What is the meaning of Hebrews 1:5? For to which of the angels did God ever say - The writer opens with a rhetorical question that highlights the unique status of Jesus. Angels are magnificent (Psalm 103:20) and serve in God’s presence (Luke 1:19), yet nowhere does Scripture grant them filial equality with the Father. - Hebrews has just declared that the Son “has become as much superior to the angels as the name He has inherited is excellent beyond theirs” (Hebrews 1:4). This verse explains why. - Angels are: • created beings (Colossians 1:16) • ministering spirits sent to serve believers (Hebrews 1:14) • never invited to sit at the Father’s right hand (contrast Hebrews 1:13). - By asking “to which,” the author underscores that not one angel—not Michael (Daniel 10:13), not Gabriel (Luke 1:26)—was granted the title “Son” in the sense given to Jesus. “You are My Son; today I have become Your Father” - Quoted from Psalm 2:7, a coronation psalm announcing God’s anointed King. - “My Son” points to relationship, authority, and shared nature (John 5:18). - “Today” speaks to a specific moment of public declaration: • His incarnation (Luke 1:35) • His baptism, where the Father’s voice proclaimed, “You are My beloved Son” (Mark 1:11) • His resurrection, when God “raised Him from the dead, as it is written, ‘You are My Son; today I have become Your Father’” (Acts 13:33; see also Romans 1:4). - The phrase “I have become Your Father” does not imply Jesus had a beginning. It signals the Father’s open acknowledgment of the eternal Son in redemptive history—first in promise, then in incarnation, finally in exaltation. Or again - A second citation strengthens the point, following the biblical principle that “every matter must be established by two or three witnesses” (Deuteronomy 19:15; 2 Corinthians 13:1). - By introducing another Old Testament text, the author shows that the exclusive Sonship of Christ is woven throughout Scripture, not hinged on a single proof-text. - Repetition reminds readers that what God never said to angels, He said twice about His Messiah. “I will be His Father, and He will be My Son” - Drawn from God’s covenant with David (2 Samuel 7:14; echoed in 1 Chronicles 17:13). The promise looks beyond Solomon to the ultimate descendant who would reign forever (Luke 1:32-33). - Key truths wrapped into the promise: • Permanence of the relationship—future-tense verbs reveal an unbreakable bond. • Royal inheritance—“He will be My Son” accords the throne and kingdom to the Messiah (Psalm 89:27-29). • Father-Son unity—Jesus later prays, “You loved Me before the foundation of the world” (John 17:24), confirming that this covenant expresses an eternal reality. - Hebrews 5:5 quotes the same words to show that Christ’s high priesthood is grounded in His divine Sonship, not a human lineage. - Revelation 21:7 extends the promise to believers who, united to the Son, become “sons” of God, yet always under the headship of the unique Son. summary Hebrews 1:5 presents two Old Testament declarations that God reserves for one Person alone—Jesus Christ. Angels, though glorious, are servants; the Son is heir. Psalm 2:7 reveals the Father’s public affirmation of the eternal Son, especially displayed at the resurrection. Second Samuel 7:14 unveils a covenant guarantee that the Messianic King would enjoy a perpetual Father-Son relationship. Together these texts underline Christ’s supremacy, validate His royal and redemptive mission, and assure believers that the One who speaks for us in heaven is not merely an exalted creature but the very Son of God. |
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