Discovering the Overall Theme of the Book of Hebrews, Part 1
The First Major Subject in the Book of Hebrews
Introduction
I am finally ready to comment on the overall thematic structure of the book of Hebrews and its primary message. The journey has been long and hard, with many false starts, enigmatic passages, forks in the road, roadblocks and dead ends—hour upon hour of reading, thinking, meditating, questioning, reconsidering, pondering, adjusting, etc. Nonetheless, it has been a great adventure that has brought me to this point. One of the most interesting features of the book of Hebrews is that it contains one thematic structure after another. From beginning to end, it is a string of chiasms and parallelisms intricately woven together to create one large masterpiece. In my previous articles, I only mentioned a few of them and we spent some time analyzing them. If I were to fully analyze each and every chiastic structure and parallelism, I would have to write many more smaller articles. Therefore, as I move into discovering the overall structure of the book of Hebrews, I won’t spend much time comparing and contrasting each of the elements in the two halves of a chiastic or parallel structure. Rather, I will present the chiastic structures and parallelisms as evidence to support my assertions and conclusions. I will present some of them in full so that you can understand how they help in the development of themes in the book of Hebrews. Of course, you are certainly welcome to examine them thoroughly on your own.
The fact that Hebrews contains so many thematic structures linked together is the first hint that there is probably an overall thematic structure hidden within the text! This is the nature of prophecy. As we try to understand Scripture, we must always beware of the tendency of its authors to develop their thoughts in chiastic and parallel structures instead of assuming that they thought in a linear fashion as we think today. While there is much to be gained by studying a book of the Bible by analyzing it in its chronological order, one must always be cognizant of the author’s ability to revisit themes in either a chiastic or parallel format.
Since this paper will make extensive use of chiastic structures and parallelisms, here is a quick review of these two important patterns often found in the Biblical text. Chiastic structures and parallelisms are simply thematic presentations of a story, where themes (similar words, phrases, situations, circumstances, events, topics, etc.) in the first half of the story are repeated in the second half. In a parallelism, the themes in the first half of the story are repeated in the second half in the same order as follows:
In a chiastic structure, the themes in the first half of the story are repeated in the second half in reverse order as follows:
Determining an Overall Subject for Hebrews 1:1–2:18
Let’s begin by mapping out the themes our author presents to us. I already did this in the second article of this series entitled, A Thematic Study of the Book of Hebrews, Part 2. Below you will find a modified summary of themes originally presented in the article referenced above.
I. God Is Speaking to Us Today Through His Son (Hebrews 1:1-2a)
II. The Son Is Fully God (Hebrews 1:2b–14)
A. The Son manifests all of God’s attributes (Hebrews 1:2b–3)
B. The Son is divine, not angelic (Hebrews 1:4-14)
III. Give the Utmost Heed to the Son Because of Who He Is (Hebrews 2:1-4)
IV. Yeshua Is Wholly Man (Hebrews 2:5-18)
As you can see, I’ve identified four major themes contained within Hebrews 1:1–2:18. For his first theme, our author informs us that Adonai is speaking to His people in the last days through Yeshua (Hebrews 1:1–2a). For his second theme, he immediately begins to explain who Yeshua is (Hebrews 1:2b–14), and he does this in two phases.1 The first thing our author informs us of is the fact that Yeshua is divine. He is God. In this first phase our author has one goal—to demonstrate that Yeshua is God. This occurs in Hebrews 1:2b-3. Please note the chiastic arrangement of Yeshua’s divine attributes and accomplishments:
In the second phase, the author has one primary goal and secondary goal. His primary goal is stated in Hebrews 1:4, “having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.” He clearly intends to show that Yeshua inherited a more excellent name than the angels. As I noted in A Thematic Study of the Book of Hebrews, Part 2, the author’s concern is not about Yeshua’s literal name. In Hebrew thought, the concept of a name pertains to authority and reputation and is used to represent the person himself. Note what is meant by the name of the LORD in the following verse:
Our help is in the name of the LORD, Who made heaven and earth (Psalm 124:8).
