V. 7 Quote from Ps. 104:4. This Psalm is talking about the greatness of God, especially during creation. The beautiful poetry that describes Genesis one and two. Verse four identifies the creation of angels. If this is a retelling of Genesis, it does indicate that he likely made angels before he finished creating the world. The author of Hebrews is again highlighting the fact that Jesus is superior. He is the one there at the foundation of the earth. He created everything, including the angels. He is the originator who gave the angels the source of their strength and glory.

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This phrase, spirits, has a couple of ideas here. First, that angels are like spirits/wind – they are spiritual beings and are swift like wind. They quickly move to do God’s will. They are empowered and created by God.

Ministers, flame of fire. Fire is often associated with God. Think about the properties of fire, it cleanses, it burns, is illuminates, it gives warmth, refines – it is one of the earliest forms of power/energy. We see it throughout Scripture. You see it in Eden with the fiery sword, the fire that judged Sodom and Gomorrah, the burning bush with Moses, the pillar of fire that led Israel through the dessert, fire descended on Mt. Caramel with Elijah, etc. It often represented God’s presence. It is also often associated with Angels. In Isaiah, an angel touches Isaiah’s lips with a hot coal in representation of cleansing (that was a Seraphim). In Ezekiel we read that the Cherubim are surrounded and go forth with fire as they escort God’s glory back to heaven. They minister with fire (with cleansing and God’s presence). Angels exist to do his will.

 

They are the reason God is called the Lord of Hosts or Jehovah Sabaoth. 1 Samuel 1:3 is where we first find this title. He is the Lord of Hosts, but he does not need the angels. He is the God of Hosts, and he uses them – because he is powerful enough that he does not need to get off his throne. Think about that, kings have armies because they need the power. He has the most powerful beings, because he can. It is actually Michael that throws Satan out of heaven in the end. Not because God doesn’t care, but because he is so powerful that he is able to create beings to do his will. They are created ministering creatures who are powerful. However, their glory and power are derived – not originating in nature.

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V. 8-9 – This quote is from Ps. 45:6-7. This Psalm is a love song 😊 It is about overflowing love and a contemplation on the excellence of God. It is written to the king, but will ultimately be fulfilled in Christ when he comes again in majesty.

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Your throne O God – not an inferior being. An eternal king on an eternally settled throne. This is a claim of equality. God is an eternal being who eternally rules. He reigns in righteousness and impartiality. This is the only place this particular word for righteousness is used, but it is still the notion of straight or level. It is in alignment with truth.

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Loved righteousness – not just tolerated. This is the idea of befriending, embracing, making righteousness beloved. It was/is their passion. Not only do they love righteousness, but this person hates wickedness. I do think it is interesting that they offer the positive first. Because this individual loves righteousness, by default they hate wickedness. They detest iniquity. We can never truly turn away from sin and hate wickedness until we first love righteousness. I think we can steer away from it and avoid it, glance askance at sin, but until we love righteousness, we will not be able to love the sinner while understanding that what they are doing is wrong.

 

God, your God, this is one of the clearest testimonies to the coming Messiah being God – not just a social leader. The words for God here are the same. There isn’t an inferior being and one true God. It is a term of equality. Jesus was equal to the Father but anointed for a specific purpose/choice/consecration. Oil of gladness – of joy. Oil was used for ceremonial consecration for Priests and Kings. It was also used after death. Jesus stepped into all of those roles. Isaiah 61:1-3 are some beautiful verses about this time and the beauty of anointing that will come in the new kingdom. It is important to understand that the joy was not found in his death on the cross, but rather the joy of bringing many sons to glory – of being the firstborn of many. Heb. 12:2 specifically explains that it was for the joy that was set before him that he endured the cross. I think sometimes people get caught up in either chafing under trials or thinking they have to drum up a false sense of righteous joy. I think this verse is so freeing because Jesus wasn’t rejoicing in the cross. He was joyful because he was going to bring many sons to glory. He was surrendered to the will of the Father, but he sweat drops of blood at the prospect of what was to come. He was the firstborn of many brethren. He fulfilled his purpose/anointing. We can endure difficulty with joy because it is accomplishing God’s purpose in our lives and preparing us for what lies ahead. We are learning and growing. We have to give thanks in our circumstances even if we are praying for deliverance from them.

