Near to the Heart of God A Study of the Book of Hebrews Near to the Heart of God A Study of the Book of Hebrews Lesson 5 Hebrews 2:5-9 The Necessity of the Incarnation: Why God Drew Near to Man – Part 1

I.Introduction A.The search for significance B.Where we are in Hebrews: God has spoken through His Son Who is higher than the angels (1:1-14) Exhortation: Listen well! (2:1-4) The Son became “lower than the angels” to save sinners (2:5-18) C.This is the first reference to “Jesus” in Hebrews.

D.Our text – Hebrews 2:5-9 5 For he did not put the world to come, about which we are speaking, under the control of angels. 6 Instead someone testified somewhere: “What is man that you think of him or the son of man that you care for him? 7 You made him lower than the angels for a little while. You crowned him with glory and honor. 8 You put all things under his feet.” For when he put all things under his control, he left nothing outside of his control. At present we do not yet see all things under his control, 9 but we see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by God’s grace he would experience death on behalf of everyone.

II.A quick look at Psalm 8 For the choir director; on the Gittith. A Psalm of David. O Lord, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth, Who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens! 2 From the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have established strength Because of Your adversaries, To make the enemy and the revengeful cease. 3 When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained; 4 What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him? 5 Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with glory and majesty! 6 You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, 7 All sheep and oxen, And also the beasts of the field, 8 The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, Whatever passes through the paths of the seas. 9 O Lord, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth! (Psalm 8:1-9, NASB95)

A. Psalm 8 in Matthew 21:16 O Lord, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth, Who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens! 2 From the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have established strength Because of Your adversaries, To make the enemy and the revengeful cease (Psalm 8:1-2). 15 But when the chief priests and the experts in the law saw the wonderful things he did and heard the children crying out in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they became indignant 16 and said to him, “Do you hear what they are saying?” Jesus said to them, “Yes. Have you never read, ‘Out of the mouths of children and nursing infants you have prepared praise for yourself’?” (Matthew 21:15-16)

B. Psalm 8 in Ephesians 1:22 4 What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him? 5 Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with glory and majesty! 6 You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet (Psalm 8:4-6). 20 This power he exercised in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms 21 far above every rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And God put all things under Christ’s feet, and he gave him to the church as head over all things. 23 Now the church is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all (Ephesians 1:20-23; see also 1 Corinthians 15:25-28).

C.Psalm 8 and Genesis 1:26 When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained; 4 What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him? 5 Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with glory and majesty! 6 You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, 7 All sheep and oxen, And also the beasts of the field, 8 The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, Whatever passes through the paths of the seas. 9 O Lord, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth! (Psalm 8:3-9, NASB95) 26 Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, after our likeness, so they may rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move on the earth” (Genesis 1:26)

III.The author’s use of Psalm 8:4-6 in Hebrews 2:5-9 5 For he did not put the world to come, about which we are speaking, under the control of angels. 6 Instead someone testified somewhere: “What is man that you think of him or the son of man that you care for him? 7 You made him lower than the angels for a little while. You crowned him with glory and honor. 8 You put all things under his feet.” For when he put all things under his control, he left nothing outside of his control. At present we do not yet see all things under his control, 9 but we see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by God’s grace he would experience death on behalf of everyone.

13 But to which of the angels has he ever said, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”? 14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to serve those who will inherit salvation? (Hebrews 1:13-14) 5 For he did not put the world to come, about which we are speaking, under the control of angels. 6 Instead someone testified somewhere: “What is man that you think of him or the son of man that you care for him? 7 You made him lower than the angels for a little while. You crowned him with glory and honor. 8 You put all things under his feet.” For when he put all things under his control, he left nothing outside of his control. At present we do not yet see all things under his control, 9 but we see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by God’s grace he would experience death on behalf of everyone (2:5-9).

13 But to which of the angels has he ever said, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”? 14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to serve those who will inherit salvation? (Hebrews 1:13-14) 5 For he did not put the world to come, about which we are speaking, under the control of angels. 6 Instead someone testified somewhere: “What is man that you think of him or the son of man that you care for [visit, KJV] him? 7 You made him lower than the angels for a little while. You crowned him with glory and honor. 8 You put all things under his feet.” For when he put all things under his control, he left nothing outside of his control. At present we do not yet see all things under his control, 9 but we see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by God’s grace he would experience death on behalf of everyone (Hebrews 2:5-9).

IV.Conclusion and Application A.The gospel B.Observation C.Now and “not yet” 1.For those who suffer or are persecuted 2.For those who experience ease 3.We “see” Jesus (by faith) D.The relationship between our lives now and our lives “then” 1.1 Corinthians 6:1-6 (vs.3) 2.Luke 18: Matthew 19:28 (12 thrones) 4.Romans 5:17 (the reign begins now)

E.Ruling God’s creation F.Contemporary “self-esteem” and the majesty of man in the Scripture Copyright © 2008 by Robert L. Deffinbaugh. This is the edited PowerPoint presentation of Lesson 5 in the series, Near to the Heart of God, A Study of the Book of Hebrews prepared by Robert L. Deffinbaugh for August 10, Anyone is at liberty to use this lesson for educational purposes only, with or without credit.