Our Covenant-Making God: God brings His firstborn into the world, Part 6 

Our Covenant-Making God: God brings His firstborn into the world (Heb 1:6)

The title ‘Firstborn’ speaks of position and power, yet in a family setting also refers to the firstborn son who would receive a double-portion of the inheritance because he would be responsible for looking after the extended family if it ran into difficulty. In Jesus, the firstborn, we have One who empowers, supports, feeds, nurtures, encourages and uplifts those  who come to Him and who would otherwise ‘go under.’

The One who was present before the world began came as a baby born of a virgin and later confounded the religious intelligentsia of the day with stories that painted pictures of grace and birthed hope into the hearts and minds of downtrodden people. All things were made by Him, through Him and for Him (Col 1:16-17) and because of this King, veiled in flesh, everything comes everything comes into existence. He knows the stars by name, yet is touched by all that goes on and even wept over a rebellious Jerusalem (Luke 19:41). In looking at the variety of ways that He restored sight to the blind, and engaged in conversation with a Samaritan woman and a prostitute we see a Shepherd who desires nothing but wholeness and reconciliation for all people. In Jesus we see what the all-powerful One is like and all God’s angels are called to worship Him.  

Heavens interaction with earth can be seen throughout scripture from angels rejoicing in heaven at the creation of the world (John 38:7), to angels ascending and descending on the world by Jacob. Angelic beings surround the throne of God and shortly before His crucifixion, Jesus said to those who were about to arrest Him,  “Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?” (Mt 26:53).  That’s over  seventy-thousand angels, and Paul says that when Jesus comes again in all power and glory He will do so in blazing fire and with this heavenly army (2 Thess 1:7). At the incarnation (birth of Christ) the most powerful group of beings in space and time sang praises to God in the presence of some of those regarded as the lowest by religious people: temple shepherds on a night-shift (Luke 2:8ff). Yet at a later date Herod, who refused to worship God, was killed by an angel (Acts 12:23) despite his position, power and prestige. God is no respecter of position or worldly achievement, and there are those who have entertained angels without knowing it. All angels are God’s angels and they worshipped God at the arrival of the incarnate son who offers amazing grace and mercy right now.

God’s throne will last forever and ever and all power and glory is His. The power of heaven touches earth and God reveals that He is the master of all things whether speaking through a spewed up prophet in a pagan city (Jonah 2:10, 3:4) or a young girl snatched into slavery, leading to the healing of a pagan army commander (2 Kings 5).  Other incidents include the glory of the Lord filling the Temple (1 Kings 8:11), chariots of fire and horses of fire separating Elijah from Elisha at the time of Elijah’s departure in a whirlwind (2 Kings 2:11).  Isaiah has a vision and sees the head of the covenant seated on a throne, high and exalted (Isaiah 61:3), and decades later the King of Glory is seen by Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1:3ff) whilst standing by the river Kebar in the land of captivity (Babylonian Empire). When God moves nothing ever remains the same and God is always about His business of bringing redemption to a fallen world. Every event recorded in the Bible is recorded because God is about His business of redeeming a fallen world. He is the King upon the throne and the law of His kingdom is the Law of Agape-love (1 Jn 4:8) and in Him we see exactly what this love is like. Never lose sight of who God is and how much He loves you.