The Son of God to the Jewish Mind
Most Jewish people reject the concept of the Son of God despite being familiar with the Old Testament.
This I believe this is because of two main reasons :
• The idea that there is one and only one God (Adonai Eloheinu Adonai ehad) is very strong in the Jewish mind and although being true it seems to have strongly established itself among the people of Israel in times when they were surrounded by pagan nations who worshipped a multitude of gods. The idea of one God was an essential defence against infiltration of pagan Gods into the Jewish minds and culture.
• The second reason is two thousand years of Christianity and Christian culture. To most Jewish people throughout history, those who followed and follow Jesus believe in three Gods, a concept which to a Jewish person could not be more pagan. This was of course exacerbated by Roman Catholicism which actually encouraged the worship of man made images.
Psalm 2 is one of the Psalms that clearly describes somebody who is anointed by God and is also clearly referred to as the Son of God. Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Itzhaki) says that “…ancient rabbis attributed this Psalm to the Messiah King (Melech Ha-Mashiach) .” Modern interpretation associate it with David but of course David has never been given authority over the whole world let alone being called God’s Son.
In Proverbs 30:4 the writer asks six questions. The first four are structured almost in a rhetorical manner and talk about a mysterious being who has done amazing things : ” Who has gone up to heaven and come down? Who has gathered up the wind in the hollow of his hands? Who has wrapped up the waters in his cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth?”
It is obvious that that being is God Himself as God is the one who has gone up to heaven and came down to earth. There is no human being who has ever done anything like this. God is also the one who established all the ends of the earth.
The fifth and sixth questions are the most interesting : What is his name, and the name of his son? Tell me if you know! (Hebrew in future tense : “..ki teda”)
It is a sort of a challenge : Tell me if you know ! . Of course we know the name of God which was revealed to Moses in Exodus 3:14-15 : Jehovah (Yehovah) or the great I Am (literally in the Hebrew : “I’ll be what I’ll be”). But what about the name of His Son ? If the previous being is God this must be the name of God’s Son ! .
To the writer here, this name was still a mystery, but to us it is not anymore. It is Yeshua HaMashiach – Jesus the Messiah.
Another strong reference to God’s Son is in the Hosea 11:1 “..out of Egypt I called my son”. God proclaims His love to Israel and mentions His son (see also Matthew 2:15)
The Son of God in Hebrews 1
God speaks through His Son, the heir of all things and the final revelation. He is His exact representation and so is superior to all things.
Proclaiming the Attributes of the Son of God as God (vs1-3)
This section is structured in a very unique way. Normally, when trying to prove a point, one would “build up a case” leading to a conclusion. Not here, the writer to the Hebrews starts with stating the facts and then running through a string of logical arguments based on the Tanach. It seems like he is trying to win this point with a single knockout smashing any possible opposition.
Jesus’ revelation is final and superior
God spoke in various times (v1) that is:
*The different ages of the old testament (patriarchal, Mosaic and prophetic) or
*Gradual revelation of the Messiah through the old testament (Adam, Abraham, Jacob, David, Micah and so on).
God spoke in various ways (v1)
God varied the method used to reveal Himself. It came through dreams (Jacob), visions (Isaiah, Ezekiel), audible voice (Moses), by writing (10 Commandments). (Numbers 12:6 – 8 he said, “Listen to my words: “When a prophet of the LORD is among you, I reveal myself to him in visions, I speak to him in dreams”.)
God’s authority is expressed through speaking His word! The same Word that later became flesh (see John 1:1).
In these last days (v2)
John Gill : “in the last of these days”: perfectly agreeable to the phrase “Be-acharit Hayamim” used in Genesis 49:1 Numbers 24:14 Isaiah 2:2 to which the apostle refers, and in which places the days of the Messiah are intended; and it is a rule with the Jews {m}, that wherever the phrase, “the last days”, is mentioned, the days of the Messiah are designed: and they are to be understood not of the last days of the natural world, but of, the Jewish world and state; indeed the times of the Messiah, or Gospel dispensation, may be called the last days of the natural world, according to the tradition of the house of Elias; which teaches, that the duration of the world will be six thousand years, and divides it into three parts, the last of which is assigned to the Messiah, thus; two thousand years void, (or without the law,) two thousand years the law, and two thousand years the days of the Messiah {T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 97. 1}:
This is really a memory refresher for the audience (who are likely to be Messianic Jews) which is designed for one and specific purpose : God has now spoken through His Son.
This has few important implications:-
• Yeshua is the Son of God.
• God now communicates His truth through His Son.
• The Son is part of a succession of revelations.
• The Son’s revelation supersedes any previous revelation and is complete (or final).
