HEBREWS 1 COMMENTARY

TARY
Edited by Glenn Pease
PREFACE
I quote many authors both old and new, and if any I quote do not want their wisdom shared in
this way they can let me know and I will remove it. My e-mail is glenn_p86@yahoo.com
I

1. THE SUPERIORITY OF CHRIST
His Superior Purpose (1:1-3)
His Superior Personality (1:4)
His Superior Position (1:5-6)
His Superior Power (1:7-8)
His Superior Purity (1:9)
His Superior Perfection (1:10-14)
2. He is superior as a spokesman. He is superior to all who came before Him, and there will be
none to come like Him.
2. He is superior as a son.
3. He is superior in status. Heir
4. He is superior as source. Creator of all
5. He is superior in splendor.
6. He is superior in substance. Exact replica of Father
7. He is superior as sustainer.
8. He is superior as sacrifice.
9. He is superior as sovereign.
3. PI

K begins with these words, “Before taking up the study of this important Epistle let writer
and reader humbly bow before its Divine Inspirer, and earnestly seek from Him that preparation
of heart which is needed to bring us into fellowship with that One whose person, offices, and
glories are here so sublimely displayed. Let us personally and definitely seek the help of that
blessed Spirit who has been given to the saints of God for the purpose of guiding them into all
truth, and taking of the things of Christ to show unto them. In Luke 24:45 we learn that Christ
opened the understanding of the disciples "that they might understand the Scriptures." May He
graciously do so with us, then the entrance of His words will "give light" (Ps. 119:130), and in His
light we shall "see light."

O send Thy Spirit, Lord, now unto me,
That He may touch my eyes and make me see;
Show me the truth concealed within Thy Word,
And in Thy Book revealed I see Thee, Lord. --Groves
4. STEDMA

, “The epistle to the Hebrews begins as dramatically as a rocket shot to the moon.
In one paragraph, the writer breathtakingly transports his readers from the familiar ground of
Old Testament prophetic writings, through the incarnation of the Son (who is at once creator,
heir and sustainer of all things and the fullest possible manifestation of deity), past the purifying
sacrifice of the cross to the exaltation of Jesus on the ultimate seat of power in the universe. It is a
paragraph daring in its claims and clearly designed to arrest the reader's attention and compel a
further hearing.
The Author's Purpose. The author intends to present a series of arguments for the superiority of
Jesus over all rival claims to allegiance which his readers were feeling and hearing. Their
attention was easily diverted off in other directions, just as our attention is easily distracted
today. They, like us, were being tempted, frightened or pressured into following other voices and
serving other masters. In chapters 1-7, he examines these rival authorities and reveals their
inadequacies.

one was, in itself, a false or fraudulent voice. Each was ordained by God and
proper in its intended place. Each had served the people of God well in the past, and no teaching
or expectation was wrong at the time it was given. But now the final word, the ultimate revelation
from God toward which all the other voices had pointed, had come. To this supreme voice the
author directs his readers' attention, and ours, by contrasting this final word with the past
utterances.
First, there were the prophets, God's ancient spokesmen (1:1-3); then the angels, Israel's
guardians (1:4-2:18); then Israel's great leader, Moses (3:1-4:7); Israel's godly general, Joshua
(4:8-13); and finally the founder of Israel's priesthood, Aaron (4:14-7:28). Each was a voice from
Israel's past that needed to be heard but that was woefully inadequate if followed alone. It was
clearly a case of the good being the enemy of the best. Eclipsing all these, as the rising sun eclipses
the light of the stars, is the figure of Jesus, God's Son, creator and heir of all things. The abrupt
beginning here marks the intensity with which the author writes. It parallels, in that respect,
Paul's letter to the Galatians. The writer sees clearly that any slippage in the view of Jesus as
supreme is fraught with the gravest danger and must be dealt with forthrightly and thoroughly.
Since the same danger is present today, Christians must take special care that no obscuring mists
of doubt or unbelief should diminish the stature of Jesus in their eyes.
How to make Christians believe, how to make Christians act like Christians. This is what the
world is waiting to see and what the epistle was written to effect. It is addressed to a group of
Jewish Christians who had begun to drift, to lose their faith. They had lost all awareness of the
relevancy of their faith to the daily affairs of life. They had begun to drift into outward formal
religious performance, but to lose the inner reality. Doubts were creeping into their hearts from
some of the humanistic philosophies that abounded in the world of their day, as they abound in
the world of our day. Some of them were about to abandon their faith in Christ, not because they
were attracted again by Jewish ritual and ceremony, but because of persecution and pressure.
They felt it was not worthwhile; they were losing too much, and that it was possible, just possible,
that they had been deceived and the message of Christ was not true after all.

o one knows exactly where these Christians lived. Some feel this letter was written to Hebrew

Christians living in the city of Rome. Others believe it was written to the most Jewish city on
earth in that day, Jerusalem. That is my own personal conviction. If anyone wished to influence
the world of Jewish Christians, surely that would be the place to start.

o one knows for certain who wrote the letter, either. In the King James version it says, "The
Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Hebrews." It was a favorite jest in seminary to ask, "Who wrote
the Epistle of Paul to the Hebrews?"

o one knows for sure. If you read this letter in English you
are almost sure that Paul wrote it, since so many of the thoughts are obviously Pauline. But if you
read it in Greek you are equally certain that Paul did not write it, for the language used is far
different than in the other letters from the hand of Paul. There have been a great many guesses
throughout the centuries, including Luke, Silas, Peter, Apollos (the silver-tongued orator of the
first century), Barnabas, and even Aquila and Priscilla. Some have felt that Priscilla wrote it; if
so, this would be the first letter of the

ew Testament written by a woman. It is my own
conviction (and I trust this will settle the problem) that the Apostle Paul wrote it in Hebrew while
he was in prison in those two years in Caesarea after his visit to Jerusalem, and that it was
translated by Luke into Greek and this is the copy that has come down to us today.
Whoever the writer was he sees one thing very clearly, that Jesus Christ is the total answer to
every human need.

ew Testament focuses upon Christ like the book of Hebrews.
It is the clearest and most systematic presentation of the availability and adequacy of Jesus
Christ in the whole of the Bible. It presents Christianity as the perfect and final religion, simply
because the incomparable person and work of Jesus Christ permits men free and unrestricted
access to God. In every age that is man's desperate need. There is no hunger like God-hunger.”
5. “THEME OF THE EPISTLE. - God has given a revelation of salvation in two stages. The first
was preparatory and transient, and is completed. The second, the revelation through Jesus
Christ, is final. The readers who have accepted this second revelation are warned against
returning to the economy of the first.”
“In the first stage of his revelation, God spake, not at once, giving a complete revelation of his
being and will; but in many separate revelations, each of which set forth only a portion of the
truth. The truth as a whole never comes to light in the O.T. It appears fragmentarily, in
successive acts, as the periods of the Patriarchs, Moses, the Kingdom, etc. One prophet has one,
another element of the truth to proclaim.”
History is full of paradoxes.
The first Jew was a gentile.
The first Christian was a Jew.
The first Protestant was a Catholic.
The first Christians were almost all Jews, for Jesus was a Jew and the Apostles were and the 3000
that joined the church at Pentecost were. It was to the Jews that the Christians preached when
they were scattered in Acts 11:19. When Paul began to bring Gentiles into the church there was
great controversy, and the big council was called in Acts 15. There it was decided that Gentiles
could become Christians and not just Jews. The strong Jews did not like this decision and they
went everywhere trying to destroy the work of Paul, and even Peter became a backslider in Gal.
2:11-14. Paul fought back and became known as the founder of Christianity as distinct from

Judaism. Paul made it so it was not just a form of Judaism. The end of Judaism was coming in
70 A. D. and if the Jewish Christians were not prepared for the loss of the whole old system they
would be damaged in their faith, and so this letter had to get them to see that the old could be let
go of, for the new and better in Christ was all they needed. They did not have to slip back to the
old when they were persecuted, for the old was only temporary and the new in Christ was
eternal.
“He explains that, as shadows are scattered and vanish at sunrise, so likewise the shadows of
former days passed away at the rising of Jesus, the sun of righteousness.” author unknown
6. EVERYTHI

EW IS BETTER
Better Messenger-the Son
Better than prophets
Better than angels
Better power source-the king of universe
Better name than angels
Better relation to the Father
Better in permanence
Better joy
Better victory that is complete
7.Dr. John Allan Lavender, “The prize jewel in the treasure chest of Hebrews is Jesus. With
characteristic directness, our writer wastes no time in introducing us to Christ, the subject of his
book. Rarely has so much been said in so short a span as in the first three verses of Hebrews. In
fewer than one hundred words, the writer of Hebrews declares the unrivaled superiority of Jesus
over every other form or word of revelation God has given to men.”
“Priest & prophet, sage & singer were in their several ways His spokesmen; yet
all the successive acts & varying modes of revelation in the ages before Christ
came did not add up to the fullness of what God wanted to say.” (F.F. Bruce)
8. Here is an interesting theory as to why there is no author named. S. Lewis Johnson provides us
with this interesting study.
Why is it an Anonymous Epistle?
Often we wonder why it is that we do not know exactly who is the human author of this epistle.
Perhaps the reason, though in no way can it be proven, is that the author wished us to be strongly
impressed with the fact that this is a "Word from God" and not from men. So by not giving his
name as well as doing a few other things that I will mention shortly, he was able to convey the
idea that this epistle was most specifically and essentially a "Word from God."
The reason that I think that this may be so is that the writer begins by saying: "God, after He
spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last
days has spoken to us in His Son" (Heb. 1:1). Thus, the things that he wants us to remember as
we read this epistle is that it is God who has spoken and, thus the author wants to give us an
accounting of what he regards as God's message to us.
Furthermore, this author uses the Old Testament very fully. Perhaps by page, he cites more from
the OT than any one else in the

