2:2 For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty

Many people in the first century believed that the Law had been given through the intermediary of angels. However, Scripture makes it clear that it was actually given directly to Moses by YHWH. Therefore it seems unlikely that is what the writer is referring to here, since to do so would not be accurate or truthful. However, God did frequently speak to men through angels, and such communications normally received an immediate response, probably due to the awesome nature of the beings who delivered them. Look, for instance, at Joshua’s reaction (Josh 5:14) or that of Manoah and his wife (Judges 13). To the Hebrew mind, it was quite inconceivable that an angel would speak anything other than the truth, or that his words should be ignored. The message brought by angels was to be received and obeyed.

So, the writer reasons, if the message brought by those whom he has just demonstrated to be inferior to Christ was weighty and binding, then the message brought by Christ Himself should be even more so.

every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty
No-one doubted for a moment that, should they be foolish enough to ignore or disobey a message brought by angels, they would quickly find themselves on the receiving end of a suitable punishment. One had only to look at an angel, only to feel the weight of God’s presence that accompanied him, to know that these words were backed with both authority and power.

verse 3. how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation—which at the first having been spoken through the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard,
This is the first of the warnings in Hebrews, which become increasingly urgent as the book progresses. It might be that some, having seen Jesus in the flesh but not in the manifestation of His glory, did not consider Him to be particularly impressive, and therefore gave less weight to His words than they should. Yet, as the writer has already pointed out, they would have been quick to give obedience to a word brought by angels, and he has clearly demonstrated that Christ is far greater than any angel. How shall we escape? If judgment followed with certainty any transgression of the directions given by angels, surely a greater judgment awaits those who transgress against the teachings of Christ. Where would such a person go? Those who find it impossible to keep the Law (which is everybody) find the refuge of grace in Christ, but if we neglect grace, what is left? Is there any corner of the universe where such a person could hide?

so great a salvation
So great, because it is given freely from the hand of God to those who are totally incapable of earning or deserving it. So great, because to purchase it God the Son had to lay aside His glory and all the prerogatives of divinity, allow Himself to be confined within the limitations of a human body, live in a world putrid with sin and finally suffer injustice, mockery, beating and crucifixion at the the hands of people whom He had created. It has been said that the value of something is the price someone is prepared to pay for it. That being the case, and this being the price, the value of our salvation is inestimable. So great, because it covers every human being from Adam to the last man on earth. So great, because it deals with every sin from the most trivial peccadillo to the most horrific enormity. So great, because it brings us not only forgiveness but justification, restoration, adoption and sanctification. So great, because it brings freedom not only for man’s spirit, but for his emotions, his mind, his will, his body.

Do we stop to think of the greatness of our salvation? To consider the magnitude of its cost? To ponder the extent of its reach in our lives? Is it possible that, in neglecting to thus consider it, we are in danger of neglecting the salvation itself?

which at the first having been spoken through the Lord,
Again, the writer emphasizes Who it was that spoke. This message was not brought by prophets or angels, but by the Lord. Interestingly he does not call Him, Jesus, referring to the human man; nor Christ, referring to the Messiah, but Lord. This is the same One Who is seated at the right hand of the majesty in heaven. The emphasis is on His authority, and thus the authority of the words He spoke.

was confirmed to us by those who heard,
The apostles were not the originators of the message. They had received it from the Lord, and faithfully carried it to those to whom they ministered, but it was not their message.

verse 4. God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders, by various works of power and by gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to his own will?
God gave ample evidence that the message brought by the apostles was indeed that which had been brought by Christ. The signs and wonders that accompanied the preaching of the Word could clearly have only come from God, and pointed to both the truth of the message and His approval of it being preached.

according to His own will
Just as the words of the apostles were not their own, there power was not from themselves. Whilst those who practice the occult may claim to have power from within themselves (although actually it comes from demonic sources), the servants of God recognized that their power and authority comes from Him, and its purpose is to vindicate His Word, not to glorify them.

2:1 Therefore we ought to pay greater attention to the things that were heard, lest perhaps we drift away.

