HEBREWS. Chapter 1. Verses 1:1 1:4

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1 HEBREWS Chapter 1 Verses 1:1 1:4 The Bible is the only book which reveals the mind and heart of God. He speaks to us from His Word. The Scriptures also unfold His will for man and the purpose of man s existence. The Bible also reveals all we need to know about the future. It teaches us how to live the present, encourages us and imparts wisdom and knowledge. It lifts us up when we are down, and it is the only book that will impart a sure and solid hope to us. Above all these things, the Scriptures reveal to us the Son of God, the Messiah, our Savior. While all the pages of our Bible converge to make known to man his Almighty Creator, there is one Book which is unique. The book of Hebrews is where the Messiah s very identity, His character, and even His nature are so clearly stated. The book of Proverbs asks: What is His name, and what is His Son s name, If you know (Proverbs 30:4) The book of Hebrews answers both these questions. Who is Jesus to you? A Man, a Teacher, a Philosopher, God Himself? The Spirit in Hebrews settles all ambiguities and reveals to us these precious truths, from that moment in past eternity, when Yeshua willed to come down, until this very moment and to eternity. His origins, His nature, His works are debated. Even before His coming, ideas abounded everywhere as to who He will be; yet all these points are firmly stated in the Scriptures and especially here, in Hebrews. The writer is clear and concise, he is so down to earth, and he presents the facts in a clear and systematic way. He has a mathematical and empirical mind; one can t miss his point. Who is the author of Hebrews? We do not know. While this is true of many writers of other biblical books, at times we may know their names at least, like Joel or Zephaniah, but here we do not even know his name. Some say Paul, others Barnabas, Apollos, John, Luke; everyone has an idea but no one knows for sure. This is so fitting to the overall message because this book is about God and His Son and it seems that, all along, the Spirit wanted us to have our eyes focused on Him and Him only. It is not important that we know the name of the human writer, so long as we believe that all the words of this book are inspired. It is a Book of God. But, there are a few things we can discover about the writer. He is a very well educated author. They say that the Greek writing is of high quality. Even in the English translations, we can see a highly trained writer - Perhaps a Hellenist Jew, one trained outside of Israel, like Daniel or Moses. There are a total of about 5000 words in this book and over 1038 different words; it is very descriptive. Of these words, 169 are only found here in Hebrews. It is a rich book with new words, selected to speak of a unique individual, Yeshua. 1

2 In the book of Hebrews, well designed illustrations abound to drive home the message. Teaching from this book is a pleasure for a pastor, because the author, being a pastor himself, lays down his points so clearly. At times, it suffices to just read the text. The author asks the reader, at one point, to earnestly give heed to the Word of God unless we drift away, illustrating a ship gone astray (Hebrews 2:1)- a ship which could not be held in port. He speaks of hope as an anchor for the soul (6:19). This time the ship is well secured in the harbor as hope secures us. He speaks of the power of the Word as a double edged sword, which goes so deep into our being, dividing soul and spirit (4:12); the image is powerful and memorable. He sees our growth as the earth which drinks in the rain (6:7) and bears fruits, which he compares to blessings from above. While there is so much information in just 13 chapters, Hebrews may not always give new revelations because it draws so much from the Tanach, the Gospels and the Epistles; it gathers all this information into one precious whole. Just in the first chapter, the writer quoted some 9 Hebrew Scripture passages and throughout the 13 chapters there are some quotations or allusions to 42 Hebrew Scripture passages. Hebrews is like a Deuteronomy of the whole message of the Bible, with tentacles reaching on both sides of eternity. Where was Hebrews written? Propositions abound. Was it in Jerusalem, Galilee, Rome, Alexandria, Caesarea, or Spain? We don t really know. Of all of these, one may find support in the text that it is Rome. In Hebrews 13:24 we read the words: Those from Italy greet you. It is as if the writer was writing outside of Italy, to a community in Italy. If it is Rome, we can then understand the hardship and the persecution of the Jews at the time. The letter was written to the Hebrews. The word Hebrew does not appear in the text, but this title comes to us from the beginning of the 2 nd century. The word Hebrew comes from the name Eber in Genesis and from whom Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were descended. The Hebrews, here, are the Messianic Jews who, in the first century, came to a saving knowledge of the Messiah. Paul spoke of himself as a Hebrew of the Hebrews (Philippians 3:5). He affirmed it because many accused him of not being Jewish enough as the people of that time did not know how to differentiate between pharisaic Judaism and Biblical Judaism, as we do today. The Book of Hebrews is among the 5 Messianic letters of the New Testament - those specifically written to Jewish believers. The other books are James, and 1-3 Peter and Jude. The first church was composed mainly of Jewish believers. Today, when we think of a church, we think of a gentile place. However, at the beginning it was the opposite. The church is fundamentally Jewish; its roots are Jewish. It holds a similar place as the Olive Tree in Romans 11, where the natural branches are Israel and the nations are grafted into it. Even our congregation is often seen as marginal because we are Jews and Gentiles together, but it is not marginal. It is an original and genuine congregation; its composition is the closest to the first churches in history. 2

