Hebrews 1

This devotional is written by Praise Jourdain.

God’s final word: his Son
1 In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. 3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. 4 So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.

The Son superior to angels
5 For to which of the angels did God ever say,

‘You are my Son;
today I have become your Father’?

Or again,

‘I will be his Father,
and he will be my Son'?

6 And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says,

‘Let all God’s angels worship him.’

7 In speaking of the angels he says,

‘He makes his angels spirits,
and his servants flames of fire.’

8 But about the Son he says,

‘Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever;
a sceptre of justice will be the sceptre of your kingdom.
9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions
by anointing you with the oil of joy.’

10 He also says,

‘In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth,
and the heavens are the work of your hands.
11 They will perish, but you remain;
they will all wear out like a garment.
12 You will roll them up like a robe;
like a garment they will be changed.
But you remain the same,
and your years will never end.’

13 To which of the angels did God ever say,

‘Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies
a footstool for your feet’?

14 Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?

The Epistle to the Hebrews is one of the New Testament’s most beautifully poetic books. In Chapter 1, the author treats us to a mini bio of God, weaving Old Testament words throughout the text to create a profile illustrating the nature and primacy of God. What we are reminded, is that He is constant and unchanging. We are taught that He is the primary force in the universe—the creator, the ruler, the ultimate—and that all things come from and shall return to Him. Moreover, we are reminded that He sent Jesus not as a mere prophet or an angel, but as His own flesh and blood.

In the person of Jesus Christ, as Hebrews 1 says, God is represented for who He is. He appears as and when He wants, and to whomsoever He chooses. He is compassionate. He is generous. He is brave. He is steadfast. He is a healer. He is a sailor. He is a shepherd.  He moves slowly, one step at a time. He is generous to women. He is generous to sinners. He corrects His children but does not punish them. Jesus is no messenger of God, no adjunct, no representative – He is the materialisation of God Himself.

In all the movement, contortion, complication of our daily existence; in all the energy and emotion that our precious lives demand and extract from us—sometimes joyfully, sometimes not—it can be easy to get distracted and forget who God is. In our prayers we sometimes reduce God to the status of a servant: we ask for what we want and then wait for Him to go get it for us. We limit God to a source of love whose proportions we think we can understand, when the sheer scale of love with which He sustains every day of our lives is just incomprehensible. It is a love that no word, no measurement, no name can encompass other than the name of God itself.

Significantly, the Epistle to the Hebrews was written for the Christian community in Jerusalem. At the time, this was a place with living memory of God’s manifestation on Earth, and yet, despite having seen the Word made flesh, despite having heard Jesus’ voice and smelled His blood on the cross, the people there still needed reminding of who God is. They still needed their faith to be revitalised. So today, don’t worry if you too are experiencing feelings of disconnection – even First Century Jews, and even Jesus own’ disciples had crises of belief. Know instead that words are the original sign of God’s presence and that Scripture is God’s roadmap, so that we always know where to find Him. Spend time in the Word of God today and see how relentlessly He has tried to win your heart since the Beginning. You can’t miss it! Remember that you were created by God to receive such adoration, that you are His most prized creation, and that between You and Him is a love bond that goes back to the very beginning of time.

God of love, hear our prayer.