Hebrews 1:8-9 (HCSB)
but to the Son:
Your throne, God,
is forever and ever,
and the scepter of Your kingdom
is a scepter of justice.
You have loved righteousness
and hated lawlessness;
this is why God, Your God,
has anointed You
with the oil of joy
rather than Your companions.
The writer of Hebrews is still extolling the virtues of Jesus, the Son of God, and pointing out how superior He is to the angels, not just as a matter of opinion, but as clearly shown by the Scriptures themselves.
As a side note, even though some of the New Testament had been written and circulated widely by the time this letter was written, the writer of Hebrews uses only the Old Testament to prove his points about Jesus. This may seem odd to modern Christians who have been taught that the Old Testament is unnecessary, and even though it might be interesting for historical insights, should be passed over in favor of the New Testament.
But the fact is, the Old Testament was the Bible of the first century Church, arguably the era in which it was the most powerful, effective, and expansive. The New Testament saints and apostles use the Old Testament to prove Jesus’ divinity, as well as to show people why they needed to repent and receive Jesus, something modern Christians should consider.
This next passage chosen by the writer is from Psalm 45:6-7, widely accepted to be messianic in its depiction of the king as bridegroom. Significantly, the king is called “God” in this Psalm, a title no mere earthly king could ever own the right to. Thus, the king is shown as being a divine Messiah, not a mere earthly king, something that the rabbis could not grasp, but which the Church quickly saw as being fulfilled in Jesus.
Along with the title of “God”, the Messiah is given at other attributes of divinity in this song. Among those shown in these two verses are eternal existence and eternal rulership, absolute righteousness and justice, hatred of wickedness, and a special relationship with God that cannot the claimed by any earthly king.
Father, thank You for these insights today. It is amazing to realize how much is foretold about Jesus in the Old Testament, telling in very precise detail who He is and what He would do. The rabbis and scholars missed these truths because of their worldview, which blinded their eyes to the truth. Help us to not be blinded by our own worldview and presuppositions, so that we too miss the significance of what you have put in the Old Testament Scriptures, plainly visible to those with eyes to see. Amen.