God’s Superior Messenger (Part 3)

Lesson Two

God’s Superior Messenger

Heb. 1:13-2:4

 

Theme: Christ is Superior to the Angels as God’s Spokesman and Revealer (1:4). 

Therefore, we must seriously listen to Him, carefully obey His counsel, and diligently nurture the great salvation we have in Him. 

LESSON:

1.      What is our relationship to angels?(Heb. 1:13-14)

a.      Angels also minister to us who are the “heirs of salvation” through faith in Christ. The angels today are serving us!

                                                    i.     “Salvation” here probably does not refer to a believer’s past experience of regeneration.

1.      Most likely it is something future as both the context (v. 1:13, 14:2:3, 5, 10) and the words “shall be heirs” suggests.

2.      This “salvation” also describes the ultimate deliverance of God’s people from the oppression of their enemies (1:13; 2:14, 15) and their consequent enjoyment of God’s blessings (Psalms 3:2, 8; 18:2, 35, 46, 50; 35:3; 37:39; 71:15; 118:14-15, 21; 132:16).

                                                  ii.     No doubt these Hebrew believers were under external pressure. They had endured persecution in the past and were exhorted to not give up now (Heb. 10:32-36). Here they are reminded that the final victory over all enemies belongs to God’s King (1:13) and that the angels presently serve us who are destined to share in that victory, that is, to inherit this salvation.

b.      Angels serve us who are saved from the penalty and power of sin but yet not saved from the presence of sin, that is, we who are still on earth.

                                                    i.     This means there are “guardian angels.” We should not be surprised at this truth. It is certain there are evil spirits who wage unceasing conflict against God’s people (Eph. 6:12). Therefore, it is fitting that there are holy angels who watch over us who are called to full salvation.

                                                  ii.     Note the service of angels to the people of God in the following passages (Ps 34:7; 91:11, 12; Dan 6:22; 9:21-23; 10:11, 12; Mt 1:20; 2:13; 24:31; Lu 16:22; Ac 5:19; 10:3,4; 12:7,23; 16:26; 27:23).

                                                 iii.     But we must go back to the main point of the passage—not the existence of guardian angels, but the fact that angels are inferior to the Son of God just as servants are inferior to the Universal Sovereign.

2.      How is our relationship to God different from His relationship with angels?

a.      Believers are sons of God and joint-heirs with Christ, while angels are ministers to God on behalf of believers executing God’s will with excellence. Again angels will not reign and rule with Christ but forever serve Him while we will actually reign with our Lord.

b.      Because of the grace of God and the work of Christ, believers will be exalted above the angels.

3.      How is Jesus’ superiority to angels related to us?

a.      An Application (Heb. 2:1–4). Note the word “therefore.” It was this writer’s habit to apply what he said as he moved along. He interrupts the flow of his thoughts to make application, which in turn stimulates more teaching.

                                                    i.     What is the application of this initial presentation of Jesus as the ultimate Spokesman?

                                                  ii.     The purpose of Hebrews was to encourage Jewish Christians not to turn away from the faith. If these Christians were not careful, pressure from non-believing Jews or other influences could lead them away from Christ. Because Christ surpasses angels and other messengers of the Old Testament (1:1-3), the writer challenged the Hebrew Christians to remember Christ’s teachings and the Christian message -- what we have heard.

                                                 iii.     We must pay more careful and serious attention, therefore, to what we have heard from Christ (v. 2:1). We dare not ignore the message of a great salvation, which has been announced by the Lord Himself and confirmed by Spirit-given signs.

1.      The greatness of salvation is confirmed by three facts: it was spoken by the Lord; it was confirmed by the apostles; it was attested by the ministry of the Holy Spirit through miracles and spiritual gifts (see 1 Cor. 12:8–11).

2.      It is an age-long expectation that such manifestations of Christ’s glory will be ministered by the Holy Spirit in confirming the spread of the gospel (Mark 16:20; 1 Cor. 2:4).

This article will continue in the next post....