T. (There are over 30 citations from the OT in the Epistle to the

Hebrews.) However, in citing these verses from the OT, the author never once mentions the
human author when he quotes from the OT. He never says "Moses saith" or "Isaiah has said".
One time he does mention David in chapter 4. Yet, he reason that he mentions him is not to
identify Psalm 95 as being from David but rather to refer to the section of the Scriptures that had
to do with David.
The author begins by saying that he has a message from God, a Word that God has spoken.
Then near the end of the epistle in 12:25, the author has the same mentality by admonishing the
readers of the epistle saying:
"See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they
refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from Him who
warns from heaven. "
(

otice that the verb "speak" is in the present tense—it is God who is speaking this message to
men and it is a message that is still valid at the present time and we should pay attention to it.)
So while there are many unanswered questions as to the human authorship of this epistle, we
know for certain that it is a message from God!
An Interesting Speculation
One other intriguing suggestion regarding the authorship of this epistle was made by Arthur T.
Pearson, a Presbyterian minister of the earlier part of the 20th century. He was a very evangelical
minister and when C.H. Spurgeon died, Pearson filled the pulpit of the Metropolitan Tabernacle
for a lengthy period of time and in fact was asked to be the pastor of that church of which he
refused the offer. Pearson was a great expositor and he once made the suggestion that the Epistle
to the Hebrews was in essence what our Lord told the two disciples on the road to Emmaus.
Thus, he suggested that what we have in the Epistle to the Hebrews is a kind of unfolding of what
Jesus did when He spoke on the way to Emmaus and unfolded the things that are found in the

T. For example, we read in the following verses from Luke:
Luke 24:44-48

ow He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that
all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must
be fulfilled.” Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and He said to them,
“Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and
that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations,
beginning from Jerusalem. “You are witnesses of these things.
But even more significant were the words that Jesus said just prior to these:
Luke 24:25-27
And He said to them, “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have
spoken! “Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?”
Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things
concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.
Well of course it could be that that author of the Epistle to the Hebrews was acquainted with an
account of what our Lord told the Emmaus disciples. It is likely that the things that Jesus said to

them on that remarkable day were passed around and spoken about amongst the people. This is
in essence Arthur T. Pearson's speculation . What makes it even more interesting is the fact that
modern scholarship of the present time is entranced with the idea that the Epistle of the Hebrews
is not really a book, nor an epistle in the "official sense", but was probably a sermon. In fact, one
of the latest and perhaps most detailed of the evangelical commentaries on this epistle (written
by William Lane) makes this suggestion of the book of Hebrews being a sermon that was later
committed to writing. (Interestingly this suggestion goes back even to the early church.)
However, I personally do not believe that it was a sermon. If this had been preached in any
church in the 20th century, by the time the author would have begun the 4th chapter the average
congregation would have wondered, "what in the world is this man talking about?" At the point
when the author speaks of Melchizedek, the audience would have gone to sleep! This is not
because the epistle is not great, but rather because we are not in our churches today very familiar
with the Levitical cultus and the things that are discussed by the writer of Hebrews.
9. Respected Christian theologian R C Sproul once said that If I were cast into prison and
allowed but one book, it would be the Bible. If I were allowed only one book of the Bible, it would
be the Epistle to the Hebrews...because it contains our most comprehensive discussion of the
redemption wrought for us in the sacrifice of Jesus.”
God’s Final Word: His Son
1 In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the
prophets at many times and in various ways,
1. He is not putting the OT down, for he goes on to quote it often as his authority. It is really
God’s Word and valid, but it is just not the last and final and complete Word of God. The OT is
still valid for the most part. It is only the system of law and ceremonial cleansing and that sort of
thing that is gone for good. Christian still consider the OT the Word of God, and keep its
teachings as guides to the will of God. It was God speaking and this will never change, but what
he spoke has been upgrades and so we judge all in the OT by what Jesus has said.
1B. "It is significant that the subject of the first verb is 'God,'for God is constantly before the
author; he uses the word sixty-eight times, an average of about once every seventy-three words
all through his epistle. Few

T books speak of God so often." author unknown
1C. Barnes, “God who at sundry times - The commencement of this Epistle varies from all the
others which Paul wrote. In every other instance he at first announces his name, and the name of

the church or of the individual to whom he wrote. In regard to the reason why he here varies
from that custom, see the introduction, section 3. This commences with the full acknowledgment
of his belief that God had made important revelations in past times, but that now he had
communicated his will in a manner that more especially claimed their attention. This
announcement was of particular importance here. He was writing to those who had been trained
up in the full belief of the truths taught by the prophets. As the object of the apostle was to show
the superior claims of the gospel, and to lead them from putting confidence in the rites instituted
in accordance with the directions of the Old Testament, it was of essential importance that he
should admit that their belief of the inspiration of the prophets was well founded.
He was not an infidel. He was not disposed to call in question the divine origin of the books
which were regarded as given by inspiration. He fully admitted all that had been held by the
Hebrews on that heart, and yet showed that the new revelation had more important claims to
their attention. The word rendered “at sundry times” - πολυμερῶς polumerōs - means “in many
parts.” It refers here to the fact that the former revelation had been given in various parts. It had
not all been given at once. It had been communicated from time to time as the exigencies of the
people required, and as God chose to communicate it. At one time it was by history, then by
prophecy, by poetry, by proverbs, by some solemn and special message, etc. The ancient
revelation was a collection of various writings, on different subjects, and given at different times;
but now God had addressed us by His Son - the one great Messenger who had come to finish the
divine communications, and to give a uniform and connected revelation to mankind. The contrast
here is between the numerous separate parts of the revelation given by the prophets, and the
oneness of that given by his Son. The word does not occur elsewhere in the

ew Testament.
And in divers manners - - πολυτρόπως polutropōs. In many ways. It was not all in one mode.
He had employed various methods in communicating his will. At one time it was by direct
communication, at another by dreams, at another by visions, etc. In regard to the various
methods which God employed to communicate his will, see Introduction to Isaiah, section 7. In
contradistinction from these, God had now spoken by his Son. He had addressed us in one
uniform manner. It was not by dreams, or visions; it was a direct communication from him. The
word used here, also, occurs nowhere else in the

ew Testament.
In times past - Formerly; in ancient times. The series of revelations began, as recorded by
Moses, with Adam Gen. 3, and terminated with Malachi - a period of more than three thousand
five hundred years. From Malachi to the time of the Saviour there were no recorded divine
communications, and the whole period of written revelation, or when the divine communications
were recorded from Moses to Malachi, was about a thousand years.
Unto the fathers - To our ancestors; to the people of ancient times.
By the prophets - The word “prophet” in the Scriptures is used in a wide signification. It means
not only those who predict future events, but these who communicate the divine will on any
subject. See Rom_12:6 note; 1Co_14:1 note. It is used here in that large sense - as denoting all
those by whom God had made communications to the Jews in former times.
2. Clarke, “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners - We can scarcely conceive any thing
more dignified than the opening of this epistle; the sentiments are exceedingly elevated, and the
language, harmony itself! The infinite God is at once produced to view, not in any of those
attributes which are essential to the Divine nature, but in the manifestations of his love to the
world, by giving a revelation of his will relative to the salvation of mankind, and thus preparing
the way, through a long train of years, for the introduction of that most glorious Being, his own

Son. This Son, in the fullness of time, was manifested in the flesh that he might complete all vision
and prophecy, supply all that was wanting to perfect the great scheme of revelation for the
instruction of the world, and then die to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. The description
which he gives of this glorious personage is elevated beyond all comparison. Even in his
humiliation, his suffering of death excepted, he is infinitely exalted above all the angelic host, is
the object of their unceasing adoration, is permanent on his eternal throne at the right hand of
the Father, and from him they all receive their commands to minister to those whom he has
redeemed by his blood. in short, this first chapter, which may be considered the introduction to
the whole epistle is, for importance of subject, dignity of expression, harmony and energy of
language, compression and yet distinctness of ideas, equal, if not superior, to any other part of the

ew Testament.
Sundry times - Πολυμερως, from πολυς, many, and μερος, a part; giving portions of revelation
at different times.
Divers manners - Πολυτροπως, from πολυς, many, and τροπος, a manner, turn, or form of
speech; hence trope, a figure in rhetoric. Lambert Bos supposes these words to refer to that part
of music which is denominated harmony, viz. that general consent or union of musical sounds
which is made up of different parts; and, understood in this way, it may signify the agreement or
harmony of all the Old Testament writers, who with one consent gave testimony to Jesus Christ,
and the work of redemption by him. To him gave all the prophets witness, that, through his name,
whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins; Act_10:43.
But it is better to consider, with Kypke, that the words are rather intended to point out the
imperfect state of Divine revelation under the Old Testament; it was not complete, nor can it
without the

ew be considered a sufficiently ample discovery of the Divine will. Under the Old
Testament, revelations were made πολυμερως και πολυτροπως, at various times, by various
persons, in various laws and forms of teaching, with various degrees of clearness, under various
shadows, types, and figures, and with various modes of revelation, such as by angels, visions,
dreams, mental impressions, etc. See