3 The Jews in the Book of Hebrews found themselves under tremendous persecution. Jews were rejected by mainstream Judaism everywhere. Jews living in Rome also experienced anti-semitism, which was rampant at the time, around 60 AD; that is when the book of Hebrews may have been written. About eight years earlier, in 52 AD, we read that Claudius, the Caesar of the time, expelled the Jews from Rome. Earlier, in 19 AD, Jews were expulsed from Rome by Tiberius Caesar. We remember Priscilla and Aquila, both were victims of the last expulsion; they also met Paul and they became great friends. Being a believer at the time was not easy. Many of these Jewish believers were first inclined to go back to Judaism to alleviate their persecutions. But the writer of Hebrews warns those who contemplated leaving the faith; he goes as far as saying that if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance would be impossible (Hebrews 6). The offer of salvation is too precious for one to accept and reject it at will; it does not work this way, for he further warns that our God is a consuming fire. (12:29). There was something else that threatened the young congregation of Hebrews - false doctrines. The writer is so passionate about denouncing, as well as encouraging his flock, that at times he is very bold. This may be the dream book for a pastor; because the writer says things that today s pastors may be shy to say. Let me tell you some of the things he tells his flock. In chapter 3 he warns his flock not to develop an evil heart of unbelief by pulling away from the Word of God. Later, in chapter 10, he warns them not to forsake the assembly- the congregation - as some were coming only when it was convenient. In chapter 5, he tells them not to be dull of hearing. He goes as far as telling them that since many of them have been believers for so long, by this time you ought to be teachers. He adds that after so long, they still need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God (5:12). In chapter 6, he asks them to leave discussions on the elementary principles of the faith and tells them to go on to perfection, to a higher degree of discussion and sanctification. He repeats over and over, the word better- thirteen times in all- stressing the fact that it was not worth it to look back and that our new understanding is so much better. In chapter 13 he reminds them to not get carried away by strange doctrines, not to waver, but to stick to what is truth. In Chapter 10, he goes as far as to remind them that: It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. But where does he get this boldness of words? How can he be so sure of what he is saying, as one who stood alone against great foes? I believe it is all in the first chapter. There we have a description of who God really is, of who Yeshua really is. Once you have seen God- once you have come so close to God- there develops this type of boldness and hunger for what is holy and what is just; truth will overtake you and you will be bold as a lion. But before we begin with these powerful descriptions of our God, let me bring you to the last chapter, to one of the last verses there, where the writer gives the reason for his letter. In Hebrews 13:22, he speaks of his letter, as a word of exhortation : And I appeal to you, brethren, bear with the word of exhortation, for I have written to you in few words. 3

