"..but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe." -Hebrews 1:2
In the first two verses of Hebrews (Hebrews 1:1-2), you see that Jesus brings a revelation superior to that of the prophets of old. God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son...
It’s important to note here that God condescends in order to speak to people. He is the One who takes the initiative and chooses to speak to us, His creation. God doesn't owe it to us. He’s not obligated to speak just as He’s not obligated to save. To think that God is powerful and awesome in every way and at the same time lowers Himself in order to speak to us is an amazing thought. He cares about us and wants to communicate His love and mercy to us.
As we think about how God spoke before Christ, we should understand that He spoke in various ways. This is what the writer is getting at. God spoke through visions, dreams, and face to face with the prophets but when God spoke to the people; He spoke through the prophet that He appointed.
He spoke to Moses in the burning bush (Exodus 3:2ff), He spoke to Elijah in a still small voice (1 Kings 19:12ff), to Isaiah in a vision in the temple (Isaiah 6), Amos in a basket of summer fruit (Amos 8). He spoke to these prophets in various ways and then the prophets spoke to the people.
If we are to understand anything about God, He must reveal Himself to us. We are desperately in need of revelation. Humans do not have this kind of knowledge within themselves. Innate knowledge of God is non-existent within us.
Just look at all the crazy ideas out there floating around about God. Whenever people try to speak intelligently about God without relying on His revelation people speak falsely.
Even if one goes to the Old Testament and tries to get a clear picture of God, one comes away, at best, with a fragmentary picture. We can get somewhat of a picture of our Redeemer Jesus Christ when we look to Boaz, Ruth and Naomi’s redeemer. However, this picture is not complete. It is simply a shadow or an unclear image.
Remember, the OT is about Jesus but it is in fragments. The idea that the OT is about Jesus sometimes is hard to believe and at times meets with resistance. Jesus knew this to be true and so did Luke writing in Acts.
For Jesus and the first Christians, their Bible contained only the books that we now call the Old Testament. Like us, they taught that the Bible is the word of God. Many different people were its human authors. But they did not merely write down their own thoughts, like any other book. Instead, they wrote words that came from God himself (2 Peter 1:20-21).
That is why the first Christians described the authors of the Old Testament as ‘prophets’. A prophet is someone who speaks (or writes) God’s word. He declares God’s messages.
The first Christians even described people like David as prophets. We do not usually call David a prophet today. But Peter did (Acts 2:29-30). And Peter added that David had described future events (Acts 2:31). God showed David what would happen to Christ.
The author of the Book of Hebrews teaches that this is true about each Old Testament book. A book may seem to be about history, for example 2 Samuel. Or it may seem only to contain songs and prayers, like Psalms. It may seem to be about law, like Deuteronomy. Or it may seem to be about rules for ceremonies, like Leviticus. But the author of Hebrews shows how passages from these books are really about Jesus.
The Old Testament authors did not always know that they were writing about Jesus. But God’s Holy Spirit showed them what they should write. And that was how they could write these things.
My beloved, what we hold in our hands today, God’s Word, is our sufficient source of eternal knowledge. The Bible is God’s final, decisive word to the world. If we are to know God, then we must come to His Word for instruction.
We must recognize that God has nothing more to say to us, than what He says to us in His Son-the revelation of which we have in the New Testament. Jesus is the final prophet. Jesus is God’s final and greatest Word!
Scripture: Luke 24:44; Acts 28:23; 1 Peter 1:10-12; Isaiah 55:11; John 12:41
Now, let's pray...
O Father, give us the humility which realizes its ignorance, admits its mistakes, recognizes its need, welcomes advice, accepts rebuke. Help us always to praise rather than to criticize, to sympathize rather than to discourage, to build rather than to destroy, and to think of people at their best rather than at their worst. This we ask for in thy name's sake. Amen
Until next time...
Have a blessed week!
Bibi
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