Hebrews i.1-2, Main point of comparison, explaining the superiority of Christ over Moses

IV. The persons by whom the revelation was made

A. “in the prophets”
B. “by His Son”

This is the main hinge, on which all the arguments made by the apostle in the whole epistle turn! All the conclusions made after by the apostle come from this point. Owen says the following: Now, because no one argument of the apostle can be understood unless this be rightly stated, we must of necessity insist somewhat largely upon it. So he gives out the following set of observations to explain more fully what is meant that God has spoken to us “by His Son.”

1. It is taken for granted that the means of revelation in the past was the personal appearance of the Son of God, for example, in Ezekiel. After all, it is the Son of God who from the foundation of the world undertook the care and salvation of the elect, and so it was he who instructed and edified it, even in the Old testament.

2. However, there is a difference between the Son of God revealing the will of God in his divine person to the prophets, and the Son of God doing so immediately to the whole church incarnate. This is the difference which Paul is marking out.

3. The reason this is important is that the great reason why the Jews refused the gospel was the supposed “unparalleled excellency” of the revelation made to Moses. It is certainly true that Moses had just privileges, as follows:

a. He was the lawgiver by whom God gave the law and revealed the worship
b. He dealt with God in a more familiar and clear manner then any of the other prophets
c. His revelation ordered the whole house of God, where the other prophets just built certain things on this foundation

4. But Christ was far superior to Moses for the following reasons
a. Jesus Christ was from the womb filled with the perfection of gracious light and knowledge of God and his will.
b. His commission, mission, and equipping were all from the Father, received at his command.
c. Jesus Christ, in his divine nature, had in himself the fullness of the will and mind of God, not some part of it communicated unto him.

5. In summary, the pre-eminence of Christ in his prophecy was in two parts
a. Such as arose from the infinite excellency of his person, as he was divine. Thus the prophecy was also pre-eminent

b. Such as arose from the nature and manner of the revelation

i. He did not receive the Spirit of prophecy by measure, but in fullness. As Owen says, Christ dwelt in the midst of those treasures, seeing to the bottom of them. All other prophets, even Moses himself, received their revelations by transient irradiations of their minds, and had no treasure of truth dwelling in them.

ii. The prophets, once receiving their revelations, could not alter even a syllable of them lest they lose their infallibility and authority. But Christ spoke at all times with the same authority and infallibility.

iii. Also, the revelations themselves, under the prophets were obscure and mysterious, shadows of the things to come, where as in Christ they are clear and glorious.
To summarize, the revelation of the gospel is to be obeyed because of its revelation in the final days of the Judaical church, as predicted by Scripture. It is the full counsel of God, revealed by him who was superior in every way to Moses.