Hebrews 1
Hebrews 1:1-14 (NKJV)
1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets,
2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;
3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
4 having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
5 For to which of the angels did He ever say: “YOU ARE MY SON, TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU”? And again: “I WILL BE TO HIM A FATHER, AND HE SHALL BE TO ME A SON”?
6 But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says: “LET ALL THE ANGELS OF GOD WORSHIP HIM.”
7 And of the angels He says: “WHO MAKES HIS ANGELS SPIRITS AND HIS MINISTERS A FLAME OF FIRE.”
8 But to the Son He says: “YOUR THRONE, O GOD, IS FOREVER AND EVER; A SCEPTER OF RIGHTEOUSNESS IS THE SCEPTER OF YOUR KINGDOM.
9 YOU HAVE LOVED RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HATED LAWLESSNESS; THEREFORE GOD, YOUR GOD, HAS ANOINTED YOU WITH THE OIL OF GLADNESS MORE THAN YOUR COMPANIONS.”
10 And: “YOU, LORD, IN THE BEGINNING LAID THE FOUNDATION OF THE EARTH, AND THE HEAVENS ARE THE WORK OF YOUR HANDS.
11 THEY WILL PERISH, BUT YOU REMAIN; AND THEY WILL ALL GROW OLD LIKE A GARMENT;
12 LIKE A CLOAK YOU WILL FOLD THEM UP, AND THEY WILL BE CHANGED. BUT YOU ARE THE SAME, AND YOUR YEARS WILL NOT FAIL.”
13 But to which of the angels has He ever said: “SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, TILL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES YOUR FOOTSTOOL”?
14 Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?
What an excellent bed of truth here is made for the resting of truth in the acquired understanding of Christ and our place in Him. This extensive reference to scriptures establishes Jesus as so much higher than the angels in the identity of a son. To a people much impressed with heavenly beings, this was necessary revelation that would be the foundation for understanding our union with Him. While the angels were thought to be capable of supernatural actions, as a Son, Jesus was actually the one for whom those actions were taken. His power, then, is far greater than any angel, as they are simply working to fulfill His will and purpose. His famous works that set Him apart from any other heavenly being, give insight into the giving of His name and its power over any other being. It’s from this understanding that progress towards identification with this power can be acquired. On this rock of understanding will remain those who join Him as sons and daughters.
The phrase in Verse 14 stuck out to me, “ministering spirits sent out.” I often don’t think about our ability in Christ to send for angels with our words, but in this verse it says they are sent out to minister! They are awaiting matching orders in line with God’s word!