Long ago when I was in Bible College, one of our lecturers was fond of saying, “If you find a “therefore”, ask what it’s there for!” By this he meant that “therefore” is a linking word, tying together a cause, which has been already stated, with the result or action that is about to be stated. Here, “therefore” refers back both to the fact that God has spoken through His Son (1:2), and that the Son is exalted above both the prophets and the angels. Because of these things, we need to pay earnest attention. It is as if chapter 1 takes the Gospel and puts it in bold capitals, highlighted and heavily underlined, to declare to us “THIS IS IMPORTANT!”

we ought to pay greater attention
There have always been those who hear the word of God preached, but are not seriously moved by what they hear. The Lord told the prophet Ezekiel that many who came to hear him were only treating his words like entertainment, as if he were a singer with a beautiful voice singing love songs (Ezek. 33:30-32) Jesus told the parable of the seed that was sown, some along the path, some in rocky places, some among weeds, and only some in good ground where it would grow. (Matt. 13:1-11). We can be sure that many who heard Jesus preach came only in the hope of seeing miracles, whilst the religious authorities dismissed Him as an unlearned troublemaker. Paul and the other apostles had likewise been dismissed by many.

Yet the writer here is not speaking to those who have not received the word at all, but to believers. Unfortunately, the reality is that believers do not always “give earnest attention” to the truths of the faith. Often it is simply a case of “familiarity breeds contempt.” We have become so used to the truth that we no longer have a sense of the impact of it. Sometimes we have allowed ourselves to become so busy with other things that we have let our attention to the word of God slip. To us, as to the Hebrew Christians of the first century, the writer says, “Wake up. Pay attention. This is important.”

to the things that were heard
Some of those to whom he was writing had actually heard Jesus speak, others had received teaching from the apostles. What was important was not how they heard, but what they heard. They had heard that Jesus Christ was the Messiah, the Saviour of mankind, who had given His life to pay the price of their sin. They had heard that salvation was a free gift of God’s grace. They had heard that they could not be justified by observing the Law or its rituals, but only through faith in Jesus Christ. These things were – and are – the great foundations of faith, which they were in danger of letting go if they returned to reliance on the rituals of Judaism. How easy it is for us, having come to God by faith and accepted His grace, to then attempt to go on either in the flesh or the Law. How quickly Christians try to return to self-righteousness and legalism.

lest perhaps we drift away.
The verb translated “drift away” gives a picture of water running away through a hole in a bucket. There can be many different holes in our buckets – business and busyness, laziness and tiredness, hurts and disappointments, just to name a few. Not only that, but we have an enemy who is constantly and actively trying to snatch the Word away from us. We need to be vigilant, not just some of the time, but always.

1:13 But which of the angels has he told at any time, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies the footstool of your feet?”

The writer continues to pile up the arguments for Christ’s superiority over the angels, this time quoting from Psalm 110:1. Although the angels, and even satan, have had access to God’s presence (Job 1:6), none of them has ever been invited to sit down at the right hand of God. That honor is accorded to Christ alone. It indicates, firstly, His favor with the Father. The sacrifice of Calvary has been accepted. The Father, who was “well pleased” with the Son at His Baptism and again at His transfiguration, now gives clear and eternal evidence of that good pleasure.

Secondly, it is yet further evidence of the equality of the Son with the Father. Although not clearly stated here, this was not merely a lesser throne set at the right of the Father’s throne. Revelation 3:21 declares plainly that Christ was in fact invited to sit with the Father on His Throne. Surely there can be no greater evidence of the Son’s equality than this.

Thirdly, it speaks of the authority of the Son. He who has been presented to the whole of creation as its rightful king and ruler, now takes up the seat of that rulership. All authority in heaven and on earth is His. (Matt 28:18) He is now positioned to use that authority effectively, and to rule.

Finally, it underscores the fact that the work is finished. Everything that was needed both for the salvation of mankind and for the establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth, was accomplished at Calvary. Just as the Triune God had rested after the work of creation, now the Son rests after the work of redemption.

until I make your enemies the footstool of your feet?
The picture is taken partly from the ancient practice of warfare. If a victorious king took his enemies alive, he would cause them to lie down at his feet, and would put his foot on their necks as a sign of their total subjection. The metaphor, however, goes beyond this, for a footstool is permanently in that position, as opposed to a conquered enemy who may yet again stand up, and given the right opportunity may even again rise up against his conqueror. A footstool is forever a footstool; forever under the feet not only of its owner but also of anyone whom He may invite to sit with Him.

It is interesting that the Father says that it is He who will make Christ’s enemies His footstool. Even though Christ has already won the victory, there is an element of bringing things into their rightful place of submission that is still to be accomplished, and that is the work of the Father, not the Son.

1:14 Aren’t they all serving spirits, sent out to do service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?

Again, the contrast is between the Son, who is the Master, and the angels who are “ministers” – the word means servants. Their function is to serve those who “shall be the heirs of salvation.” Here the writer subtly makes a point: in Christ, even humanity – previously “a little lower than the angels” – has now been made above them, for they are appointed as the servants of mankind on behalf of God, and a servant is always lower than the one he serves.

