God's Final Word

24 October 2005

God's Final Word

Hebrews 1:1-1:4 (NLT)

1 Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets.

2 But now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he made the universe and everything in it.

3 The Son reflects God's own glory, and everything about him represents God exactly. He sustains the universe by the mighty power of his command. After he died to cleanse us from the stain of sin, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God of heaven.

4 This shows that God's Son is far greater than the angels, just as the name God gave him is far greater than their names.

One of the most difficult things for a person to endure is separation from someone they love.

That difficulty is made worse when, along with the separation, there is a break-down in communication as well.

If you are apart from someone, and have no communication with that person -- you don't know if they are healthy or happy--it's agonizing.

When my daughter Mary and her family moved here from Iowa, one of the things that I asked--knowing that we would be separated by a great distance--was that we keep in contact.

"Call us once a week," they said.

At the time it seemed like a lot to ask, since money was tight for both of us.

Call them every week? I thought, what are we going to talk about?

After doing it for a little while I realized that I didn't want a long conversation every week.

I just wanted to know they were ok.

I wanted to communicate with them.

I realized that it makes a difference.

We never want to be left without a word from those whom we love.

It's good to know that God has never left his people without a word.

He has always spoken to His people.

They have always known how He is and what he expected from them.

When Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden, God spoke to them.

He would fellowship with them in person.

He walked with them.

He gave them direct instruction.

That didn't last long though.

That fellowship was broken by Adam & Eve's sin.

And they were thrown out of the garden.

God still spoke to them outside of the garden, but it would never be the same.

It would not be enough.

Let's skip ahead to a time when the Hebrews were slaves.

For over 400 years they were slaves in Egypt.

God heard their cries for mercy though.

He spoke to Moses and had Moses lead them out of the bondage of Egypt.

Then He spoke to Moses again and gave him the Law, but it wouldn't be enough.

Many years later they were captives again, this time in Babylon.

Again, after over 400 years God heard their cries and led them back to the Promised Land.

In the midst of all of this He sent His prophets -- Isaiah, Jeremiah, Hosea, Daniel, Ezekiel and others.

Men called by God and spoken to by God were relaying the message of God to God's people.

The Israelites were never left without a word from God.

But it wouldn't be enough.

God spoke, but He never said all that he needed to say.

There was something lacking.

We continued to lack that something until God spoke his final word.

The Bible says, "In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son,"

Today, God speaks to us through Jesus.

There is nothing left to be said, because Jesus is God's final word.

The author of the Book of Hebrews lists what qualifies Jesus to be God's final word.

Let's look at those qualifications.

There are six of them.

First, Jesus will inherit everything.

He is the one whom God "appointed... heir of all things."

The Psalms are very important in the Book of Hebrews.

For instance, Psalm 2 is alluded to several times in Hebrews 1.

The second Psalm is a coronation Psalm.

It was used in a coronation service where a king was installed over Israel.

Some say the Psalm was written about Solomon's coronation.

He took over the kingship when there were a lot of people competing for the throne.

They conspired to get their way, but God in Heaven laughed, because his anointed--Solomon--was destined to be king.

His anointed one would inherit the Kingdom.

Philippians 2 tells us that every person--ruler or ruled--will one day worship the Son.

And the Son will inherit all the kingdoms of this world.