Jesus, the Firstborn of God

After making purification for sins, he [Jesus] sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”? And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.” Of the angels he says, “He makes his angels winds, and his ministers a flame of fire.” (Hebrews 1:4-7 ESV).

 

Jesus is superior to the angels because they worship and serve Him (vv. 6-7). The overall point of these verses is clear, that the angels worship and serve Jesus, not vice versa. But there are several details that require explanation. First, the author refers to Jesus as God’s firstborn. To our minds, firstborn sounds like a chronological concept, that someone was born first in time in a family. But for the Hebrews, firstborn signified position, not time. The oldest son was usually the heir to the father’s estate. As such, he was in a position of privilege and preeminence over his brothers. The title is used in Psalm 89:27, where God says of David, “I shall also make him My firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.” David was not the firstborn son of Jesse. In fact, he was the youngest son. But he was the most prestigious and preeminent son, because God had chosen him above his brothers.

 

There are two other important points found in our reading. The first has to do with the adverb “again.” Should it go at the front of the sentence, and thus mark the following quotation as yet another Scripture that sets forth the exalted position of Christ? Or, should it be connected with the verb “brings” (as in the NASB), thus pointing not to the first coming of Christ, but to His second coming? While some scholars argue for the second view, the majority favor the first view. It is not a major issue, in that all who believe in Jesus would agree that the angels worshiped Him when He came to earth the first time (cf. Luke 2:13-14) and that they will worship Him when He comes again (cf. Revelation 5:11-12).

 

The other issue is the source of the quote. It is similar, but not exact, to Psalm 97:7 in the Septuagint. But it is verbatim from the Septuagint of Deuteronomy 32:43. The problem is, this line in the Septuagint is not in the Hebrew Bible. But it has been found in one of the Dead Sea Scrolls, and so perhaps was original. The main point is that the angels belong to Jesus (“His angels”) and that they obey His commands. Thus, they are His servants, and not vice versa. Also, the terms “winds” and “fire” point to the transitory, changing nature of their service, as contrasted with the eternal sovereignty and glory of Christ. The point is that Jesus is superior to the angels because they worship and serve Him. What should that remind us of? Clearly, if the angels worship Jesus, we ought to do the same. This is much more than gathering on Sundays to sing. Our worship should be the framework of our lives. All that we do should be in worship of the Son of God. He is the only One who deserves such behavior from us. Is that how you base your decisions about life?