For these Jewish Believers it was difficult to perceive Jesus in the true light. The Jewish mind was full of great characters of the Old Testament and Jesus seemed to have fitted in a line of great prophets. But the writer is pointing out the mistake here and really saying that Jesus is practically in a completely different league. That is, in a league of His own which only belongs to God. This is also strongly emphasised in Hebrews 3:3 : “Jesus has been found worthy of greater honour than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honour than the house itself.”
Application:-
Yeshua should always be our final authority. There is a tendency nowadays to look at many things but not at Yeshua. The modern church is riddled with an inclination to find things beyond Yeshua or to look for additional spiritual experiences. But we should always remember that God’s has spoken through His Son and this is the place where we should be looking for true answers and fulfilment (through the Word and the spirit of God in us revealing it to us). The second important point here is that we should not look back – The problem with the audience here was that they were looking back to the past instead of letting it go and looking to the glorious future and enjoying all that the Messiah of Israel had in stock for them in the present which was far better than any thing the people of Israel had experienced before. Jesus should never become an additional part of our worship but the true centre of it.
(see Romans 10:4 “Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.”
Galatians 3:13 “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”)
He is the appointed heir of all things (v2)
Here the writer carries on in storming through the attributes of the Son in a devastating speed. Not only God spoke through Him, but He also appointed Him as the heir of all things not only on earth but also in heaven (see Matthew 28:18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me”). This point is important because it means that Yeshua is superior to all the heavenly creatures including the Angels, and this is a preparation for what is going to be discussed later.
It is important to remember that as God, Yeshua is equal to the Father but as God-man and mediator He was appointed by the Father to be heir of all things.
The exact representation of God (v3)
As every son of man is a man, therefore the Son of God must be the true image and the character of the Father. By exact representation it means the same nature of perfection that the Father has (see Col 1:19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him).
(John 14 : 7 – 10 If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him. Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us. Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, `Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.)
Also: John 1:14 …The Word became flesh and dwelt among us …
2 Corinthians 4:4 … The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
Application : To know what God is like, look at Yeshua!
By His Word the worlds were made and hold together (v2-3)
• Yeshua is the creator of the world THEN
• Yeshua is the sustained of the world NOW
This is a stunning statement esp. for this kind of audience. We must remember that the first sentence in the Tanach (Old Testament) is that God created the heavens and the earth. Here the writer is practically saying : “the one who has done it is no one else but Yeshua Himself”. Therefore emphasising the deity of Yeshua as God. Colossians 1:16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.
Not only then but also now Yeshua is what is keeping the world going. Some people think that once everything was in place it just keeps on going. But here we are told that the sun, the rain, the flowers and everything around us is sustained by Yeshua. In a way he is the ‘glue’ that holds it all together (Colossians 1:17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together).
I believe that there is a very good reason why we are told this fact and this is because of the next sentence that tells us that He provided atonement for sins. The world would have been destroyed long ago if no provision for sins was available. The reason the world has not yet been judged is because what Yeshua has done for us on the cross (Colossians 1:20 . and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross).
Finally the writer terminates this section by telling us that because of His humility and sacrifice Yeshua had the honour of sitting next to the Father in heaven which is the highest place possible (see Phillipians 2:9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name…Hebrews 12:2 …who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.).
Application:-
The fact that Yeshua is all the things described above means that we should be obedient to his words as revealed to us in the scriptures. We must remember that the same words are the ones that actually sustain the world and hold it together the words of no one else but God Himself in the flesh (John 14:23 Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him”).
Summary (v1 -v3)
In the words of Matthew Henry : “Now, it was by no less a person than this that God in these last days spoke to men, and since the dignity of the messenger gives authority and excellency to the message, the dispensations (authority) of the gospel must therefore exceed, very much exceed, the dispensation (authority) of the law”
Proving the Son of God to be God (Verses 4 – 14)
Father Son relations as a model (v5 -6)
As Jesus obeyed God, so must they (1 John 5:1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Messiah is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well.). As God loved his only-begotten Son, so he loves his adopted sons (John 16:27 No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.). As God had fellowship with Jesus, so he does with us (1 John 1:3 And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.). As God exalted Jesus, so he exalts Jesus’ followers, as brothers and sisters in one family (John 17:24 Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world).
The prodigal son (Luke 15)
There’s a Spanish story of a father and son who had become estranged. The son ran away, and the father set off to find him. He searched for months to no avail. Finally, in a last desperate effort to find him, the father put an ad in a Madrid newspaper. The ad read: “Dear Paco, meet me in front of this newspaper office at noon on Saturday. All is forgiven. I love you. Your Father.” On Saturday 800 Pacos showed up, looking for forgiveness and love from their fathers.
