Hebrews 1:5
For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?
In verse 5 of Hebrews Chapter 1 there is another comparison. It is the comparison of the angels in the birth of Christ; once again, angels are angels, and the Son of God is the Son of God. I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. (Psalm 2:7) Psalm 2:7 is mentioned 3 times in the New Testament or New Covenant; Acts 13:33, Hebrews 1:5, and Hebrews 5:5. Each mention is strategically placed in the Scripture by the Spirit of God. Do you see the repetition of numbers, for instance Psalm 2, or the number 2 is the number of witness. Verse 7 of this same Psalm, 7 is the number of completion, perfection or rest. In Acts 13:33 we have the repetition of the number 3, the number of the Godhead; and in the book of Hebrews, Chapter 1, verse 5 and in Hebrews Chapter 5, verse 5 we have number 5 repeated, the number of grace. The Spirit of God places His words so that we can say that they are wondrous to behold. Why is this verse, Psalm 2:7 repeated 3 times in the New Testament? Let’s briefly consider Acts 13:33 God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. Here we are in the midst of Paul’s argument with the Jews concerning their rejection of the Son of God who was sent to lead Israel, and to be their Messiah and King; yet, by wicked hands He was refused and crucified. Paul and Barnabas are both turned from the Jews to the Gentiles at Antioch. For the Jews, once again rejected the message of salvation through Jesus Christ. Using Psalm 2 and Acts 13:33, Paul brings the prophecy of David concerning the birth of the Son of God to the forefront of Jewish unbelief. Because of this, both Paul and Barnabas are driven out of Antioch. ‘We will not have this man to rule over us’ once again echoes with ‘we will have no king but Caesar.’ This terrible tragedy of Jewish unbelief goes on to this present day. In Hebrews 1:5, the Spirit of God once again uses separation by this verse. He separates the angels from the Son of God. In verse 4, the Spirit of God, shows us that He was made so much better than the angels. Now in verse 5, He is the Son without question. The name ‘son’ was never given to the angels, the title ‘Son of God’ was only given to Jesus Christ — angels are angels and the Son of God is the Son of God. Through the power of God those who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ have the unique position as sons through His inheritance. This is through His death and resurrection, it is a miracle of grace and one of the divine mysteries of God. This verse 5 repeats the pre-eminence of Christ over all things including the angels. Chapter 1, verse 5 begins with the statement For unto which of the angels said he at any time — this statement separates the name of ‘son’ being used for angels. At no time has God used this name for any other but Christ. He is the only begotten of the Father. There are those who push the Sonship of believers to far; we are not superior, nor equal to the Son of God. But we are in a unique position of His inheritance as ‘sons’ and yet ‘bond-servants’ at the same time. In Verse 5, the Father declares “this day have I begotten thee,” this was in the fullness of time. God’s plan and purpose of redemption was by His timetable and not man’s. In the fullness of time God sent forth His Son. But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, (Galatians 4:4) Through this verse in Galatians we see Christ was sent from God the Father in the fullness of time.
To be sent, one had to be pre-existent, He had to come from some place; therefore, He was sent from the bosom of the Father to be manifest in the flesh. If man were in charge, this time period would come at the end of man’s history, but with God He knows the full need of man and the full wickedness of the heart of man; therefore, the fullness of time was the time of man’s greatest need. This day have I begotten thee is the first mention of Sonship in this verse, but the thrice Holy God gives us 2 more, And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? Three times, God the Father confirms the Sonship of Christ in this one verse. You would think that one mention would be sufficient, but because of the hardness of man’s heart, God repeats — in diverse manners and in sundry times— line upon line — precept upon precept —here a little there a little. For precept [must be] upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, [and] there a little: (Isaiah 28:10)
In the history of man, he was tested under the law. Man also received the sentence of death in Adam. Everything that God has put on man to obey— man has failed completely. Even in the Church age, man has turned his back on the center of the church, the Son of God, and bows down to the sun rising in the East. So in the fullness of time, as I said previously, that when the need of man was at the greatest point, God sent forth His Son born of a woman, made under the law, that He would remove the curse of death from the seed of the woman, and free us from the curse of the law— the law of sin and death.