The idea here is that our help is in Adonai Himself. Notice how the second phrase begins with the word, Who. In other words, it’s obvious that the Who in the second phrase of this verse refers to the person of the first phrase who is represented by the phrase, the name of the LORD, not just a name. Thus, our author’s primary goal is to demonstrate how Yeshua has inherited a greater name (reputation, authority) than angels, and he will do this by quoting various verses from the Tanakh that decisively indicate that Yeshua is 1) the eternal Son of God and 2) God Himself. By doing this the author is demonstrating that Yeshua has a greater reputation and authority (name) than the angels. His secondary goal is to demonstrate that Yeshua is not an angel. He does this in three phases as demonstrated below:
In Hebrews 1:5-6, the author quotes verses from the Tanakh that prove two things concomitantly—Yeshua is 1) the eternal Son of God and 2) not an angel.
In Hebrews 1:8-9, he simultaneously demonstrates two things from the Tanakh—that in fact, Yeshua is 1) God and 2) distinct from angels.
In Hebrews 1:10-12, our author proves two things with his quotations—that Yeshua is 1) eternal and 2) not an angel.
Thus, we have witnessed a threefold demonstration of two facts: 1) Yeshua is God and 2) Yeshua is not an angel. After announcing his goal in Hebrews 1:4, the author began with the following phrase: “For to which of the angels did He ever say” (Hebrews 1:5). Now, notice how he ended with a similar phrase: “But to which of the angels has He ever said” (Hebrews 1:13). This is called an inclusio, similar phrases that mark the beginning and ending of one unit of thought. Our author uses these inclusios throughout the book of Hebrews and they are excellent markers we can use to understand where he begins and ends a particular train of thought.
Lastly, another proof that our author is focused on proving Yeshua’s deity is the fact that Hebrews 1:7-14 is written as a chiastic structure as follows:
Remember to compare elements on opposite sides of the chiasm—A/A’, B/B’, etc., and that it is the central axis (the midpoint) of a chiasm that typically contains the most important information being conveyed by the author. This chiasm has a double central axis, elements C and C’. When we examine elements C and C’, we see that they both emphasize Yeshua’s divine nature. Element C provides evidence that Yeshua was the creator of the heavens and earth, whereas element C’ confirms Yeshua’s eternality—both characteristics of the God of the Bible.
Our author’s third theme is an exhortation (Hebrews 2:1-4), written as a parallelism:
There are two aspects of beauty in Hebrews 2:1-4. First, notice the attractiveness of how it is written as a parallel structure. Secondly, notice how beautifully the author’s third subject fits within the argument he has developed. First, he informs us that Adonai is speaking to us in these last days through His Son (Hebrews 1:1-2a). Then he makes sure we understand how great Yeshua is (Hebrews 1:2b-14). Now, in Hebrews 2:1-4, he returns to the idea that Yeshua is speaking to us and basically says that because of Yeshua’s great name (authority and reputation), we had better give heed to the words He has to say. How’s that for a wonderful and logical progression?
But before we move on, let’s take notice of a theme that has repeated itself. Compare Hebrews 1:1-2a with Hebrews 2:1-4. What do you notice? Both passages relate how God’s son, Yeshua, is speaking to us. In other words, what we have here is a repetition of themes. Basically, this can mean one of three things:
Perhaps these two passages form an inclusio. In other words, Hebrews 1:1-2a and Hebrews 2:1-4 may be the beginning and ending of one unique train of thought.
Another possibility is that Hebrews 1:1-2a and Hebrews 2:1-4 may be the bounds of a chiastic structure.
Lastly, Hebrews 1:1-2a and Hebrews 2:1-4 may define the beginning points of a parallelism.
