Hebrews 2:5 For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak. 6 But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him? 7 Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands: 8 Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him.
Some years ago we knew a Catholic woman who was obsessed with angels. She had them all over. This is not new for a Catholic. They have many idols. Depending on the person, they have different things that they elevate to be equal to or greater than God/Jesus Christ. Of course for the Catholic, Mary is greater than God. She is called the mother of God. In Israel there is a “church” that has the images of Mary, God and Jesus on the top of the building. Mary is in the middle and she is placed higher than God and Jesus. It is interesting that they even have an image of God since no man has ever seen God and the Bible tells us that God is a Spirit. That fact does not seem to be a problem for Catholics. In our text we see that angel worship has been a problem for a long time. God continued to show that angels have their place but that place is not one of deity and not one of absolute power. Different angels have had some power according to God’s will. They are all subject to Him. They are created beings. Angels do not rule the world. Jesus Christ has been given all power and at this time He has refrained from demonstrating that power in an absolute manner. He still allows man to spit in His face and to defy His rule. Many reject Him as Saviour and Lord. We have already mentioned the Catholics. Every pope lives in defiance of Jesus Christ. They are wicked men who teach other men and women to pursue wickedness as well. In verse 6 the writer was directed to quote from Psalm 8:4:
4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
This is an important question for man to consider. It is important as well to come to the right conclusion. We have a P.M. who assumes he is wiser than Solomon. He failed as a drama teacher and is a bad actor now but he still assumes that he alone knows how to lead this nation and indeed that he has wise counsel for other world leaders. He has an inflated ego that will be crushed when he meets the Lord. It would be good if he were to get saved. Mr. Trump is no better. He claims to be a Christian and thinks nothing of using foul language in his speeches. He thinks he has the answers to the world’s problems. He proved himself wrong during his first term as president but still believes he has the answers. Sadly, many others agree with him. We know that Saul/Paul thought quite highly of himself prior to salvation. He assumed he was serving God and was out to arrest and kill Christians. He was stopped on the road to Damascus and he came to see he was wrong. This was good news for him and for the saints. He became a faithful servant of God and was chosen to replace Judas as the twelfth apostle. God changed his name to remind him of Who is in charge. It is important for us to know that we are nothing without the Lord. Too many people want their ego stroked. Society is being taught to protect their “self-esteem”. The wise person turns to God and exalts Him. In verse 7 we see that man was made a little lower than the angels. Yet God crowned man with glory and honour. God gave man authority to have dominion over His creation. Man has the ability and the power to use the things that God created for his purposes. He can cut down a tree and use the wood for building a house or for heating his house or his food. He can catch fish to eat. He can train a horse to ride. He can drill into the ground and extract the oil and he can use the raw materials to build a car and many other things. God has given man many opportunities. However, in all of that, he is to be subject to God. He is not to give supreme authority to any other person. We have had government leaders through the centuries that assumed they were gods. They assumed they had the power and authority to rule over people with impunity. They have demonstrated great power, but not authority. Every leader will answer to God and most will shudder in His presence. In verse 8 we are reminded that all things have been put under Jesus’ feet.
Philippians 2:9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Jesus Christ has been given all power and authority, but as noted, all things are not yet put under Him. Man still has freewill and can still choose to defy God. During the Millennium, this will be greatly reduced and in the new heavens and the new earth it will be completed. No one there will defy Jesus Christ. We see the long-suffering of God in His actions toward man. Man has now defied God for around 6,000 years. Even those who are saved defy Him as times. We will not be fully submitted to God until we stand in His presence. The lost will wish they had submitted and been saved, but it will be too late. The saved will also see the importance of submitting to Him. There are rewards and loss of rewards for those who are truly saved. Carelessness in the Christian life is not acceptable to God. It should not be acceptable to those of us who are saved and yet we would have to admit that sometimes we are careless. We can be thankful for God’s mercy. That mercy is not to be abused. As we study this book, it should be helpful in reminding those who are saved to submit more fully to the will of God/Jesus Christ. It should also be a reminder to the lost of the imperative to be saved today! Pastor Bartel
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