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what he was about to say concerning the law, the priesthood, the sacrifices, and the
covenants, would come as a great shock to his readers. Here he prepares them by looking
further than the confines of Israel. Even creation itself is to "wax old", yet the believer
need have no fear while it is true concerning the Son of God that "He remaineth". This is
the "end" of the conversation of those whose faith they were enjoined to follow:
"Jesus Christ the SAME yesterday, and to day, and for ever" (Heb. 13: 8).
Angels are set aside, Moses is superseded, Joshua only gave a typical rest, Aaron
needed an atonement for his own sins, priests died and had to have successors, the
covenant made at Sinai had been broken, and a New Covenant had been brought in:
"In that He saith, A new covenant, He hath made the first old. Now that which
decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away" (Heb. 8: 13).
The words "wax old", "made . . . . . old" and "decayeth" are all translations of the
same Greek word palaioo. To this relationship between the law of Moses, the old
Covenant and the New, Paul devotes chapter 3: of II Corinthians. There, the old
Covenant "had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. For if that
which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious"
(II Cor. 3: 10, 11). Diameno, the word translated "remainest" in Heb. 1: 11, means "to
remain right through" as in II Pet. 3: 4 "all things continue as they were". The
believing Hebrew, with the unchanging Christ before him, could read Psa. 46: afresh
with growing appreciation. Psa. 45: 6 is already quoted in Heb. 1:, Psa. 46: might
well continue:
"God is our refuge and strength . . . . . therefore will not we fear, though the earth be
removed and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea."
"We", they can say, "receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace,
whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear" (Heb. 12: 28).
After this reference to creation and its dissolution, the apostle returns to his comparison
between the angels and the Son of God.
"But to which of the angels said He at any time, Sit on My right hand, until I make
Thine enemies Thy footstool?" (Heb. 1: 13).
Christ made the worlds and upholds all things by the word of His power, yet He was
crucified in weakness. He Who was the Express Image of the substance of God, was
made a little lower than the angels. He Who thus came so low on our account was raised
from the dead, declared to be the Son of God with power, and so made much higher than
the angels. He is the Son, and angels are called upon to worship Him. He is addressed as
God and as Lord; all things may pass away, whether the physical world, or the old
covenant, but while it is written "Thou remainest" we may boldly say:
"The Lord is my Helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me" (Heb. 13: 6).