With that in mind, let’s continue tracing our author’s thought processes. After giving us a masterclass (using quotations from the Tanakh) on the truth of Yeshua’s divinity, our author has the insight and boldness to unequivocally prove to us that Yeshua is equally human (Hebrews 2:5-13)! He quotes selected passages from the Psalms to specifically point out that Yeshua partook of our humanity. At this point, we have a critical question to answer. Has the author transitioned to a new subject? Or is Hebrews 2:5-13 still connected to Hebrews 1? I think Hebrews 2:5-13 is still part of his main argument which he began in Hebrews 1. Think of it. In chapter 1 our author proved 1) that Yeshua was divine and 2) that Yeshua was not an angel. Now, in Hebrews 2, he has clearly proven to us that Yeshua is human. In other words, our author seems to have one overarching goal—to answer the question, “Who is Yeshua!” And the answer is quite emphatic. He’s not an angel. He’s fully God. He’s fully human. He is the God-man, Yeshua.
Hebrews 2:14-18 stands as a transitional passage, summarizing the reason why the divine Son of God (the aspect of His nature developed in Hebrews 1) took on flesh (the aspect of His nature developed in Hebrews 2). It not only summarizes Hebrews 1:1–2:13, but it also provides the basis for our author’s continued discussion in the remainder of the book of Hebrews. But you’ll need to wait for me to prove this last statement.
Another proof that Hebrews 1–2 comprises one primary subject is the fact that it is written as a parallelism.Its parallel structure demonstrates that Hebrews 1–2 consists of one primary subject, Yeshua’s identity.
At this point, we need to ask ourselves again, “Is this the end of our author’s first subject matter, or does it continue into Hebrews 3? Well, a quick perusal of Hebrews 3 confirms that our author definitely changed his focus. Beginning in Hebrews 3, he is no longer focused on the nature of Yeshua. So, at this point, I’d like to suggest that Hebrews 1:1–2:18 is the first major subject in the book of Hebrews.
Next, we need to suggest an overall theme for this first subject of the book of Hebrews, which I will generically label as Section A. In order to determine the subject of this section, we need to determine what the author has spent most of his effort writing about. As I perused Hebrews 1:1–2:18, it became quite obvious that the author spent most of his effort answering the question, “Who is Yeshua?” But it would be a mistake to assume that this is the primary subject of Section A. Why? Because we also need to consider why he has spent so much effort detailing who Yeshua is! If we fail to consider why he invested so much effort detailing who Yeshua is, then we will erroneously assume that that was his primary subject—understanding who is Yeshua—simply because that subject represents the bulk of the content of Hebrews 1:1–2:18. I believe the primary subject of this first section of the book of Hebrews revolves around the fact that Adonai is speaking to us through His son, Yeshua: “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds” (Hebrews 1:1-2). I have two good reasons for suggesting that the primary subject of this first section centers around the fact that Adonai is speaking to us through his Son. First, the book begins by stating that although Adonai spoke in times past through the prophets, He is now speaking to his people through Yeshua. But who is this Yeshua? Is He that important? Is He better than the angels that accompanied the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai (Deuteronomy 33:1-4)? Is He better than the other prophets of the Tanakh? Lastly, is He better than Moses? Our author recognized that he had to impress upon his readers the gravity of Adonai’s message through Yeshua. This is the reason he spent so much literary real estate ensuring that we know who Yeshua is! In other words, understanding Yeshua’s identity is not the primary subject. The primary subject is that Adonai is speaking to us through His son Yeshua and He means business, so much so that we need to drop everything and heed His words. In order to guarantee that we pay attention to Yeshua’s words, our author endeavored to ensure that we understand who Yeshua is—God in the flesh. His thought being this. Once Adonai’s people know the full grandeur, splendor and awesomeness of Yeshua, then they will surely listen to His message. And do you know where this takes us? It takes us back to Deuteronomy 18:15-19 as I covered in A Thematic Study of the Book of Hebrews, Part 2!
“The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear, 16 according to all you desired of the LORD your God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, nor let me see this great fire anymore, lest I die.’ 17 “And the LORD said to me: ‘What they have spoken is good. 18 I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. 19 And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of him.
As you can clearly see, Hebrews 1:1-2a is simply Deuteronomy 18:15-19 specifically applied to Yeshua. He is the Prophet like Moses whose words must be taken seriously.
