Hebrews 1:5-14; Psalm 119:73-80

Hebrews 1:5-14
Today we continue to look at the comparison between Jesus Christ and the angels. Jesus Christ is the Son and eternal God who has always been and always will be. The angels are created beings--created by God. Angels have never been called "Son" by God the Father. When Jesus came to earth and became a man, God said, "Let all of God's angels worship him." v. 6 Angels minister as servants of the Lord. v. 7 They serve God, and they serve God's people. v. 14 Other places in scripture tell us something about how angels work, but we must not worship them or pray to them. When believers die they do not become angels. Angels are a separate creation from mankind.

Here are a few of the ways angels minister: (I got this information from Warren Wiersbe, With the Word Bible Commentary, p. 1567.)

• Angels serve God's people, Heb. 1:14
• Angels give special care to children, Matt. 18:10
• They intervene in the lives of God's servants when they need special help, Acts 5:17-21; Acts 12:1-10
• When believers die, angels escort them to glory, Luke 16:22
• When Christ returns, angels will accompany Him, Matt. 25:31
• We must not worship angels, Rev. 22:9
• We can trust God to send them when we need them most!

Getting back to Hebrews 1, we see more about Christ, v. 8 ff. God the Father is the speaker, and His words apply to the Son. "Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever. You rule with a scepter of justice. You love justice and hate evil." This reinforces the truth that Christ is truly God. 

v. 10 ff tells us that Jesus Christ is the creator of heaven and earth, but they are not permanent. They are growing old and will wear out. Since Christ is the creator, He controls what happens to His creation. "But you (Christ) are always the same; you will live forever." v. 12

v. 13 repeats that God never told the angels, "Sit in the place of honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies, making them a footstool under your feet." This place of honor is reserved for the Son, Jesus Christ.

Psalm 119:73-80

v. 73 talks about another creation--you! And me. "You made me; you created me. Now give me the sense to follow your commands." Since God made us, surely He is best qualified to manage our lives. Why do we ever think we can do better? We trust that other believers will find us a cause for joy because we depend on God's Word. v. 74 God disciplines us when we need it, v. 75, just as His unfailing love comforts us when we need comfort, v. 76. We find strength in fellowship with other believers, and God's Word keeps us right with Him so that we need not be ashamed. vv. 79-80