Hebrews, Day 7: Hebrews 2:5-9 - Who is the Rightful Ruler of God's Creation?

Who is the Rightful Ruler of God's Creation?

Hebrews 2:5-9

Hebrews, Day 7

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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?

You made him for a little while lower than the angels;

    you have crowned him with glory and honor,[a]

    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. 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. - Hebrews 2:5-9, ESV 

I love the story of Robin Hood. Contrary to many people, my favorite aspect of this story is not stealing from the rich to give the poor. Rather, I like the theme of the displaced ruler and the sinister usurper who is challenged by the bold and brave hero. King Richard the Lionhearted is off fighting the Crusades, and Prince John is ruling in his place. Only Prince John sees himself as King John and tries to take the throne for himself. 

Sir Robin of Locksley, a knight who has returned from the Crusades, begins to confront and resist the corrupt would-be king. He is removed from his rightful place as the Earl of Locksley and hides out with his band of men to try to make trouble for John and to seek to restore Richard to the throne. 

This story resonates deeply with me because it echoes the story of creation's fall. Adam was created by God in His image to be the rightful ruler over all creation. God put everything under Adam's feet leaving "nothing outside his control."  Adam and Eve were to rule as vice-regents over all creation. God said, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (Gen. 1:28, ESV) 

But Satan entered the Garden of Eden in the form a serpent and began an insurrection to overthrow Adam's rule, just as it was beginning. Satan succeeded. He got Adam to submit to his devious design and threw all creation into chaos and death. 

Why could set things right? Jesus, of course! Jesus comes in like a Robin Hood figure, poor and outcast, working outside and against the system. The eternal Son of God agreed, for a time, to be made lower than the angels. Why? So He might taste death for everyone. He came to take the curse of death upon Himself and to defeat the devil by submitting to defeat and death Himself. 

As we continue in Hebrews, we will see exactly what Jesus did to win this great victory, but here the author of Hebrews wants us to pause and consider how gloriously Christ has restored humanity. He tells us that now, while we don't see humanity reigning over all creation yet, we do see Jesus, who was humiliated and who tasted death for all, exalted with glory and honor above creation. We see Him at the Father's right hand, crowned with the crown of the King of all kings and the Lord of all lords. Because He came and overthrew the usurper, restoring humanity to their rightful place of rule in Himself.