But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you.”

Jude

But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you.” Jude 9

I proceed with my study of Jude using the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for this book.  Today, my study consists of a review of Jude 8-10, with a focus on an unassisted review of the second division per the commentary - v9.  First, to learn more about Michael, I read other references to him in scripture, including Daniel 10:13, 21, 12:1, and Revelation 12:7. In Daniel 10, where Daniel has a vision of end times, Michael is a chief prince that helps Daniel understand what is yet to come; he also stands by God's side as conflict during end times begins. In Daniel 12, Michael, during end times, has charge responsibility for the Jews. In Jude, Michael is an archangel - a high ranking angel.  In Revelation 12, Michael fights back against Satan during end times. While Michael is seen as an angel of God, he is NOT God and so can only perform duties assigned to him and deliver messages from God - he also does not have authority to judge as only God does.  So we see Michael not presuming to usurp God's authority as Judge but instead delivers a message from God to Satan that "The Lord rebuke you." Michael usurping God's role might be seen as blasphemous, another example of the behavior Jude warns about. 

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion for me - giving me Your Word to guide me and to change me, and also to reveal Yourself to me and to speak to me.  Thank You Jesus for guiding me in Truth so that I can withstand the sinful influences of the world.  I am not deserving of such blessings as my sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

 Hebrews 2

But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. Hebrews 2:9

I continue my study of Hebrews, assisted by the commentary Christ Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in Hebrews. My focus this morning is initial observations of Hebrews 2:1-9, which contains three divisions. Hebrews 2:1-9 builds on Hebrews 1 by starting with a focus on who Jesus is and then turning to what Jesus has done - His actions and the implications).  Hebrews 2 looks at Jesus as the author of our salvation and how we should not neglect our salvation (see also Philippians 2:12 for text that exhorts believers to work out their own salvation), as we have no other means but through submission to Jesus to escape eternal damnation (v3).  The message of angels (i.e. Gabriel in Luke 1) was reliable as were the many prophecies of the Messiah declared by Isaiah and others (see .  Believers of today (beyond what was seen during Jesus' days - v4) can also testify of God's work in their own lives.  In v5-9, we, once again (see also Hebrews 1), read how God reigns over all of the universe and its inhabitants and how although we may not see (until we see Him face to face) all of His dominion and providence, we can be assured that He is in control.  Believers are reminded as well that Jesus became like us, so that through His own suffering, death, and resurrection, He could empathize with all that we experience, take our sins to the cross, and give us victory over sin and death.

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My Prayer: Heavenly Father, You are a great God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion for me - unbelievably so!  You suffered and died for me, then rose from the grace and gave me victory over sin and death...thank You Jesus for my salvation!  I am not deserving...the greatest gift of all time.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.   

For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”? Or again, I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son”? And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says,“Let all God's angels worship him.”

 Hebrews 1

For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”? Or again, I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son”? And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says,“Let all God's angels worship him.” Hebrews 1:5-6

I continue my study of Hebrews, assisted by the commentary Christ Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in Hebrews. My focus this morning is Hebrews 1:5-6, the second division of 1:1-14 as described by my commentary.  Here, my commentary describes how "[t]hrough the author of Hebrews, the Holy Spirit is providing his own inerrant, infallible commentary on the Old Testament. In other words, we are learning from the author of Hebrews himself the importance of reading Scripture in the light of the rest of Scripture, specifically in the light of the New Testament." The commentary indicates that the following Old Testament passages are quoted/referenced in Hebrews 1:5-6:

• Psalm 2:7
• 2 Samuel 7:14 (within the Davidic Covenant)
• Deuteronomy 32:43
  

The commentary for this division wraps by stating: "[t]he argument is clear. The angels worship Christ; it is not Christ who worships the angels. The angels declare the birth of Christ; it is not Christ who declares the ministry of angels. The angels are not called sons, but that is the very name that Christ himself, the Davidic Messiah, has inherited."

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who blesses me with Yourself as You reveal Yourself generously!  Thank You Jesus that I can come to know You and through this love You!  I am blessed!  Yet I am undeserving of how You bless me.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo, etc.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

...having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

 Hebrews 1

...having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. Hebrews 1:4

I continue my study of Hebrews, assisted by the commentary Christ Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in Hebrews. My focus this morning is Hebrews 1:4, the first division of 1:1-14 as described by my commentary.  Prior to an examination of Hebrews 1:4, my commentary highlights how Hebrews opens by focusing on who Jesus is, then moving on to what He has done.  This approach is deemed important, reminding us "to keep first things first. “Who is this Christ?” is the first question we must address when we talk about Jesus."  The commentary then jumps into Hebrews 1:4, explaining that the author of Hebrews devoted energy to discussing angels and how they compare to Jesus because the audience was Jewish and familiar with the Old Testament, and because the Intertestamental Period (or Second Temple Judaism as referred to by my commentary) "demonstrates an intense focus on angels."  My commentary shares that "[d]ue to this fascination with angels, the author of Hebrews, writing to a Jewish audience who was familiar with Second Temple literature, needed to recalibrate the theological understanding of his audience—particularly concerning Christ’s relationship to angels."

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God, and You are more superior than anyone or anything in the universe - You created the universe and all of its inhabitants and You hold all of it in Your hands.  You suffered and died for me and You share Yourself with me - thank You Jesus for all of these blessings and more!  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.”

 Hebrews 1

But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.” Hebrews 1:8-9

I continue my study of Hebrews, assisted by the commentary Christ Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in Hebrews. My focus this morning is an initial observation of Hebrews 1:4-14.  In these verses, the core message is that Jesus sits at the right hand of God in Heaven and is superior to angels because He is God - an exact imprint of the Father (see also post yesterday).  Verse 4 builds on the previous verses and v5 and v13 include rhetorical questions challenging those who don't see Jesus as superior to angels. Verses 6-12 and v13-14 include contrasting attributes (v6, 8-12, 14) of Jesus vs angels (v7, 13).  Core to the entire text this morning are v8-12 where core attributes of God are described, including: permanent nature of His Kingdom (v8, 11-12), upright/righteous (v8), love righteousness and hate sin (v9), anointed above all others (v9), author of creation and Heaven (v10). 

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who speaks to me - thank You Jesus for sharing Yourself with me through Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and Your Word!  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom, energy, and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.