ew Testament all is
done ἁπλως, simply, by one person, i.e. Jesus, who has fulfilled the prophets, and completed
prophecy; who is the way, the truth, and the life; and the founder, mediator, and governor of his
own kingdom.
One great object of the apostle is, to put the simplicity of the Christian system in opposition to
the complex nature of the Mosaic economy; and also to show that what the law could not do
because it was weak through the flesh, Jesus has accomplished by the merit of his death, and the
energy of his Spirit.
Maximus Tyrius, Diss. 1, page 7, has a passage where the very words employed by the apostle
are found, and evidently used nearly in the same sense: Τῃ του ανθρωπου ψυχῃ δυο οργανων
οντων προς συνεσιν, του μεν ἁπλου, ὁν καλουμεν νουν, του δε ποικιλου και πολυμερους και
πολυτροπου, ἁς αισθησεις καλουμεν. “The soul of man has two organs of intelligence: one simple,
which we call mind; the other diversified, and acting in various modes and various ways, which
we term sense.”
A similar form of expression the same writer employs in Diss. 15, page 171: “The city which is
governed by the mob, πολυφωνον τε ειναι και πολυμερη και πολυπαθη, is full of noise, and is
divided by various factions and various passions.” The excellence of the Gospel above the law is
here set down in three points:
1. God spake unto the faithful under the Old Testament by Moses and the prophets, worthy
servants, yet servants; now the Son is much better than a servant, Heb_1:4.
2. Whereas the body of the Old Testament was long in compiling, being about a thousand

years from Moses to Malachi; and God spake unto the fathers by piecemeal, one while
raising up one prophet, another while another, now sending them one parcel of prophecy or
history, then another; but when Christ came, all was brought to perfection in one age; the
apostles and evangelists were alive, some of them, when every part of the

ew Testament
was completely finished.
3. The Old Testament was delivered by God in divers manners, both in utterance and
manifestation; but the delivery of the Gospel was in a more simple manner; for, although
there are various penmen, yet the subject is the same, and treated with nearly the same
phraseology throughout; James, Jude, and the Apocalypse excepted. See Leigh.
2B. Pink, “"God" (verse 1). The particular reference is to the Father, as the words "by (His) Son"
in verse 2 intimate. Yet the other Persons of the Trinity are not excluded. In Old Testament times
the Godhead spoke by the Son, see Exodus 3:2, 5; 1 Corinthians 10:9; and by the Holy Spirit, see
Acts 28:26, Hebrews 3:7, etc. Being a Trinity in Unity, one Person is often said to work by
Another. A striking example of this is found in Genesis 19:24, where Jehovah the Son is said to
have rained down fire from Jehovah the Father.
"God . . . spake." (verse 1). Deity is not speechless. The true and living God, unlike the idols of
the heathen, is no dumb Being. The God of Scripture, unlike that absolute and impersonal "first
Cause" of philosophers and evolutionists, is not silent. At the beginning of earth’s history we find
Him speaking: "God said, Let there be light: and there was light" (Genesis 1:4). "He spake and it
was done, He commanded and it stood fast" (Psalm 33:9). To men He spake, and still speaks. For
this we can never be sufficiently thankful.
"God who at sundry times . . . spake" (verse 1).

ot once or twice, but many times, did God
speak. The Greek for "at sundry times" literally means "by many parts," which necessarily
implies, some at one time, some at another. From Abraham to Malachi was a period of fifteen
hundred years, and during that time God spake frequently: to some a few words, to others many.
The apostle was here paving the way for making manifest the superiority of Christianity. The
Divine revelation vouchsafed under the Mosaic economy was but fragmentary. The Jew desired to
set Moses against Christ (John 9:28). The apostle acknowledges that God had spoken to Israel.
But how? Had He communicated to them the fullness of His mind?

ay. The Old Testament
revelation was but the refracted rays, not the light unbroken and complete. As illustrations of this
we may refer to the gradual making known of the Divine character through His different titles, or
to the prophesies concerning the coming Messiah. It was "here a little and there a little."
"God who . . . in divers manner spake" (verse 1). The majority of the commentators regard
these words as referring to the various ways in which God revealed Himself to the prophets—
sometimes directly, at others indirectly—through an angel (Genesis 19:1, etc.); sometimes
audibly, at others in dreams and visions. But, with Dr. J. Brown, we believe that the particular
point here is how God spake to the fathers by the prophets, and not how He has made known His
mind to the prophets themselves. "The revelation was sometimes communicated by typical
representations and emblematical actions, sometimes in a continued parable, at other times by
separate figures, at other times—though comparatively rarely—in plain explicit language. The
revelation has sometimes the form of a narrative, at other times that of a prediction, at other
times that of an argumentative discourse; sometimes it is given in prose, at other times in poetry"
(Dr. J. B.). Thus we may see here an illustration of the sovereignty of God: He did not act
uniformly or confine Himself to any one method of speaking to the fathers. He spake by way of

promise and prediction, by types and symbols, by commandments and precepts, by warnings and
exhortations.
"God . . . spake in times past unto the fathers by the prophets" (verse 1). Thus the apostle sets
his seal upon the Divine inspiration and authority of the Old Testament Scriptures. The "fathers"
here goes right back to the beginning of God’s dealings with the Hebrews—cf. Luke 1:55. To "the
fathers" God spake "by," or more literally and precisely, "in" the prophets. This denotes that
God possessed their hearts, controlled their minds, ordered their tongues, so that they spake not
their own words, but His words—see 2 Peter 1:21. At times the prophets were themselves
conscious of this, see 2 Samuel 23:2, etc. We may add that the word "prophet" signifies the
mouthpiece of God: see Genesis 20:7, Exodus 7:1, John 4:19—she recognized God was speaking
to her; Acts 3:21!
"God . . . hath in these last days spoken unto us by"—better "in (His) Son" (verse 2). "Having
thus described the Jewish revelation he goes on to give an account of the Christians, and begins it
in an antithetical form. The God who spake to ‘the fathers’ now speaks to ‘us.’ The God who
spake in ‘times past,’ now speaks in these ‘last days.’ The God who spake ‘by the prophets,’ now
speaks ‘by His Son.’ There is nothing in the description of the Gospel revelation that answers to
the two phrases ‘at sundry times,’ and ‘in divers manners’; but the ideas which they necessarily
suggest to the mind are, the completeness of the Gospel revelation compared with the
imperfection of the Jewish, and the simplicity and clearness of the Gospel revelation compared
with the multi-formity and obscurity of the Jewish" (Dr. J. Brown).
"This manifesting of God’s will by parts (‘at sundry times,’ etc.), is here (verse 1) noted by way
of distinction and difference from God’s revealing His will under the Gospel; which was all at one
time, viz., the times of His Son’s being on earth; for then the whole counsel of God was made
known so far as was meet for the Church to know it while this world continueth. In this respect
Christ said, ‘All things that I have heard of My Father, I have made known to you’ (John 15:15),
and ‘the Comforter shall teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance whatsoever I have
said unto you’ (Heb. 14:26). The woman of Samaria understood this much: ‘When the Messiah is
come, He will tell us all things’ (John 4:25). Objection: the apostles had many things revealed to
them later. Answer: those were no other things than what Christ had revealed before, while He
lived" (Dr. Gouge).
The central point of contrast here is between the Old Testament "prophets" and Christ "the
Son." Though the Holy Spirit has not here developed the details of this contrast, we can
ourselves, by going back to the Old Testament, supply them. Mr. Saphir has strikingly
summarized them under seven heads. "First, they were many: one succeeded another: they lived
in different periods. Second, they gave out God’s revelation in ‘divers manners’—similitudes,
visions, symbols. Each prophet had his peculiar gift and character. Their stature and capacity
varied. Third, they were sinful men—Isaiah 6:5, Daniel 10:8. Fourth, they did not possess the
Spirit constantly. The ‘word’ came to them, but they did not possess the Word! Fifth, they did not
understand the heights and depths of their own message—1 Peter 1:10. Sixth, still less did they
comprehend the whole of God’s revelation in Old Testament times. Seventh, like John the Baptist
they had to testify ‘I am not the Light, I am only sent to bear witness of the Light.’"

ow, the
very opposite was the case in all these respects with the "Son." Though the revelation which God
gave the prophets is equally inspired and authoritative, yet that through His Son possesses a
greater dignity and value, for He has revealed all the secrets of the Father’s heart, the fullness of
His counsel, and the riches of His grace.”

