Walking in Faith

Christ is the head of all things.  The Lord has made that known through the Scriptures.  Here, the author (most likely Paul) is reminding me of Christ’s position and what He did for me.  Christ was sent to the earth as a man.  He was sent as a man so that He could know our sins, our transgressions, our emotions, our pain.  Christ lived in the fleshy world and experienced the same things I experience.  Now, Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father.  Once again, all things in the universe are under His control and authority. 

The chapter gives me a different perspective than previous days.  Verse 9 states:

But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

In the “pecking order”, angels seem to be above men.  I wouldn’t normally believe that God would have made man lower than the angels because of His love for us, but I need to rethink that logic, apparently.  In the scheme of my doctrinal beliefs, this doesn’t have an impact one way or the other, really.  None of my core beliefs are shaken to the root. 

Christ paid once for all of our sins.  He saves us, through His blood, allowing sanctification for each believer.  Without Christ’s blood to wash over us, we are lost!  Our sinful nature will never allow us to do anything pleasing to the Lord.  However, Christ’s blood solves that problem for us!

What is important in this chapter to my daily living?  Christ’s death is certainly crucial.  I have to remember who He was and why He died.  Every day I sin and fall away from the Lord, I am stepping away from what Christ has given me.  I need to embrace that gift and hold it tightly.  I should treat it with the same reverence a child treats their favorite teddy bear or blanket.  Jesus is with me always and I need to be there with Him always.  Otherwise, it’s like He is walking around with me, but I am oblivious to His existence. 

I also need to remember that Christ didn’t die just for me.  Christ’s death was sufficient for all.  There are plenty of other men and women in this world that God wants to have a relationship with.  I can be a part of making that happen.  God certainly knows who He wants me to reach out to and help, but I can’t be useful to Him if I don’t take some steps.  I need to care for and love on my brothers more than on my self.

Jason Worthen Hebrews, Quiet Time

We are told to not neglect the message of our salvation.  What does this mean?  I think back of what the Bible has told me regarding the Jews of the time.  Paul was working to convince the Jews that Christ is the only way to their salvation.  He reminds them that if He is above the angels and they are proclaiming that He is the savior, how can we look away?  We must take care to listen carefully to what we are told.  Paul warns us that if we do not listen careful, we may “drift away” from it.  To me, I think of floating away from the Lord (as I am apt to do, sadly) and how I feel.  I feel alone, separated, desolate.  Oh yeah, I also feel like I am getting my way on many things since I am doing everything for myself and nothing for others.  Christ lived a life demonstrating how we should live for others.  For some reason, I can read about, learn about and hear about Christ’s life and know that I should follow His example, yet I do the exact opposite.  I know it is the sin nature in my life, but I have to remember that Christ is the only way to true salvation.  With this being true, I have to carefully live my life in accordance to the will of God.  How do you discern that?  Listen to Him! 

I have gone on rambling but I think it important to realize that as I sit here and close my eyes to think about the passage, I am doing nothing more than typing my thoughts.  I want this to be a communication between the Lord and I.  I want my hands to capture our conversation as it relates to this passage.

What is it that is key for me to apply to my life from this Scripture?  I have to live my life in a way that is pleasing to the Lord.  He has, in the past, shown great signs to the world. While I am not personally witnessing the parting of the Red Sea, I am experiencing my own personal miracles.  However, I continue to neglect these general revelations put in front of me by Him.  He makes it clear to me, I am just too blind to see.  If, however, I can life my live with Christ as the center, many of my problems will be managed.  My foul language.  I have noticed lately way too much cursing — even at home.  My evil tongue speaks lies and deceit because I am not fully connected to the Lord.  As I get back into the swing of quiet times and listening to the message (again, coming from verse 1), I will find myself being able to manage and control my sins.  An intimate relationship with the Lord is the key to everything.  It’s just a matter of putting all of the other “priorities” aside for a bit to make Him your true priority.