We must be careful, however, that we do not interpret this as meaning that the angels are there to do our bidding. They answer to God’s commands, not ours, even though their service may be toward us. To use a modern analogy, a school teacher is there to serve the pupils, but he does not take his orders or instructions from the pupils, but from the Principal, the School Board and the governmental department of Education. Even Jesus, in the Garden of Gethsemane, said “Don’t you know that I could ask My Father and He would give me more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matt 26:53). Notice He did not say “I could command twelve legions of angels and they would come”. As man, He did not command angels but humbly asked His Father. We overstep the bounds of our authority when we begin to order the angels around. They are here to serve us, but they respond to the Father’s command, not ours.

1:10 And, “You, Lord, in the beginning, laid the foundation of the earth. The heavens are the works of your hands.

This and the next two verses are a quotation from Psalm 102:25-27. This whole Psalm is a prayer to YHWH, as clearly indicated by verse 1, “Hear my prayer, O LORD; let my cry for help come to You.” Verse 24, which leads into the beginning of this verse, says, “So I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days: your years are throughout all generations.” It is impossible to avoid the fact that the verses quoted here in Hebrews are, in their original, referring to YHWH. This is the strongest possible statement that Christ is God: not merely like God, not merely some form of lesser divinity, but YHWH Himself, the same One that the Hebrews have worshiped for thousands of years. (Next time you get a chance to talk with a member of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, try these verses on them!)

In the beginning This is the same phrase used in Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God created … ” and in John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word … ” When everything began, Christ already existed. He had no beginning. Again, this underscores His eternal existence, and therefore His divinity.

You … laid the foundation of the earth The writer has already pointed to Christ in verse 2 as the One “by whom He (the Father) made the worlds.” Here He brings the action even closer, with the picture of a master builder laying the foundation of a house. This was not some kind of distant, proxy involvement in the creation. It was “hands on” all the way. What’s more, it was not merely a reworking of what already existed, but a building “from scratch.” In every sense He is the Creator, as truly and as fully as is the Father.

The heavens are the works of Your hands Not only the earth itself, but the whole of the created universe was the result of the creative effort of the Son. This is yet another plank in the author’s presentation of Christ as greater than the angels. The very place of their habitation owes its existence to His work.

Verses 11-12 They will perish, but you continue. They all will grow old like a garment does.

You will roll them up like a mantle, and they will be changed; but you are the same. Your years won’t fail.”

The emphasis here is on the eternity of the Son, as compared with the limited existence of created things. Both the earth and the heavens have an appearance of being lasting, but the time will come when all those things which seem so solid now will cease to be. Those who see the universe as eternal are wrong: it is temporary, a mere parenthesis in the eternity of God.

but You continue The Son will never cease to be. Not only does He remain, when all else falls apart, but He remains in the present tense: forever the I AM, never the I WAS or the I WILL BE. The contrast again is between that which was created – which had a beginning and therefore will have an end – and the uncreated, and therefore eternal, Son.

they will grow old like a garment … We all understand that after a while our clothing wears thin, and the time comes to throw it out and get something new. When we look around at our world, most will recognize that it is wearing thin. Denuded forests, ravished ore deposits, species passing into extinction, dying reefs, receding ice caps – all around us is the evidence that our world is almost ready to be rolled up and put aside.

The simile of a garment is interesting. We use garments to cover ourselves, but also as a means of expressing our personalities. In the same way, the creation both hides and reveals God. It hides Him by placing something – the material universe – between Him and us, so that we do not see His essence, but His works. Yet, as Paul points out in Romans 1:20, it also reveals Him, demonstrating to man enough of His power and wisdom that those who chose to ignore such revelation are “without excuse.”

There will be a time, however, when the veiled revelation afforded by the material universe will not be enough. A time when God will be seen in His true glory, unshadowed by temporal things. That which half-revealed Him will no longer be relevant, and will be laid aside. In their place will be a new garment, one vastly beyond our imaginings – the new heaven and new earth – through which the full glory of God will shine unhindered.

but you are the same. Your years won’t fail. In Malachi 3:6, God declares, “I am the LORD, I change not.” He is the only thing in the universe that doesn’t. He is not impacted by weather, or erosion, or war, or the fickleness and unfaithfulness of humankind. He is not swayed by honor or derision. He cannot be bowed by pressure or bent by cunning. Alone in a changing, deteriorating universe, He remains constant.

He is not subject to that passage of years that brings degeneration. He is the “ancient of days”, yet always as new as tomorrow.