4 Exhortation for the purpose of consolation, of comfort, this is what the book will bring to anyone who would study it. There are many things in there, sometimes complicated; but at the end, it is my prayer that you feel the presence of God and that you be exhorted. In this same verse, the writer adds: for I have written to you in few words. This is a very humble way to end the letter. I don t think that he realized, at first, the power of inspiration behind his letter, as each of these few words is so loaded with eternal meaning. Let us now read the first 4 verses. They are so powerful and they say so much about our Lord and Savior Yeshua. Take a deep breath because it is a long sentence - one continuous thought, as if the writer could not stop. Hebrews 1:1-4 1God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 a in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the f worlds. 3And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and b upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they (NASB) The original text begins with the words: In various ways and in time past, God spoke to the fathers by the prophets, The point of these first words is that now there is something- something very new. In the past God spoke through intermediaries, the prophets who are all the human authors of the Hebrew Scriptures, all the way from Moses to Malachi. Through them, He spoke in many portions and many ways. These are difficult words to figure out; they are what they call hapax legomena. These are words used only once in the New Testament. They are rare, and there are many of them here. The first is polymeros, poly means many, a lot and meros is translated later in Hebrews as what is detailed (9:5). In other words, it means what is well demonstrated, as if to say that God declared Himself in so many possible ways, He approached man and made Himself clear to all. The other word, polytropos, same prefix, poly, a lot, and tropos from the word trope meaning a revolution, a circle, as if to say that nothing is missing and that He covered all corners. These include the many ways God spoke to the people of the world - to Jews and Gentiles alike. He patiently called on the world through prophets like Enoch, Methuselah, Noah and others. He appealed to Pharaoh and Nebuchadnezzar and spoke their language of dreams and visions. He sent Jonah to the Assyrians. He knew their expectations and their beliefs and, through specific miracles, He gently brought them to salvation. He went to the Moabites; they must have realized His great love for them when they saw Isaiah weeping for them. He blessed Egypt and called them my people; many there must have known Him. Polymeros, Polytropos must have been the words behind what Paul says in Romans 1:20 4

5 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse. He was not talking to Jews, but to the whole world. But today, there is something new and different about the way God speaks to man. The Spirit says in these last days He has spoken to us in His Son. (Hebrews 1:2) Who is His Son? He is The Messiah - Jesus Christ - Yeshua Ha Mashiach. From this moment on, in the text, the Spirit of God focuses on the supreme character of the Son of God. He focuses on the highest position of the Messiah and clarifies our understanding of Jesus. Who is Yeshua? He is superior to angels, superior to man, to Moses, to Joshua, to Aaron, to all the prophets and to all those from all other religions. He is higher than any man who ever lived, because He is more than a man. He cannot be compared to any of the best our world has ever produced. Today He is the path to God who, as the verse says: He appointed Him heir of all things. That is, He is the way the truth and the life. He is the heir - that is the door - the only door leading to salvation and to eternity with God. Now, we are told that He opened heaven to the one who commits his life to Him. He has now given the believer a direct access to God in heaven. With Him, all is better. This word better is found at least 13 times in this book because with Jesus we have better promises, a better sanctuary, a better country; one not made by men but by God Himself. In all, we have a better life because everything changes when someone comes to Him. The Spirit leaves no room for ambiguity; He is the Heir, the only one today. The rest of Verse 2 brings us right to His nature. Who is This Man? See these powerful words at the end of Verse 2: through whom also He made the world Jesus, Yeshua, made the world. There are tremendous implications in these words. First, it means that He existed before the worlds He created. But, who do we know created the world in Genesis 1:1? God created it. But here we are told that it is the Son. This is a first indication among so many in Hebrews which speaks of the divinity of the Messiah. 5

