“And: ‘You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You remain…'” (Hebrews 1:10-11).
Like many of the passages we’ve already considered in Hebrews chapter one, verses ten and eleven help unlock some essential truths regarding the person of Christ. In this instance, our author has turned to a quote from Psalm 102:26-27 for use as a foundation.
The first element in that foundation is this reference to “You, Lord…” in Hebrews 1:10. The following source analyzes this reference using an ancient Old Testament translation known as the Septuagint (often abbreviated as “LXX”) …
“The Father calls the Son ‘Lord.’ While ‘Lord’ (Greek kurios) can merely be a title ascribed to men or angels, it is also the word used in most LXX manuscripts to render the Divine Name, YHWH. This is likely the sense it carries in the LXX translation of Psalm 102. When used in the Bible as an honorific, ‘lord’ always signifies that the one addressed is superior in rank or social station to the speaker. There are no exceptions.
Thus, if the Father calls the Son ‘lord’ in this sense, it would mean that He acknowledges the Son as superior to Himself in rank. While this usage is possible, it would seem to contradict the numerous times the Father is spoken as being superior to the Son. It is better, then, to understand ‘Lord’ to mean YHWH, as it was in its original setting.
…In relation to the Father, Christ is the Agent through which all things came into being. Yet, in relation to creation both the Father and the Son, along with the Holy Spirit, are the one Creator with all three Persons being fully responsible for bringing all things into existence (Cf. Genesis 1:2, 26-27; Job 33:4; Psalm 104:30)” (1)
In addition, these verses offer several other valuable insights concerning the person and nature of Christ. For instance…
- He is beyond time (or eternal): “You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth…“
- He is the agent of creation: “And the heavens are the work of Your hands.”
- He will abide beyond the dissolution of this universe: “They will perish, but You remain…'”
This reference to “the heavens perishing” also holds great value for modern-day readers of this passage as well. You see, Hebrews 1:10-11 foreshadows a well-known (but relatively recent) scientific principle. We’ll consider that principle in greater detail next.
(1) Apologist’s Bible Commentary, [Hebrews 1:10] Copyright © 2001-2005 by Robert Hommel