The Superiority of the Son Over Angels

Hebrews 1:5-6 and the Son Superior to the Angels

Now, once again, we'll be instructed out of the Word of God by Dr. White.

And once again, we'll be working out of the epistle to the Hebrews, Hebrews chapter 1. If you were not here this morning, we covered a huge swath of ground, two verses. We may cover more this evening because, I confess, I'm not sure where there is a meaningful breaking point between here and the end of the chapter, but we'll just see how the Lord leads.

In Hebrews chapter 1, we will begin reading at verse 5, just to go back and familiarize ourselves with where we were this morning and get a running start on where we're going this evening. Once again, demonstrating the supremacy of Christ, the first rhetorical question, verse 5, for to which of the angels has he ever said, you are my son, this day I have begotten you.

And again, I shall be to him as a father and he shall be to me as a son. And again, when he brings the firstborn into the inhabited world, he says, let all the angels of God worship him. And to which of the angels has he said, the one making his angels spirits and his ones who serve him, it's literally a term that means to serve in the temple, those who serve him flames of fire, but of the son, please note that beginning of verse eight, but of the son, he says, your throne, O God is forever and ever.

And the scepter of uprightness or righteousness is the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness. Therefore, God, your God has anointed you with the oil of rejoicing or gladness beyond your compatriots.

And hearkening back to verse eight, this is said to the son versus ten through twelve again said to the son, you at the beginning, O Lord, lay the foundation of the earth and the heavens, the work of your hands.

They shall perish, but you will remain and they shall all become old as a garment as an outer cloak. You will roll them up as a garment. They shall be changed, but you are the same and your years will never run out or come to their completion.

For to which of the angels has he ever said, sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet. Someone ten. Are they not all ministering servants sent out to minister to those who will inherit salvation?

Amen. Well, once again, as you can see, the next section that we have to look at is a long series of Old Testament quotations beginning at verse seven. And as we saw this morning, it is vitally important to understand the background of each one of these quotations so we can follow the argument that is being made by the inspired writer.

And so we saw this morning this connection of the sonship in verse five, son and father in the second quotation of verse five, then the firstborn in verse six. And we saw then looking at Deuteronomy 32, 43 and the Greek Septuagint, the fact that we have here one of those texts where the writer is applying something that was originally about Yahweh and applying it to Jesus.

As most of you know, later in this section, verses 10 through 12, we have one of the key texts where that happens, and so that's why I wanted to emphasize it this morning. It is extremely important that we keep that in mind.

So once again, the argument continues, and it seems that in verses seven and eight there is another contrast being drawn between the angels and the son. First of all, we have a quote from Psalm 104, 4, where you have the angels described as spirits and those who serve him, and that term is used of service in the temple as flames of fire.

Now, once again, I think some Jewish apologists or some might have some problems with the argument because if you go back to the 104th Psalm, Psalm 104, you will see that it's talking about the natural realm and its service to God.

For example, if you just go back to verse two, covering yourself with light as with a cloak, stretching out heaven like a tent curtain, he lays the beams of his upper chambers in the waters, he makes the clouds his chariot, he walks upon the wings the wind, he makes the winds his messengers, flaming fire his ministers.

He established the earth upon its foundations that will not totter forever and ever, etc., etc. So it is talking about God as creator, but verse four, at least from the Hebrew, seems to indicate he makes the winds his messengers, flaming fire his ministers, and so it could be interpreted as just simply the idea that the natural realm, the winds, which we've certainly had enough of recently, that's why we're all coughing and sneezing, the winds are his messengers, flaming fire his ministers.

But as you probably are aware, some of the terms in the Old Testament are somewhat ambiguous because the term that is found in verse four can be, or his angels, or his spirits. And so clearly the writer of the Hebrews is interpreting that term in that way, and speaking of the angels being ministers, those who do the will of God.

