Near to the Heart of God A Study of the Book of Hebrews Near to the Heart of God A Study of the Book of Hebrews Lesson 3 Hebrews 1:4-14 Greater Than the Angels

I.Introduction A.Telephone support – a huge frustration B.Wide angle view of Hebrews 1:1—2:18: The Son of God and the sons of God 1.God has spoken in His Son who is higher than the angels (1:1-14) 2.Exhortation: Don’t Drift; Listen to Him! (2:1-4) 3.God saves us by the Son, who became “lower than the angels” to identify with us (2:5-18)

C.A zoom lens view of Hebrews 1: God has spoken fully and finally in His Son (1:1- 2a). 2.A seven-fold description of the Son (1:2b-3) a.Heir of all things (1:2) b.Creator of the universe c.The radiance of the Father’s glory (1:3) d.The manifestation of the Father’s essence e.The sustainer of all things by His powerful word f.He accomplished cleansing for sins. g.He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. 3.Conclusion: He is superior to the angels (1:4) 4.Seven Old Testament citations proving the superiority of the Son (1:5-14)

II.How the New Testament authors used the Old Testament A.Observations 1.Seven descriptions in verses 1-3; seven O. T. citations in verses 5-14 (stringing) 2.Most citations come from the Septuagint 3.Most citations from the Psalms (5/7). 4.Points are supported by double citation B.The author’s assumptions 1.The inspiration and authority of the Old Testament – it is the Word of God 2.There was more in the O.T. than even the human authors realized (1 Peter 1:10-12) 3.It is a consistent revelation (one book, progressively revealed), leading to Christ

C.Don Curtis: 3 types of Jewish interpretation D.A simplified analysis: “correspondence” E.Examples 1.1 Samuel 1 & 2; Luke 1 & 2 2.Psalm 22 3.Isaiah 7:14 4.Hosea 11:1 5.1 Corinthians 5:7 (Christ our Passover) 6.1 Corinthians 9:9 (Don’t muzzle the ox) 7.1 Corinthians 10:4 (the rock was Christ) F.Caution 1: The literal meaning is never set aside G.Caution 2: We don’t have the same freedom the N.T. authors did

III.The Son is Superior to the angels (1:5-14). (Guthrie, pp ) A.The Son’s unique relationship to the Father (1:5; Psalm 2:7; 2 Samuel 7:14) B.The inferior position of the angels (1:6 – 7; Psalm 97:7; 104:4) C.The eternality of the Son’s reign and relation to the cosmos (1:8 – 12; Psalm 45:6 – 7; 102:25 – 27) D.The Son’s position contrasted with angels (1:13 – 14; Psalm 110:1)

A.The Son’s unique relationship to the Father (1:5; Psalm 2:7; 2 Samuel 7:14) For to which of the angels did He ever say, “YOU ARE MY SON, TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU”? And again, “I WILL BE A FATHER TO HIM AND HE SHALL BE A SON TO ME”? (NASB95)

B.The inferior position of the angels (1:6 – 7; Psalm 97:7; 104:4) 6 But when he again brings his firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all the angels of God worship him!” 7 And he says of the angels, “He makes his angels spirits and his ministers a flame of fire,”

C.The eternality of the Son’s reign and relation to the cosmos (1:8 – 12; Psalm 45:6 – 7; 102:25 – 27) 8 but of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, and a righteous scepter is the scepter of your kingdom. 9 You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness. So God, your God, has anointed you over your companions with the oil of rejoicing.” 10 And, “You founded the earth in the beginning, Lord, and the heavens are the works of your hands. 11 They will perish, but you continue. And they will all grow old like a garment, 12 and like a robe you will fold them up and like a garment they will be changed, but you are the same and your years will never run out.”

D.The Son’s position contrasted with angels (1:13 – 14; Psalm 110:1) 13 But to which of the angels has he ever said, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”? 14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to serve those who will inherit salvation?

IV.Conclusion and application A.Why the author’s interest in angels? B.The author’s conclusion: Listen! (2:1-4) C.Crucial doctrines 1.Christology 2.The Trinity 3.Angelology D.The author has just succeeded in widening the gap between Christ and men. If He is higher than the angels, then He is vastly higher than men. How can we ever have a relationship with Him? This leads us to the second chapter and the incarnation: lower than the angels.

E.The author’s use of the Old Testament Scriptures should be instructive to us 1.We should be able to see more “correspondence” (connect more dots) 2.We should be able to see the deeper meanings of Scripture (like Melchizedek) 3.We should seek to see more of Jesus in the Old Testament Copyright © 2008 by Robert L. Deffinbaugh. This is the edited PowerPoint presentation of Lesson 3 in the series, Near to the Heart of God, A Study of the Book of Hebrews prepared by Robert L. Deffinbaugh for July 27, Anyone is at liberty to use this lesson for educational purposes only, with or without credit.