How does God communicate with His world? It is an important question, so think about it for a moment. And think about the implications if God did not communicate. How could we ever hope to know Him? There are many who doubt that it is possible to know God with any certainty. “After all,” they say, “with so many religions out there, how can we know for sure that Jesus is the one and only way to get to know God?” So they put their trust in other guides. Science, they believe, has all the answers, or perhaps psychoanalysis, or this, or that, or anything. As G. K. Chesterton said:

So what does the Bible say? Open your New Testament and read the opening verses of the Letter to the Hebrews.

READ Hebrews 1:1-4

Can you think of any of the various ways in which God spoke in Old Testament times? Give examples of the following (with a reference as well, if you can):

• God communicating through an angel
• God communicating through a dream
• God communicating through a vision
• God communicating through a donkey
• God communicating through a prophet who preached
• God communicating through a prophet who wrote

You may be able to come up with lots of examples in some of these categories (although probably not too many talking donkeys) and some different categories altogether, if you had to. The point being that God communicates with us. Now go back to Hebrews chapter one and re-read verse two. So how does God communicate today? And as we look at Hebrews 1:1-4 we should be able to see some important facts about Jesus.

• Try to list seven facts (with references).

Notice that in verse three Jesus “sat down at the right hand of God almighty in heaven.” This means that the work of Jesus is complete and that He has taken up His rightful place at God’s right hand, the place of honour. First century Jews often believed that the angels were closest to God. Look again at verse four.

• How does this correct them?

Hebrews 1:1-4 tells us that God communicated with His people in many and different ways in times past but now He has spoken through His Son, Jesus. There is no more. God has spoken and our choice is to listen or to ignore.

• How important is Jesus? Give reasons:
• How should we respond to Jesus?
• What confidence do these verses give us today?

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To summarise

In times past, God communicated in many and various ways. In short-hand, we might say that the Old Testament is a record of this. But it was a struggle. Even those who should have known God the best – His chosen people, the Jews – failed to understand Him more often than not. So when the time was right, God communicated in the very best way of all. God became human and dwelt with us. In brief, this is the New Testament.

• Is this a fair summary of what we have seen so far? (Answer either “Yes, because. . . .” or “No, because. . . .” In other words: give some reasons.

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