6 The Greek word for world (aions) means much more than our word planet. This word is used 122 times in the New Testament and is translated many times into others words, such as forever and ever (39), forever (26), ages (26), eternal (3). Aions is plural, indicating time and eternity. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever (Mattew 6:13) - (Aions), here is also in plural. In secular Greek, this was a powerful word; for Plato aions was timeless eternity. Yeshua created all of it; He was before time. He created the universe and He sustains it. This is who your Savior is. John said the same thing: -All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made. (John 1:3) John said it, but Hebrews brings us even further. Who then is Jesus? Hang on; the writer is about to tell us much more about Him in the following verse (Hebrews 1:3): And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature (NASB) The radiance of God s Glory- what is meant by the radiance? This word is also a hapax legominon, an exclusive word in the Bible and no wonder that are so many of these because Yeshua is an exclusive Being. This word does not mean a mere reflection, but a light which shines right from the source. The Son is not just reflecting God s glory; He is God and radiates His own essential glory. Philo, the Jewish historian at the time, used this same word in his writings and speaks of the Logos relationship to God. Philo did not know John, nor was he a believer in the Messiah, but he knew the importance of the Logos and God. For him the Logos, the Word was the radiance of God and here comes John to say that the Word was God, the Logos is God. Also, here comes Hebrews to say that Yeshua is the Radiance of His Glory. Anyone of the first century, reading Hebrews, knew well what the writer was saying. Lactantius, a believer from the second century who was known to oppose polytheism, describes well this word for us. He explained this radiance as a ray coming directly from the sun. A ray is not a reflection but a direct light from the source - and my eyes can see a ray, however bring me close to the sun and I will be vaporized. Jesus, being fully divine, made Himself of no reputation and coming in the likeness of men (Philippians 2:7), so that all could see the radiance of God s Glory. This, I believe, is the point here. But this radiance, we have seen at work in the Hebrew Scriptures. We have seen God walking in the Garden of Eden with man; there too, He came in such a way as to the radiance of His one glory, otherwise Adam and Eve would have never been. When He appeared to Abraham in Genesis 18 and sat down with him and dined with Him, it was by way of a radiance of Him. When He spoke face to face with Jacob and with Moses, these were in radiance of His Glory. The Jews understood this concept better than anyone; they gave it a name in the Targums; the Shekinah Glory. Shekinah, from the word dwell, signifies all these times in past history when God came to man in the form of a man or other visible forms. 6

7 Verse 3 further says that Yeshua is the express image of His person. Express image is a Greek word that implies character. It meant exact copy, a trademark or simply says that Yeshua is the closest man can see of the wonders of God. God said: no one can see me and live. So, He made Himself like a man so we can see Him and behold Him. Jesus clearly said it too, in John 14:9 He who has seen Me has seen the Father How can He say this? It is because He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature. Such is the mystery of Godliness. I don t believe we can understand all of this and I don t believe we are required to, but this is Scripture, and because it is, I believe it. Because Yeshua is fully deity, He made himself a little lower than the angels, like us, so that we can see Him and understand Him. In the fourth century B C, Plato, discoursing on some of the insoluble mysteries of the universe, exclaimed: Oh, that there might come forth a word from God to make all things clear! But long before Plato s day, God had spoken: God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, (Hebrews 1:1). Plato did not see it. Moreover, about four centuries after Plato, The Word from God came And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14). But Yeshua did not only create the world and go away. The Spirit further tells us in the middle of Verse 3, that Yeshua is upholding all things by the word of His power. First, we are told about the radiance of His Glory; Glory is the Shekinah. Now He speaks of the Word of His power. The Jews of the time had another name for God; the Word. In Aramaic, it is the Memra. Jews avoided using the name of God because of the third commandment: You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain (Exodus 20:7). So, in their Bible translations that we now call Targums, they very often replace the name of God for the word Memra, meaning the Word. The Memra was also a synonym for Shekinah and mainly designates bodily manifestation of God. The writer of Hebrews knew his immediate audience and spoke to them of two important ways God manifested Himself - the Shekinah and the Memra. Both are found in Yeshua. In Verse 3, the word in Greek is Rhema, not logo. This word, Rhema, shows something stated; this speaks of the whole proclamation of the Scriptures. We have two terms for word: logos, which means a word and rhema, which is all the words together as we find them in the Bible. 7