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Thy fellows – other partakers. We partake in his sufferings, but never to the extent that he did. Even the martyrs never partake in his sufferings to the same extent because no one else has had to take on the sin of the world and be separated from the Father in the same way that he was. We get to partake in the glory and joy as well, but never to the extent of Jesus. He is God and is highly exalted. He will always stand alone as unique even though he opened the pathway for others to approach the Father. Companions can also reference other kings. While there were certainly kings who were successful and they were anointed, they were not anointed in this way, nor did they so fully accomplish their purpose.

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V. 10-12 – This is a quote from Ps. 102:25-27 – this is a beautiful psalm of prayer in the midst of trials. It is a reminder of God’s power. Our transient nature and feebleness in contrast to his deliverance, glory, and creation. This is actually a somewhat controversial quote because some scholars argue that this Psalm is written to God the Father. However, Scripture confirms, in multiple places that Jesus is the Creator, and I will always take divinely inspired Scripture as the authority of who it is referencing. Jesus was there from the beginning and created all things – Col. 1:16.

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Laid the foundation – the source of everything. He consolidated it – laid the basis for. He created out of nothing, ex nihilo. He established it all. Every detail is the work of his hand. Can you imagine the detail and design that goes into this? What if he miscalculated the pull of gravity or if the ocean tides were not adequately regulated by the moon? On on an even smaller level, what if he forgot that the woodpecker’s beak needed to be harder than the blue jay's?  It isn’t just that he created in completely orderly fashion, but that he did so with such diversity and imagination. We cannot fathom the complexity of the foundations that he laid.

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Heavens – both the literal sky/creation and the place where he dwells – they are the work of his hands. He set them all in motion, but also if you think about heaven, as it stands right now it is actually a pretty complicated place. He decided, at some point, that he was going to have a heavenly tabernacle that would then be mirrored by the children of Israel. We know about this throne, the sea of glass, the glory. Granted, we know more about the new heaven and new earth, but still. He was purposeful in all his designs and yet people look around and say it must have evolved – it took billions of years – it happened by accident. The chief reason people want to deny God as Creator is because if he is creator then he is immediately the one who determines what is right and wrong. He determines that standard of righteousness. If he created it, and us, so he would have the right to determine what we should do/how we should behave. God as Creator is laughed off as a joke in so many arenas today and I think that is one of the biggest lies that Satan has gotten people to buy into. God as Creator is the foundation of God as Judge at the end of all things – when the heavens perish, and they will perish.

They will be destroyed (which will be in the end – Rev. 19-21).

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Turn to 2 Peter 3:1-14 – the whole chapter is amazing, but I want us to see a couple of particular points about this destruction that is coming. One, God has destroyed before in flood. He prophesied/preached through Noah warning people of judgment to come. Part of the sin of unbelief was the sin of not understanding that if God was willing to destroy once, he would be willing to do so again (v. 4-6). He will not destroy via flood because he promised not to do so in Genesis, but he will roll it all up because this world is still inundated by sin. He keeps his promises – even the ones we might not like. Judgment is coming and Peter and the author of Hebrews is reminding his readers that this moment is transient

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God is not slow – even when we feel like he is crawling at a snail’s pace compared to what we would want. He wants all to repent – he wants his people to obey. He wants people to be ready for his return and the moment when the heavenly bodies will be burned up – that picture of fire again. This ultimately will be fulfilled during the battle of Gog and Magog (before the final judgement) when the armies of Satan have gathered after 1000 years, and fire descends from heaven incinerating them in a moment. There is no battle. All final judgement will take place – all motives and works will be exposed.

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And because of that, because it will be destroyed as the Psalmist and the author of Hebrews promises, what kind of people should we be? That question is so weighty. It is a question worth keeping before us. If we live in light of this truth – in acknowledgement of who our God is as both Creator and ultimate Judge (the Alpha – the originator and Omega – the end and one who will complete all things) then how does it change the way we live our lives? Because we are waiting – we are trusting God for the better. We are believing that he gives us more than we can ask or think. Our lives are obedient in acknowledgement that he is better than all other things. We worship because we understand that he has preceded all things and will still be here once it has all finished.

