Hebrews Chapter 1

• Hebrews 1:1 God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,

Sundry means several or different times. Divers means different ways. God spoke through visions, dreams, and through prophets. In the past before Christ, God spoke to His people by the prophets or by those chosen of God to speak to the people, His messages.

• Hebrews 1:2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

Now God speaks to us through His Son, Jesus Christ. There is now no other mediator between the believer and God. Not Mary, not any saint, not an angel, not a prophet or even a preacher. There is no other mediator between a believer and God other than Jesus Christ as a go between. Once we come to Jesus for our salvation, we can pray ourselves and not depend upon someone else.

In saying all that though, we still need teachers, preachers, all the gifts of the spirit mentioned in the New Testament, and all things to edify and build us up in the faith. We can have people pray with us at times. There are people that intercede and pray for people, in fact all of us can do that. Occasionally we need prayer support. That doesn't they are praying as a mediator doing our praying for us though. They may be praying with us, baring our burdens and sharing our prayer needs. The Holy Spirit does this too once we receive Him into our lives. Our salvation, healing, receiving of the Holy Spirit though comes straight from the throne of God.

Old Testament reference:

• Deuteronomy 18:15 The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;

New Testament Reference:

• 1Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

Humans tend to have a weakness within us to have to see to believe. Idolatry is a serious sin, one of the original ten commandments and to have a image even if that image represents God it is forbidden by God to use it as a medium or point of contact. God wants us to simply believe in faith. That way salvation is available to everyone. We don't have to be at a certain place or have to have human or idols as intercessors. 

• Hebrews 1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

Jesus has returned to the Father. He was with the Father at the creation of the world and even before that. He always existed and will always exist. He returned to the glory He had before He came to earth as a man born of woman. He came to purge us from sin and make the way that all who believe would inherit eternal life. He sits at the Father's right hand as an intercessor and the only mediator between God and man.

As wonderful as the mother of Jesus was, she is not a mediator between believers and God or between believers and Jesus Christ. Mary herself needed a savior. Here is what the word says concerning Mary.

• Matthew 1:20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife; for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
• 21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

The real Mary or Miriam who God used to bring Christ into the world would be appalled if she knew she was used as an object of worship.

• Luke 1:46 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
• 47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior

Jesus was also Mary's savior as well as other believers.

Old Testament reference of a sacrifice for sins.

• Isaiah 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
• 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

The wages of sin was death. Animals could not take away sin but only pointed to the one to come who did have the power to remove sin and take away the penalty of sin. Sacrifice in the Old Testament was an act of faith to the one to come, Jesus the Christ. The very Son of God. He and He alone was the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. 

• Hebrews 1:4 Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
• 5 For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?
• 6 And again, when he bringeth in the first begotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.

Jesus was higher than the angels of heaven who worshipped Jesus and were subject to Him. This privilege is not given to any other. He was begotten or came from the Father, He was also the first begotten or raised from the dead to receive a new immortal body that can no longer die. This He accomplished so that we who believe will also be entitled to receive a new body at the resurrection. 

• Hebrews 1:7 And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.

The angels are never to be worshipped but are ministering spirits sent forth to do the Lord's will and minister to the saints (believers) in Christ. Verse 14 says that they minister to the heirs of salvation. 

• Hebrews 1:8 But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever: a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of thy kingdom.

The coming kingdom of Jesus Christ will be righteous and perfect. God has appointed Him the head of the corner. He is the foundation of all things that are truth. His will is to be accomplished no matter who may not believe or no matter who will oppose it. Opposition will never change the truth of God's word. What He says will come to pass. We cannot make this happen ahead of time and we cannot set up the kingdom of Christ before He comes literally. Also we cannot hinder this from taking place. The only thing we can do to hasten the Lord's coming is to preach the gospel. The more the gospel of the kingdom is preached the faster the coming of the Lord will be. We are not to set up a literal earthly kingdom. That is for Christ to do. We are to preach the gospel.

What is the gospel? The good news that Jesus came to save all from sin. Sin cannot enter the kingdom of God that is coming. Sin must be done away with. We must repent of sin and turn to Christ for salvation. When we believe, we are "born again" by the spirit of God. We receive the witness within us at that time. God's spirit comes to us and confirms what we believe in our hearts. That doesn't mean that we feel something all the time for we walk by faith and not feeling but many times the spirit of God will reveal truth to us when we seek Him, little by little, precept upon precept. The gospel is simply to believe in Christ as savior from our sins. 

• Hebrews 1:9 Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

Christ is anointed above all and is God that came into the flesh. He is "God with us" Jesus came into the flesh by being born from a woman and becoming a human being. The word became flesh and lived among us. Jesus loves righteousness and truth and hates sin. That is why He came to get rid of the sin. Sin kills, steals and destroys. Jesus came to give life and give it abundantly.

Old Testament reference: The New Testament fulfills the Old.

• Psalm 45:6 They throne, O God, is forever and ever: the scepter of they kingdom is a right scepter.
• 7 Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, they God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above they fellows.

If it wasn't for the promise and hope of the return of Jesus Christ, the earth and its occupants would have no hope of survival.

• Hebrews 1:10 And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands:

Jesus was present at the creation.

• Hebrews 1:11 They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment;

The present earth will be rolled up and changed. Old things will pass away and all things will become new. Jesus remains the same. This is what happens also when we are born of God, the old passes away and all things become new.

• Hebrews 1:12 And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.

I hear people that fear the asteroids and changing weather patterns and predict scary things but our hope can be in the Lord to take care of us and His creation. We do so need to trust in Him. If the population gets too big, He will just make the earth bigger. We fret for nothing.

• Revelation 6:14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.

Old Testament reference:

• Psalms 102:25 Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands.
• 26 They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed:

God is so good. The fate of the earth are in His hands and it up to us if we experience judgment or salvation.

• Hebrews 1:13 But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?
• 14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?

Old Testament reference:

• Psalms 104:4 Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire:
• 5 Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed forever.

Jesus is on the right hand of the Father. Steven saw this when he was martyred.

• Acts 7:55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
  56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

Old Testament reference:

Psalm 110:1 A Psalm of David. The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.

The book of Hebrews speaks of the new covenant that God gives to us through Jesus Christ. It speaks of the better covenant that takes away sins. The first covenant and the law given by Moses pointed the way to this covenant. The law showed us what sin was but the law could not make the sinner clean from sin. Sacrifices were made for sin but those sacrifices did not permanently remove the sin that destroys the soul.

The sacrifice of Jesus removes the sin of the believer. Yes, we have the will power to allow the sin to return but the Holy Spirit is given to us when we become believers to enable us not to desire to return to willful active sin. Sin will instead begin to grieve us. We will not want to sin. If we do, we will repent right away and turn from it by the help of the Holy Spirit. As we study the bible and this book of Hebrews, we will learn more of this mediator that was sent to us from God our Father to show us the way to eternal life.

The path to eternal life is first to be saved from sin then we can receive the Holy Spirit. This is being born again by the spirit of God. The law was for Israel. The gospel is for Israel and everyone else. This new covenant included all of every race or status. It is for all who will just believe. We cannot possibly keep the law in all points without fail. God made a way that someone kept the law in all points for us. This was Jesus. He died for our sins that we may live and inherit eternal life. The perfect sacrifice has been made. It is up to us to receive it. DC