The second reason I’m suggesting that the primary subject of this first section centers around the fact that Adonai is speaking to us through his son is because of Hebrews 2:14-18, which beautifully aligns with Deuteronomy 18:15-19 when we consider that Yeshua is that Prophet! Therefore, I propose the following as the subject of Section A of the book of Hebrews:
Section A—Giving Earnest Heed to Yeshua Because He Is the Son of God
Lastly, I’d like to point out how our author developed Yeshua’s greatness. He developed it along two lines:
Upon the basis of Yeshua’s divine nature. As it pertains to His divine nature, our author demonstrated that Yeshua 1) was the express image of Adonai, 2) created the universe, and 3) was eternal. This was mainly captured in Hebrews 1.
Upon the basis of His humanity. This is established for us in Hebrews 2, where our author shows us how Yeshua took on flesh and was perfected as a human through His sufferings!
In summary, the author of Hebrews strongly encouraged his readers to give heed to Yeshua’s words by ensuring that they understood how and why His words were even more important than those spoken in the past by the prophets of Adonai.His words were so important because 1) Yeshua is the divine Son of God—God in the flesh, and 2) Yeshua is the perfect human being.His status as the perfect God-man qualifies Him to deliver a message to people that is just as important as the original giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai.
Connecting Hebrews Chapters 1–2 to the Remainder of the Book
Having identified the first major subject of the book of Hebrews, which is contained in Hebrews 1:1 - 2:18, our task now shifts to determine how it fits within the scope of the entire book. As you might imagine, we should definitely be open to some type of parallelism or chiastic structure. It’s not that we want to try to force the book into this type of mold. But, as you’ve learned by studying with Restoration of Torah Ministries, almost all roads lead to chiasms and parallelisms.
Instead of immediately trying to look for chiastic/parallel patterns, let’s do a simple experiment. Let’s identify some key words in Hebrews 1–2, and then trace how often they are repeated within the book of Hebrews. Often, two separate portions of Scripture sharing a common theme will contain the same key words. As I read and thought about Hebrews 1:1–2:18, I noticed the following key words that set this passage apart.
Key Words Found in Hebrews 1:1–2:18
Son(s) (6x)
Angels (11x)
Speak/Spoken (5x)
The following chart tabulates each time the words son/sons, angel/angels, and speak/spoke(n) is used in the book of Hebrews.
Beginning with the words son/sons (orange legend), notice how these two words are used most extensively in Hebrews 1–2 (six usages) and Hebrews 12 (six usages). Next, notice how the words angel/angels (green legend) are used exclusively in Hebrews 1–2 (eleven usages) and Hebrews 12–13 (two usages). Lastly, note how the words speak/spoke/spoken (blue legend) are used most often in Hebrews 1–2 (five usages) and Hebrews 12–13 (seven usages). We can see a clear pattern just based on key word usage! These three sets of words are used most often in Hebrews 1–2 and 12–13. In other words, these words are used most often at the very beginning of the book of Hebrews and at the very end. If these key words are indicators of similar topics/themes, then what does our discovery suggest? It suggests that perhaps the book of Hebrews is arranged chiastically, where the themes in the first half repeat themselves in the second half in reverse order. Let’s investigate!
We now know that Hebrews 1–2 and 12–13 are possibly related chiastically. In other words, the book of Hebrews may be arranged thematically according to themes as indicated below:
However, please be mindful . . . we don’t know this for sure yet! Furthermore, even if it is arranged chiastically, we don’t know at this point how many matching themes are on each side. So the scheme above is just a visual to get you thinking. At this point, all I’m saying is that Hebrews 1–2 and 12–13 may be elements A and A’ of a chiastic structure. We can’t say much about the interior structure until we actually figure it out. But let’s concentrate on elements A/A’. What can we say about the nature of the connections between elements A/A’? Typically, any two elements in a large structure as shown above will be related in one of three ways:
The passages in A/A’ may be related chiastically where all the themes in element A are repeated in A’ in reverse order. These are quite spectacular! Think about it. Verses in Hebrews 1–2 that are chiastically related to verses all the way in Hebrews 12–13, where each theme in A has a corresponding theme in reverse order in A’! It’s amazing when this happens.
