Fragmentary communications by signs and wonders, given in various manners to the fathers, have now been eclipsed by the full revelation given by God to all men in Son.
In becoming Man, this glorious Being, who is the Creator God, is the display of the very brightness and shining forth of God's glory.
Having made purification of sins, the Son of God, in His own right, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high. Because of Jewish veneration for angels, attention is given at the start of this epistle to the superiority of the Man Christ Jesus to angels and to all created beings.
The writer hides himself because Christ replaces all that have gone before or those who have come after Him so that there might be only one Object upon whom the eye of faith might focus.
The Priest is now sitting there performing His mediatorial work for His people.
Because of weakness on the part of Jewish believers, brought about through traditions and partial revelations or communications as to God's mind, coupled with lack of faith, which Gentiles, as well, are prone, the foundations must first be secured.
Since this epistle shows the eternal, permanent character of Christian blessings, it would follow that these must have a firm foundation. Is the eternal future for God's people to be one of shifting sands, or resting upon an immutable Rock?
The personal glories of the Lord Jesus are immediately set before the people in order that the heart might have a sure foundation upon which to rest before the offices of the Priest and King can find a positive ready acceptance.
Jesus is the Son of God (Heb. 1:2)
Jesus is God (Heb. 1:8)
Chapters 1 and 2 have much in common and give the subject and general character of the epistle. The contrast with angels begins with verse 4 of chapter 1 and ends with verse 16 of chapter 2. In chapter 1 the superiority of the Son of God to angels is seen in three ways: First, both angels and men were spoken of as the sons of God in the Old Testament, but never, "Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee"-also, "I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son."
Second, in the day when God will bring the First begotten into the world again, "He saith, And let all the angels of God worship him"-also, "Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire."
Third, "But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?"
When God brings the Firstbegotten into the world again, it will be as the Melchisedec King and Priest. Then it will be said, "A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of thy kingdom." His throne is eternal.
In verse 9 God speaks of His Son as having companions or fellows. The bride, or the subject of the mystery, Christ and the church, is not the teaching of this epistle. The writer does not take the place of one who has a new revelation from God to man, but as a teacher who is given grace to expound the Old Testament types, especially in regard to the tabernacle in the light that the New Testament sheds, chiefly as to the Priest and His present mediatorial office.
This is to the Jew who was well acquainted with the details of an earthly religion and its workings as well as its benefits. He is not seen as in need of salvation, but as one who, having a new life, needs to be led on to the substance of which the types speak-or "better" things.
Although the Spirit of God writes these things directly to the Jew, there is only one blessing-for Jew and Gentile alike, but it comes to the Jew first. The company of believers were first Jews, later the Gentiles were brought into the very same blessings in connection with heavenly things.
Because of the reluctance of the Jewish remnant to give up a decaying earthly religion, the Spirit of God sets before them these glorious truths, richer and "better," so that a renewed heart, dropping off all that went before, might attach itself to a heavenly Christ, now in the glory.
Taking heed to the teaching of the book of Hebrews should deliver souls from current ecclesiastical error that holds the spirit captive in ordinances and traditions.