3. Gill, “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners,.... The apostle begins the epistle with
an account of the revelation God has made of his mind and will in former times: the author of
this revelation is God, not essentially, but personally considered, even God the Father, as
distinguished from his Son in the next verse; for the revelation under the Old Testament is divine,
as well as that under the

ew; in this they both agree, in whatsoever else they differ: and this
revelation was made at several times, at different seasons, and to different persons; and consisted
of a variety of things relating to doctrine and worship, and concerning the Messiah, his person
and office; of whom, at different times, there were gradual discoveries made, both before and
after the giving of the law, from the beginning of the world, or the giving forth of the first
promise, and in the times of the patriarchs, of: Moses, David, Isaiah, and other prophets: and this
was delivered in various manners; sometimes by angels; sometimes in a dream; at other times by
a vision; and sometimes by Urim and Thummim: and this he
spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets; by Moses, and other succeeding prophets, as
David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Micah, Zechariah, Malachi, and others; who were sent to the Jewish
fathers, the ancestors of the people of the Jews, to whom they prophesied and declared the will of
God, as they were moved and inspired by the Holy Ghost: and the apostle suggests, by this way of
speaking, that it was a long time since God spake to this people; for prophecy had ceased ever
since the times of Malachi, for the space of three hundred years; and this time past includes the
whole Old Testament dispensation, from the beginning to the end of it, or of prophecy in it.
4. Henry, “Here the apostle begins with a general declaration of the excellency of the gospel
dispensation above that of the law, which he demonstrates from the different way and manner of
God's communicating himself and his mind and will to men in the one and in the other: both
these dispensations were of God, and both of them very good, but there is a great difference in the
way of their coming from God. Observe,
I. The way wherein God communicated himself and his will to men under the Old Testament.
We have here an account, 1. Of the persons by whom God delivered his mind under the Old
Testament; they were the prophets, that is, persons chosen of God, and qualified by him, for that
office of revealing the will of God to men.

o man takes this honour to himself, unless called; and
whoever are called of God are qualified by him. 2. The persons to whom God spoke by the
prophets: To the fathers, to all the Old Testament saints who were under that dispensation. God
favoured and honoured them with much clearer light than that of nature, under which the rest of
the world were left. 3. The order in which God spoke to men in those times that went before the
gospel, those past times: he spoke to his ancient people at sundry times and in divers manners. (1.)
At sundry times, or by several parts, as the word signifies, which may refer either to the several
ages of the Old Testament dispensation - the patriarchal, the Mosaic, and the prophetic; or to the
several gradual openings of his mind concerning the Redeemer: to Adam, that the Messiah
should come of the seed of the woman, - to Abraham, that he should spring from his loins, - to
Jacob, that he should be of the tribe of Judah, - to David, that he should be of his house, - to
Micah, that he should be born at Bethlehem, - to Isaiah, that he should be born of a virgin. (2.) In
divers manners, according to the different ways in which God though fit to communicate his mind
to his prophets; sometimes by the illapses of his Spirit, sometimes by dreams, sometimes by
visions, sometimes by an audible voice, sometimes by legible characters under his own hand, as
when he wrote the ten commandments on tables of stone. Of some of these different ways God
himself gave an account in

um_12:6-8, If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make
myself known to him in a vision, and will speak to him in a dream. ,ot so with my servant Moses:
with him I will speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches.

II. God's method of communicating his mind and will under the

ew Testament dispensation,
these last days as they are called, that is, either towards the end of the world, or the end of the
Jewish state. The times of the gospel are the last times, the gospel revelation is the last we are to
expect from God. There was first the natural revelation; then the patriarchal, by dreams, visions,
and voices; then the Mosaic, in the law given forth and written down; then the prophetic, in
explaining the law, and giving clearer discoveries of Christ: but now we must expect no new
revelation, but only more of the Spirit of Christ to help us better to understand what is already
revealed.

ow the excellency of the gospel revelation above the former consists in two things: -
1. It is the final, the finishing revelation, given forth in the last days of divine revelation, to
which nothing is to be added, but the canon of scripture is to be settled and sealed: so that now
the minds of men are no longer kept in suspense by the expectation of new discoveries, but they
rejoice in a complete revelation of the will of God, both preceptive and providential, so far as is
necessary for them to know in order to their direction and comfort. For the gospel includes a
discovery of the great events that shall befall the church of God to the end of the world.
5. Jamison, “Heb_1:1-14. The highest of all revelations is given us now in the Son of God, who is
greater than the angels, and who, having completed redemption, sits enthroned at God’s right hand.
The writer, though not inscribing his name, was well known to those addressed (Heb_13:19).
For proofs of Paul being the author, see my Introduction. In the Pauline method, the statement of
subject and the division are put before the discussion; and at the close, the practical follows the
doctrinal portion. The ardor of Spirit in this Epistle, as in First John, bursting forth at once into
the subject (without prefatory inscription of name and greeting), the more effectively strikes the
hearers. The date must have been while the temple was yet standing, before its destruction, a.d.
70; some time before the martyrdom of Peter, who mentions this Epistle of Paul (2Pe_3:15,
2Pe_3:16); at a time when many of the first hearers of the Lord were dead.
at sundry times — Greek, “in many portions.” All was not revealed to each one prophet; but
one received one portion of revelation, and another another. To

oah the quarter of the world to
which Messiah should belong was revealed; to Abraham, the nation; to Jacob, the tribe; to David
and Isaiah, the family; to Micah, the town of nativity; to Daniel, the exact time; to Malachi, the
coming of His forerunner, and His second advent; through Jonah, His burial and resurrection;
through Isaiah and Hosea, His resurrection. Each only knew in part; but when that which was
perfect came in Messiah, that which was in part was done away (1Co_13:12).
in divers manners — for example, internal suggestions, audible voices, the Urim and
Thummim, dreams, and visions. “In one way He was seen by Abraham, in another by Moses, in
another by Elias, and in another by Micah; Isaiah, Daniel, and Ezekiel, beheld different forms”
[Theodoret]. (Compare

um_12:6-8). The Old Testament revelations were fragmentary in
substance, and manifold in form; the very multitude of prophets shows that they prophesied only
in part. In Christ, the revelation of God is full, not in shifting hues of separated color, but Himself
the pure light, uniting in His one person the whole spectrum (Heb_1:3).
spake — the expression usual for a Jew to employ in addressing Jews. So Matthew, a Jew
writing especially for Jews, quotes Scripture, not by the formula, “It is written,” but “said,” etc.
in time past — From Malachi, the last of the Old Testament prophets, for four hundred years,
there had arisen no prophet, in order that the Son might be the more an object of expectation
[Bengel]. As God (the Father) is introduced as having spoken here; so God the Son, Heb_2:3; God
the Holy Ghost, Heb_3:7.
the fathers — the Jewish fathers. The Jews of former days (1Co_10:1).
by — Greek, “in.” A mortal king speaks by his ambassador, not (as the King of kings) in his

ambassador. The Son is the last and highest manifestation of God (Mat_21:34, Mat_21:37); not
merely a measure, as in the prophets, but the fullness of the Spirit of God dwelling in Him bodily
(Joh_1:16; Joh_3:34; Col_2:9). Thus he answers the Jewish objection drawn from their prophets.
Jesus is the end of all prophecy (Rev_19:10), and of the law of Moses (Joh_1:17; Joh_5:46).
6. Charlie Peacock-Ashworth, “What a wonderfully written sermon to Jewish Christians in
trouble. It begins with Christology, clearly stating who Jesus is. The Christology sets the persons
and their problems in the context of true reality, a Christ-centered reality. The author wants to
remind the Hebrews of redemptive history, both distant and recent. He wants to remind his
audience that God has always cared for and sustained his people and his creation, and that He
has always faithfully spoken into human history. And most importantly, that God’s Son Jesus is
not just the continuation of this covenant faithfulness, but is in fact the climax of God’s faithful
love and revelation. Jesus is supreme love in word and in action. There is no greater.”
7. Roger Hahn, “The prize jewel in the treasure chest of Hebrews is Jesus. With characteristic
directness, our writer wastes no time in introducing us to Christ, the subject of his book. Rarely
has so much been said in so short a span as in the first three verses of Hebrews. In fewer than one
hundred words, the writer of Hebrews declares the unrivaled superiority of Jesus over every
other form or word of revelation God has given to men. And God has given many such words.
The author of Hebrews did not waste time with small talk as he began his work. The first four
verses are a single sentence in the original Greek text. They contain some of the most elegantly
written Greek in the

ew Testament. Both the author's best literary skill and most profound
theology appear in his opening words. His preaching tendencies show through in the fact that five
words in verse 1 begin with the Greek letter for "p". In addition to alliteration the author placed
similar sounding words in parallel phrases. The result was a sentence that flowed powerfully and
majestically to its conclusion. The very choice of words gave a sense of weight and importance to
the message being communicated.”
8. “Here we are given the very nature and essence of the Old Covenant.

otice that the Old
Covenant is typified by looser constraints. God’s character was no different before the coming of
Christ but he did deal with men on the basis of partial revelation. Look at the wording of
Romans 3:25,26 for a glimpse of how God worked with men during the Mosaic Covenant, "God
presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his
justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished-- he did it
to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who
have faith in Jesus."

otice also the similar wording of Acts 17:30 , "In the past God overlooked
such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent." In direct contrast to what
many teach today, there are distinct differences between the covenant which was outlined at
Mount Sinai and the

ew Covenant in Christ’s Blood. The Old Covenant was more forgiving to
allow for the limited revelation God had given up until that time.

ot that God was ever
imperfect, but He was looking toward the culmination of His perfect plan. It is important to note
that the

ew Covenant was not something that was a result of God reaching a point of
frustration and then deciding to send His son but it was planned from eternity past as outlined in
1 Peter 1:19,20, ‘but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was
chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake." author
unknown

