CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 1
Verses 1, 2. “God spake to us in his Son,” not in the Son as instrument of His word, but Himself, God the Son, by the prophets, but in [the] Son.
“In these last days.” At the end of the prophetical period God Himself spake to us: His testimony follows that of the prophets, but His is necessarily superior to theirs. As to “the worlds,” the Greek word in the Epistle to the Hebrews is used in a general sense to indicate all that is in existence: it is used in the plural again in chapter 11: 3.
Verse 3. “The exact expression of his substance”; Christ, “the image” of the invisible God. He has revealed down here by His presence the God who dwells in inaccessible light. All His acts did shew that He was God. He shewed His grace when He pronounced the forgiveness of a sinner, and His kindness when He took little children in His arms, etc. “Having made by himself the purification of sins.” The purification of our sins is here attached to the divine title of Jesus; it is part of His divine glory as much as the creation and preservation of all things. The title is the same also when it is mentioned a little further on: “He sat down.”
Verses 4-14. The Son, who brought us the word, is put in contrast with the angels by whom God dictated His law.
Verse 4. “Having become” or having taken a place. These words indicate the place taken by Jesus at a given time, without looking at what He was previously.
Verse 5. “Thou art my Son: today have I begotten thee.” Scripture speaks of Jesus as Son in two different aspects: as Son of God, born in the world, and Son according to the eternal relationship. This verse refers to the first of these: Jesus is seen here not in His glory as essentially divine, but in His glory as born Son. Nevertheless it is very important to consider the glory of Jesus as Son of God before His incarnation; for we could not speak of the love of God as we do, if the One He gave us was not His Son.
Verses 7-9. “Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.” It has pleased God to give to these agents of His power this nature of spirits. But as to the Son it is said, “Thy throne, O God!” God, in the exercise of His will, makes of His angels spirits, or flames of fire; but of the Son we do not read that God makes anything of Him. God said of Him, “O God!” This Son exists or subsists in the divinity. Though the angels are in a state superior to that of man, they are, notwithstanding their glory, in a condition very inferior to that of the Son.
In these three verses the Lord is seen in a personal glory higher than what is shewn in verses 4-6. There we have the Son begotten of God, here He is God Himself. “Thy throne O God, is for ever and ever.” How much doth this raise the dignity of Messiah! Nevertheless the same One, who is God, is anointed by God. He becomes man and is in a condition where He finds companions. Wonderful link of man with God in Christ!
“Thy throne”; not the Father’s throne, but the governmental throne of Messiah. “Thy companions,” or, as in Psalm 45 from which these words are quoted, “thy fellows.” When Christ is in the humiliation of the cross God calls Him His Fellow (Zechariah 13); when He is in glory, God then gives us to Him for companions.
Verses 10-12. Here is a higher degree of Christ’s glory. He is the eternal God, creator of all things. It is no more Godhead hidden in the anointed Man, but the Creator-God — Godhead fully revealed. Thus, there is no room for misconception as to the Person of the Messiah.
Verse 13. The superiority of Jesus over the angels is doubly established. The Holy Ghost, after having put Him in contrast with the angels as regards His divine Person, views Him as man; “To which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand?” This contrast of the Man-Messiah with the angels goes on in the next chapter.