Hebrews 1:1-4 | What's the connection?

As we consider the depth at which these statements are found, the points of connection grow continuously. These first four verses in the book of Hebrews will leave us with an ocean of cross-references that deeply pertain to what is being spoken about. At the onset, we are met with God. A good Bible student may contemplate the question, "Who is God?" This of course will lead them straight back to the beginning.

In the beginning...

God is the very first character we are introduced to in Scripture, for He is the only unmade being. He always was, always is, and always will be. There is no greater starting point. Just as Hebrews echoes, in the beginning we see that God spoke. To simplify things for a moment, I am going to fly through the course of history up to the Son. It can be summed up in saying God spoke.

God spoke to create, to reveal, to have fellowship, by the prophets, to make known His hidden thoughts, to speak for us, to express His depths, to demonstrate His love, to judge, etc. He did this at various times, which takes us through the timeline of Scripture. He spoke in various ways, which has us examine all the ways He has spoken, like through a burning bush, a still small voice, in dreams, in visions, through prophets, and by angels. While that was the history of His speaking, the author of Hebrews shares the, "but wait! There's more!" moment. God also has spoken by His Son. The audience to which He speaks is now us.

It may have been expected for the Jews to have been spoken to by prophets or in mysterious ways, but to be spoken to by the Son of God was a mystery in a category of itself. The author of Hebrews does not leave this comment hanging, but extrapolates who the Son is. Like God, who spoke in the beginning, the Son was also present in the beginning. In fact, the very worlds themselves were made through Him. Jesus is called the Word in John 1. When God spoke, those words created. Those words were the Son. This revelation is one that is spread throughout the New Testament.

All of these would rightly draw the reader back to the beginning and do as we are doing, bearing witness of the Son in the beginning. The Son displays the glory and person of God. He shares authoritative attributes like upholding all things by the word of His power. He purged our sins. Once again the language here is clearly Judaic language. It is Levitical language. There is none who could remove sins but God, but then we see it is Jesus who is sat at the right hand of the Majesty on high, bearing the authority that the throne gives. He is even made better than the angels.

All of these draw our eyes across the fullness of the Old Covenant and the things that were revealed through those times. The author of Hebrews is highlighting that all of those points back to the Son. But why go through all of those? What is the point that the Lord is showing through the Scripture? All of that we will cover tomorrow.

What connections are you seeing in this passage?