How does Hebrews 1:11 emphasize God's eternal nature compared to creation's transience? Setting the Scene • Hebrews opens by declaring Jesus superior to angels and all created order. • Verses 10-12 quote Psalm 102:25-27 to prove that the Son is the eternal Lord who fashioned the heavens and earth. • Hebrews 1:11: “They will perish, but You remain; they will all wear out like a garment.” Text Under the Microscope • “They” = everything God created—planets, stars, mountains, oceans, human culture. • “Will perish” = guaranteed end; not annihilation of matter’s existence but the present form of creation passing away (cf. 2 Peter 3:10). • “But You remain” = continuous, untouched existence of the Son; no diminution, no aging, no decay. • “Will wear out like a garment” = vivid imagery of clothing that frays, fades, and finally must be discarded. Creation, once pristine, inevitably shows “wear.” God’s Eternal Nature Highlighted • Psalm 90:2—“from everlasting to everlasting You are God.” • Malachi 3:6—“I the LORD do not change.” • Revelation 1:8—“I am the Alpha and the Omega… who is, and who was, and who is to come.” • James 1:17—He is “the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.” • Hebrews 13:8—“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Together these verses reinforce Hebrews 1:11: God is the uncreated, self-existent One whose being is untouched by time or entropy. Creation’s Built-In Expiration Date • Isaiah 40:6-8—“All flesh is grass… the grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.” • Romans 8:20-22—creation is “subjected to futility” and “groans” under decay. • 1 John 2:17—“the world is passing away with its desires.” Hebrews 1:11 encapsulates this truth: every stellar body, every human structure, every biological process is winding down. Why the Contrast Matters • Underscores Jesus’ divine identity. Only God “remains” while all else perishes. • Reveals the temporary nature of earthly security—possessions, achievements, and even natural wonders cannot endure. • Confirms the believer’s hope: permanence is found in the unchanging Lord, not in the shifting created order. How This Shapes Our Walk Today • Cultivate anchored worship—direct praise toward the One who outlasts galaxies. • Hold possessions loosely—use them for God’s glory, knowing they “wear out like a garment.” • Strengthen endurance—confidence grows when we rest in the everlasting arms of the Savior who cannot decay. Hebrews 1:11, in one concise sentence, sweeps away illusions of earthly permanence and fixes our eyes on the eternal, immutable Christ. |
    |