After clearly showing that Christ is superior because of His relationship to the Father, the Hebrew writer then declares that the Son is also a superior messenger. God has, from the beginning, employed various methods to deliver His message to mankind. He spoke through the fathers -- the heads of the families. He also used prophets and angels. Let us examine these methods more closely.
God spoke through the fathers and the prophets.
- He instructed Noah to build an ark: "And God said to Noah, 'The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make yourself an ark of gopher wood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch.' " {Genesis 6:13,14}
- He appeared to Abraham: "Then the Angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time out of heaven." {Genesis 22:15}
- He spoke to Moses from a burning bush: "And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed." {Exodus 2:2}
- He spoke to Samuel: "Now the LORD came and stood and called as at other times, 'Samuel! Samuel!' And Samuel answered, 'Speak, for Your servant hears.' " {1 Samuel 3:10}
- He called Jeremiah: "Then the LORD put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me: Behold, I have put My words in your mouth." {Jeremiah 1:9}
- He called Hosea to take him a wife: "When the LORD began to speak by Hosea, the LORD said to Hosea: 'Go, take yourself a wife of harlotry, And children of harlotry, For the land has committed great harlotry by departing from the LORD.' " {Hosea 1:2}
God now speaks through His Son. Jesus, God's final spokesperson to His creation, is also God's Son -- His heir. He is a better messenger. Read the article concerning the seven facts of His person. He is God's only begotten Son; He was with God from the beginning (John 1:14). Who but His only Son could better convey God's words? Following are some other attributes that make Jesus a superior spokesperson for His Father.
Jesus is better than the angels. Jesus, being God's Son, is by inheritance, greater than angels, who are created beings. "Having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they." {Hebrews 1:4} By His humanity, He became a better messenger than the angels. Man, in the order of creation, is "lower than the angels" (Hebrews 2:7). Because He suffered, died, was buried, and arose, He was exalted to a loftier position than the angels. His name is above every name (Philippians 2:9). "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." {Acts 4:12}
Jesus is God's only begotten son. "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 My Son." {Hebrews 1:5} Jesus was with God in the beginning (John 1:1-3). Man had no part in Jesus' conception; He was begotten of the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:34,35). In Acts 13:33-38, Paul quoted this truth in a sermon he preached to the men of Israel. No created being can make this claim.
The angels worship Jesus. "But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says: Let all the angels of God worship Him." {Hebrews 1:6} The scriptures teach that men are not to be worshipped (Acts 10:25,26). On two different occasions, John was told not to worship angels (Revelation 19:10; 22:8,9). Yet, God's Son is worthy and deserving of the angels' worship. His superiority is evident.