Equally impressive are situations where A/A’ may be related in a parallel manner, where the themes in A are repeated in A’ in the same order. In my studies, elements such as A/A’ are most often related as a parallelism.
Sometimes the relationship between A/A’ is neither a chiasm nor a parallelism. Instead, elements A/A’ will have numerous random thematic connections to each other.
Well, it turns out that Hebrews 1–2 and 12–13 are thematically connected by numerous random thematic connections to each other as mentioned in number 3 above.It’s quite impressive and clearly demonstrates that Hebrews 1–2 and 12–13 are thematically related.The following table is a summary of many of the themes in Hebrews 1–2 that reappear at the end of the book in chapters 12–13!
This connection we’ve made between Hebrews 1:1–2:18 and Hebrews 12:1–13:25 is a very important one. Its significance is fourfold.
First of all, it is aesthetically beautiful. A literary work of art. Every chiasm has its own beauty and is the handiwork of Adonai and the spirit of prophecy.
It demonstrates how the Bible is written—both the “Old Testament” and the “New Testament.” Scripture is written in thematic patterns. The more we realize this and take advantage of understanding how passages are thematically linked, then the better we will be in our interpretations.
By connecting Hebrews 1:1–2:18 and Hebrews 12:1–13:25, we establish thematic context. We are taught that we can never take a Scripture out of its immediate context, and I agree with that wholeheartedly. However, applying the traditional understanding of context to Hebrews 1:1–2:18 would limit us to the text immediately before and after it. However, we have just learned that Hebrews 12:1–13:25 is intimately thematically connected to Hebrews 1:1–2:18. In other words, the thematic context for Hebrews 1:1–2:18 has been extended to include Hebrews 12:1–13:25 and vice versa! Therefore, the context for interpreting Hebrews 1:1–2:18 includes Hebrews 12:1–13:25 and vice versa. Thus, thematic context gives us more information to use as we go about trying to interpret a passage.
The idea of having thematic context with thematically connected passages is that one passage will help you interpret the other. Typically, this help is in one of two forms. First, one passage may contain information to help you better interpret the other. Second, sometimes an entirely new idea or understanding is made possible by comparing and/or contrasting the two thematically connected passages, a new idea that may not have been realizable apart from connecting the two passages thematically.
Understanding the Thematic Flow of Hebrews 12-13
We’ve uncovered the primary subject for Hebrews 1–2 and we’ve seen that Hebrews 1–2 is intimately thematically connected to Hebrews 12–13. Therefore, we need to determine the primary subject of Hebrews 12–13. My analysis of Hebrews 12 begins with v. 3, not vv. 1-2.2 Hebrews 12:3-29 consists of two thematic sections, each written chiastically. The first chiastic structure is Hebrews 12:3-13.
The First Theme in Hebrews Chapters 12–13
I’d like to make two primary observations at this point. First, notice the central axis, which in this instance, is functioning to highlight the most important part of the passage. The central axis drives home the point that chastening is a must for all of Adonai’s sons! The main theme of this entire passage pertains to how our sonship requires chastening (suffering), and the fact that although it is unpleasant, it is necessary for our development.
The Second Theme in Hebrews Chapter 12–13
The second section of Hebrews 12–13 is Hebrews 12:14-29, which is also arranged chiastically as shown below:
Again, the central axis is functioning to highlight the most important part of the passage, the fact that our current covenantal dispensation, where we are commanded to heed the words of Yeshua, is so much better than the time when Israel was commanded to heed the voice of Adonai from Mount Sinai. But have you noticed what the bulk of the verses are talking about? Most of the verses in Hebrews 12:14-29 consist of a warning to heed Yeshua’s voice—Him who speaks. Therefore, the main theme of this entire passage concerns providing reasons why it is advantageous to heed Yeshua’s voice.
The Third Theme in Hebrews Chapter 12–13
The third section of Hebrews 12–13 is Hebrews 13:1-25, which is also arranged chiastically as shown below:
Once again, we should assume that the central axis (a double central axis in this instance) is functioning to highlight the most important part of the passage, the fact that we are called to suffer along with Yeshua. Therefore, the main theme of this entire passage pertains to the fact that we must suffer even as Yeshua suffered.