Now, to the slow minded and the slow to hear, the Father of lights and perfections embraces the Son of His love in His bosom in this verse. Not only does Christ need to fulfill the will of the Father, but God the Father has given all His power to the Son; in the Lord Jesus, we have both grace and truth. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)
For the law was given by Moses, [but] grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. (John 1:17
Let’s now consider Hebrews Chapter 5, verse 5. We have the same verse of Psalm 2:7 before us in a particular way; it is concerning the Priesthood of the Only Begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. If we believe in the pre-existence of the Son of God according to Psalm 2:7 (for this verse is one of the many proofs of His pre-existence) then why can we not grasp His eternal Priesthood? In that, He, the Son of God was the pre-existent Priest of the Most High God, possessor of heaven and earth. God now became incarnate as Jesus Christ, God was manifest in the flesh. He had not done this before; yet, He had appeared many times in the Old testament in many different forms, or personalities (if I may use the word ‘personality’— it seems so inadequate). Although during these appearances He was not manifest in the flesh, He was not incarnate. So when Jesus Christ was born of a woman by the Holy Ghost— this was a new thing that God had done; to walk among men as a man, and as the Son of God. Thus God was manifest in the flesh. As the incarnate Christ (God manifest in the flesh) he was not yet, as man, the High Priest after the order of Melchisedec. He obtained the order of Melchisedec by death and suffering. He established Himself as a Priest forever by His death and suffering. Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; (Hebrews 5:8) Then, the Word of God declares Him, “perfect through the things He suffered” And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;. (Hebrews 5:9) Then we have Jesus Christ, the glorified man taking on the Priesthood of Melchisedec — which in eternity belonged to Him as the Son of God. Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually. (Hebrews 7:3)
Consider Moses in the mount, he was shown the patterns in the heavenlies; the tabernacle, the brazen altar, the laver, the table of showbread, the candlestick, the altar of incense, the veil, the holy of holies, the ark of the covenant, and the mercy-seat (wherein the cherubims spread their wings). These were things that are in the heavenlies. How can they exist without a priest to administer the ordinances of God? This simply shows that the Lord Jesus was the High Priest of God as the Son Eternal, and is now the High Priest of God as both Son and man glorified.
Let’s us return to a distant past, to the days of Abraham as recorded in Genesis 14. Abraham met the Son of God as Melchisedec after Abrahams’ great victory over the kings of the east out of the land of Shinar. It was from Shinar, or Ur of Chaldees, that God called Abraham. Acts 7 declares that the God of glory appeared to Abraham and believing, righteousness was added unto Abraham. He had received faith, and now his faith would lead him in God’s path. Why was this victory later important? It was the defeat of idolatry, for Shinar was the seat of all wickedness and idolatry. What could be more fitting, but that the High Priest of the Most High God, the possessor of heaven and earth, comes out of heaven to meet Abraham, and to commune with him with bread and wine. This is not just a casual meeting. This is an intimate, personal meeting between Abraham and His God. Later, the Lord Jesus said Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. (John 8:56) We must acknowledge that they talked about Christ’s incarnation, and His death upon the cross. Why? Because of the bread and the wine. Abraham said that he had lifted up his hand to the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth. And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth, (Genesis 14:22) This was Abrahams’ outward profession of his faith in God to the King of Sodom. So, we, as the children of God, look back to the cross and remember the Lord Jesus in the simplicity of the bread and the wine. He has promised to be in our midst, we have the entire revelation of God before us in the Bible. If it is possible for God to keep His word for us, why would it be impossible for Him to share His death and resurrection with Abraham? Like Abraham we lift up our hand to the Most High God the possessor of heaven and earth.
Summarizing Psalm 2:7 I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Christ is the rejected man in Acts 13:33, He is the incarnate man in Hebrews 1:5, and in Hebrews 5:5 He is the glorified man, a Priest forever after the order of Melchisedec.
© Copyright 2014, Michael Haigh
All Scripture references are from the Authorized King James Bible. (KJV)