Paradise lost and found!

The writer of Hebrews moves from a warning in 2:1-4 to a declaration of blessing beyond compare in 2:5-9. He continues the use of Old Testament passages to demonstrate the relevance of the Old for the New. The citation in Hebrews 2:6-8 is from Psalm 8:4-6, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet. Note William L. Lane, The description corresponds to the divine intention expressed in Gen 1:26–28. Created in God’s image, humans were entrusted with the cultural mandate to subdue the earth and to put everything in subjection to themselves.

Psalm 8 expresses God’s intended purpose for mankind - to rule God’s created order. Due to the fall of mankind, there has been a lapse in mankind’s rule. Verses 6-8a picture man as he was supposed to be with a transition in verse 8b-9 to what he will be based on the work of the Son of Man, Jesus. Warren Wiersbe, . . . we have a serious problem here, for it is obvious that man today is not exercising dominion over creation. Certainly man cannot control the fish, fowl, or animals. In fact, man has a hard time controlling himself! And, consider the words of Raymond Brown, . . .this is not man as we now see him. From our observations we see him despising God’s favour, abusing his privileges, ignoring his dignity and, through sin, limited in his dominion. G. K. Chesterton clearly declares the predicament of mankind, whatever else is or is not true, this one thing is certain: we are not what we were meant to be.

Thankfully, the writer of Hebrews moves from paradise lost to paradise regained. Consider what new life in Christ means. It is not just the ability to live above circumstances, to gain heaven instead of hell but to have dominion over God’s creation, co-reigning with Jesus Christ. R. Kent Hughes, God’s ultimate intention is to have his Kingdom ruled by redeemed men and women. Those “insignificant” people in that harried house-church, a minuscule dot in the Roman Empire, were going to rule everything!

That may sound like it is too good to be true, for some. But, a Christian has already had a taste of eternity and it is delicious. Raymond Brown, The world to come is the totally new world-order which has already begun in Christ...we have already entered God’s stupendous future. The present provides redemption with restoration in the future. Warren Wiersbe, Jesus Christ became man that He might suffer and die for man’s sin and restore the dominion that was lost because of sin. Ray Stedman, . . .he achieved as a human being the position intended for us in the beginning: the being who was to be closest to God, higher than any angel, and in authority over all things!

What a Savior! In the midst of a pandemic and changes in weather patterns, we should break out in praise for our triune God. What He made us to be, we shall become. Savor the words of William Barclay, The writer to the Hebrews sees in Christ the one who by his sufferings and his glory can make us what we were meant to be and what, without him, we could never be. May we join Charles Spurgeon in giving all glory to God, Oh, how glorious it is to realize our position in Christ, and to see how He has lifted us up, not merely to the place from which the first Adam fell, but He has made us stand so securely there that we shall not again descend among the ruins of the Fall! Glory be to His holy name!

Be refreshed as you join me in contemplating what God has in store for those who trust Him through Christ alone. The lesson on Hebrews 2:5-9 may be found under the Books of the Bible tab. We are more than conquerors through Him who loves us.