- READ HEB 1:5-9 We live in a world where everyone wants to be in charge of their own life.
- We resist authority, we bristle at rules, and we don’t like being told what to do.
- But Hebrews opens with a reminder that Jesus is not just another voice, He is the King.
- The writer stacks Him up against angels, prophets, kings and shows us that Christ is better.
- A Better Authority READ Hebrews 1:5
- Psalm 2:7 “You are My Son, today I have begotten You” a coronation psalm, enthroning the Davidic king as God’s Son.
- First for earthly, but then applied to messianic- “Your throne, O God, is forever” (Ps 45) or “You will rule the nations with a rod of iron” (Ps 2) a messianic expectation.
- Israels kings were never just political, they were always God’s man. Saul: the Lord has anointed you commander 1 Sa10:1. David : “Arise, anoint him; for this is the one” 1 Sa16:12–13. God to David:I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his Father, and he shall be My son2 Sa 7:12–14 Solomon:on His throne to be king for the Lord your God” (2 Chr 9:8).
Purpose of a Coronation Psalm was is was to be read at their installment
- 1. To declare God’s Choice not just a political figure but God’s appointed ruler.
- ancient kings were often spoken of as “sons” of their gods. Israel son of YHWH
- 2. To renew the covenant reminder of the promises in the Davidic Covenant (2 Samuel 7): God would establish David’s line forever. New king was continuation of redemption plan
- 3. To Project Ideal Kingship celebrated, but projected a throne “forever,” a perfectly righteous rule, or universal dominion (Psalm 45, Psalm 72).
- 4. To give Eschatological Hope Israel’s kings often failed, but these psalms kept alive the hope for a future perfect king. By 2nd temple, read with messianic expectation messiah would come
- what Israel celebrated symbolically in her coronations has come true literally and fully in Jesus.
- He is the Son of God, installed as eternal King, ruling with a scepter of righteousness.
- No angel was ever enthroned. No angel was ever sung over with these psalms. Only Christ. This language would be clear to the Jewish reader- Jesus is king of kings.
- Jesus His enthronement is better than all before Him. They were imperfect, he’s perfect- a better righteousness. They had limited thrones, his is forever, They had symbolic sonship Jesus is the on. 2 Sa 7:14 “I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to Me a son” God’s covenant promise of a royal son.
- No angel was ever given this promise. These verses point directly to Jesus as the Son-King, enthroned at His resurrection. His authority is grounded in His righteousness.
- Again the writer is saying– The way of the OT was not as purposeful or powerful than JESUS
What does it mean to you? - Israel submitted to earthly kings as their ultimate authority in life, how much more should we?
- In a kingdom, the subjects reflect the ruler of the kingdom and the king has the right and authority to install and demand whatever standards he wishes upon his kingdom.
- Jer 23:5 the days are coming, says the Lord, that I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; a King shall reign and prosper, and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.
- Who should we be? people who submit to Christ’s better righteous authority
- Earthly kings were flawed, Jesus is not flawed. We submit to his authority in our lives.
- Americans have great difficulty submitting to authority. They hold on to self at all costs
- As a nation, a job, a relationship, a church, they don’t want to submit to any authority
- To live under the righteous rule of Christ and his kingdom, you must submit to his authority
- Matthew 28:18 “all authority has been given to me”. All. He decides all of who you are.
- I’ve learned from coaches, parents, pastors, the military even when I didn’t always agree, I knew authority was there for my good. I submitted because I wanted the greater good in me
- Training- going through a water filled mud hole to my neck. Looked in eye, cant say no
- We must submit to Christ’s authority. We can’t go back to self rule or wrong rulership
- A Better Worship (Hebrews 1:6)
- Deut 32:43 (LXX) “Let all the angels of God worship Him.” Ps 97:7 “Worship Him, all you gods.”
Angels worship Christ It shows His divinity and superiority. - The Son is not a servant to worship, but the righteous King who receives worship.
