Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's a lesson for the original audience?
Better Than The Angels
4 having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
-Hebrews 1:4
This verse is the launchpad for one of the lessons of this section. It is simply that Jesus is better than the angels. In our modern theology, this may not seem so impressive. Given the last 2,000 years of having this revelation has stopped us from being in awe of this fact. The generation that this was written to was receiving this revelation afresh. The angels took a prominent role in the Hebrew understanding. So let us take a look at how the angels were understood.
For better or worse the angels occupied a very mysterious place in their minds. We can relate in this regard. They are heavenly beings carrying divine agency. But it is not just these divine beings that are being talked about specifically, but the angels. What is the difference? Well angel simply translates to messenger. Those who are being talked about are those who have delivered heavenly messages. They communicated the instructions of God. If we consider that in context with that is being talked about, let's see what we can come up with.
-Hebrews 1:4
This verse is the launchpad for one of the lessons of this section. It is simply that Jesus is better than the angels. In our modern theology, this may not seem so impressive. Given the last 2,000 years of having this revelation has stopped us from being in awe of this fact. The generation that this was written to was receiving this revelation afresh. The angels took a prominent role in the Hebrew understanding. So let us take a look at how the angels were understood.
For better or worse the angels occupied a very mysterious place in their minds. We can relate in this regard. They are heavenly beings carrying divine agency. But it is not just these divine beings that are being talked about specifically, but the angels. What is the difference? Well angel simply translates to messenger. Those who are being talked about are those who have delivered heavenly messages. They communicated the instructions of God. If we consider that in context with that is being talked about, let's see what we can come up with.
God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets
-Hebrews 1:1
-Hebrews 1:1
The various ways that the Lord spoke was frequently by angels. Or angels were involved in some way. The mystery of their power and their knowledge of God was critical to the Hebrew's understanding of the Lord. Now they have the very Son of God speaking to them. The greatness of the message becomes even greater with the greatness of the messenger.
Imagine for a moment that I came and told you that the government was going to buy you a house and give you the land all for free. You'd chuckle at the idea. But then imagine a government agent tells you the same thing. Let's say these government agents have gone around and eluded to this for several people. You'd definitely start to perk up at the idea. Now let's say the President of the United States came to your front door and gave that same promise, checkbook in hand. The weight of the message is carried by the messenger. You'd certainly believe it then.
The angels delivered these messages of God before hand. Now it is the Son of God that delivers this message. How much greater than the angels must He be? Their power and their mystery dawn in comparison to the Son of God. All of the greatest of the greats have now been compared to the Son and the Son wins out every time. The writer of Hebrews will continue doing this as well.
As you look at this section, what lesson do you see for the original audience?
Imagine for a moment that I came and told you that the government was going to buy you a house and give you the land all for free. You'd chuckle at the idea. But then imagine a government agent tells you the same thing. Let's say these government agents have gone around and eluded to this for several people. You'd definitely start to perk up at the idea. Now let's say the President of the United States came to your front door and gave that same promise, checkbook in hand. The weight of the message is carried by the messenger. You'd certainly believe it then.
The angels delivered these messages of God before hand. Now it is the Son of God that delivers this message. How much greater than the angels must He be? Their power and their mystery dawn in comparison to the Son of God. All of the greatest of the greats have now been compared to the Son and the Son wins out every time. The writer of Hebrews will continue doing this as well.
As you look at this section, what lesson do you see for the original audience?
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January
John 14:22-31 | What's the lesson for me today?John 14:22-31 | What am I going to do about it?John 14:22-31 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 15:1-11John 15:1-11 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 15:1-11 | What's the connection?John 15:1-11 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 15:1-11 | What's the lesson for me today?John 15:1-11 | What am I going to do about it?John 15:1-11 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 15:12-27John 15:12-27 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 15:12-27 | What's the connection?John 15:12-27 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 15:12-27 | What's the lesson for me today?John 15:12-27 | What am I going to do about it?John 15:12-27 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 16:1-15John 16:1-15 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 16:1-15 | What's the connection?John 16:1-15 | What’s a lesson for the original audience?John 16:1-15 | What's the lesson for me today?John 16:1-15 | What am I going to do about it?John 16:1-15 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 16:16-33John 16:16-33 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 16:16-33 | What's the connection?John 16:16-33 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 16:16-33 | What's the lesson for me today?John 16:16-33 | What am I going to do about it?John 16:16-33 | Prayer Prompts
February
Passage of the Week: John 17John 17 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 17 | What's the connection?John 17 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 17 | What's the lesson for me today?John 17 | What am I going to do about it?John 17 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 18:1-11John 18:1-11 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 18:1-11 | What's the connection?John 18:1-11 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 18:1-11 | What's the lesson for me today?John 18:1-11 | What am I going to do about it?John 18:1-11 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 18:12-40John 18:12-40 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 18:12-40 | What's the connection?John 18:12-40 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 18:12-40 | What's the lesson for me today?John 18:12-40 | What am I going to do about it?John 18:12-40 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 19John 19 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 19 | What's the connection?John 19 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 19 | What's the lesson for me today?John 19 | What am I going to do about it?John 19 | Prayer Prompts
March
Passage of the Week: John 20John 20 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 20 | What's the connection?John 20 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 20 | What's the lesson for me today?John 20 | What am I going to do about it?John 20 | Prayer PromptsJohn 21 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 21John 21 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 21 | What's the connection?John 21 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 21 | What's the lesson for me today?John 21 | What am I going to do about it?Passage of the Week: Hebrews 1:1-4Hebrews 1:1-4 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What's the connection?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What is a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What am I going to do about it?Hebrews 1:1-4 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: Hebrews 1:5-14Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's the connection?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's a lesson for the original audience?
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