God Spoke By The Prophets

What this episode covers

Hellen Keller lost her ability to see and hear at 19 months (scarlet fever?). She learned about 50 signs in order to communicate with her family. When she was six-years-old, the family hired a visually impaired instructor named Anne Sullivan. The first thing she taught her was how to spell words. She gave her a doll spelling “d-o-l-l” into the palm of Keller’s hand. Keller didn’t realize that a different word was used to identify each object. After a month of frustration, Keller had a breakthrough. Sullivan held Keller’s hand under running water while spelling “w-a-t-e-r” and it finally made sense. Keller immediately ran from object to object so she could learn the spelling. She began to understand her world in an entirely new way. When we comprehend the basic structure of God’s word with the eyes of faith we will see the value of every jot and tittle. None of it is expendable because all of it has been revealed to us by a sovereign God. The author of Hebrews is making a larger case for the superiority of Christ over the Old Testament prophets, but he makes it in such a way that it upholds the authority of all Scripture. There is continuity and discontinuity between the Old and New Testaments, but all of it reveals God’s will. The fog of sin and distress distorts our ability to clearly see what God is doing (Jn 5:39-40). Search the Scriptures with eyes of faith firmly fixed on Christ and you will have life. Read Heb 1:1-4. The author’s oratorical instincts are revealed by the fact that three out of four of his opening words begin with the letter π. In general revelation God reveals himself through creation. The heavens declare His glory (Ps 19:1). “His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made,” (Rom. 1:20). But his progressive special revelation is the subject in this passage. The times/occasions in which God spoke, and the means by which He spoke varied. “Long ago” – The content of the old covenant had been completed almost 500 years prior, under Malachi’s prophetic ministry. WCF 1.1 “Therefore it pleased the Lord, at sundry times, and in divers manners, to reveal himself, and to declare that his will unto his church; and afterwards…to commit the same wholly unto writing; which maketh the holy scripture to be most necessary; those former ways of God’s revealing his will unto his people being now ceased. In other words, a drastic transition took place when Christ came. What had been promised by the prophets was now fulfilled by God’s Son. The primary contrast throughout the letter is between the revelation of God’s law given through Moses and the revelation that was given through Jesus. The entrance of the new covenant brings the old covenant to a close. “Many times” (lit. many parts) – God gave content in pieces (Hos 12:10). Manifold portions of revelation. The varied chapters of special revelation under the OT were incomplete and anticipatory. “Many ways” – He spoke to Adam and Eve directly. He spoke to Abraham and the fathers by dreams and visions. He spoke to Moses through a burning bush as well as through storm and thunder at the top of Mount Sinai. He spoke in a still small voice to Elijah. Other prophets received God’s revelation through the Urim and Thummim. All of these forms of revelation took place “long ago”—under the old covenant. The author is making the point that the way God spoke in the past has been radically transformed with the arrival of his Son. And yet, what God said in the past continues to speak (Heb 3:5; 11:4; 12:24-25)! God formerly spoke to the fathers (not “our” as ESV) through the prophets. Could there be some Gentiles in the audience? Otherwise, why wouldn’t he say “our fathers”? Paul, writing to Gentiles in Corinth did use the phrase “our fathers” in reference to the wilderness generation (1 Cor 10:1). Additionally, Jesus condemned his audience for the

Distinct summary based on available episode metadata or transcript content.