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Righteousness dwells in that new city because the king of righteousness – the king who is our righteousness, Jehovah Tsidkenu dwells there. Interestingly, this name of God first appears in relation to the promise of the new heaven and new earth – of Judah’s salvation – Jer. 23:6.

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So be diligent – be holy – and be at peace. Think about that, Peter here is instructing these believers who were facing tremendous persecution (just as the Hebrew believers in Jerusalem were facing). Peter wanted Jesus to find them at peace, at rest. It is really interesting that depending on what translation you read, this is often rendered “in peace.” The only way any of these people were going to be at peace was to be in the very one who is our Peace (Eph. 2:14). He is Jehovah Shalom. I love that this name is first found in Judges 6:24. As Gideon is building an altar of sacrifice in the midst of fear – he uses this name of God – it is the only time it is used directly in Scripture. Immerse yourself in his promises and his Word – in his love for you because that is the only way to remain at peace – to be grounded in the midst of trial and persecution. Rest in the knowledge that when everything else is shaken (which we’ll get to in more detail in chapter 12) – he will remain. There are so many other things that glitter and look alluring. There are so many things that promise fulfillment and relief. Going back to the familiar, to the compromise, to our emotions – but only he will remain.

Everything else will wear out or decay. They will become obsolete and fade away. The glitter isn’t gold and the substitutes are not eternal.

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How easy is it to fold up a coat? That is how easy it will be God to uncreate all he laid the foundations for in the beginning. Anything not of Christ’s image or part of fallen creation will be worn out. We give ourselves to the transient, yet in the scheme of eternity the present is so brief. Now, I’m not saying you can never chill and play a game or watch a movie. I love to relax, but I am very susceptible to getting my priorities out of line. This perspective on the temporal nature of life within the grand scheme of eternity should change the way we live and invest our time/energy.

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Years will have no end – not just literally years, but actually the idea of “year” instead of the passage of time. God exists outside of time. His year/time/dispensation will have no end. There is no dispensation in which he will not rule. His rule will not end /cease/fail.

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V. 13 – Quote from Ps. 110:1 – A Psalm of David., but ultimately a foretelling of the descendent of David who will rule. Earthly kings are never invited to receive worship. Kings who struggled with pride were judged. The desire to be worshipped, to rule, was Lucifer’s original sin. Saul was rejected from being king in part because he tried to usurp the place of the priest. Uzziah was cursed with leprosy because he tried to offer sacrifices to God (2 Chron. 26:16). They weren’t even wanting personal worship, but they tried to approach the roles that God had sanctified, and he judged permanently.

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Invitation to sit – Jesus sat after his death/forgiveness was complete. We already talked about this briefly. Unlike him, the angels do not sit. They are ministering spirits and constantly moving in Scripture. They were never invited to equality with God or the place of power. Satan rebelled specifically because he was not invited to a place of equality with God. It is interesting that he said he wanted to be “like” the Most-High. Even Satan didn’t make the mistake of thinking he could be greater than God.

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This word for enemies can actually be plural or singular. Until I make your enemy or foe your footstool. This is both the enemies of God, but also the ultimate enemy that will be subdued at the end of all things. Satan will be permanently cast into the Lake of Fire along with Death (Rev. 20:10-15). 1 Cor. 15:27-28 all things will be placed under subjection to him

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V. 14 – So to wrap up his arguments, all angels, no matter their “rank,” were still created. They are ministering spirits. They are called to worship – to obey just as everyone else is. Ultimately, their purpose is to accomplish God’s will. They do more than simply minister to believers. We are clearly told in Scripture that they carry messages even to non-believers. Some appear to be specifically assigned to care for nations. However, they are part of God’s eternal plan to work all things together for good for those who will inherit salvation – those who will live eternally with him. Those who inherit – as a result of Christ’s work.