GOD SPOKE AND STILL SPEAKS

In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways,   but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and   through whom He also made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. So, He became as much superior to the angels as the name He has inherited is superior to theirs. (Heb. 1: 1-4)

The letter to the Hebrews is a treasure; it contains many gems of truth to encourage us. At the       same time, it is a thoroughly Hebrew book, steeped in the traditions of the Old Testament and        giving us many insights into its religious thought and practice. What was the intention of the writer, and why did he write it?

We know that Jesus was a Jew, born into a pious Jewish family and raised as the eldest son of     Joseph and Mary, a young couple who were faithful to their responsibilities as Jewish parents and who gave their Son every opportunity to became a faithful Jew Himself.

But Jesus was much more than the eldest son in a Jewish family. He was also uniquely the Son of God. His upbringing in a human family served its purpose for a season, but had to give way to His real  person and greater purpose as the Son of God. He did not come into being at His conception in the womb of Mary. That was the beginning of His mission on earth but, before He came to earth, He was God.

God has always spoken. Creation is His silent voice (Psa. 19: 1-4) and still speaks an eloquent testimony to His power and divine nature. (Rom. 1: 20) He also spoke through His chosen vessels, the prophets. Who were they? They were ordinary humans who were chosen and called into a unique relationship with Him. They were His messengers to His people and to the surrounding nations     who needed to hear God’s warnings.

The prophets were God’s confidantes. He shared His secrets with them. (Amos 3: 7) He told them what would happen before it happened so that His word would be proved true. He took them into His confidence so that they could pray His purposes into being as His partners and representatives on the earth. They were to declare His word to His people as warnings and encouragement to keep His people on track with Him. (Jer. 23: 22) It was their responsibility to heed His word and stay with Him in the fulfilment of His purposes.

The prophets were also God’s representatives to the kings. They accompanied the kings on their    journey as rulers of His people. They were beside them in times of crisis, giving them God’s           instructions, directing them through times of trouble, rebuking and correcting them when they lost   their way, and teaching them the word of God so that they would rule wisely according to God’s    ways.

But the prophets were only men. Their ability to represent God to the people was limited by their fallen humanity. God’s plan was to send a representative to the earth who was an exact replica of      Himself. In the fullness of time, He sent His Son (Gal. 4: 4) who was exactly like Him, ‘the radiance of His glory’, to speak for God and as God. As His obedient and submissive Son, Jesus had the     authority to speak what the Father spoke because He was in perfect harmony with the Father.

He spoke for the Father in His words and actions, but most eloquently through His death by which He made atonement for the sin of the world and reconciled the human race which was alienated through sin, to the Father.

Jewish Christians were having second thoughts about leaving their Jewish religion and trusting in   Jesus as their Messiah because of persecution. In the Roman world, the Jews were tolerated and left to pursue their religion in peace but Christians, whom the Jews as well as the Roman government rejected, were hated because they challenged the emperor’s claim to deity.

The writer to the Hebrews informed them that, to do that, was to deny who Jesus was and what He had done and to leave the plan of God unfinished if they rejected their Messiah. Jesus is God’s last word – because He is God’s Son. God speaks through Him as the completion of everything He has to say. If they rejected Him, God the Father had nothing more to say to them and, likewise, to us.

Acknowledgement

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.