Hebrews 1:1–4 ‘The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being…’ (v3a)
Preachers are commonly telling congregations that there is a problem with Christians not reading their Bibles.
No doubt they have a point but, by the same token, there is also a problem for Christians who do!
Parts of the Bible are a tad dull – let’s be honest, genealogies are not likely to be put to music anytime soon, and have you tried the details of the Tabernacle in Exodus or the sacrificial laws in Leviticus?
But parts of the Bible are also alarming. God seems to come across as downright unpleasant in parts of the Old Testament and a few sections of the New, causing one dear woman in our small group to ask, ‘When did God become a Christian?!’
We cannot solve all the issues here, and thankfully some have looked into them very helpfully. But these verses in Hebrews help.
You want to know what God is like – look at Jesus. We are told that the Son is
the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being.
The phrase ‘exact representation’ is from the Greek word for the stamp used to form a coin – such as those used as King Charles III’s head replaces Queen Elizabeth II’s on legal tender in the UK.
It is not a fool proof way of interpreting the Scriptures, but if we are tempted to attribute unpleasantness to God at any point, it’s worth asking the question, ‘What would Jesus do?’ as a way of interrogating the text.
The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are at one in all things and so, if you can’t imagine Jesus doing it, and you have a biblical Jesus (!), then you probably have a wrong view of God.
A Prayer To Make:
Thank You, Lord, for sending Jesus so we would know what You are like. Amen.
An Action To Take:
Read the Old Testament with Jesus in mind. Jesus Himself accepted it all and will give us understanding of what God is like.
Scripture To Consider:
Lev. 10:1–20; Ps. 103:8–10; Col. 1:15–20; John 1:1–9