9. Stedman, “The epistle to the Hebrews begins as dramatically as a rocket shot to the moon. In
one paragraph, the writer breathtakingly transports his readers from the familiar ground of Old
Testament prophetic writings, through the incarnation of the Son (who is at once creator, heir
and sustainer of all things and the fullest possible manifestation of deity), past the purifying
sacrifice of the cross to the exaltation of Jesus on the ultimate seat of power in the universe. It is a
paragraph daring in its claims and clearly designed to arrest the reader's attention and compel a
further hearing.
God spoke (by prophets) to the fathers in many portions and in various ways. Amos gave God's
message by oracles and direct statements from God; Hosea by "typical" experiences in his own
life; Habakkuk by arguments and discussion. Malachi spoke God's word by questions and
answers; Ezekiel by strange and symbolic acts; Haggai by sermons and Zechariah by mystical
signs.
God addressed His people in parables and in illustrations; by warnings and exhortations; by
encouragements and promises. By every possible method He spoke through the prophets to the
fathers. Yet the word was always fragmentary and usually soon forgotten. When the Old
Testament closed, revelation was still incomplete. God was to speak again, more fully and more
effectively than He ever had spoken in the prophets.”
10. Unknown author, “GOD. What word could more fittingly stand at the head of the first line of
the first paragraph in this noble epistle! Each structure must rest on him as foundation; each tree
must spring from him as root; each design and enterprise must originate in him as source. "I

G-GOD," is a worthy motto to inscribe at the commencement of every treatise,
be it the ponderous volume or the ephemeral tract. And with that name we commence our
attempt to gather up some of the glowing lessons which were first addressed to the persecuted
and wavering Hebrews in the primitive age, but have ever been most highly prized by believing
Gentiles throughout the universal Church. The feast was originally spread for the children of the
race of Abraham; but who shall challenge our right to the crumbs? In our endeavor to gather
them, be thou, 0 God, Alpha and Omega, First and Last. In the original Greek, the word "God"is
preceded by two other words, which describe the variety and multitudinousness of his revelation
to man. And the whole verse is full of interest as detailing the origin and authority of the Word of
God, and as illustrating the great law which appears in so many parts of the works of God, and
has been fitly called the law of VARIETY I

ITY.
Think about the various times and ways God spoke in the OT:- direct revelation (Samuel) (the
prophets: mouthpieces of God)- circumstances (Elijah in the wilderness)- visions: Ezekiel, Isaiah,
Daniel- plagues (Egyptians)- chastisement (Jonah)- creation itself (Balaam’s donkey) (the
burning bush)
God Spoke in many Portions and in many Ways.
He spoke to Job out of a whirlwind.
He spoke to Joseph in dreams.
God spoke to Moses in a burning bush.
He spoke to Joshua through an angel.

He spoke to Samuel in a voice in the night.
He spoke to Elijah is a still, small voice.
He spoke to Daniel in a vision.
He is a God of variety in creation and in the many ways he communicates. He is not locked into
any one way of doing things. We dare not assume that God always works the same way in all
situations, for he may use writing on the wall or even a donkey, or a dream to communicate.
11. John Piper, “He was not silent. God communicates. He means to connect with us. He is not an
idea to be thought about. He is a person to be listened to and understood and enjoyed and
obeyed. He is a speaking Person. There is no more important fact than this: There is a God who
speaks that we might know him and love him and live in joyful obedience to him. God spoke.
“This is where I get the assurance that God is not withdrawn and uncommunicative. This
verse stresses the lavish variety of God's communication. In "many portions (or times or
places) and many ways!" This is a great comfort and encouragement. Do you know why?
Because we all know that some of those portions and ways are hard to understand. If God
had only spoken in one portion or one way and we couldn't get it, we would be very
frustrated and at a great disadvantage. But God has not done it that way. He has spoken
in many places and times and portions and in many ways.
So if you have difficulty in grasping his word in Leviticus, you may hear him clearly in Proverbs.
If you don't see the point clearly in Zechariah, you may still be deeply moved by the message of
Jonah. If you don't catch on yet to the strange visions in Ezekiel, you may be sustained by the
sufferings of Job. The point is this: God means to provide a lot of possibilities in the Old
Testament where you can hear him. He has spoken and he is not silent. He is not withdrawn and
uncommunicative. There are many places and many ways that he has spoken by the prophets.”
12. Arthur Pink, “The apostle introduces his theme in a manner least calculated to provoke the
antipathy of his Jewish readers. He begins by acknowledging that Judaism was of Divine
authority: it was God who had spoken to their fathers. "He confirms and seals the doctrine which
was held by the Hebrews, that unto them had been committed the oracles of God; and that in the
writings of Moses and the prophets they possessed the Scripture which could not be broken, in
which God had displayed unto them His will" (Adolph Saphir).
It was to our forefathers that he spoke, and so it was to a particular people this book is addressed.
It was to Jewish believers, for it was to the forefathers of Israel that God spoke. This shows that
the author was also a Hebrew. All Christians are children of Abraham by faith in Christ, and so
the Old Testament people are also our forefathers.
Pink makes it clear that whoever the original readers, we are all in need of all of the Scriptures
and so all of it is to all of us. He writes, “There are some, claiming to have great light, who would
rob the saints today of the Epistle of James because it is addressed to "the Twelve Tribes which
are scattered abroad." With equal propriety they might take from us the Epistles to the
Philippians and Colossians because they were addressed only to the saints in those cities! The
truth is that what Christ said to the apostles in Mark 13:17—"What I say unto you, I say unto
all"— may well be applied to the whole of the Bible. All Scripture is needed by us (2 Tim. 3:16,
17), and all Scripture is God’s word to us.

ote carefully that while at the beginning of his Epistle

to Titus Paul only addresses Titus himself (Titus 1:4), yet at the close of this letter he expressly
says, "Grace be with you all!" (Titus 3:15)”
Pink, “The Epistle itself contains further details which serve to identify the addressees. That it
was written to saints who were by no means young in the faith is clear from Hebrews 5:12. That it
was sent to those who had suffered severe persecutions (cf. Acts 8:1) is plain from what we read
in Hebrews 10:32. That it was addressed to a Christian community of considerable size is evident
from Hebrews 13:24. From this last reference we are inclined to conclude that this Epistle was
first delivered to the church in Jerusalem (Acts 11:22), or to the churches in Judea (Acts 9:31),
copies of which would be made and forwarded to Jewish Christians in foreign lands. Thus, our
Epistle was first addressed to those descendants of Abraham who, by grace, had believed on their
Savior-Messiah.”
Pink points out that these Jewish Christians often had to face persecution and a temptation to go
back to the old as their foundation. He writes, “In addition to their natural prejudices, the
temporal circumstances of the believing Jews became increasingly discouraging, yea, presented a
sore temptation for them to abandon the profession of Christianity. Following the persecution
spoken of in Acts 8:1, that eminent scholar, Adolph Saphir—himself a converted Jew—tells us:
"Then arose another persecution of the believers, especially directed against the apostle Paul.
Festus died about the year 63, and under the high priest Ananias, who favored the Sadducees, the
Christian Hebrews were persecuted as transgressors of the law. Some of them were stoned to
death; and though this extreme punishment could not be frequently inflicted by the Sanhedrim,
they were able to subject their brethren to sufferings and reproaches which they felt keenly. It
was a small thing that they confiscated their goods; but they banished them from the holy places.
Hitherto they had enjoyed the privileges of devout Israelites: they could take part in the beautiful
and God-appointed services of the sanctuary; but now they were treated as unclean and
apostates. Unless they gave up faith in Jesus, and forsook the assembling of themselves together,
they were not allowed to enter the Temple, they were banished from the altar, the sacrifice, the
high priest, the house of Jehovah.
"We can scarcely realize the piercing sword which thus wounded their inmost heart. That by
clinging to the Messiah they were to be severed from Messiah’s people, was, indeed, a great and
perplexing trial; that for the hope of Israel’s glory they were banished from the place which God
had chosen, and where the divine Presence was revealed, and the symbols and ordinances had
been the joy and strength of their fathers; that they were to be no longer children of the covenant
and of the house, but worse than Gentiles, excluded from the outer court, cut off from the
commonwealth of Israel. This was indeed a sore and mysterious trial. Cleaving to the promises
made unto their fathers, cherishing the hope in constant prayer that their nation would yet
accept the Messiah, it was the severest test to which their faith could be put, when their loyalty to
Jesus involved separation from all the sacred rights and privileges of Jerusalem."
Thus the need for an authoritative, lucid, and systematic setting forth of the real relation of
Christianity to Judaism was a pressing one. Satan would not miss the opportunity of seeking to
persuade these Hebrews that their faith in Jesus of

azareth was a mistake, a delusion, a sin.
Were they right, while the vast majority of their brethren, according to the flesh, among whom
were almost all the respected members of the Sanhedrim and the priesthood, wrong? Had God
prospered them since they had become followers of the crucified One? or, did not their temporal
circumstances evidence that He was most displeased with them? Moreover, the believing remnant
of Israel had looked for a speedy return of Christ to the earth, but thirty years had now passed

and He had not come! Yes, their situation was critical, and there was an urgent need that their
faith should be strengthened, their understanding enlightened, and a fuller explanation be given
them of Christianity in the light of the Old Testament. It was to meet this need that God, in His
tender mercy, moved His servant to write this Epistle to them.”
13. Is everything you say of equal importance?
Is everything the President says of equal importance?
Is everything God says of equal importance?
We are to live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God, but does that mean that all
are equal? Is the Old Testament equal to the

ew Testament? This book of Hebrews answers all
of these questions with a resounding

