The Lord of Creation

From Gospel Translations

“You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands” (Heb. 1:10).

- Hebrews 1:10–12

In verses 10 through 12, the author of Hebrews continues his description of Jesus Christ as the supreme Son of God. Invoking the authority of the Old Testament once again, the author quotes from Psalm 102 in which the Psalmist cries out to the Lord in anguish. At the end of the Psalm, the Psalmist calls upon the Lord as the one who laid the foundation for the heavens and earth, acknowledging Him to be the only one who is able to answer his plea for help. His supplication is made to the unchangeable Lord of all creation, and it is this description that the author of Hebrews directs to Jesus Christ.

In verse 2 of chapter 1, the author refers to Christ as the one through whom the world was created. Here again he ascribes the characteristics of the Lord God of all creation to Christ. There is no mistaking what the author is intending to convey to his readers — Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity, is the immutable (unchangeable) Founder of the heavens and earth by whose hands all things were created and whose years will have no end. There is therefore no argument about the superiority of Jesus Christ; for He is not only superior to angels, but He is superior to all things, whether in heaven, on earth, or under the earth. He is God, and they are his servants. He is the Creator, and they are His creatures. He is infinite, and they are finite.

There is a stark contrast between Christ and that which will pass away. The heavens and earth “will perish” the author of Hebrews writes; the Lord will “roll them up” like a robe, and they will be changed. Christ, on the other hand, “will remain”; for He is “the same,” and His years will “have no end.” On this point, John Owen writes, “One thing is meant…by these expressions — Christ’s eternal and absolute immutable existence.…To emphasize God’s eternal nature in contrast with the world’s frailty and all of its creation, it is said that his years will never end. The world comes to an end but there is no end to Christ’s existence.”

The attributes of God as the immutable Creator and Sustainer of all things are the same attributes ascribed to Jesus Christ. The God of the Old Testament is the God of the New Testament, and He does not change. He is the same “yesterday and today and forever” (13:8).

Coram Deo

In chapter 12, the author of Hebrews tells us that Jesus Christ is the Founder and Perfecter of our faith. As you reflect on today’s passage of Scripture, keep in mind that our salvation is secured by One who is eternal, immutable, and divine. Unlike the heavens and earth which shall pass away, the salvation of God’s people is certain.

Passages for Further Study

Gen. 1:1; 2:1
Isa. 34:4
John 8:58
Heb. 12:1, 2
Rev. 1:4, 8