Hebrews 1:5-14: The Son is Superior to the Angels
The greatness of the Son is superior to the angels
Introduction
Why?
The Bible is not a list of propositions or a theological textbook, but a wide variety of divinely inspired literature ranging from rebuke to song. It aims to shape not only our beliefs but our entire existence, personally and corporately.
Quote
If the prologue were not unique enough, the author’s second paragraph is likewise full of surprises. Using a string of seven Old Testament quotations, the author supported his claim that Jesus, as Son, is superior to the angels. After the prologue, the author plunged into this series of Old Testament quotations designed to prove, albeit not in a formal way, his assertions about Christ’s sonship and his superior status as God’s revelation to humanity.
Scripture
Outline
Hebrews 1:1-4 - God has Spoken
Hebrews 1:5-14 - The Son’s is Superior to the Angels
Connection to 1:1-4
Lane relates 1:1–4 to 1:5–14 as follows.
A Appointment as royal heir (v. 2b)
A1 Appointment as God’s Son and heir (vv. 5–9)
B Mediator of creation (v. 2c)
B1 Mediator of creation (v. 10)
C Eternal nature and preexistent glory (v. 3ab)
C1 Unchanging, eternal nature (vv. 11–12)
D Exaltation to God’s right hand (v. 3c)
D1 Exaltation to God’s right hand (v. 13)
Purpose of Book
Christ, who has accomplished salvation through His atoning sacrifice, is greater than all things; therefore, persevere in true faith and encourage others to do likewise
Main Point
The greatness of the Son is superior to the angels
Hebrews 1:5-9 - The Son - Appointed Heir
For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”?
On a dark night about a hundred years ago, a Scottish missionary couple found themselves surrounded by cannibals intent on taking their lives. That terror-filled night they fell to their knees and prayed that God would protect them. Intermittent with their prayers, the missionaries heard the cries of the savages and expected them to come through the door at any moment.
But as the sun began to rise, to their astonishment they found that the natives were retreating into the forest. The couple’s hearts soared to God. It was a day of rejoicing!
The missionaries bravely continued their work. A year later the chieftain of that tribe was converted. As the missionary spoke with him, he remembered the horror of that night. He asked the chieftain why he and his men had not killed them. The chief replied, “Who were all those men who were with you?” The missionary answered, “Why, there were no men withus. There were just my wife and myself.” The chieftain began to argue with him, saying, “There were hundreds of tall men in shining garments with drawn swords circling about your house, so we could not attack you.”
This story, recorded in Billy Graham’s book Angels, is one of the great tales of missionary history. The missionary was the “legendary” John G. Paton of the New Hebrides.
Jim Marstaller recounts the following story, told to him by his “Uncle Clyde,” Clyde Taylor, founder of the National Association of Evangelicals:
Dr. Clyde Taylor, who married my grandfather’s sister… and my Uncle Charlie Marstaller were missionaries in the early 1920’s to a head hunting tribe in South America. They were beside a river in the forest living in a thatched hut.
One day, late in the afternoon, they noticed a dugout being paddled down the river with only one man in it. Their immediate thought was that the warriors were coming to kill them that night. The dugout could hold over 40 men and they realized that the men were probably going to try to kill them that night.
Uncle Clyde and Charlie had a .22 rifle in their hut and took it and some ammo out into the tall grass off to the side of their dwelling. There they stayed all night, in their own private prayer meeting, expecting that if attacked they would fire the gun into the air to frighten the head-hunters.
Nothing happened that night and they had no trouble with the tribe for the rest of their term in South America.
They both returned home after their term was over, and it wasn’t until 9 years later that Clyde was able to visit the field. One day he encountered one of the men from the tribe who had since become a Christian; so he asked the native about what happened that night.
The former head-hunter said, “I remember that night, there were 44 of us and we were coming to set fire to your hut. When we got there and surrounded the hut we realized we could not attack because there were hundreds of men, dressed in white, with swords and shields, standing all around your hut and even on the roof. That is why I am a Christian now.”
Uncle Clyde realized then that God had protected them with His angels and used this account to be an encouragement to many others throughout the rest of his life.
It indicates the grounds for the preceding comments concerning the Son’s superiority to the angels [Alf, Blm, GNC, HNTC, Hu, Hwt, Mil, My, NIC, NTC, TH, TNTC, WBC]: the Son is superior to the angels, since the following comments prove this.
Thus, Ps. 2:7 is applied consistently to the Messiah in the Jewish literature through several centuries. For the most part, the psalm is associated with hearty anticipation of Messiah’s coming and the vindication of God’s people before the unbelieving nations.
Or again, “I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son”?
And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.”
In the OT the term became a metaphor for Israel’s special status (Ex. 4:22) and the supremacy of the Davidic monarchy among other kings (Ps. 89:27). In the NT “firstborn” refers to Christ’s preeminence as the creator and owner of the universe (Col. 1:15) and as the Resurrected One (Col. 1:18; Rom. 8:29; Rev. 1:5).
Of the angels he says, “He makes the angels winds, and his ministers a flame of fire.”
But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions”
Hebrews 1:10 - The Son - Creator
And, “You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands;”
Hebrews 1:11-12 - The Son - Divine Nature
Hebrews 1:13 - The Son - Messianic Position
And to which of the angels has he ever said, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”?
Hebrews 1:14 - The Angels - Servants of the Elect
Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?
Closing Quote
The supremacy of Jesus as the Son is the theme of this section. Jesus’ sonship is tied to his being the Davidic king and the ruler over the world. The divinity and the humanity of the Son are both central to the argument. He rules as the Davidic king and as one who is fully divine. The angels worshiped him when he was raised from the dead and exalted, and as God he rules over all. Indeed, the Son is the eternal and unchanging Creator. By way of contrast angels are servants, carrying out God’s will. Since the Son is superior to angels, since he is divine and rules over all, why would the readers consider returning to a revelation (the Mosaic law) mediated by angels?