o! God updates his Word to man in Christ and what he
says through Jesus is more important than what he said in the Old Testament. Much of the past
Word was to prepare for the final Word in Christ. When the fulfillment came the preparation
was finished and completed.
Jesus said he had many things to tell his disciples but they were not ready. You do not tell your
young children about income taxes and wills, for they are not ready for such things. So God’s
people needed to be prepared for they were not ready. God is like any intelligent parent and he
has what is called Progressive Revelation. He tells people what they can grasp, and then builds on
that to reveal more when they are ready. It is called going from the known to the unknown, which
is the essence of education.
The Old Testament was like the alphabet and the

ew was the beginning of reading. They needed
the foundation of the alphabet before they could understand the full revelation of God. The
world is full of truths, but only in Christ do we get the full truth. He is the highest revelation of
who God is and what his plan is. Christians do not have a monopoly on truths, for there are
truths in Judaism and most other religions, but the fullness of truth is in Jesus. He is the truth
and the last word on truth.” author unknown
14. Thomas R. Rodgers, “The word “many portions” or “diverse manners” is the word
polumeros, which means many portions like a pie. The revelations that God began to give to man
a long time ago through the prophets or fathers were divided into many parts or portions. The
divine truth is like a pie that God sliced, giving one portion to one prophet, another to Moses,
another to Isaiah. Some portions were large and some were small, but all were part of the pie -
His revelation to us.
In addition, the author said, not only is God’s truth divided into many portions served to the
prophets and fathers like a pie, He also did it in many ways. That is the word has to do with how
God did it. God took His truth and divided it into various portions like a pie, then He distributed
it in many manners progressively and in a variety of ways. God did not dump all this theology at
one time and on one person. He gave it to a variety of men in a variety of ways progressively and
divided like pieces of a pie.”
“Consider some further terminology in Hebrews 1:1: In Greek there are two words for something
old. One is the word archaios which comes into such English words as archaic and archaeology.
The Greek word means old as in a point in time. It is not the word for old used in this verse. The
word used here is palai. It means old in point of use; old as to present value, ready to be replaced
by something new.

The author of Hebrews is saying that this old revelation given to the prophets is now ready to be
replaced. These old pieces of revelation were not to be cast aside. They were part of God’s final
revelation made complete in the Person of Christ by the

ow you can
understand what the Lord is talking about in Matthew 5:17. Jesus is speaking: Think not that I
am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy. but to fulfill. There is a
continuity with the old and the new, for the new completes the old.
14. Pink, “"This manifesting of God’s will by parts (‘at sundry times,’ etc.), is here (verse 1) noted
by way of distinction and difference from God’s revealing His will under the Gospel; which was
all at one time, viz., the times of His Son’s being on earth; for then the whole counsel of God was
made known so far as was meet for the Church to know it while this world continueth. In this
respect Christ said, ‘All things that I have heard of My Father, I have made known to you’ (John
15:15), and ‘the Comforter shall teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance whatsoever
I have said unto you’ (Heb. 14:26). The woman of Samaria understood this much: ‘When the
Messiah is come, He will tell us all things’ (John 4:25). Objection: the apostles had many things
revealed to them later. Answer: those were no other things than what Christ had revealed before,
while He lived" (Dr. Gouge).
15. Pink, “The central point of contrast here is between the Old Testament "prophets" and Christ
"the Son." Though the Holy Spirit has not here developed the details of this contrast, we can
ourselves, by going back to the Old Testament, supply them. Mr. Saphir has strikingly
summarized them under seven heads. "First, they were many: one succeeded another: they lived
in different periods. Second, they gave out God’s revelation in ‘divers manners’—similitudes,
visions, symbols. Each prophet had his peculiar gift and character. Their stature and capacity
varied. Third, they were sinful men—Isaiah 6:5, Daniel 10:8. Fourth, they did not possess the
Spirit constantly. The ‘word’ came to them, but they did not possess the Word! Fifth, they did not
understand the heights and depths of their own message—1 Peter 1:10. Sixth, still less did they
comprehend the whole of God’s revelation in Old Testament times. Seventh, like John the Baptist
they had to testify ‘I am not the Light, I am only sent to bear witness of the Light.’"

ow, the
very opposite was the case in all these respects with the "Son." Though the revelation which God
gave the prophets is equally inspired and authoritative, yet that through His Son possesses a
greater dignity and value, for He has revealed all the secrets of the Father’s heart, the fullness of
His counsel, and the riches of His grace.”
16. CALVI

, “That we may understand this more clearly, we must observe the contrast between
each of the clauses. First, the Son of God is set in opposition to the prophets; then we to the
fathers; and, thirdly, the various and manifold modes of speaking which God had adopted as to
the fathers, to the last revelation brought to us by Christ. But in this diversity he still sets before
us but one God, that no one might think that the Law militates against the Gospel, or that the
author of one is not the author of the other. That you may, therefore, understand the full import
of this passage, the following arrangement shall be given, -
God spoke
Formerly by the Prophets, . . . . . . . . .

ow by the Son;
Then to the Fathers,. . . . . . . . . . . .But now to us;
Then at various times . . . . . . . . . . .

ow as at the end of the times.
This foundation being laid, the agreement between the Law and the Gospel is established; for

God, who is ever like himself, and whose word is the same, and whose truth is unchangeable, has
spoken as to both in common.”
17. Preceptaustin, “MacArthur adds that
A prophet is one who speaks to men for God; a priest is one who speaks to God for men. The
priest takes man’s problems to God; the prophet takes God’s message to men. Both, if they
are true, are commissioned by God, but their ministries are quite different. The book of
Hebrews has a great deal to say about priests, but its opening verse speaks of prophets. The
Holy Spirit establishes the divine authorship of the Old Testament, its accuracy and its
authority, through the fact that it was given to and delivered by God’s prophets." For
example the "LORD said to Moses, "See, I make you as God to Pharaoh, and your brother
Aaron shall be your prophet." (Ex 7:1) (MacArthur, John: Hebrews. Moody Press or Logos)
Thus, the prophets were the mouthpieces of God and their words were not the production of their
own spirit, but came from the Holy Spirit as emphasized by Peter who wrote that
no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit
spoke from God. (1Pe 1:21-note)
The prophet John the Baptist quoting another prophet Isaiah explaining that he was but
a voice of One who is crying out in the wilderness (Jn 1:23)
The One giving the message was God, John being His voice,
a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work. (2Ti 2:21-
note)
The prophets received their call or appointment directly from God, and some like Jeremiah (Jer
1:5) or John the Baptist (Jn 1:13, 14, 15), were called before birth. Although not all that God had
spoken through the prophets was predictive prophecy, this aspect of God's revelation is one of the
strongest evidences that the Bible is divinely inspired.
Barclay adds that
it is no part of the purpose of the writer to the Hebrews to belittle the prophets; it is his aim
to establish the supremacy of Jesus Christ. He is not saying that there is a break between the
Old Testament revelation and that of the

ew Testament; he is stressing the fact that there is
continuity , but continuity that ends in consummation."
The KJV translates this phrase as by the prophets but the Greek is literally in the prophets.
Kenneth Wuest explains that in is
"the preposition en - Used here in the locative case...the locative of sphere. That is, the
writers of the First Testament constituted the sphere within which God spoke. He spoke
exclusively through them and through no other men, so far as the written revelation is
concerned. This preposition is used also in the instrumental case. Then the writers would be
looked upon as the instruments in God’s hands by which the First Testament Scriptures were
written down." (Wuest, K. S. Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek

ew Testament:
Eerdmans or Logos) (Bolding added)
OT Scriptures documenting that God spoke long ago...
God spoke to Adam and told him that the Savior would come from the Seed of the woman
(Ge 3:15).

God spoke to Abraham and told him that the Savior would come from his Seed (Ge 12:3,
18:18, 22:18).
God spoke to Jacob and told him that the Savior would come through the tribe of Judah
(Gen 49:10).
God spoke to David and told him that the Savior would be born of his house (2Sam 7:16).
God spoke to Micah and told him that the Savior would be born at Bethlehem (Mic 5:2).
God spoke to Isaiah and told him that the Savior would be born of a virgin (Isa 7:14).
See also topic - Messianic Prophecies
John Calvin writes
That you may, therefore, understand the full import of this passage, the following
arrangement shall be given —
GOD SPAKE
Formerly by the Prophets

ow by the Son;
Then to the Fathers
But now to us;
Then at various times

ow as at the end of the times.
Many portions (4181) (polumeros from polús = many + méros = part) (only use in the

