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…(Hebrews 1:1-2a)
“I have spoken”.
Long before the Mandalorian made this particular phrase popular, I was using a variation of it as a father. When my kids are arguing or we need to make a decision, I’ll drop this bomb on them. Because my children are Generation Z and only speak in text messages and gifs I’m happy that the Mandalorian has given me this little gem.
There is something appealing about such a definitive statement like this, isn’t there? It’s wonderful to know that somebody is able to say, “I have spoken” and that ends the debate. But there’s also something a bit unsettling and grating about such a thing. “Who gives you the right to speak so definitively?” And it’s especially disconcerting when the authoritative declaration they make doesn’t go on in our favor.
It occurs to me that what Hebrews 1:1-2 proclaims is both comforting and unsettling.
It is comforting because it means that God speaks. We don’t have to play pretend. God has wired us to be meaning makers. We are constantly asking questions. There is something within us that wants all of our debates settled. We want a definitive answer. And God has given it through His Son. We can rightly know God because he has spoken through His Son.
But that’s also unsettling because it means we can’t hide behind pitiful excuses like saying “I didn’t know”. We are meaning makers but the fall has jaded us towards truth. We can take a sick and twisted comfort in obscurity and murky truthiness. I’ve always found these words by Soren Kierkegaard challenging:
It is not the obscure passages in scripture that bind you but the ones you understand. With these you are to comply at once. If you understood only one passage in all of scripture, well, then you must do that first of all. It will be this passage god asks you about. Do not first sit down and ponder the obscure passages. God’s word is given in order that you shall act according to it, not that you gain expertise in interpreting it.
The author of Hebrews is showing us that in the new covenant God’s revelation to us is not incomplete or fragmentary as it was in the Old Covenant. It’s still mediated but it’s mediator is the Son. It’s a much better communication because Jesus is the promised prophet, priest, and king.
But there is continuity here. God was the one speaking through the prophets in the OT and God is still the one speaking through the Son. This is phenomenal news. God has not left us in the dark.
That’s both comforting and unsettling.
“I have spoken”, says God. Will we heed his voice or pretend as if He hasn’t spoken?