Now there's no question in the Old Testament this is exactly what angels do. And it is interesting, we don't have time to go into it this evening, but if you want to do some more reading in it, it is interesting that during the intertestamental period, again, when you go into the literature that the Jews wrote, and when you go into something that the reformers thought we should read these books for edification and for knowledge and things like that, but because Rome eventually added them to the canon, most Protestants have never read anything of them, but in the apocryphal books, what we call the apocrypha, you have discussions of these same things, these developments about what the angels were like as ministers of flames of fire and things like that, that would be very consistent with the writer's use of this particular text.

I believe if you look at 4th Ezra, as I recall, there's a lengthy discussion that would be very much utilized in the same kind of language that is here. And so again, his assertion is that the angels are created.

They have been made to serve. They serve at God's bidding. So verse 7 is set in contrast to verse 8, but to the sun. And so verse 8 is a contrast to verse 7. Angels, they have their certain role, they are to be messengers, they are created beings, they have their particular area, but listen to what is said to the sun.

And here you have a quotation of Psalm 45 verses 67. Now, you will find some translations of the Bible and some mistranslations of the Bible, such as the New World Translation of Jehovah's Witnesses, that will render this.

God is your throne forever and ever. But that is a highly unusual way of reading the text. Others would say, well, no, wait a minute, this Psalm 45, you go back, it was a psalm about the marriage of one of the Israelite kings.

And you wouldn't call an Israelite king God, would you? Well, given the Davidic covenants and given the way that people dealt with kings in the old world, this kind of exalted language, again, seems to remind us of things like, well, Isaiah 9, 6, mighty God, Micah 5, 2, one who is everlasting.

There seems again to be in the Old Testament these texts that refer to one who could never find fulfillment in any Old Testament paradigm, in any Old Testament person. It goes beyond that. And I think that the real contrast between verses 7 and 8 would not be to say, God is your throne, but to say, your throne, O God, is forever and ever.

That's the contrast to these angels who are created, who are part of the created order, but to the Son, he says, your throne, O God, is forever and ever. And I was reading one particularly excellent commentator who likewise in the later phrase, when it says in most translations, therefore, God, even your God, has anointed you, said, I think that we should be a little more careful how we render this.

He sees, actually the term God appears two times in a row, right there in the Greek, Hathaios, Hathaios. The second one is Hathaiosou, your God. But he indicates that just as the word God in verse 8 is in what's called the vocative, that is, he's being addressed, your throne, O God, is forever and ever, that the same thing is true in the second part of the verse.

So that is again referring to this person as God. Your God, O God, has anointed you. Now again, we're going, well, I don't know, it sounds like polytheism or something. No, it's not polytheism. But it does harken back to the Old Testament.

Remember what happened when Abraham was walking by the Oaks of Mamre back in Genesis 18? All the way back there, three men come walking up to Abram, and we are told in the text that two of them are angels.

They're the ones that end up going down to Sodom and Gomorrah. One is identified as Yahweh. And after the angels go down to Sodom and Gomorrah, when it is time to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, the text says this really odd thing.

It says, Jehovah rained fire and brimstone out of heaven from Jehovah upon the city. And so it would seem that you have Jehovah on earth who has been speaking with Abraham, and he rains fire and brimstone down upon Jehovah from in heaven.

Do we have two Jehovahs? Of course not. But we do, when we look at the New Testament, have the one name Yahweh, Jehovah, used of Father, Son, and Spirit. And what is one of the key assertions of the New Testament?

That no one has seen the Father at any time. Who have they seen? It's the Son who has literally exegeted Him, explained Him, made Him known. And what does John tell us in John chapter 12? Who was the one that Isaiah saw sitting upon the throne?

It was Jesus. And so we have this theme running all the way through the text of Scripture. And so I think we need to be a little bit slow to accuse the writer of the Hebrews of having sort of missed something here.

Maybe we're the ones that need to listen a little bit more closely to see what is really being said. And so you have this citation of the 45th Psalm. And there's much we could say about the scepter of uprightness, righteousness.

It's a rule that is marked by truthfulness. I think there's a lot that could be said about that. We could make an entire sermon just making applications to what godly rulership is that I think can come out of something like this.