T) is
literally "many parts". It means part by part, fragmentarily. In context means that God spoke a
word here and there, now and then, some at one time, some at another, to some a few words, to
others many.
The speech of God is not unbroken chatter but episodes of speech punctuating seasons of silence.
This phrase is first in the Greek construction for emphasis (emphatic position) and refers to the
incremental and progressive revelation (Genesis gives some truth, Exodus some more truth, etc) in
which God disclosed Himself in portions of truth at different times until the appearance of the
Son, Who Himself is the consummation of Truth (Jn 1:17, 14:6), the fulfillment of the Law and
Prophets (Mt 5:17-note).
The prophetic revelation was fragmentary, piece by piece in 39 OT books delivered over some
1500 years by forty-plus writers, each contributing "portions" of divine revelation, none in
themselves complete.
Pink adds that
The Old Testament revelation was but the refracted rays, not the light unbroken and
complete. As illustrations of this we may refer to the gradual making known of the Divine
character through His different titles (Click Studies on the

ames of God), or to the
prophesies concerning the coming Messiah. It was 'here a little and there a little.'"
If is as if God had spoken in a spectrum of pure variegated lights in the Old Testament and that
the arrival of Jesus was like a "prism" Who collects all these bands of pure light and focuses
them into one final, perfect and pure beam.
Peter alludes to the fragmentary nature of the OT revelation adding that even the
prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come...made careful search and inquiry,
seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He

predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow." (see notes 1 Peter 1:10; 1:11)
Jamieson comments
All was not revealed to each one prophet; but one received one portion of revelation, and
another another. To

oah the quarter of the world to which Messiah should belong was
revealed; to Abraham, the nation; to Jacob, the tribe; to David and Isaiah, the family; to
Micah, the town of nativity; to Daniel, the exact time; to Malachi, the coming of His
forerunner, and His second advent; through Jonah, His burial and resurrection; through
Isaiah and Hosea, His resurrection. Each only knew in part; but when that which was perfect
came in Messiah, that which was in part was done away" (1Cor 13:12).
F B Meyer puts it this way

o one prophet could speak out all the truth. Each was entrusted with one or two syllables in
the mighty sentences of God's speech. At the best the view caught of God, and given to men
through the prophets, though true, was partial and limited. But in Jesus there is nothing of
this piecemeal revelation. "In Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily." He hath
revealed the Father. Whosoever hath seen him hath seen God; and to hear his words is to get
the full-orbed revelation of the Infinite. (Hebrews 1:3-4: The Dignity of Christ)
In many ways (4187) (polutropos from polús = many + trópos = a manner) points to the different
media and modes through which God disclosed His word, including dream, direct voice, signs,
angelic visitations and even in different ways to different men. He spoke to Moses in the burning
bush (Ex 3:2ff), to Elijah in a still, small voice (1Ki 19:12), to Isaiah in a vision in the temple (Isa
6:1ff), to Hosea in his family circumstances (Hos 1:2), and to Amos in a basket of summer fruit
(Am 8:1).
Many ways also alludes to the different OT literary types including law, history, poetry, allegory,
prophecy, etc. The writer's main point in this section is to emphasize that all OT revelation was
God speaking to man, albeit in a manner that was fragmentary and occasional, lacking fullness
and finality.
Pink observes that
we may see here an illustration of the sovereignty of God: He did not act uniformly or
confine Himself to any one method of speaking to the fathers. He spake by way of promise
and prediction, by types and symbols, by commandments and precepts, by warnings and
exhortations." Expositor’s adds that the people of Israel “were like men listening to a clock
striking the hour, always getting nearer the truth but obliged to wait till the whole is heard.”
MacArthur adds that
We must, of course, clearly understand that the Old Testament was not in any way erroneous
(2Ti 3:16, 17- note). But there was in it a development, of spiritual light and of moral
standards, until God’s truth was refined and finalized in the

ew Testament. The distinction
is not in the validity of the revelation—its rightness or wrongness—but in the completeness
of it and the time of it. Just as children are first taught letters, then words, and then
sentences, so God gave His revelation. It began with the “picture book” of types and
ceremonies and prophecies and progressed to final completion in Jesus Christ and His

ew
Testament...The Old Testament is only a part of God’s truth, but it is not partially His truth.
It is not His complete truth, but it is completely His truth. It is God’s revelation, His
progressive revelation preparing His people for the coming of His Son, Jesus Christ.
(MacArthur, John: Hebrews. Moody Press or Logos)

Isaac Watts expresses the thoughts of verse 1-2 in hymn:
God, Who in various methods told
His mind and will to saints of old,
Sent down His Son, with truth and grace,
To teach us in these latter days.
Our nation reads the written Word,
That book of life, that sure record:
The bright inheritance of heav’n
Is by the sweet conveyance giv’n.
God’s kindest thoughts are here expressed,
Able to make us wise and bless’d;
The doctrines are divinely true,
Fit for reproof and comfort, too.
Play "God Who in Various Methods Told"
18. An unknown author has put together this wonderful study of the ways God has
communicated. “In What Special Ways Has God Revealed Himself To Humanity?
The author the Book of Hebrews wrote that God has spoken to humanity in various ways.
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, whom he appointed
heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe (Hebrews 1:1,2).
The Bible records a variety of ways God has revealed Himself to humanity—primarily through
words and deeds. The Bible lists the following ways in which God has made Himself known.
1. God Directly Communicated To Humanity With An Audible Voice The Bible often records God
speaking with an audible voice. In the Book of Genesis we read.The Lord God said . . . (Genesis
2:18).Later in Genesis we read. On the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram,
saying . . . (Genesis 15:18).In these instances God spoke audibly in a way that human beings
could understand.
2. The Lot Was Used To Determine God’s Will One of the ways that God made himself known
was in the casting of lots. The Book of Proverbs says.The lot is cast into the lap, but its every
decision is from the LORD (Proverbs 16:33).We find an historical usage of the lot to determine
the replacement for traitor Judas. Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have
been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from John's

baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness
with us of his resurrection. So they proposed two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as
Justus) and Matthias. Then they prayed, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of
these two you have chosen to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he
belongs.” Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles
(Acts 1:21-26). While the Bible records this use of the lot by Jesus’ disciples, there is some
question as to whether they were led by the Holy Spirit to chose the twelfth disciple in this
manner. Today we would not highly regard the use of the lot. However, in the past, it did
sometimes serve to communicate the mind of God to humanity.
3. Once God Wrote With A Huge Hand On A Wall In the Book of Daniel God revealed himself to
the evil king Belshazzar by a large hand writing on a wall.Suddenly the fingers of a human hand
appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. The king
watched the hand as it wrote (Daniel 5:5).
4. The Urim and Thummim Helped Determine God’s Will The Urim and Thummim (lights and
perfections) were one of the ways in which God spoke to the people. There is mystery
surrounding exactly how this worked. The Bible commanded the high priest to use them.Also put
the Urim and the Thummim in the breastpiece, so they may be over Aaron’s heart whenever he
enters the presence of the LORD. Thus Aaron will always bear the means of making decisions for
the Israelites over his heart before the LORD (Exodus 28:30).
The high priest wore a breastplate that had a square piece of material that was folded in half.
This would open at the top like a pouch. On the breastplate were twelve precious stones on which
were engraved the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. It is possible that the Urim and Thummim
were two precious stones placed inside the pouch that were used, in some way, to determine
God’s will. However, exactly how the will of God was made known to the High Priest is not
certain. There are a number of examples of it being put in use. Moses wrote.
But he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the decision of the Urim
before the LORD; at his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he and
all the Israelites with him, the whole congregation (

umbers. 27:21). Again Moses wrote.Of Levi
he said, “Let your Thummim and your Urim belong to your godly man, whom you proved at
Massah, with whom you contended at the waters of Meribah (Deuteronomy 33:8). In Samuel we
read. When Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim
or by prophets (1 Samuel. 28:6). Scripture tells us that it was used until the time of Ezra.The
governor said to them that they should not eat from the most holy things until a priest stood up
with Urim and Thummim (Ezra 2:63).
5. God Revealed Himself Through Dreams While dreams are a common experience of humanity,
God used them in a special way to reveal His truth. God said to Moses: Hear now my words: “If
there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, make myself known to him in a vision, and I speak to
him in a dream” (

umbers 12:6). The Bible says that nonbelievers, as well as believers, have
experienced God-given dreams. The Book of Genesis gives examples of this occurring. This

happened to a king named Abimelech. But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said
to him, “You are about to die because of the woman whom you have taken; for she is a married
woman” (Genesis 20:3). God supernaturally gave a dream to a man named Laban. But God came
to Laban the Aramean in a dream by night, and said to him, “Take heed that you say not a word
to Jacob, either good or bad” (Genesis 31:24).
6. God Gave Visions To A

umber Of People There is some distinction between dreams and
visions. Dreams happen, of course, while we are asleep. A vision can occur while the person is
awake. Furthermore, in a dream the emphasis seems to be more on what is seen, while in a vision
the emphasis seems to be on what is heard. The Bible records that God spoke to certain people
through visions. Isaiah records. The vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah son of
Amoz saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah (Isaiah 1:1).
7. Paul Was Transported Into The Spirit World God transported the apostle Paul into the spirit
world to show him what was happening there. He testified to his experience as follos. I know a
man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the
body or out of the body I do not know - God knows. And I know that this man - whether in the
body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows (2 Corinthians 12:2-4).
8. At Times God Dictated His Truth On a few occasions God directly dictated what the biblical
author would write. To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who
holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands: I know
your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men,
that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You
have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary
(Revelation 2:1-3).
9. Sometimes God Appeared In A Human Body (Theophanies) A theophany is the temporary
appearance of God in a human body in order to reveal something specific to His people.
According to the Old Testament this has occurred a number of times. The Bible says God
appeared in human form to, among others, Abraham, Joshua, and Gideon. Before the time of
Christ, these theophanies were associated with the appearance of the Angel of the Lord.
10. God Used Angels To Bring His Message God also uses created angels to carry His message to
people. The Gospel according to Luke reveals angels appeared to shepherds at Jesus’ birth. But
the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all
the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord”
(Luke 2:10-11). It is interesting to note that in the Book of Revelation God will use an angel to
communicate to birds! And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the
birds flying in midair, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God, so that you may eat
the flesh of kings, generals, and mighty men, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all
people, free and slave, small and great” (Revelation 19:17-19)

