May 15, 2016
Morning Service

Heb. 1

 

            This morning we want to begin a study on the letter to the Hebrews.

1.      The purpose of this letter is as all the other letters, as John put it, “Joh 20:31  But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”

2.     The writer is uncertain, many names have been suggested, Paul, Silas, Barnabas, Clement, Pricilla and Aquilla.  What we do know is that as all the other epistles, it is inspired by God Almighty.  Just as if He wrote it to mankind. 

3.      Written sometime around 64-68 AD.  One of the ways they determine when a letter is written is if they mention the destruction of Jerusalem, which happened in AD70.  This was a very important, and destructive event.  The Temple was destroyed therefore doing away with the Jewish sacrifices.  God allowing this to happen, to show that something new was on the horizon.  As Paul put it, “the law was a schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ.”  Christianity is perfect, there is no need to look for something better, it doesn’t exist.

4.      The writer is putting forth arguments to show how much greater Christianity is than Judaism.  By doing this, he also will show that Christianity is what God wants for mankind.  Jesus said, “I Am the way, the truth, and the life, no man can come to the Father but by Me.” 

Paul said, Gal 1:8  But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

 

With that said, let’s begin with Hebrews chapter one:

 

Heb 1:1-14  God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 

·         God – Who is the great I AM, Jehovah, Yahweh, The One Jesus told Nicodemus, “God is Spirit.”  John said God is love, therefore God is the eternal Spirit of love.

·         We see how God spoke in time past through the prophets, to the Fathers.

(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; 

·         Heir of all things.  Paul explains this very well in I Cor. 15.

·         By Whom He made the worlds.  John explains this to us at the beginning of his gospel.   St.Jn. 1:1-3.

(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;  (4)  Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. 

·         By inheritance:  Born of a virgin, His Father being the Holy Ghost ( Matt. 1:18) has inherited all things by virtue of being the Son of God.

·         Now the writer will quote Scripture.  With the understanding that they refer to the Messiah.

(5)  For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee?

·         The quote is from Psa. 2:7;  And Paul uses this same Scripture to prove that it refers to Jesus of Nazareth. 

            Act 13:33  God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath             raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son,             this day have I begotten thee.

·         This is one of Paul’s greatest sermons.  It is comparable to Stephen’s, in Acts 7, as it gets into history.

 

And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? 

·         God used this statement in 2 Sam. 7, referring to Solomon, but the Hebrew writer tells us that it really referred to the Messiah.

(6)  And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him. 

·         Read the 97 Psalm.

(7)  And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire. 

·         Psalms 104:4.

(8)  But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. 

·         This is found in Psalms 45:6.

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

·         A description of the Messiah.

(10)  And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands:  (11)  They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment;  (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. 

·         Psa 102:25-27  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:  (27)  But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.

·         Listen to Peter; 

            2Pe 3:3-7  Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,  (4)  And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.  (5)  For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:  (6)  Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:  (7)  But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

2Pe 3:10-13  But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.  (11)  Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,  (12)  Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?  (13)  Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

(13)  But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool? 

·         Psa 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.

(14)  Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?

·         Here he defines the work of the angels.  They are ministering spirits, or angels, sent forth to help, and minister to those that are heir to salvation.  To us, Christians.  You do have a guardian angel.

 

ALMIGHTY GOD, THANK YOU FOR THESE WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT.   HELP US TO REALIZE THAT YOU ARE COMING BACK SOON, AND HELP US BE PRAYED UP, AND READY.   AMEN