The fact that he's loved righteousness and hated lawlessness. If we want to talk about how we are to imitate Christ, we are to be like Christ, well, here's one of the attitudes. Loving righteousness, hating lawlessness.

But I will resist that very strong temptation I have right now to pursue that. And so you have this statement that God, your God, oh God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.

Now who would these companions be? It was interesting. One of the best suggestions that I saw was that this would be sort of a foreshadowing of what we see in chapter 2. When in chapter 2, Jesus is talking about my brethren.

Notice verse 12, I will proclaim your name to my brethren in the midst of the congregation. I will sing your praise. And so the possibility being that this rejoicing is the rejoicing of the leader of the redeemed and those others that are mentioned are the redeemed themselves, which would be an interesting way of looking at this.

But the main point to see is that verse 8 is in contrast to verse 7. Angels are created beings. The Son is described as God, who is the righteous ruler. He is different than the angels. But now here's something very important.

This is very practical. If you ever, you know, again, get that knock on the door on Saturday morning or whatever else other context you might be in, here's something to keep in mind. This is a very, very important text to notice.

Maybe your Bible, it doesn't break things up into poetry and things like that, or doesn't indicate quotations. Maybe it's just sort of block. But most modern translations will break things up a little bit.

And as I was translating this, I mentioned to you, notice verse 8 says, but to the Son, and then the quotation of Psalm 45. Then verse 10 simply starts with, and followed by the quotation of Psalm 102, 25 -27, both taken from the Greek Septuagint.

Now why is that important? Because what is in verses 10, 11, and 12 is also being said to the Son. This continues the contrast with the angels of verse 8. This isn't some new section. This is still addressed directly to the Son.

So he is described here as Lord at the beginning of verse 10. You from the beginning, O Lord, laid the foundation of the earth. Now why is this important? Well, turn back with me for a moment to the 102nd Psalm, and you'll see why it is so very important.

Psalm 102, what is this Psalm about, and to whom is it addressed? Well, once again, I know that 90 of you are aware of this, but for the 10 who are not, don't feel badly that you're not, but you do need to be aware of a fact here.

When you look at the Old Testament as we have it in our English Bibles, you do not see the divine name just spelled out for you very often, unless you have something like the Jerusalem Bible. Psalm 102 says, Hear my prayer, O Lord.

And when you see that word Lord, you will note that it's not typeset normally. What I mean by that is the O and the R and the D are capital letter forms, but they're in a smaller font. They're not the normal O and R and D that you would expect to see in the word Lord.

The reason for that is, that is the English Bible translator's way of telling you that the underlying Hebrew word is Yahweh or Jehovah. You could easily say, Hear my prayer, O Yahweh. Hear my prayer, O Jehovah.

That's why it's there. Now the Jews simply say Hashem, the name. If you want to offend a Jewish person right out of their socks, if you want to have your glasses turned into contact lenses, then use the divine name, the presence of a Jewish person.

They find that highly offensive. I had a dear Old Testament teacher in Bible college. He's gone to be with the Lord, but he told us a story about how he was invited by a Jewish friend to go to synagogue.

Since he could read Hebrew, they thought they could get this goyim to be Jewish or something, and so they gave him the scriptures to read. But he forgot about their traditions, and so he's just ripping along through the Hebrew, and he comes to the Tetragrammaton, Yod-Heh-Wah-Heh, and the Jews will always either say Hashem or Adonai.

They will not say Yahweh. Well, he didn't remember that, and you could have heard a pin drop in the synagogue that day as he managed to offend everybody right out of their socks by pronouncing the divine name.

So, keep that in mind when you encounter the word LORD, L-O-R-D in all caps, that's the English Bible translator's way of telling you that is the name Jehovah or Yahweh. So this is a psalm to Yahweh.

You can see his name is used a number of times, verse 21, that men may tell the name of Yahweh in Zion, my praise in Jerusalem, so on and so forth. And so, when you get to verse 25, we are still talking about Yahweh.

Of old you founded the earth, and the heavens the work of your hands. Even they will perish, but you endure. All of them will wear out like a garment, like clothing. You will change them, and they will be changed.