11. Miracles Were Performed To Reveal God’s Power A miracle is a sign that points people to
God. Miracles reveal the existence and power of God. On the Day of Pentecost Peter preached
about the miracles of Jesus. Jesus of

azareth, a man attested by God to you by miracles,
wonders, and signs which God did through him in your midst (Acts 2:22).
John recorded the reason why he recorded the miracles of Jesus. Therefore many other signs
Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these
have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that
believing you may have life in His name (John 20:30-31),
12. God Sometimes Gave Object Lessons God communicated His truth through object lessons.
For example Jeremiah was told by the Lord to buy a clay jar from a potter and then smash it in
front of the leaders. In the same way, God said that he would smash the disbelieving nation
(Jeremiah 19:1-15). God made the prophet Ezekiel lay on his side for an entire year.
13. God Directly Intervened In History Another way in which God has revealed Himself is
through His activity in history. The people were told to remember God’s righteous acts. The Bible
says. My people, remember now what Balak king of Moab counseled. And what Balaam son of
Beor answered him, from Shittim to Gilgal, so that you might know the righteous acts of the
Lord. (Micah 6:5). Acts of judgment reveal the nature of God. The Lord told Ezekiel the
following about Himself. Therefore, behold, I have stretched out my hand against you and I will
give you for spoil to the nations. And I will cut you off from the peoples and make you perish
from the lands; I will destroy you. Thus you will know that I am the Lord (Ezekiel 25:7).
14. The Prophets Were Used To Reveal God’s Truth A prophet is a spokesman for God. One such
man was Moses. God said to him.

ow therefore, go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you
what you shall say (Exodus 4:12). The Old Testament prophets brought God’s message to
humanity. David said. The Spirit of the LORD spoke through me; his word was on my tongue (2
Samuel 23:2). The

ew Testament prophets also delivered the Word of the Lord. Paul wrote
about the truth revealed in the

ew Testament. Which was not made known to people in other
generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets
(Ephesians 3:5). They spoke with authority because they were communicating the Word of the
Lord. Today a preacher or teacher today does not qualify as a prophet, in this sense of the term,
since he proclaims or explains God’s Word, that has been previously given and recorded in the
Scriptures.
15. Jesus Christ Was God’s Final Word To Humanity God’s final word to humanity was through
the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus came to earth to reveal God to humanity. God, who at various
times and in different ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last
days spoken to us by his Son (Hebrews 1:1,2). The coming of Jesus Christ was a major avenue of
special revelation. He explained what God was like.

o one has ever seen God, but God the One
and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known (John 1:18).

16. The Bible Records All These Different Means Of Special Revelation The record of God’s
direct communication, the theophanies, His miracles, His message to the prophets, and the
coming of Jesus Christ is found in the Bible. However the Bible is not merely the record of the
revelations from God. The Scripture also contains additional truth not revealed by these other
sources. Thus the Bible is the record of different aspects of special revelation as well as special
revelation itself.
Summary, “Special revelation is God informing humanity concerning Whom He is and what He
requires of us. The record of these divine revelations is contained in the Scriptures. The Bible
records God revealing Himself in the following ways. Direct communication, the lot, the Urim
and the Thummin, by a hand writing on the wall, transportation into the spirit world, dreams,
visions, dictation, theophanies, angels, miracles, object lessons, direct events, prophets, Jesus
Christ, and the Bible.”
19. Thomas Goodwin 1-2 sermon I, “I will not spend much time to shew who is the author of this
Epistle, which indeed among divines is doubtful; our translation hath prefixed Paul’s name to it,
being most probable that it is his. And though the author of it be not certainly known, yet it is not
to be excluded from the canon, for there are other books of Scripture that the authors of them are
not known, or at least not prefixed by themselves; as the Epistles of John, his name is not
mentioned in them; prefixed it is by the church, from one age to another, known by the style that
it is his. The reason why I chose to speak out of this epistle is, because it doth mention and speak
of Christ and of his offices, but especially of his priesthood, more than any other book of
Scripture I know. I will not profess an exact handling of all things therein contained, but raise
here and there some observations and meditations.
The scope of the apostle may appear, if we consider to whom he wrote he wrote to the Hebrews,
which were Jews. He did not write to the Hebrews not yet converted, as may appear by all the
passages in the whole Epistle. But he spake to those that had been already enlightened and knew
Christ, that had entertained the doctrine of the gospel. And this we may observe, that no book of
the Scripture was written to any other but professors, believers, not to unbelievers.

ow the Jews
did stick most to the law, ceremonies, and legal sacrifices, all which were but types of Christ, and
they were ignorant of the true excellency, nature, worth, and prerogative of Christ revealed to
them, and especially of his priesthood and sacrifice which he offered up above all the rest. The
apostle’s scope is to set up the gospel above the law, to raise up their hearts to a high esteem of
Christ, to shew that Christ was the end of the ceremonial law; so that all types should now cease.
And because he wrote to the Jews in that regard, whatsoever he doth speak he doth prove out of
the Old Testament through the whole book, and it is qnoted upon all occasions; because the Old
Testament had authority with the Jews, and he doth make everywhere now and then a short use
of the doctrinal points he doth deliver. He doth spend this chapter to prove that the Lord Jesus
Christ was God as well as man, and he doth make this short use of it, chap. ii., ver. 1, ‘Therefore
we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard.’
The first chapter doth prove that the Lord Jesus Christ is more than a man; though he speaks
something of him in this first chapter, which belongs to him only as God, yet all the rest that he
speaks of him as mediator doth argue him to be more than a man. The second chapter proves
him to be man, so that as you have the scope of the two first chapters, so of the whole epistle.
In the first verse he breaks in upon the argument of the whole epistle, being to advance the
gospel, and Christ and the doctrine of the gospel, before the doctrine of the law, and that by

reason of Christ revealed in it, and Christ revealing it.
He makes a comparison between the times of the law and the time of the gospel, and he prefers
the time of the gospel before the time of the law; ‘God spake unto the fathers by the prophets, but
unto us by his Son.’

ow look, how much the Son of God doth exceed the prophets, so much the
doctrine of the gospel the doctrine of the law ; and look, how much the sun, which is the fountain
of light, doth exceed the stars, and the light of the sun the light of the stars, so much doth the light
that Christ hath brought us in the gospel exceed the light of the law.
Secondly, he spake to the fathers but by degrees, ‘by parcels;’ they had a little light now, and
anon a little more light, but they had not all at once. But in the time of the gospel all is poured out
to you at once.
Thirdly, under the time of the law the Lord did speak by several ways and manners, but now ye
have but one way, and that a plain way. Before, in the Old Testament, he revealed himself
obscurely, he was fain to mould his speech into many forms. As men, when they have notions that
are something obscure, are fain to use several expressions to make them plain, so the law being
dark and obscure, God was fain to deliver it several manner of ways, as in a riddle, by Urim and
Thummim, by the prophets, &e. ; ‘but now he speaks,’ plainly and clearly, ‘ by his Son;’
therefore he is called the brightness of his glory,’ the image, the character, and lively expression of
God.
Obs. 1. The same God that spake in the Old Testament speaks in the

ew ; he that spake to
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, he speaks to you now; that God that spake by the prophets, speaks
now by his Son ; therefore certainly the faith of the fathers is not contradictory to the faith of us.
Heb. xiii., ‘Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, to-day, and the same for ever ;‘ the same Christ
from the begiuning of the world, the same God that spake ; therefore all the promises that are in
the Old Testament, ye may apply them all now. Why? Because it is the same God which spake to
them, and speaks now to us; that God that heard the prayers of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the
Old Testament, and granted their petitions, with whom they were so familiar; we may have
fellowship with the same God. That promise that was made to Joshua in particular, ‘ I will not
leave thee nor forsake thee,’ chap. i. the apostle, Heb. xi., doth apply to all believers; and it is
founded upon this, that the same God which spake in the Old Testament, speaks in the

ew. Look
over all the Old Testament, and look what a God you find him there, the same God you shall find
him in the

ew. Look what punishments he brought on them of the old world, the same he will
now. And look how he dealt with his servants, as he was angry with Moses for a small sin, so in
the same manner he will deal with you, if you walk in the same ways. And as he pardoned men
under the Old Testament, so also will he under the

ew. And as we have the same God, so we
have the same faith, 2 Cor. iv. 13, ‘We have the spirit of faith,’ &e.;
Obs. 2. Onr great God doth not speak immediately unto men, but immediately by others. Before,
he spake to men by his prophets, but now by his Son, who took our nature upon him, that he
might be a fit speaker. As we cannot see God and live, so we cannot hear God and live. The Lord,
when he delivered his law, began first to speak himself, and the people hear his own voice, Deut.
xviii. 15, 16, Exod. xx., but the people could not hear God’s voice, for they said to Moses, ‘Speak
thou with us and we will hear but let not God speak with us, lest we die.’ They being sinners, as
we are, they were not able to hear God from heaven, for his voice speaks thunder, and striketh
dead. Upon this request that the people made to Moses, see what God says, Deut. xviii. 17, ‘ They
have well spoken that which they have spoken. Therefore what will he do? I will raise them up a
prophet from amongst their brethren,’ &c. See his mercy; upon their request he takes an
advantage of promising the Messias, being one of the clearest promises that they had till now. It is
true, he would send many prophets before, as forerunners of Christ, but in the end he would send
Christ, which should be a prophet like unto Moses, to speak unto them, &c. God doth take
advantages to make promises, when the poor people did shiver and quake, because God spake to

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