THE WORDS OF GOD

HEBREWS 1:1–4

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

(Hebrews 1:1–2a).

The book of Hebrews begins with a brief statement of Christian epistemology. Epistemology is the field of philosophy that investigates knowledge. It seeks to answer such questions as, What can we know? and, How do we know things?

Historic Christianity says that God is a God who speaks. God created human beings in His image, perfectly designed to receive His speech. Thus, there is no problem of understanding God and what God has to say—people are perfectly capable of understanding who God is and what God says. The problem between God and man does not lie in the area of communication but in the area of sin: Human beings have rebelled against God and refuse to listen to Him.

The Old Testament shows us that God revealed Himself through symbols such as the pillar of cloud and the tabernacle, and also through speech and writing. In fact, the only way we know about the tabernacle and the pillar of cloud is because God had it written down for us to read. The author of Hebrews says that God spoke to the fathers through the prophets. He spoke at various times and in various ways, such as dictating Leviticus to Moses, revealing His Word in dreams to Zechariah, and inspiring the writers of Judges, Samuel, and Ecclesiastes. Now, in the climax of revelatory history, God has spoken through His Son, whose very words are recorded in the Gospels, and whose authority lies behind all the words in the New Testament books.

Modern liberal and neo-orthodox theology does not believe in a God who speaks. They deny that God has made man in His image, so that human beings can clearly understand God’s communication. All that is possible between God and man, they say, is a mystical encounter of some sort, an “oh, wow!” experience that will change your life. The Bible, they say, records the reflections of people who had this experience, and if we read the Bible, we might have such an experience, too. Such beliefs turn God into an amorphous blob, devoid of character, incapable of communicating with His own creation. The author of Hebrews tells us that if we are going to understand the true religion, we need to hear the very words of God.

CORAM DEO

Isaiah 24–26

Ephesians 4

WEEKEND

Isaiah 27–30

Ephesians 5–6

Hebrews continually quotes from the Old Testament and refers to its symbols and types. The religion of the book of Hebrews, and of the Bible, is grounded in revealed truth, not in personal experience. Commit yourself to knowing God through His Word not through subjective experience.

For further study: Ezekiel 3:1–7 • John 9:26–33 • Romans 1:18–23

WEEKEND