The True And Better Way

For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my son! Today I have fathered you?” And in another place he says, “I will be his father and he will be my son.” But when he again brings his firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all the angels of God worship him!” And he says of the angels, “He makes his angels winds and his ministers a flame of fire,” but of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, and a righteous scepter is the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness. So God, your God, has anointed you over your companions with the oil of rejoicing.” Hebrews 1:5-9 NET

This fantastic dialogue proclaiming the greatness of Jesus continues. The writer of Hebrews utilizes descriptions primarily from the Psalms and the Prophets to detail how the heavenly Father sees His son. In verse five, it says that the angels say, “You are my son! Today I have fathered you.” It does not say that Jesus was fathered or sired by angels. Even though the translators inserted the word “God” for clarity, it was not in the original language. The reference comes from Psalm 2:7, which makes it much more straightforward: “The king says, “I will announce the Lord’s decree. He said to me: ‘You are my son. This very day I have become your Father.”

When the Father declares, “I will be his father, and he will be my son,” what is unique about Jesus as opposed to the other sons of God who exist among the divine council? What makes Jesus stand out as special or unique? Was it Jesus’ devotion to the Father by doing what was required of Him? Or was it something else? Even before Jesus was born, there were divine encounters chronicled with Joseph and Mary and Zechariah and Elizabeth; these encounters are recorded in the gospel of Luke. So, there have been numerous interactions with divine beings upon the earth since Eden; why now, and why Jesus?

God had raised many ‘saviors’ over the generations before Jesus, such as Adam, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Samson, and Elijah. God’s spirit empowered these mortal men. Some ancient Jewish sects believed that the Jubilees may have determined the times and seasons of God’s visitation, so they kept detailed records of the times and dates of the Jubilee years to await God’s visitation. However, after Jesus was born, the times, dates, and genealogies fell out of favor with many Jewish record keepers, and much was lost to antiquity, shrouding the birth of Jesus relating to the Jubilee records in historical mystery.

But the question remains: Why Jesus, and why now? Is there a cosmic timetable that speaks of a specific time in history for Him to be born on earth? Perhaps, I can honestly say that I do not know. Was there some type of stellar alignment that was to occur? Apparently, the kings (or Magi) from the east thought so, and they followed what they believed to be a new star rising from the eastern horizon which guided them to the home of the Messiah. What I do know is that Jesus existed long before He was physically born, He was part of the divine council, which was continually before the throne of the heavenly Father. Jesus was part of the decision-making process of this heavenly council. His divine nature invokes a sense of awe and reverence as we realize that He was not just a mortal man but a significant figure in the divine council, which made Him fully divine and fully human at the same time.

But when he again brings his firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all the angels of God worship him!” Jesus was unique because He was the heavenly Father’s firstborn Son. It doesn’t mean that He wasn’t a divine being before He was born, it means that Jesus was the first divine being to be physically born as a human. This is why all the fanfare from the heavenly host (divine beings) as they sang praises and rejoiced to God before the shepherds, all of the angels and sons of God knew that this was risky business, but this was God’s plan, to literally hide Jesus in plain sight so that no attention would be drawn to him. The scriptures were obscure when it came to specific details regarding the Messiah so that none of the rebellious sons of God who resided on earth could readily identify Him or hinder His mission.

And he says of the angels, “He makes his angels winds and his ministers a flame of fire,” Jesus had the ability as a son of God to call down legions of angels to assist Him and even save Him if He desired, but He looked forward to a greater joy by enduring the pain and torment of the cross, that He might redeem all mankind and bring them into a relationship with Him eternally. This would never have become a reality if He had not gone through with suffering on the cross. Even though I am sure that the angels and His ministers would have jumped at the opportunity to save Him if they were asked.

But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, and a righteous scepter is the scepter of your kingdom.” This is God speaking of Jesus. Do you notice how God speaks of Jesus as God in the first-person singular? The writer of Hebrews clearly asserts that the unique Son of God is, in fact, God Himself in human form.

The term "scepter" symbolizes Jesus’ rod or staff of rulership, deeply rooted in His own righteousness. This concept is drawn from the Psalms, specifically Psalm 23:4: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Here, when associated with a human shepherd, the rod and staff indicate "comfort and consolation." However, this metaphorical context describes how a shepherd uses the rod to assure the sheep that they are calm and protected, alleviating their fear. This highlights the emotional stability that God provides the psalmist during life-threatening situations.

The text continues, “You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness.” The word “loved” here is translated from the Greek word ‘Agapeo,’ which denotes a fervent, Godly love that surpasses mere affection. It represents the active love of God for His Son and His people—an all-encompassing love characterized by righteousness, integrity, and virtue. This state embodies being in a proper relationship with God. In contrast, lawlessness or wickedness represents the opposite of righteousness and is akin to rebellion. However, it goes further than that; it describes a state of being that is not aligned with God. It includes the attempt and practice of following God in the flesh while failing to receive His empowerment to love Him as He wishes to be loved. Often, when it feels like heaven is closed off and God's voice is unreachable, people fall into this state. Desiring true righteousness means standing in the righteousness of Jesus, our Savior, rather than relying on our own efforts.

The passage concludes with, “So God, your God, has anointed you over your companions with the oil of rejoicing.” This reference in Hebrews 1 points to Isaiah 61:3, which states, “To grant to those who mourn in Zion—to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.” When Jesus visited the temple, He quoted Isaiah 61:1-2 but stopped before including verse 3, which we see here.

When people were sorrowful for their sins, they would express their repentance by putting ashes on their heads and wearing sackcloth or burlap, reflecting the affliction and irritation caused by their sins. God promises to replace these ashes with a beautiful headdress, symbolizing the removal of sin. Additionally, God anoints the Son with the oil of gladness, representative of the abundant joy that comes from a fruitful olive harvest. The Son is elevated above the angels and other sons of God, holding a position of great honor and power bestowed upon Him by God. This position empowers Him to shepherd God's people on earth and in heaven.

The book of Hebrews begins by emphasizing Jesus' superiority over angels and other divine beings. It highlights how, through His suffering as a human for our sake, Jesus has become our life and our Savior. We are just beginning to understand these profound truths presented in Hebrews, and the journey has just begun.

Stephen Barnett