- Exodus 20:3 You shall have no other gods before Me. Col 2:18 Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels
- We are not supposed to worship anyone except the Lord- No one else nothing else
- angels were created to worship “The host of heaven worships You” Neh 9:6 “praise Him, all His hosts!”Psa 148:2 The seraphim cry out, “Holy, holy, holy Isa 6:3 “Worthy is the Lamb (Rev 5:12).
- We, or you, if you’re not a Christian, don’t have a historical religious context- Jews did
- And because the writer of Hebrews is trying to say- Angels were created to worship and they worship the son of God. They worship Jesus. He’s higher than any created being.
- writings from that period often described angels ruling nations, carrying prayers, or even joining in worship with God’s people. Heb says: angels are magnificent, but they are created servants.
- They worship God but Only Jesus is enthroned. Only Jesus receives the worship of angels.
- Israel “received the law by the direction of angels” (Acts 7:53) it “was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator” (Gal 3:19). Hebrews: “the word spoken through angels” (Heb 2:2).
- Deuteronomy also pictures the Lord at Sinai surrounded by “myriads of holy ones” (Deu 33:2).
- God is the true author of the Law, angels were His appointed messengers in that moment.
- here’s the contrast: if even the Law, delivered through angels, carried such weight, how much more should we worship Christ, the Son, who is not a messenger but the King, enthroned forever with a scepter of righteousness? The one who fulfilled the law and the prophets?
What does it mean to you? - How should we live? our life should be marked by better righteous worship not bowing to idols, ambition, or self, but giving my devotion wholly to Jesus. He alone is worthy of our worship
- We should worship with our mouths and our lives and proclaim our adoration of Him
- Philippians 2:10-11 READ every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord
- Matthew 4:10 You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.
- Psalm 95:6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
- This is an important distinction of our Church and our theology- we believe the believers in Christ should audibly worship God with their mouths. I don’t buy into the ‘I cant sing’ excuse
- Worship in the bible was always proclamations with voices, not ‘I worship in my mind’
- here’s where it connects- Ps 8:5 For You have made him a little lower than the angels,
- we’re right below the angels- we should be worshipping all day long as they do-
- not because we’re forced to, but because we choose to, which is even MORE powerful
- Bosnia 98. LTG LaPorte. Commander of III Corps. 45k Troops. Came for an inspection
- You don’t just casually shake that man’s hand. Sense of honor. You stand straighter. Show respect. You recognize his authority. His position demands it. Dressed and pressed.
- Think about this- Angels, far more glorious than a human general- worship Jesus
- They bow, cry out, give him honor. They’ve never sinned, have been in the throne room, delivered the law, and they worship him continually.
- How much more should we who’ve been redeemed by his blood give him whole hearted?
- A Better Instrument (Hebrews 1:7)
- Angels are instruments Ps 104:4 Who makes His angels spirits, and His ministers a flame of fire.
- Angels are swift, fiery servants- instruments in God’s hand. They are powerful, but they are not sovereign. They are told what to do and how to do it.
- Psalm 103:20 Bless the Lord, you His angels, who excel in strength, who do His word, heeding the voice of His word.
- In the New Testament, angels are always on assignment. They announce births (Lu 1, Matt 1), protect and guide Jesus’ family (Mat 2), strengthen Him in Gethsemane (Luke 22), and minister to Him after temptation (Mat 4). They free apostles from prison (Acts 5, Acts 12), direct Philip to the Ethiopian (Acts 8), and execute judgment on Herod (Acts 12). At the tomb, they roll away the stone and proclaim the resurrection (Mat 28), and at the ascension they promise His return (Acts 1). Angels act, speak, protect, guide, judge, and proclaim They are instruments of God
- We are instruments of God. We are to be used by him for whatever he purposes.
- Rom 6:13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. Believers too are called to be instruments of righteousness, not sin.
