“Unto the Son He Saith…”

And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire. But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. righteousness...: Gr, rightnesse, or straightnes Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. - Hebrews 1:7-9

    Ministering Spirits

    God’s angels are created spirits, sent forth into all the world to serve him (v. 7). God is the uncreated Spirit. They are his created spirits. They often appeared in the Old Testament and in the gospels in the form of a man; but the angels do not have material, physical bodies. These created spirits are made the “ministers (servants) of God”. They do his bidding; they attend his presence, and are ready to do as he commands.

    They are called “a flame of fire”, because of their power and swiftness, because of their burning love and zeal, and because they are the executioners of God's wrath. The chariot of fire which bore Elijah away were probably angels. Certainly, those chariots of fire surrounding Elisha and his servant were the angels of God (2 Kings 6:17-18).

    Enthroned Son

    Christ is God’s risen, exalted, enthroned Son (v. 8). Our Savior’s excellence, glory, and superiority are set before us in ever-increasing tones in Hebrews 1. If we were reading scales of music, this passage reads like a great cantata rising rapidly to the crescendo. To the Son, Jesus Christ, the Father says, “Thy throne, O God, is for ever.” Again, we are here told that the man Jesus Christ, our Redeemer and Savior, is himself God (John 1:1,14; 10:30; Matt. 1:23; Acts 20:28; 2 Cor. 5:19). His throne is an everlasting throne. The sceptre of his kingdom is the sceptre of righteousness (Ps. 45:6-7).

    Obedience Rewarded

    Our Savior’s exaltation and enthronement as a man is the reward of his obedience to the Father as our Mediator (v. 9). “Thou has loved righteousness and hated iniquity.” He showed this in casting Adam from the garden, in the flood, in Sodom, in all his dealing with Israel, and most fully and perfectly in working out a perfect righteousness for us as our Substitute. In the last day, at the bar of God, he will display to all the universe and make every creature see and acknowledge that he loves righteousness and hates iniquity. In that day, every creature shall confess that the sceptre by which he rules is a right sceptre.

    The words, “Thy God”, refer to both the triune God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), and to God the Father, for the Father is the God of Christ as man (Eph. 1:3). Because of what Christ has accomplished as the God-man, our Mediator, he has been anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows (Col. 1:14-18).