But you are the same, and your years will not come to an end. The children of your servants will continue, and their descendants will be established before you. This is clearly addressed to Yahweh. It cannot be applied to anyone else, because what's it about?

What is being asserted here in the 102nd Psalm? Basically, the immutability of God. God does not change. God does not age. We look at the great creation around us, and we think of how many generations, centuries, millennia have passed.

God must be getting old. God must have that white beard. No, God is not subject to aging. The created order is. Anything in the created order is subject to aging, but God is not subject to aging. His years do not come to an end.

He does not get older and wiser over time. And this is an attribute solely of the one true God of Scripture. And so, for the writer to the Hebrews, to take a text, you know, this morning we looked at verse 6, we saw Deuteronomy 32, and we went, wow, in the Greek Septuagint, that's about Jehovah, but not too many of us are running around with translations of the Greek Septuagint.

The original readers would have caught that one, but a lot of English readers, right on past us, because even if we looked at Deuteronomy 32, 43, Brother Flock was saying, that's not what my Bible says.

My Bible says Deuteronomy 32, 43. Well, that's because it's not a translation of the Greek Septuagint. But this one, that's from the Greek Septuagint, yes, but the Hebrew says the same thing. And the English Bible reader who takes the time to go back is going to go, no, wait a minute.

These are words that can be applied only to the one true God. Any created being, no matter how majestic that created being is, is on the other side of the divide from the Creator. And so to apply these words, as the author does, to Jesus.

Now, it's not shocking to us, did he not already say that the Son was the one through whom all things were made at the beginning of the book? He did. But if there is any question about what he meant back in verses 1, 2, and 3, those questions are pretty much gone now.

Because as I've said to more than one Jehovah's Witness, you and I can argue for a long time about whether Jesus is called God or a God. But if Jesus is identified as Jehovah, then the argument's over.

And they will agree with that. Obviously, if Jesus is identified as Jehovah, then all the rest of the arguments you can have are irrelevant. And so here you have this key text. And you see the argument is adding up.

It's not just one. It's not just, well, maybe we're misunderstanding his application here. Well, did we misunderstand his application in verse 6? In verse 8? In verse 10? No. The evidence is adding up.

The argument is being presented to the Jewish person in essence to go back to the old way, to go into that temple and to say, I'm going to honor the name of Hashem, the Lord, while shaming the name of Jesus is not possible.

Because you see, to deny Jesus is to deny Jehovah God Himself. There's nothing to go back to. See how it fits into the argument of the book of Hebrews. And so I would suggest to you, just to keep in your own mind, this is one of the two texts that I always use with Jehovah's Witnesses, that and John 12 with Isaiah 6, to ask them to consider this reality, that the New Testament identifies Jesus as Jehovah.

Psalm 110 and the Enthronement of Christ

Well, very quickly, as time is passing us, we can hardly even do justice to the last verse that is adduced here in the first chapter. In verse 13, once again, to which of the angels has he ever said a rhetorical question?

And then we have what probably is the key text in the mind of the early church regarding Jesus. The key text. It was considered to be clearly fulfilled in Christ, sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet, the 110th psalm.

We know that even Jesus used this. We know that he uses the same psalm to catch up the Jews and say, well, given your own messianic interpretation, your own messianic expectation, how can David identify the Messiah as his Lord if he is the son of David, if he is a descendant of David?

And they don't know how to answer him. This particular text speaks of, again, enthronement, sit at my right hand. Now, there are some folks, because they don't look at all of the scriptures, they don't believe all the scriptures and primarily because they accept other things as scripture.

They will look to a text like this, a look to Stephen as he's being stoned in Acts 7 when he says he sees Jesus at the right hand of glory and they think God has the right hand and that means Jesus is a separate God and Jesus is over on the right hand side.

Clearly, when it says to be seated at the right hand of God is a position of authority and a position of power. He is seated. The angels are either hovering in flight or they're kneeling or they're prostrate.

