His Supremacy
The Letter to the Hebrews is addressed to a congregation facing pressure from outsiders, and some members are contemplating withdrawing from the assembly and returning to the local synagogue. The Letter presents arguments for why doing so will have catastrophic consequences by stressing the superiority of the “Word of the Son” over the past revelations. The concern is pastoral, and the purpose is to prevent believers from leaving the congregation and apostatizing. And Hebrews urges them to remain faithful to the apostolic traditions.
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Faithfulness is the proper response to trials and persecution, and the Letter warns of the dire consequences of faithlessness to the vastly superior “word” that God has given in His “Son.” Abandoning the church and returning to the synagogue would lead inevitably to apostasy, the rejection of Jesus, and severe judgment on the offender - (Hebrews 2:1-4, 6:1-12, 10:22-30).
COMPARISONS
The Letter employs
a rhetorical technique called synkrisis. It consists of comparisons
that demonstrate the superiority of one thing over another. For example, it highlights
the superiority of the “Son” over what God did under the “former covenant.”
The purpose
is not to denigrate His past revelations but to emphasize how much
the glory of the new surpasses the old. Between each comparison, Hebrews
presents dire warnings against deserting Jesus.
The Letter compares
the “Word” of the Son to that of angels, Moses, and Joshua, his priesthood
with the Aaronic priesthood, his one-time sacrifice with the required repeated animal
sacrifices of the Levitical code, and the “former” covenant with the New
Covenant inaugurated by the “Son.”
The
previous “words” in the “prophets” were partial (“in
many parts”), and delivered by various means (prophecy, visions,
dreams). The “word” spoken in the “Son” differs in at least three
ways. First, God spoke “of old,” but now, He speaks “upon these last days.” Second, He spoke to the “fathers,” but now, “to us.”
And third, He spoke “in the prophets,” but now, in one who is a “Son.”
As true and
gracious as God’s past disclosures were, they were promissory and incomplete.
Thus, a fuller word was needed. The past “word” was not incorrect, but partial.
In contrast, His complete “word” is now “spoken in a Son.”
“Upon
the last of these days” provides the time element. With the death and resurrection
of Jesus, God’s people have entered a new era and the time of fulfillment has commenced
- (Acts 2:17, Galatians 4:4, Ephesians 1:10).
SON, HEIR, PRIEST
God appointed
the Son as “the heir of all things.” This alludes to
the second Psalm where Yahweh promised to give His “son” the “nations
as an inheritance.” It is one of two messianic Psalms that figure
prominently in the epistle:
- (Psalm 2:8) – “Ask of me and let me give nations as your inheritance, and as your possession, the ends of the earth.”
- (Psalm 110:1-4) – “Yahweh said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool… Yahweh has sworn and will not repent, You will be a priest to times everlasting after the order of Melchizedek.” – (Emphasis added in both preceding passages).
But the Letter
expands the original promise. The Son is the “heir of ALL THINGS,” not
just the “nations” or the “Earth.” And the mention of his “inheritance”
echoes the covenant promises to Abraham since Jesus is the true heir of the
patriarch.
Moreover, the “Son” is the “eradiated brightness of the glory and the exact impress of His very essence.” He reflects the very glory and likeness of his Father. The point is the surpassing greatness of the position Jesus holds as High Priest.
And he gained
his status as the “high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek” through
his past accomplishment - “having achieved the purification of sins, he was
appointed heir of all things.” This last clause anticipates the Letter’s later
discussions about his priesthood, covenant, and once-for-all sacrifice.
Jesus “sat
down on the right hand of majesty.” While this applies to his
royal reign, more importantly, it refers to his priestly role and activities,
especially his entrance into the “Holy of Holies” where he now intercedes
on behalf of his people.
The Greek term
rendered “sat down” contrasts HIS priestly act with the Aaronic
high priest who entered the “Holy of Holies” only on the annual Day of
Atonement, and only for a very brief time. And the latter never sat down in the inner sanctum. Yet Jesus did exactly
that – he “sat down” - only in the greater and true Tabernacle “in
the highest heaven” now cleansed by his own blood. His act demonstrated the
completeness of his once-only sacrifice - (Hebrews 7:26-27, 10:11-12).
And he
entered the heavenly sanctuary “once-for-all” through his sacrifice,
thereby obtaining everlasting redemption for his people. And stressing that he “sat
down” also indicates the permanence
of his position as the High Priest “forever.”
MORE EXCELLENT NAME
Jesus “became
so much better than the angels,” having advanced beyond them by
inheriting “a more excellent name.” In this context, that name
is “Son.” The “word spoken in a son” is superior to all past
revelations in two ways. First, it is the last in a long series of revelations (“Upon
these last days”). Second, it is the culmination of all that preceded him,
the “perfecter of our faith” - (Hebrews 12:1-2).
The Letter argues FROM
LESSER TO GREATER. Angels are God’s ministers. Moses was His servant. But the
sonly word is superior to any previous message whether mediated by
angels, prophets, or the great Lawgiver. But rejecting his word will result in far
greater punishment than any disobedience under the Mosaic law.
In summary,
the Letter to the Hebrews compares the “word spoken in a son”
with the past revelations made through prophets, angels, priests, and Moses. It
demonstrates the surpassing greatness of the final revelation provided by God in
His Son and warns of the danger of abandoning and thereby repudiating it.