Hebrews 12–13 consists of three themes as follows:
Hebrews 12:3-13—Our Sonship Requires Chastening (Suffering)
Hebrews 12:14-29—We Must Heed Yeshua’s Voice
Hebrews 13:1-25—We Must Suffer As Yeshua Suffered
As you can plainly see, the theme of suffering forms an “inclusio” around the topic of giving heed to Yeshua’s voice, similar to how individual thematic connections on either side of a chiasm highlight the central axis! Thus, Hebrews 12–13 beautifully emphasizes the need for us to give heed to Yeshua’s words by making that topic its center of focus (Hebrews 12:14-29), while it is flanked before (Hebrews 12:3-13) and after (Hebrews 13:1-25) by two passages meant to inform us that we are called to suffer, even as Yeshua suffered.
Understanding the Relationship Between Hebrews 1:1–2:18 and Hebrews 12:3–13:25—The First Subject Addressed by the Book of Hebrews
Having understood the primary themes in Hebrews 12–13 and its thematic arrangement, now comes the fun part—discovering how Hebrews 12–13 thematically connects to Hebrews 1–2!
As you may have noticed from the title of this section, the first subject in the book of Hebrews being addressed by our author is not neatly confined to the beginning of the book! Stop for a moment, think about what I just said and let it sink in. If I were writing a book I’d probably put all the information for my first subject at the beginning. But remember, the writers of Scripture did not think the way we do. They thought thematically, and the primary patterns they used consisted of chiasms and parallelisms. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that the author’s first subject for the book of Hebrews is divided chiastically, where the first half of his subject is at the beginning of the book of Hebrews and the second half of his first subject is at the end. Let’s give even more confirmation for this analysis.
Earlier I noted how Hebrews 1:1–2:14—where Hebrews 1:1-2a and Hebrews 2:1-4 formed an inclusio around Hebrews 1:2b–14—seemed to have one particular message. Hebrews 1:1-2a and Hebrews 2:1-4 both were admonitions to give heed to Yeshua’s words. Secondly, we noted how Hebrews 2:5-18 focused on the fact that Yeshua became human for the sole purpose of suffering on our behalf. Well, it’s very easy to see how these topics in Hebrews 1:1–2:18 match perfectly with what we read in Hebrews 12:3–13:25! Please note the following:
As you can plainly see, these two sections of Scripture have the same overall message. There’s simply a change in focus. In Hebrews 1:1–2:18, the main focus is on a warning to heed Yeshua’s words because of His greatness as the Son of God.In Hebrews 12:3–13:25, the main focus is on a warning to heed Yeshua’s words because He, as the Son of God, has set the pattern for our perfection and we dare not try to circumvent that.
Other Significant Connections Between Hebrews 1:1–2:18 and Hebrews 12:3–13:25
Usage of the Term Son
For my last point, I’d like to emphasize how some of the key words connect these two portions of Scripture. I’d like to draw your attention to some connections between Hebrews 1:5, 8-13 and Hebrews 12:5.
5 For to which of the angels did He ever say: “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You”? And again: “I will be to Him a Father, And He shall be to Me a Son”? . . . 8 But to the Son He says: “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. 9 You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.” 10 And: “You, LORD, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands. 11 They will perish, but You remain; And they will all grow old like a garment; 12 Like a cloak You will fold them up, And they will be changed. But You are the same, And Your years will not fail.” 13 But to which of the angels has He ever said: “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool”? (Hebrews 1:5, 8-13)
And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; 6 For whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives” (Hebrews 12:5).
