For to which of the angels did God ever say, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father?" Or again, "I will be his Father, and he will be my Son?" – Hebrews 1:5

Today's Scripture Reading (June 21, 2024): Hebrews 1

Several years ago, I knew a lady who had a bit of an "angel fetish." That might be strong, but I was warned never to diss an angel early on in my time at the church. She had images of angels, from figurines to paintings to books on the subject, all around her decorating her home. I am not sure how far her fetish went, but she was definitely a fan of the winged creatures. She believed that angels were all around us and protected us daily. Which is okay, to a point.

The problem that bothers me is that we are not saved by angels, not even the ones who protect us. That is a Jesus thing. And angels can never take the place of Jesus. I believe in angels, but I also firmly believe that the place where my prayers belong is with Jesus. I don't know that this lady prayed to the Archangel Gabriel, but she would have been wrong if she did.

I have the same problem with Mary. I had a great discussion with someone who regularly prayed to Mary. Now, don't misunderstand me; I think Mary was a wonderful person, but it is her son who died for me, and it is her son to whom we are to pray. As part of our discussion, this person said, "I am a mother, and I know the kind of influence that a mother can have on her son. So, I pray to Mary, hoping that she will put in a good word [influence] to her son." I understand the concept, but I am not sure it works that way. It is Jesus who acts as the mediator between us and the Father. It is through Jesus that we have access to God. Praying to Mary, hoping she will influence Jesus, who mediates between us and the Father, seems to be making this process much harder.

And so, the author of Hebrews reminds his readers that God never addressed an angel, saying, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father?" The quote is from Psalm 2. The Psalmist writes,

            I will proclaim the Lord's decree:

He said to me, "You are my son;
    today I have become your Father.
Ask me,
    and I will make the nations your inheritance,
    the ends of the earth your possession.
You will break them with a rod of iron;
    you will dash them to pieces like pottery" (Psalm 2:7-9).

The author of Hebrews continues, "I will be his Father, and he will be my Son?" This time, the quote is from a promise God gave to David.

"'The Lord declares to you that the Lord himself will establish a house for you: When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his Father, and he will be my son (2 Samuel 7:11-14).

It is a promise that goes beyond David and Solomon to the Messiah that the author of Hebrews wants to talk about to his [or her] readers. God the Father never spoke of an angel as a son; that is a privilege reserved for Jesus and even for us, God's adopted sons and daughters living out our faith in this world that God so loves.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Hebrews 2