Exploring Hebrews
A Devotional Commentary
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Better than the angels Verse 4: “Having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.” Since earliest times, men have had a fascination with angels. Stories abound involving the intervention or co-operation of angels in human affairs. Many are true; many are imaginary; some are satanic, but all are intriguing because they give evidence of a spirit world, which is there but just out of reach. In His wisdom, God chose to place a veil between the material world and the spirit world, a veil which human senses are not designed to penetrate. True to his nature, man endlessly searches for a way through the veil and often ends up confused and deluded as the result. I remember once watching a television program devoted to angels. People were interviewed, stories were told, near-death experiences were recounted, and in all of them angels were given the place which rightfully belongs to Jesus Christ. Never once was His name mentioned, nor the problem of sin addressed. People ended up in glory through the mediation of angels, without any need of salvation. Some expected to become angels themselves after death. Theologians and scholars gave profound opinions (which had no reference to Scripture) and when the program ended we were left with a deep sense of pity for those who were so deceived by the enemy. Yes, there are angels (both good and evil). The Scriptures abound with references to them. They are obviously endowed with supernatural powers and possess intelligence and abilities far beyond the scope of man. But they are all created beings, nevertheless, and as such they have defined limits. We should never be deceived into believing that angels are able to perform feats which only God can perform, or that they can bypass or influence the plan which God laid down in the beginning. They are not to be prayed to, or worshipped. The good angels are God’s messengers, and as such they are devoted to doing only His will. The evil angels serve Satan and will eventually end up in the Lake of Fire. In this section of Hebrews 1, we are dealing with the supremacy of Christ over all created beings. The seven attributes of the Lord Jesus in verses 2 and 3 provide the basis for the statement He made to His disciples: “All power is given unto me in heaven and on earth.” This being so, He is infinitely superior, not only to the prophets (who spoke to the fathers in times past) but also to the angels.
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About the Book
Nobody knows for certain who wrote the letter to the Hebrews. Many scholars (such as Arthur Pink and the early Catholics) believe Paul was the author. Others claim it was written by Timothy or Barnabas. Some even suggest that the writers were Aquila and Priscilla. Still others (such as Martin Luther and R.C. Lenski) believe that Apollos wrote it. But despite the learned theories, which claim to “prove” the author’s identity, none succeeds, and the fact remains that despite two thousand years of scholarship, nobody knows who actually penned these immortal words. Even if we knew the author’s identity, the knowledge would not help us very much. It would not change one word of the letter, nor make it more effective. “Exploring Hebrews” does not waste time following rabbit trails, but instead concentrates on what the letter itself has to say. Every verse is covered and carefully explained. Our goal is to learn, bearing in mind that although God has not revealed the identity of the human author of Hebrews, the letter was clearly written under divine inspiration. “All Scripture is God-breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16) and “The prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Peter 1:21).
About the Author
Ashley Day began his career as the Administrator of a College of Languages in London's West End. Called into the ministry during one of Billy Graham's early London crusades, he and his wife, Edna, left the city and took up an itinerant ministry in the South West of England. Immigrating to the USA in October 1959, the Days ministered in California, Oregon, and Missouri before being called back to England to pastor a church in Devon. In 1980, Pastor Day was called to the Coeur d'Alene Bible Church as Senior Pastor and continued there until retirement in 2003. The Days have been happily married for 61 years and have five children. Pastor Day's radio broadcasts are currently reaching tens of thousands of listeners in the United States, the UK, Africa and the Middle East.