Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son.
I really enjoy how Hebrews starts out, the author (for the sake of argument I will refer to the author of Hebrews as Paul despite all the debate on that question) immediately captures his audience's attention with the assertion, "Long ago...God spoke to OUR fathers by the prophets." We know that Paul is writing to a Jewish audience to encourage them in times of persecution. And we know that the Jewish culture places a high emphasis on their ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (and many more). Paul immediately gets their attention with this assertion.
Paul reminds the Jews of their history and how God is deeply a part of their nation's past. God spoke to Abraham through many different ways. Jacob saw a latter in a dream. God spoke to Moses face to face. The later prophets had night visions, dreams, were told to speak on God's behalf, were told to perform miracles or symbolic actions. God spoke to and through people in so many different ways and throughout Israel's history. (God is so creative and unique to each prophet he speaks to). The Jewish people respected these righteous men they called prophets and kept their sacred writings as words from God himself.
But Moses himself said it the best in Deuteronomy 18,
The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers...and he shall speak to them all that I (God) command him. And I (God) will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them (Israel) all that I command him.
However, God today speaks through his Son. Jesus teaches us about the salvation he provides and how to live before God. He is THE prophet to come, the one we turn to, and the one at whose feet we sit and listen.
There are a lot of different philosophies of life out there. And many different people will tell us who God is or how to live our lives. But the foundation we all need and the man we all need as our first and foremost teacher is Jesus. God spoke through him and the Son knows the Father.
May we all sit at Jesus' feet, read his words in the Bible and live as he commands us to live. It is all about Jesus. What a good way to start a letter.
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here, here. or is it: hear, hear? regardless. good things to focus on, i think. i find myself too often wishing for more clear of a sign or path or whatever... i would probably burn up and die if god were to let me see him. its for the best i follow the words given since jesus was thinking of us afterall.
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