“But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says: ‘Let all the angels of God worship Him'” (Hebrews 1:6).
Much like the word “begotten” in the previous verse, the word “firstborn” offers an inviting target for misinterpretation by various cultic organizations. For instance, does “firstborn” mean Jesus was God’s first creation? If so, then He cannot be God, for God is eternal.
So how are we to understand this passage? Well, it’s important to remember that the word “firstborn” is not necessarily synonymous with “born first.” You see, the term “firstborn” may also refer to…
- Priority in time.
- Supremacy in rank.
In Jesus’ case, both are true…
- As God, Jesus is before any created thing.
- As God, Jesus is greater than any created thing.
In the culture of that era, the eldest son (or “firstborn”) traditionally held a privileged position among the other family members. As the firstborn and Son of God, Jesus also holds the rights and privileges associated with that position. In other words, Jesus holds a position of authority and superiority over everything. Because of this, it is entirely appropriate for the angelic world to worship Him. We can see an example of such worship in the New Testament book of Revelation (see Revelation 5:8).
We should also remember there are several Biblical instances where certain individuals received firstborn status even though they were not born first chronologically. For instance, the book of Genesis tells us that Isaac’s son Jacob received the blessing associated with the firstborn son even though he was Jacob’s younger son (see Genesis chapter 27). The same thing occurred with Jacob’s son Joseph. His son Ephraim also received the firstborn’s blessing even though he was the younger of Joseph’s two sons (see Genesis chapter 48).
Later, we have the example of Israel’s king David. In speaking of David, Psalm 89:27 tells us, “…I will make him My firstborn, The highest of the kings of the earth” (see Psalm 89:20-37). This is important to the context of our discussion, for David was actually the youngest son of his father Jesse (see 1 Samuel 16:4-13 and 1 Samuel 17:13). Finally, it is worth noting that God once referred to the entire nation of Israel as His firstborn (Exodus 4:21-22).
When viewed in this context, it becomes clear that the word “firstborn” is associated with a favored or exalted position. It also means “firstborn” is not necessarily synonymous with “first-created” as some cultic organizations might have us believe.