebree wrote

Direction

Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations 3921 Patients Do Not Follow Orders

Next to the one who does not pay his bill, the doctor’s most annoying patient is the one who refuses to follow orders. Recently it was estimated that between 16 to 90 percent of all patients leave half-empty pill bottles, cheat on diets, continue to smoke, or never return for checkups despite careful prescriptions and cautious advice.

I found a study conducted by the American College of Preventative Medicine that stated that Non-Adherence to doctor’s orders causes approximately 125,000 American deaths annually and costs the US health system over $300 billion dollars.

That is the cost of not following the instruction of doctors, if we had statistics on not following God’s instruction, what would the cost be?

How many times have we known what God’s word said about a situation we were dealing with and decided instead to follow the wisdom of man? What blessings have we missed out on due to disobedience?

I have seen lives ruined, ministries destroyed and churches shuttered because when it came time to make the hard decisions people who knew better decided to disregard the word of God because it seemed like the more difficult way forward.

There was an old commercial where a young guy was sitting on a stage plucking around with a guitar. An older man walked over and asked if he could see the young mans guitar. When the young man handed over the guitar he was stunned at the blues lick the old man expertly played. When he finished the wide eyed younger man asked the older man what his name was. The older man responded “It’s on your guitar”. The camera cut to the head of the guitar where the name “Les Paul” Model was written in cursive. For those of you who don’t know the Gibson Les Paul guitar was co-designed by Les who is not only in the Rock and Roll hall of fame but in the inventors Hall of Fame for inventing the solid body electric guitar. The Gibson Les Paul remains one of the most prized and sought after models of guitar today, just in case my wife is wondering to get me for Christmas!

We would expect the inventor of the solid body electric guitar to be an expert at the instrument he invented.

So here is the expectation we should have for Jesus:

It is Jesus who brought existence into existence. We aren’t relying on the wisdom of man, or self help books, for guidance. Instead as Christians we rely on what Paul calls God Breathed in his second letter to Timothy. The inspired word of God. And who better to give us instruction in this life than the creator and heir of all existence. When God speaks, we would be wise to listen.

Pray