Hebrews 2:5-9 (Observe)

"It is not to the angels that He has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. But there is a place where someone has testified:

'What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor and put everything under his feet'

In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not subject to him. Yet at the present time we do not see everything subject to him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone."
Hebrews 2:5-9

Observations:
  1. God did not subject the "world to come" to angels.
  2. Definitely connected to the what was said early because of the phrase "about which we are speaking."
  3. The author is quoting the Old Testament again... specifically Psalms 8:4-6.
  4. Man was made a little lower than angels.
  5. A question is being asked about why God even cares for man.
  6. This Psalm seems to speak of God crowing man with glory and honor and putting everything under his feet.
  7. Everything under his feet means everything... there is nothing that is not subject to him.
  8. The author makes an observation... they do not see everything subject to "him".
  9. The author notes that what they do see is Jesus... Made a little lower than angels and Crowned with glory and honor.
  10. There were three phrases that described what God would do in the Psalm relative to the son of man... 1. Made him a little lower than the angels; 2. Crown him with glory and honor; 3. put everything under his feet.
  11. The author only points out two of the three in reference to Jesus.
  12. Jesus suffered death in order that He might taste death for everyone.
  13. First time that Jesus was referenced by name!
Interpretive Questions:

This passage brings up several interpretive questions that need to be answered. I will write down questions that come to my mind without the assumption that I already know the answer to them.
  1. What does the author mean by "It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come"?
  2. Does the phrase "world to come" speak of the future world?
  3. Why is the author using this Psalm right here?
  4. Is the author implying a reference to Jesus (the Son of man) when quoting this Psalm?
  5. Why does the author only point out two of the three things God would do relative to the Son of Man?
  6. Did the people have trouble looking at Jesus being "the Son of Man"?

Comments

Anonymous said…
Observations:

The heading of the passage is "Jesus Made Like His Brothers."

The Psalm says that God did the same thing for "man" and "the son of man" ('You made him a little lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor and put everything under his feet').

In my margin, it says that "made him a little lower than the angels" can be interpreted as "made him [lower than the angels] for a little while."

In the Psalm "made him a little lower than the angels" and "crowned him with glory and honor and put everything under his feet" are separated by a semicolon.

Interpretive Questions:

When the author talks about "him" in the rest of verse 8, who is he referring to?
July 18, 2011 at 10:16 PM
Anonymous said…
More Observations:

In verse 9, it says that Jesus "was made a little lower than the angels," referring to the past. Then it says "now crowned with glory and honor" referring to the present.
July 18, 2011 at 10:24 PM
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