All this stands in stark contrast to the angels, and clearly shows the absolute superiority of the Son.

1:7 Of the angels he says, “He makes his angels winds, and his servants a flame of fire.”

Having established that Christ is the exact representation of the Father, that He is the co-creator and co-sustainer of the universe, and that He has been established as the rightful monarch and heir of all things, the writer now turns his attention briefly to the angels by quoting this verse from Psalm 104:4.

As we have already seen, the exaltation of angels was a problem both among the Jews and among the Gentiles. Therefore, in establishing the superiority of Christ in every area, the author must show a clear comparison between Him and the angels, and he does that in this verse. He has already made it clear that, even though in the past angels may have been referred to generically as “sons of God”, no angel has ever personally received the specific title, Son. Now he gives the angels another designation: minister, or servant.

The difference between a servant and a son is vast. The son has absolute rights over the entire estate; the servant has only the right to perform the duties assigned to him by the master. The son owns everything; the servant has only what the master gives him. The son rules; the servant obeys. The son has a permanent place in the household, the servant remains only as long as the master has use of him. The son has authority; the servant, even when acting on behalf of the master, has only the authority delegated to him.

More than that, the angels are created, whereas the Son is uncreated. Verse 6 spoke of God bringing His firstbegotten into the world. The Son came forth from the very essence of the Father. The angels, however, He makes to be spirits and flames of fire. Unlike the eternal Son, they had a beginning; they are part of His creation, but the Son is co-creator.

The terms “spirits” (or “winds”) and “flames of fire” speak of two things. Firstly, they show the temporal nature of angels. When thinking about angels, it is easy for man to see them as semi-divine beings, sharing eternity with God. The writer here clearly insists that they are not. Rather, they are transient, as temporary as wind or fire.

Secondly, these words show the control of God over the angels. Just as He controls the wind and the fire, the angels are subject to Him, and can act only according to His directions. Since the Son is in every way equal to the Father, this also means that they can only act according to the directions of the Son.

Thirdly, these words show the swiftness with which the angels move to carryout the wishes of the Godhead. They are not only servants, but willing servants, every ready to respond to a word from the Master.

Without needing to labor the point, these distinctions make the superiority of Christ over the angels abundantly clear.

v.8 But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. The scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your Kingdom. v.9 You have loved righteousness and hated iniquity; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows.”

These verses from Psalm 45:6-7 were understood by most rabbis to be Messianic. The first thing to note is that they very clearly refer to the Son as God. Whilst some who want to deny the reality of the Trinity have tried to get around it by translating it as “God is Your throne”, most scholars agree that this is not a good translation, either of the original Hebrew of the Psalm, or of the Greek of the Book of Hebrews. The inescapable truth is, the Son is God, equal to the Father in every respect, and therefore in every respect superior to every created being.

Again, the throne speaks of rulership. It is the throne to which Christ as the Son is the rightful heir. And it is not a temporary thing. Every earthly king that ever was reigned for a time, then died, and his throne passed to someone else. The Son, however, will never die again. His throne will never pass into the hands of another. His kingship extends to the end of time and beyond.

The scepter also speaks of authority and rule, but promises that, unlike so many of the natural kings who ruled as despots seeking only their own benefit no matter what corruption was necessary to obtain it, the Son will rule in righteousness. Psalm 125:3 carries the promise that “the scepter of the wicked shall not remain over the land allotted to the righteous.” As we look around at our world today, it may seem that wickedness rules in so many areas: the prevalence of false religions, the upsurge in the occult, the predominance of injustice, the scourge of unnecessary poverty. The promise is that the Son will overthrow that rule of wickedness, and establish the rule of righteousness.

We might think that this was automatic. After all, as God the Son He had always held that position of authority; He had always been ruler of the universe. Yet as man, Christ had earned His position. As one who was fully human, as well as fully divine, He had a free will. If He had not been capable of unrighteousness, His righteousness would have meant nothing. If He had not been capable of sin, the devil would not have wasted his time trying to tempt Him in the wilderness. The world was brought into captivity to sin by one man’s act of willful disobedience. It could only be brought out of that bondage by one man’s willful act of obedience, His genuine choice of righteousness over unrighteousness.

Because He chose rightly, because He chose (loved) righteousness and rejected (hated) iniquity, He received the reward of the Kingdom. Again, the writer gives us the wonderful picture of God the Father anointing God the Son to His royal position. This anointing is a source of great joy to the Son. In chapter 12 verse 2 we are told that it was “for the joy that was set before Him” that Christ endured the cross. That joy includes not only the salvation of all men who will receive Him, but the full restoration of the Kingdom. Both His joy and His anointing are greater than those of any other man, for He alone has walked where no other ,man has walked, He alone has been totally faithful to the very end, He alone has clung to righteousness in spite of every temptation – and every opportunity – to turn to wickedness. Truly the throne is rightfully His, not just because of His eternal position but because of His completed work.