(Bits & Pieces, October 15, 1992, p. 13)
The love of God to is based on only one merit, the one achieved by Messiah on the cross. We are Christ’s Heirs (making us heirs of all the promises)
Watchman Nee tells about a new believer who came in deep distress to see him. “No matter how much I pray, no matter how hard I try, I simply cannot seem to be faithful to my Lord. I think I’m losing my salvation.” Nee said, “Do you see this dog here? He is my dog. He is house-trained; he never makes a mess; he is obedient; he is a pure delight to me. Out in the kitchen I have a son, a baby son. He makes a mess, he throws his food around, he fouls his clothes, he is a total mess. But who is going to inherit my kingdom? Not my dog; my son is my heir. You are Jesus Christ’s heir because it is for you that He died.” We are Christ’s heirs, not through our perfection but by means of His grace.
It is interesting that very often in the Old Testament the Father/Son relationship also figuratively applied on the national scale to Israel (Ex 4:22 Then say to Pharaoh, `This is what the LORD says: Israel is my firstborn son)
The Angels and the Son (v7 -8)
Here the writer basically describe the relationship between the angels and Yeshua. First he starts in describing the tasks of the angels. To the Jewish mind the angels were considered to be very superior and only below God himself. However here the writer strongly emphasising that the angels are nothing but mere servants of God and they are actually under the authority of the Yeshua and are called to worship Him.
John Gill on the Angels :
… and they are as a flame of fire, so called from their great power, force, and swiftness; and from their burning love, and flaming zeal, hence named seraphim(mitxy), and because they are sometimes the executioners of God’s wrath, and will descend in flaming fire, when Christ shall be revealed from heaven: angels sometimes appear in fiery forms; the chariots and horses of fire, by which Elijah was carried up to heaven, were no other than angels, in such forms: so the Jews {x} say of the angels,
“all the angels, their horses are horses of fire, and their chariots fire, and their bows fire, and their spears fire, and all their instruments of war fire.”
And they have a notion, that an angel is half water, and half fire {y}.
{x} Sepher Jetzirah, p. 16. Ed. Rittangel.
{y} T. Hieros. Roshhashana, fol. 58. 1.
How superior is the Son ? Superior to everything ! (v8-9)
• Angels
• Prophets, Priests and Kings
• The Saints
• His human relations (Family, household of David, tribe of Judah and kinsman in the flesh)
The World and its Destiny (v10 -12, Psalm 102:25 – 27)
In this verses the readers are reminded of the greatness of the Son of God and His immense power. His creative power which is manifested in establishing the foundations of the world many years ago (see Zechariah 12:1) is the same power which will bring its termination or transformation in the future.
Most people in our society think that the world will just carry on forever as it is and obviously we have to ensure its preservation for future generations (Green Peace, Friends of the Earth etc..). The Scriptures tell us a very different story, that the world is actually getting older and older. It is wearing out. A bit like an old piece of clothing. This process started when sin entered the world and is constantly progressing to the future point when the Lord is going to come back (also known as the “Day of the Lord”) :
Isaiah 13:9-11 See, the day of the LORD is coming–a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger–to make the land desolate and destroy the sinners within it. The stars of heaven and their constellations will not show their light. The rising sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light. I will punish the world for its evil, the wicked for their sins. I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty and will humble the pride of the ruthless.
Isaiah 34:4 All the stars of the heavens will be dissolved and the sky rolled up like a scroll; all the starry host will fall like withered leaves from the vine, like shrivelled figs from the fig-tree.
Isaiah 50:9 It is the Sovereign LORD who helps me. Who is he who will condemn me? They will all wear out like a garment; the moths will eat them up.
Isaiah 51:6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens, look at the earth beneath; the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment and its inhabitants die like flies. But my salvation will last forever, my righteousness will never fail.
Summary
God speaks through His Son, the heir of all things and the final revelation. He is His exact representation and so is superior to all things.
• It is difficult for Jewish people to accept the idea of God having a Son.
• God speaks through His Son now as He did through all the other messengers then (old testament).
• The Son’s revelation is final and complete.
• Yeshua has all the attributes of God making Him equal with God.
• He is superior to everything in Heaven or Earth.
• He is the creator of all things and will also be the one who will bring the current world to its end when He judges the world.
“…But my salvation will last for ever, my righteousness will never fail ..” all these promises are in the Son ! Do you know the Son of God ? Do you want to experience His righteousness and salvation ? Remember ! It will never fail …
© Gil Alon, Leeds Messianic Fellowship 2001