5 For it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking. 6 It has been testified somewhere,
“What is man, that you are mindful of him,
or the son of man, that you care for him?
7 You made him for a little while lower than the angels;
you have crowned him with glory and honor,
8 putting everything in subjection under his feet.”
Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. 9 But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
To understand the above passage we have to go back to the author of Hebrew’s statement in the first chapter. In the book of Hebrews God is writing to the church to not be fearful of the persecution they are experiencing. He does not want them to fall into a state of unbelief. So throughout the book God is telling us that Jesus is more superior than anything or anyone or any system. He had just said:
Hebrews 1:13 (ESV)
And to which of the angels has he ever said,
“Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”?
God is telling believers that Jesus is more superior than angels. There was, at that time, a powerful belief in angels and even a worship of angels. In this verse God tells these persecuted believers that they believe in Jesus, who, unlike the angels, has had all things put under His feet. (Even those persecuting them.) Yet, these persecuted faithful were still in persecution. How is this so? After a lengthy interlude in the writer’s approach, he returns to this thought that all things are under Jesus’ feet with the above teaching. He first quotes an Old Testament section to prove all things are subject to Jesus. But then the writer makes a startling statement:
Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him.
He is basically saying that everything is under Jesus’ control, but, then again, they are not. Heavenly speaking, they are! There is nothing not under the control of Jesus. But right now (and in the case of His death) all things don’t appear to be that way. Creation was not under His feet when He suffered on the cross. But He had to suffer on the cross for our sins. He over came death, by death, and that put all things, even death, under His feet. He tasted death so that we do not have to. He made even death subject to Him. He will go on in this chapter to say it this way:
Hebrews 2:14-15 (ESV)
Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.
Today, we might not see all things under His feet and see that all things are subject to Him. But what we don’t see has already been realized. We serve a Savior who has defeated death. There is nothing left, therefore, that is not under His feet and subject to Him. We can live, even in persecution, knowing that God has it all under control.
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