What connections do you see? First of all, both passages mention the word son. Another more subtle connection can be made by considering the phrase, “And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons,” Hebrews 12:5. Do you see how it is thematically connected to Hebrews 1:5, 8-13? In order to see the connection, consider this. Hebrews 12:5 demonstrates that there is a passage written in the Tanakh where Adonai speaks to us as His sons. Our author uses Proverbs 3:11 as his proof text. The connection? As you read through Hebrews 1:5 8–13, notice how our author quotes Scriptures where Adonai speaks to Yeshua as His Son! Notice that just as Proverbs 3:11 is a Scripture where Adonai speaks to us as sons, so likewise the following Scriptures are ones where Adonai is literally speaking to Yeshua as a son.
You are My Son, Today I have begotten You (Hebrews 1:5)
Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions (Hebrews 1:8).
You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You remain; And they will all grow old like a garment; Like a cloak You will fold them up, And they will be changed. But You are the same, And Your years will not fail (Hebrews 1:10-12).
Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool (Hebrews 1:13).
As you can see, as with Yeshua, so likewise with us. These are strong connections connecting these two passages, which is exactly what Adonai wants us to do. You may be thinking, “So what?” Well, let’s think more about this connection between Yeshua and us as Adonai’s sons. In Hebrews 1–2, when the word son is mentioned six times, it’s talking about Yeshua. However, in Hebrews 12, all six mentions of the word son pertain to us, Adonai’s children. Adonai is clearly showing us that there is a parallel between us and Yeshua. And that connection pertains to our suffering in the present world. The connection that makes this clear is Hebrews 2:10-11a, and 18 and Hebrews 12:7-11:
10 For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 11 For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one . . . 18 For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted (Hebrews 2:10-11a, and 18).
If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? 8 But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. 11 Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it (Hebrews 12:7-11).
The point in addressing us as sons and Yeshua as son is that we are all appointed to suffer. Yeshua suffered and so must we. And this is part of the exhortation for the Hebrews! That we must endure suffering even as Yeshua did. These connections in Hebrews 1:1–2:18 and Hebrews 12:1–13:25 are meant to drive home the point stated in Hebrews 2:10 (For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.) and Hebrews 5:7-9 (who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, 8 though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. 9 And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him), that Yeshua, the captain and author of our salvation was made perfect through sufferings, and He is able to help us do the same.
Usage of the Terms Speak/Spoke(n)
One of the most obvious connections exists between Hebrews 1:1-2a; 2:1-4 and Hebrews 12:25-29:
God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son . . . (Hebrews 1:1-2a)
Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. 2 For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, 3 how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, 4 God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will? (Hebrews 2:1-4).
See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, 26 whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.” 27 Now this, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. 29 For our God is a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:25-29).
I mention this connection because the verses from Hebrews 1:1-2a and 2:1-4 form the basis for what I determined was the overall subject for Hebrews 1:1–2:18. Notice that Hebrews 12:25-29 is essentially a restatement of what we read in Hebrews 1:1-2a and 2:1-4. How appropriate! Our author’s first overall subject for Hebrews 1:1–2:18 (Section A) is Giving Earnest Heed to Yeshua Because He Is the Son of God. Now, at the end of his sermon, we see the same subject repeat! At this point we can confidently say that Hebrews 12–13, which occurs at the end of the book of Hebrews and contains a plethora of thematic connections to Hebrews 1:1–2:18, is simply a repeat of our author’s overall subject that he introduced at the beginning of the book. Apparently, we are in a giant chiastic structure spanning the entire book of Hebrews, where themes in the first half are repeating in the second half in reverse order.
In conclusion, the book of Hebrews is shaping up to be a chiastic arrangement of topics where Hebrews 1:1-2:18 and Hebrews 12:1-13:25 comprise two parts of the first subject:
A) Giving Earnest Heed to Yeshua Because He Is the Son of God
A’) Giving Earnest Heed to Yeshua Because He Is the Pattern for Perfection of the Sons of God
Notice how the author states, “has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom . . .” (Hebrews 1:2). Thus, from Hebrews 1:2b–14 the author methodically proves that Yeshua is God, by telling us who He is.
You will learn later that Hebrews 12:1-2 belong with Hebrews 11. This is another unfortunate example of the fact that chapter divisions in the Bible are NOT inspired.
Wow! You always put so much work into your studies. I think it’s important to look for these themes and structures.