6 When he again brings in the firstborn into the world he says, “Let all the angels of God worship him.”

Jesus is referred to as the “first begotten” of God. This is distinct from John 3:16, where He is referred to as the “only begotten Son.” There is a sense in which Jesus is unique, and His relationship with the Father is unique. He alone is the God-Man, with a pre-incarnate existence rooted in eternity. He alone, as God the Son, always was, is, and forever will be totally equal with the Father and the Spirit.

As we saw in verse 5, this unique aspect of Christ’s character and His eternal relationship with the Father is not the focus of the term “begotten” in Hebrews. Rather, it refers to His appointment as the legitimate heir, the One in whose hands the rulership of the Kingdom rightfully belongs.

Here He is the first begotten, suggesting that there are others. This is not necessarily a reference to a time frame, ruling out all who had been born before Jesus, but rather to pre-eminence.

In the culture of the ancient Middle East, the firstborn held a special place in the household. It was he who carried on the family name; he who took the family forward in their common destiny. In the inheritance, the firstborn received the double portion. That is, if there were five brothers, the inheritance would be divided into six portions. Each brother would receive one, and the firstborn would also receive the extra one. This, however, was not for his personal enrichment, but to be administered on behalf of the family. As the firstborn replaced the father as the head of the family, he also took on the responsibility of the family. If a family member was in need, it was the role of the firstborn to help.

Thus, in speaking of Christ as the first begotten, the writer further emphasizes His inheritance as the rightful ruler. He is not just the ruler over the world, but over the family of God. Moreover, there is the understanding that others will also be brought into the relationship of sons of God, since one cannot be “first” if he is the only one. The implications for us who are “in Christ” are awesome, since it means that we are brought into the same relationship with the Father, the same inheritance, and the same place of responsibility.

There is some debate about what is being referred to by “when He brings … into the world.” Was it the time of Jesus’ birth, when we are told that the angels appeared to the shepherds, praising God and proclaiming the birth of Messiah? (Luke 2:9-14) It is possible, but not likely. In this case, the angels were praising God, but not actually worshiping the Christ child.

Some people suggest that “brings” should be linked with “again”, thus making the verse a reference to the second coming of Christ. However, this is also unlikely. The book is primarily about the completed work of Christ, with only the briefest of references to His future return. It would be very strange for the author to introduce it here, at the point where he is laying the foundations. It would also leave room for a suggestion the Christ is not presently worshiped by angels, although He may be at some time in the future – an argument that would undermine the case for the divinity of Christ, at the very point where the author is seeking to strengthen it.

It seems far more likely that the writer is continuing his theme of Christ’s establishment as the legal and legitimate heir. We can almost see the pageant: God the Father has stood before the universe and declared the Son to be the rightful heir and ruler of the Kingdom. He has taken the crown and placed it on the Son’s head. He then takes His hand and leads Him forward, presenting Him to the world as its Sovereign, and at the same time sending forth the proclamation that all present must bow and worship Him.

The quote may be taken from Deuteronomy 32:43 in the Septuagint (an early Greek translation of the Hebrew scriptures.) The Hebrew Bible, however, renders this verse very differently, and since that is the version most likely to have been used by those to whom this letter is addressed, it seems a rather unlikely use as a proof text.

The other possible source for this quote is Psalm 97:7. This Psalm fits very well with Hebrew’s emphasis on Christ’s enthronement. Beginning, “The Lord reigns!” it goes on to speak of His greatness. The rabbis of the time considered this, and all the Psalms from 93 to 101, to be Messianic. If this is the source for the quote, the word rendered “angels” is particularly interesting. “Elohim” was a generic name for God. It could also be used to refer to angels, rulers and magistrates. In the KJV in this verse, it is translated “gods”. It is the same word used in Psalm 82:6, and used by Jesus when He deflected the Pharisees by saying, “Is it not written in your law, ‘ I said, you are gods’?” (John 10:34).

The use of it here, then, would be very pointed. Those whom man has upheld as being almost equal to God, are commanded to bow before the one who is truly God. The leaders and rulers appointed by man must bow before the one whom God has appointed. Christ is supreme. He is infinitely higher than the angels; His relationship with the Father and His resulting inheritance is better than theirs. He alone is worthy of their worship; and if theirs then also that of all mankind.