8 The word of His power This truth we find repeated over and over in the Scriptures; it was through Jeremiah 23:28-29, where God said: And he who has My word, let him speak My word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat?" says the LORD. "Is not My word like a fire?" says the LORD, "And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces? Here the word of His power is seen as wheat because it feeds. It is seen as fire because it cleanses and it is seen as a hammer, because it is so powerful. For us, the Word is life and power. Other books, written by men, were given for our information; the Bible was given for our transformation. We may not always realize the immediate effect of the Word in us, but God promised that it Shall not return to Me void, (Isaiah 55) The end of Verse 3 tells us where our Lord is at this present time. It says that when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. He purged our sins, that is, of those who recognize Him for who He really is. For them, He sat down at the right hand of God; no priest in the Hebrew Scriptures ever sat down doing his work. Yeshua could sit down because in Him all the works find their fulfillment. All the Law finds fulfillment in Him. This is something the Hebrews will stress later in the text. In the beginning of Verse 2, the Spirit calls these times the last days. has in these last days spoken to us by His Son. The word for last days in Greek is eschatos, where we get the word eschatology- the study of the end times. But when did the last days begin? The last days began right at the resurrection. After this moment, Jesus could have established His Kingdom but He did not and instead allowed a time of grace. So far, 2000 years have gone by so that many can come to a saving knowledge of God. Of course, there are the last days of the last days; these are days in which we are presently living. But, considering the 2000 past years, is not our God a patient God? It is in Verse 4 where angels are mentioned. having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. But why would he compare the angels to Yeshua? There are a few reasons, and one may be that the Bible speaks of three beings in the universe; God, angels and man. There is no one else, and if there are three, where would you place Yeshua? 8

9 Is he a man, an angel or God? The Spirit already told us, but now He is about to tell us even more, so clearly, in the following verses. So far we have seen that He is not a mere man; in Verse 1 we are told that He made the worlds, the ages; everything that is made, He created it. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. John 1:3 Man was created on the 6 th day and angels were also created Praise Him, all His angels; For He commanded and they were created (Psalm 148). So what answer are we left with? The answer is God. This is only the beginning, where the Spirit will clearly reveal to us His Divine Nature. Another reason why angels are mentioned is that, in and around the 1 st century and even now, these were idolized and many times deified. In books written around the time of Hebrews, we have the book of Tobit, the book of Jubilee, the book of Enoch, where angels were given too much room and were elevated to mediators between man and God. The Qumran scrolls spoke much of them. But they are created beings and we have only one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus (1Tim.2:5). Angels were so prominent in these books that the Mishnah never mentions them, and the Sadducees went as far as to deny their existence. All this, perhaps, was to counteract the growing amazement toward angels. Who are these angels? The Spirit tells us at the end of Hebrews 1:14 Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation? This is who they are - created spirits who minister to the believers. Here we are talking about good angels, not demons. Michael and Gabriel are the only good angels we know of by name, in the Scriptures. Michael ministered to Israel and he is still doing it and will do it until the end; he must be the busiest angel in heaven. Gabriel brought prophecies to Daniel and he announced the good news to Zechariah, Joseph and Mary. As a whole, angels in heaven are not only faithful ministers, but they are a good example of obedience, submission and service - or ministering, as Hebrews has it. Ezekiel has much to say about them. If you open the first chapter of Ezekiel, you see these angels moving here and there at great speed and yet appearing at times as motionless. But a most prominent feature is their unity and conformity in doing the work of God. They looked like they were one, and we are told that their likeness was that of a Man, but the only Man in heaven is Yeshua. They were following Him who created them. These understood who He is; they see Him and they know to be like Him. They are a great example to follow. We learn that their wings touched one another. I believe this shows that they were working together, as we should be. 9