What does it mean to you? - How can I be used? By presenting myself to God as a better instrument of righteousness, useful in His service, not wasted in unrighteous living.
- The wrong way is to let yourself be used as a tool for sin enslaved to flesh, passions, idols, and unrighteous living. You ever said “what a tool”. Be called a good tool- what a tool!
- The right way is to place yourself in God’s hands as a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful to the Master (2 Tim 2:21). You say- however you choose to use this broken vessel.
- Here’s the crux- how you live impacts how useful you can be in the use of the Kingdom of God
- Too many stop at forgiveness without pressing on to holiness. That’s not how instruments of God live.
- This is not the way of Jesus or New Testament living. We are changed from glory to Glory
- We Press on- Phi 3:12 we increase in the knowledge of God Col 1:10 we abound more and more 1 Thess 4:1 we give all diligence 1 Peter 1:5
- This walk with Jesus is being used by him as we are, but realizing he wants to use us more
- The truth is the people desire righteousness, and when someone is trying to show them the way to righteousness, and they themselves have not found it, they have no interest in the help
- I once met a man who’d been in the faith 40 years but his marriage, family, and walk were in shambles. That’s not what it looks like to be a useful instrument after decades with Christ
- How do you become a better instrument for the use of the father?
- 1. Decide to pursue righteousness- You have to declare and decide this is who you want to be
- 2. Discipline Set up your life for righteousness- Stop sinning. Distance yourself from situations
- Be relentless with yourself- You don’t beat yourself up, but don’t justify sin in your life
- 3. Community- Surround w others- Be honest w your struggles and have people call you out
- 4. Communion- Be honest w God- Spend time in prayer, ask HS to reveal, ask for help, be honest
- Step out in faith- Look for ways every day to be used by him in word, deed, and prayer
- 4. A Better Allegiance (Hebrews 1:8–9)
8 But to the Son He says: “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. 9 You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.” - Here’s the quote- Psalm 45:6–7 “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You.”
- This royal psalm points beyond the earthly king to Christ, the eternal divine ruler. His throne is forever, His scepter is righteousness, His reign is unshakable.
- Earlier we talked about the coronation psalms and the authority of the king over our lives
- But whats deeper than authority is this- allegiance. Authority cannot produce allegiance.
- And that’s what the Writer is getting at- Jesus is God and his kingdom is a kingdom of righteousness and righteous rule in our lives.
What does it mean to you? - To whom is my allegiance? To Jesus Christ, the better righteous King whose eternal throne demands my loyalty above every earthly kingdom or cultural allegiance.
- Rev 19:16 on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
- Hebrews 12:28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.
- Must have Exclusive loyalty – Exodus 20:3 You shall have no other gods before Me.
- We don’t go and bow down to a false God. Its your spouse, your kids, your job, your hobbies
- And all of those things are good, but not at the expense of your loyalty to the Lord
- This means you tell other people no because there are things of God you say yes to
- We must have Total devotion – Deut 6:5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.
- The bend of your heart is to Honor God. Worship him. Love him. Please him. He’s your focus
- To whom does the heart of your devotion rest? To whom do you have allegiance?
- We must have Obedient faith – John 14:15 If you love Me, keep My commandments.
- I get it- we talk about this a lot, but this is a firm foundation. We obey what Jesus asks.
- We must have Undivided commitment – Matt 6:24 No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other.
- You cant have a divided loyalty in your heart. Only one commitment can rule you.
- I remember as young man, right out of hs, started college, friend picked me up.
- Rolling down the street, bass bumping, cut off, he was angry and wanted to follow the guy
- Pull over right now. I want to get out. I don’t want to go. I’ll walk home
- At some point in your life you have to choose to get out of the car and walk alone in allegiance
- It will cost you something, or everything. Our friendship ended that day, but I don’t regret
- Church, lets look to the better Authority, be better instruments, give better worship and have better allegiance.
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