Jason Worthen Hebrews, Quiet Time

Hebrews 1:5 quotes Psalm 2:7 (which is about the Messiah) and 2 Samuel 7:14 where the LORD is speaking to David through Nathan. Paul is speaking directly to the Jews and affirming the fact that Christ was the Son of God. He makes reference to Psalm 2:7 again in Acts 13:33 with respect to the resurrection of Christ. More importantly, I think this verse is really about conveying to the Jews a clear message that Christ was deity and He was the Son of God. When reading the entire passage, Paul calls Jesus Son and God. He uses the words interchangeably to clear make his point. This would have been considered blasphemy during Paul’s time period, obviously. Adam Clarke makes a great point, however, when he states:

This most important use of this saying has passed unnoticed by almost every Christian writer which I have seen; and yet it lies here at the foundation of all the apostle’s proofs. If Jesus was not thus the Son of God, the whole Christian system is vain and baseless: but his resurrection demonstrates him to have been the Son of God; therefore every thing built on this foundation is more durable than the foundations of heaven, and as inexpungable as the throne of the eternal King.

Verse 6 attests to the resurrection of Christ, as well. Paul states that again, He brings the firstborn into the world. This is going to sound like rocket science, but by definition, the firstborn would have to have been on the world first. To bring him again clearly articulates a point that His Son would be resurrected.

The repetitive theme of angels stands out in these verses. I am not sure that I can conclude any great thing about angels or their purpose from this Scripture, but God makes it clear to us that His Son is above the angels. His Son commands the angels. Paul tells us that the angels will worship Him [the Son] (verse 6).

In verse 8-9, Paul refers the Christ as God. He states:

^{8But of the Son he says,}

“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,
the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.
⁹You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has anointed you
with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.”

Paul is quoting another Psalm — Psalm 45:6-7 in this verse. The throne of God is referenced for the Son and we are told it will exist forever and ever. Earthly kings come and go but Paul makes sure that the Jewish reader realizes that the Son of God will sit on the throne for eternity. Again, the deity or divinity of Christ is pointed out in these verses — a reminder to the Jewish reader of the true person of Christ.

Paul goes in verses 10-12 to give us more Scripture that affirm the divinity and eternal nature of Christ. I really love verse 13 which references Psalm 110. The key to all of this in my mind is to remember that Christ was, and is, the Son of God. He will reign on high and will be above man and all of the angels.

Paul closes the chapter pointing out the purpose of the angels — they are to serve and minister for the sake of those who are to inherit eternal salvation. The angels really seem to be placed below man a bit here. Their role is to serve the elected humans in the world. That strikes me. Angels were created on the second day according to Genesis 1 yet they seem to be in a position “lower” than man. I don’t mean that from a better or worse perspective. I believe the inference is that from a “pecking order” perspective, the angels would actually be considered below man. I am sure that my thoughts on this do not align with many other people’s opinions but I am challenged to understand why the angels would serve man. Although, as I think about this a bit more, I am reminded of the fact that Jesus tells us that the first will be last and the last will be first. I wonder — does this apply to the position of the angels in the end? Once their purpose has been complete, will they receive a greater reward in our Father’s kingdom than us?

Jason Worthen Hebrews, Quiet Time

³He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, ⁴having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

First, a few key words need to be defined or discussed:

• Radiance (comes from Greek word apaugasma):
  • reflected brightness
  • brilliance
• Glory (comes from Greek word Doxa):
  • praise, honor, or distinction extended by common consent
  • worshipful praise, honor, and thanksgiving
• Imprint (comes from Greek word Charakter (ref. representation from NASB with Strong’s):
  • to mark by or as if by pressure
  • to fix indelibly or permanently
• Nature (comes from Greek word Hupostasis):
  • the inherent character or basic constitution of a person or thing
  • a creative and controlling force in the universe
  • an inner force or the sum of such forces in an individual

I will stop there for now as I think about the first sentence. Christ was a perfect representation of the glory of God. He showed us exactly how we should show our love to our Creator. Christ taught us how to give thanks to Him. He taught us how to worship Him. We continue to struggle in following Jesus’s wisdom and instructions, however. We prefer to follow our own personal, sinful desires. We love sin and seemingly avoid the things of God. Of course, we know that we are not pleasing to God when we do this, but it is what He expects from us. He wants and deserves much more yet our ability to please God is limited only to those things given to us from Him (Romans 3). The second half of the sentence is just as powerful. Jesus carries the burden for the entire universe on His shoulders. He is able to influence, even control, events in the universe. He accomplishes this goal by the mighty word. The Bible gives us the ability to understand Jesus and our Father. It gives us an opportunity to understand the character (or nature) of our Creator.

