HEBREWS 1:13

“But to which of the angels has He ever said, ‘SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES A FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET’?”

I love how Jesus stumped the Pharisees using this same verse from Psalm 110:1. In Matthew 22:41-46 we read, “41 Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question: 42 ‘What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is He?’ They said to Him, ‘The son of David.’ 43 He said to them, ‘Then how does David in the Spirit call Him “Lord,” saying, 44 “THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I PUT YOUR ENEMIES UNDER YOUR FEET”? 45 Therefore, if David calls Him “Lord,” how is He his son?’ 46 No one was able to offer Him a word in answer, nor did anyone dare from that day on to ask Him any more questions.”

The writer of Hebrews uses the same argument here in today’s verse to state Christ’s supremacy over the angels. God never said to any angel, “Sit at My right hand.” That was a place of honor and authority. Do you remember when James and John asked Jesus about sitting next to Him in heaven? In Mark 10:35-40 they posed that question to Him. Of course, Jesus was not the One to decide that. His Father was. No one sits to the right of the Father except His Son, Jesus Christ.

ASK QUESTIONS (Command to Obey, Promise to claim, Sin to avoid, Application to make, Something new about God)

Once again, I see Something new about God. Don’t you just love the imagery of our enemies being our footstool? I love a good ottoman or footstool. I love even better a good recliner. Did I tell you I have a power recliner? That chair has the ability to recline and lift my feet so I can rest. That’s the image here. We can rest because our enemies have been defeated. Christ defeated death and the grave and thereby defeated the evil one and all his minions.

The Greek word for “footstool” literally means “a footstool used by a conquering king, to place his foot on the neck of the conquered” (Souter) – i.e. those under his total dominion.” (HELPS Word-studies) Some kings would force their conquered enemies to kneel and be used as a footstool on which they could step to mount their horse. They used it as a means of humiliation. Christ isn’t trying to humiliate His enemies. He is establishing His dominance. A defeated enemy does not need to be humbled.

I want to ask you to also see an Application to make. Because Christ has defeated His enemies, our enemies are also defeated. We do not have to fight these battles against the evil one alone. Jesus fights for us. Stop trying to do this by yourself. Stand firm and resist, of course. And then allow our conquering King remind Satan that he is a defeated foe and has no right to you. Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Thank You, Father, for defeating the enemies of Christ and establishing Him at Your right hand.