He is seated. No one is seated in the presence of God. Indeed, I recall recently, I forget exactly what it was. There was some brouhaha somewhere in the world because one particular person would not stand up when one particular political leader came into the room.

They just would not show respect for that person that way. And obviously, even in our own day, if you were sitting in a room and even someone like the governor of the state walked in the room, you're not just going to sort of sit there and, you know, keep dipping your French fries, let alone when the big burly police officer comes along and check you out.

But there's some respect to be shown. But here is one who is seated at God's right hand. And God says that he is going to subdue all his enemies, takes us right back to the second song where we started this morning, where kiss the sun, lest he be angry with you.

Why do the nations rage? This is one who has governing authority and power over all the world. And the key to the early church was while they here on Earth were mistreated, while they here on Earth were a small, despised minority.

What gave them the strength to go into the Colosseum and face the animals? What gave them the strength to go into the prisons and to be separated from their loved ones? Paul chained to a smelly Roman soldier.

What gave them the power to press on, to rejoice when all their physical belongings were taken from them? What gave them that strength? Because they recognized that even though for a time, the powers of this world were opposed to them, even though the rulers of this age mocked the name of Christ, they were convinced that their Lord was seated at the right hand of the majesty on high.

What did we learn through the hard work that Pastor Fry put into going through the Book of Revelation? What was the constant recurring theme? What did we see at the very beginning of the Book of Revelation?

How is Jesus seen there? Is he seen as the meek, lowly person knocking upon a door, hoping for entrance? What is the picture of Jesus there? A sword is coming out of his mouth. There's purity and power and authority and glory.

And that's what the early church saw in Psalm 110. Despised by the Romans, spat upon, beaten and bloodied, seated at the right hand of power on high. This was what they knew that the world didn't. The world wanted to see authority and power and conquering heroes.

But you see, the Christian message was that through suffering, he had demonstrated the power of God in defeating the last enemy, death. And now, because he had been faithful, he has been exalted. He has been given the name which is above every name.

He is seated at the right hand of power. The fulfillment of the words of the 110th Psalm. And so here is the conviction that gave the Christians strength then and should give Christians strength today as well.

There is a promise that is found there that they also embrace very, very dearly. He's at the right hand of power. But God, the father, makes a promise. He will be seated there until what? Until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet, a footstool for your feet.

What does that mean? They will be subdued. Remember the pictures in the Old Testament? What was one of the ways in which in the old world the king demonstrated the victory over another nation was but to put his foot upon the very neck of the king of the conquered nation.

You are subdued. Ironically, that becomes Islam. That's what submission means. That's what Islam means when you hear people say Islam means peace. Yes, that kind of peace, the peace that comes with your foot on the neck of the defeated foe.

That's the peace that Islam refers to in submission. That's just a reality. But you see, to make your enemies a footstool for your feet, they have been subdued. There is no more rebellion left. God is going to quell all the rebellion against the kingship of the sun.

And you might say sometimes, well, I hope he gets to it soon. Well, he has in this room, hasn't he? He has in many other places around this world, people who don't dress like us or talk like us or speak like us.

And does it ever amaze you to think about the fact that people from every tribe, tongue, people and nation confess the same things you and I believe? How do you explain that outside of the supernatural work of the Spirit of God?

I don't think you can. So there's a promise. He's at the right hand and God will subdue his enemies in his time, in his way. And so the final contrast of the chapter, these angels, these great created spirits, are they not all ministering spirits?

It refers, like I said earlier, to those who ministered in the temple. And that's what we see in Isaiah 6, Revelation 4 and 5, these angelic creatures worshiping God. Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to render service?

It's literally the word for which we get diaconate, the deacons, the deacons, angels or deacons. Are all deacons angels? That's a good question. Sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation.

Please notice that is future tense. That is future tense. There is the now and the not yet in Scripture. We have been saved. We are being saved. We will be saved. This is something God is doing. We see it in Romans 8, adopted and yet awaiting the adoption.

Sons of God, yet it's not fully revealed. What we have now is a taste of what is to come. And here they are described as ministering servants sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation.

