hebrews: a new day coming - hebrews 1: the son superior to angels

This is lesson one of the Hebrews series. We may not get to it tonight, but here it is.

 

Hebrews: A New Day Coming
Hebrews 1: The Son Superior to Angels

In the Dollar Tree not long ago there was a large display of angels. Big ones, small ones, delicate ones, black ones, goofy ones – just about every kind of angel one could think of. Of course, the only one they didn’t have were avenging angels like the Bible talks about. Those were no one to mess around with.

It seems that people love the idea of these ephemeral creatures flittering about with sweet sad eyes and blonde hair, creatures who could do no harm. You remember that one angel killed the entire Assyrian army in the Old Testament, and one angel took all of the first born of the entire nation of Egypt. These were tough angels, not the cutesy pie little fairy creatures in the Precious Moments case. These characters were frightening.

But the worship of angels is kind of strange and also ancient. The Bible tells us several times to quit paying so much attention to angels and pay more attention to God and his Son, Jesus. One of the reasons Hebrews was written was to deal with angelolatry in the ancient world.

The writer of Hebrews is quite clear in his comment that God never commended the angels as his Son or as his Beloved. In fact, they worship the Son (v6) and were designed as purely supplementary to the will of God.

He writes that angels were never intended to be a focal point of God’s creation. They were meant to be messengers, winds, flames of fire, anything else he wanted them to be; not focal points. They are the wrapper that brought the present, not the present. They are the envelope that brought the message, not the message. It is kind of like falling in love with the postal carrier who brought you the letters from your wife. Angels are just messengers designed to bring Jesus and his will into being. They are ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation. They serve us, which is hard to comprehend. But, we do not worship them. We merely accept them as God’s messengers, his winds and flames of fire.

QUESTIONS:

1. V1-2 Why would God change his method of dealing with us? Did that mean the old one was flawed?

2. In vv1-2 the writer says that the method of giving God's word to his people is different today. In the Old Testament, it was through prophets: in the New Testament, it is through his Son. What difference does that make?

3. If Jesus was human, as Hebrews says, how can a human be the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word?

4. V4 How has he become superior to the angels? Are they not important?

5. Is there anything wrong with representations of angels? Little angel pins or statues or something like that? Is there a situation that it would be wrong?

6. What about other stuff? A cross, or a Bible, or a songbook? Is there a place where these would be wrong? (cf Matthew 17:1-5)

7. V7 How are angels winds, his servants flames of fire?

8. V9 It is said of Jesus that 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. Did Jesus earn his Messiaship?

9. V14 What does this say about the place of angels in God’s plan?