Jesus paid for our sins — once and forever. He did this on the cross at the hands of men. Easter is a very powerful time for me for that reason. Our church allows us to write our name on a piece of paper and then staple it to a cross. I am always reminded that it was my own hand that put Christ on the cross. I can read about the Jews that did it and blame them. I can blame Pontius Pilate. I can blame the Sadducees and the Pharisees. It doesn’t change the fact that if I was alive during Christ’s time, without the grace of the Lord, I would have been just like the Jews that crucified him! Luckily for me, Christ’s death on the cross paid for my sins so that I also died on that cross with Him. I am now alive in a new life with Christ as the center of my world.

Christ has always been promised a seat at the right hand of the Father. There is a considerable amount of Scripture to support this statement (Psalm 80:17, Psalm 110:1, Matthew 26:64, Mark 16:19). Christ was created to fulfill the purpose of the Lord. He had to make a perfect sacrifice. His only Son fit perfectly. Once Jesus died, He immediately rose to heaven and was seated next to the Father. Why? Because it was God’s plan before time began.

For Jesus to be higher than the angels speaks to His divinity. The angels were messengers of the Lord. There were none who were given more responsibility by the Lord. Scripture shows us that Christ will command the angels (Psalm 91:11) and they will be sent out by Christ (Matthew 13:41).  While it is not perfectly explicit in this passage, this leads me to believe that Christ and God are one — part of the triune God.

Application: To live my life for myself is eternal death.  To live my life for Christ is eternal life but worldly death.  Which is worse?  Why live for today when you can live for tomorrow?  Christ set the perfect example of how to live.  I know that I can’t be, and never will be, Christ.  However, I can follow His example and live my life in accordance with His will and instructions.  Obedience to the Lord and His wisdom and commands is certainly pleasing to the Lord.  What better way is there to live every single day than in attempt to please your Creator?

Jason Worthen Hebrews, Quiet Time

The passage starts by reminding us that, in the past, God has used prophets to speak to our fathers. Now, He speaks to us through the words and life of Jesus Christ, His Son. The new covenant is a wonderful thing! Under the old covenant, we had to make atonement for our sins through sacrifices of animals. Now, we are not required to sacrifice anything because the death of God’s only son was sufficient for all of our sins. This is a huge doctrinal statement that one must believe in order to truly accept the death of Jesus Christ for their personal sins. There is nothing a person can do to earn their way into heaven. It is only by the blood of Christ that atonement for our sins can be found.

God appointed Jesus the heir of all things. Everything in the world, Jesus will own. This is the portion allotted to him. Why? Because Jesus is the very print of God — only flesh. We are all part of the family of God once we believe in Christ Jesus as our Savior. However, we are not entitled to everything. Why is that? We are not worthy of that! Christ deserves everything! We deserve nothing! God, in His grace, allows us to follow Christ so that when we are brought home to Him, we can spend eternity in His home. How beautiful will that be!
God created the world through His Son. What exactly does this mean? I think of versus like John 1:1-3:

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

Jesus was with God in the beginning. As God created the world, Jesus was there. But, wait a minute. This said that God created the world through His Son. If I look up the original word (Dia) and find the definition, I am a bit awestruck.

1. through
   1. of place
      1. with
      2. in
   2. of time
      1. throughout
      2. during
   3. of means
      1. by
      2. by the means of
2. through
   1. the ground or reason by which something is or is not done
      1. by reason of
      2. on account of
      3. because of for this reason
      4. therefore
      5. on this account

The ground or reason by which something is done. As I think about that… God created the world for the sole reason of glorifying Himself through His Son, Jesus Christ! He created the world so that He could send His only Son to the earth, as flesh, to die for His creations! Wow. If that doesn’t start to blow your mind, I don’t know what does! God is simply amazing!

Jason Worthen Hebrews, Quiet Time