10 Why give all these description of angels in Ezekiel? At the very same time as Ezekiel was writing, in Israel, all these elements of unity and obedience were missing at the Temple in Jerusalem. There was no more obedience to the law; God was forgotten. This is why, six years from this very vision, the earthly Temple as well as the earthy Jerusalem were going to be completely destroyed. Man is higher than angels; this we will learn. Yet the angels surpass us in obedience and service. In Hebrews 1:4 we learn that Yeshua has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they (the angels). The Spirit tells us in Hebrews 2 that He made Himself lower than the angels; this is while He was on earth. Having gone through persecution and death, at the end, even in His humanity, He has inherited a more excellent name than they. What name did He inherit? The name must be that of Son of God. Angels are also called sons of God, but never one of them was called Son of God. Yeshua acquired this title. One more thing about Verse 4, in some translation the verse begins with the words having been made so much better... but the right translation, as many other translations have it, is having become. He came from above, being the Creator of angels, to come to earth, becoming lower than the angels for a while and now having a much better name - From heaven to earth and back to heaven. Starting with Verse 5 we have seven quotations from the Hebrew Scriptures to show the superiority of Yeshua over the angels; seven is the number of completion. Of the seven quotations here, five are taken from the Psalms, one from the book of Samuel and the other from the Torah. These verses are of the most powerful ones in the Scriptures to show the true nature of the Messiah. We will look at one of them now. This first quotation is taken from Psalm 2:5: For to which of the angels did He ever say: "You are My Son, Today I have begotten You"? This quotation was a very well chosen one because the people of the time understood this passage to be speaking of the Messiah. Let us first look at the word begotten before delving into the power of this prophecy. What they are saying is that because the word Begotten means made, or created, so Christ cannot be God. But it is the Human body of Jesus that was begotten. Let us not forget that He was born in Bethlehem. His humanity had to be made but He existed from before that; one does not annul the other. Micah told us so, hundreds of years before His coming: Micah 5:2 But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting." 10

11 It is God, who came into the body of man. It is not God who was begotten, but the humanity into which He dwelt. Now, who is this Son that is begotten in Psalm 2? It could not be David, because we are told in the next verse that He will have all the nations and all the earth for His possession. Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession. (Psalm 2:8) Furthermore, look at the last verses: Psalm 2:10-12 Now therefore, be wise, O kings; Be instructed, you judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, And rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, And you perish in the way, When His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him. That is such a great advice; be wise, serve the Lord, Kiss the Son, that is recognize Him and make Him Lord of your life, lest He be angry, And you perish in the way. That is the Son of God, Yeshua Himself, and God has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. John 5:27 Even more precious are the last words in Psalm 2 Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him. This speaks of salvation and protection, which can only be found in the Messiah. They knew, as they know today, that this Psalm speaks of the Messiah. The Targum, on Isaiah, translates Psalm 2:2, as we see the reference in the Babylonian Talmud, Sukkah 52a. Our Rabbis taught, The Holy One, blessed be He, will say to the Messiah, the son of David [and then they quote Psalm.2]. (May he reveal himself speedily in our days!), Ask of me anything, and I will give it to thee, as it is said, I will tell of the decree. this day have I begotten thee, ask of me and I will give the nations for thy inheritance. These Rabbis also have a desire to see Him; notice the words in this text May he reveal himself speedily in our days! He has already been revealed, and this is what we want to tell them, and to tell the whole world. He has in these last days spoken to us by His Son; this is the message of the Hebrews. Today we have seen that now He is sitting at the right hand of God and that He has been appointed heir of all things. So far, and in a few words, we have seen that: 11

12 The Messiah is the Creator of the universe. He was there before time began. He is the brightness of God s Glory, His express nature. He is the one who sustains us. Is it not strange that few know the name of the one who loves and protects us? All of this and so much more truth is in His great and wonderful Word, our Bible. There is one verse in Hebrews which I learned right away when I became a believer; Hebrews 4:12 "The Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of thoughts and intents of the heart" 12