Now, I know a lot of folks like to write books about angels, have visions of angels and do all sorts of things like that. And I don't see any evidence in the New Testament that we're supposed to be chasing around after angels.

We certainly aren't supposed to be seeking conversations with them. And we're going to a Catholic church once and here is this big old huge statue of Michael. And you can pray to Michael. Well, I'm sure Michael just rolls his eyes if that is possible for an angel to do.

When anybody does that, but they are the means, they are a means that God uses to minister to us. And when I think of all the dumb things I've done, it's really easy for me to sit there and go, well, you know, given all the miles I've ridden on a bicycle, I wonder if I've just run my poor angel ragged and all that time.

But we're not told to speculate about such things. We're not told to write books about it and make amulets up and and sing songs, do any of that kind of stuff, because you see, we don't control angels.

God does. God uses them for his purposes in his way. And to be perfectly honest with you, that should be enough for us. We shouldn't have to go beyond that. And I really start getting a little bit worried personally about the people who do go beyond that, because evidently what's in the word isn't enough for them.

And if they want to come up with some more stuff, something a little more exciting, a little more interesting, that concerns me. The point is that a clear contrast has been drawn here in the first chapter in the Jewish mind.

What are the greatest created beings who live in the very presence of God and worship him? They're the angels. The sun is above them. It's not like there's 12 empty spaces above the angels before you get to God and the Jewish way of thinking.

If this is who Jesus is, then everything that was said in the first three verses about him being the very exact representation of his being, the radiance of his glory, the creator of all things, all the rest of that stuff has been firmly established and cannot be questioned.

So right from the start, you can see that the argument already has been closed. Now, the argument is not going to stop here, but the argument has been closed. Come back to Judaism. Come back to the worship of Yahweh.

Wait a minute. You can't go back to the worship of Yahweh. Why not? Because Yahweh has revealed himself in his son to go. There's nothing to go back to. This is important in our day, because a lot of people say, well, you're just a racist and a hater because you're saying that Jews and other people are just going straight to hell.

No, I'm saying everybody's going straight to hell. Outside of Jesus Christ, that is the fate of anybody because of sin. That's not the point. But what they're saying is, well, you're saying that the worship of the Jew is not acceptable, but they're doing what wasn't Abraham worshiping God?

Yes, but something has happened. God did something in the incarnation that has forever changed the way of approach to him to know that he has revealed himself in Christ and then to say no to that. I don't want him.

I don't want that. I don't want that religion. I just want to go straight this way is to reveal, to reject what he himself has done in revealing himself in Christ. And so you see what was being said to those early Christians come back to the worship of Jehovah.

The first part of the argument is you can't. That worship is no longer acceptable. God determines the way he's to be approached. And at once high priest offers a sacrifice, that was the way the law said to do it.

But what happened when Christ dies upon the cross? That veil that separated the holy of holies from the rest of the world is torn from top to bottom. He changed the way I didn't change the way he changed the way.

And to say that that somehow is showing hatred is to say you reject Christianity and you will identify anyone who believes what the word of God actually says as someone filled with hate, that we should deny our faith in Christ.

And we, of course, will not do so. So this is just the first argument. Notice where we'll go the next time I have the opportunity of ministering. Chapter two, for this reason, we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard so that we do not drift away from it.

For if the words spoken through angels proved unalterable and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty, how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? Why is it so great a salvation?

Because of the one who provided it. You hear in the argument, it's a rich book. The richness for us this evening should be in the revelation it gives to us of who our Lord and Savior truly is. Let's pray together.

Indeed, our heavenly father, we once again are so thankful that you have not left us in darkness, even though we live so many generations after the days when these words were first penned. Yet you have preserved them for us.

You have given them to us. And by your spirit, you thrill our hearts, especially when your words speaks of our Savior, our Lord, our king, our master. Oh, we thank you for your word. We thank you for its revelation of Christ.

And as we always pray, may we live this week as servants of him that bring honor and glory to his name. We pray in Christ's name. Amen.