Hebrews Chapter 3 Christ is greater than Moses
Hebrews 3:1 “Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest. ”
Therefore......
Linking the authors new though with the previous....Because Jesus
Why is Jesus referred to as our apostle and high priest? For Jews, the highest human authority was the high priest. For Christians, the highest human authority were God's apostles ("one who was sent"). The author is about to compare (and then contrast) Jesus with the much revered Moses. These two areas – apostle and high priest – are those areas which the author has chosen to demonstrate the superiority of the Lord Jesus to Moses. |
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5 If you are going to hold your thoughts captive, why not fix them on Jesus? |
Hebrews 3:2-6a "He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house. Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. “Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house, "bearing witness to what would be spoken by God in the future. But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are his house....."
Reflecting on the service of Moses:
Moses is revered as one of the greatest prophets:
Moses was faithful to God's calling not only to deliver Israel but also to prepare the way for the Messiah by testifying what would be done in the future. By understanding the Old Testament, we see
What is 'the house"? House mentioned here is a reference to "God's house." There is a common misconception abroad, even among Christians, that the term "the house of God" means a church. Consider that the early church referred to as "ekklesia" in which we translate at "church" had no buildings for two or three hundred years. When they referred to the house of God, they meant the people. A church is not a building, it is a people. This understanding is consistent with the author of Hebrews conclusion in vs 6 "...and we are His house." God never intended to dwell in any building. He dwells in the hearts of His people today through His Spirit. So Christ has come to inhabit us, as Paul prays in Ephesians 3:17 'that Christ may make His home in your hearts by faith.' That was His divine intention in making men, that they may be the tabernacle of His indwelling. Paul captures this idea in 1 Corinthians 6:19 "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God?" This is the focus toward which all of Scripture is directed. God's purpose is to dwell with us, inside us, and to make us the manifestation of His life, the dwelling place of all that He is; so that, as Paul prays again in Ephesian 3:19 "you may be a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself." In the final chapters of Revelation, we also see "..."Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will love with them. They will be His people and God Himself will be with them and be their God." |
How is Jesus greater than Moses?
The greatness of Moses is not debatable but when compared to Jesus Christ, the Son of God, there is a vast difference between the greatness of Moses and the infinitely greater supremacy of the Son. Moses and Jesus shared much in common. In a sense, both had roles which involved priestly duties and a kind of apostleship. See more: How was Moses a priest and apostle? But just as Jesus is "higher than the angels" and His word greater than the prophets, He is also greater than Moses. The faithfulness of Jesus
As an apostle, one who is sent, Jesus was faithful to God who appointed Him. Paul emphasized Christ's faithfulness in Philippians 2:6-8: "Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death — even death on a cross!" (Philippians 2:6-8) |
Hebrews 3:6b "...., if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory."
We are also God's house
We are told that we, likewise, are of God’s house, “if we hold firmly to our confidence. . . .” How do we deal with this “if”? By revisiting verse 1 of Chapter 3, we can see that the author assumes that his readers are fellow believers in Jesus Christ. His readers are holy brothers, partners in the heavenly calling, and those who confess Jesus as apostle and high priest. Revisiting our assumptions about the audience, we concluded that Hebrews was written to a church. It may not be a large church, but virtually all the commentators agree that it is written to a church. Whenever a church is addressed, the assumption is made that most of the recipients have a genuine faith in Jesus Christ. But, just like our modern day churches, it also means that it is very possible that one or more members of the church addressed may not be saved. The author is simply telling us that those who are truly saved are those who will also persevere to the end. Their faith and trust in Jesus will not fail under pressure. We are encouraged to draw near because we are saved, not to work harder in order to be saved. t is Christ who saves us, it is Christ through His Spirit who sanctifies us, and it is Christ who keeps us. This is precisely why we need to draw near (and stay near) to Him. As our Lord invites the lukewarm Laodiceans to repent and return to intimate fellowship with Him (as symbolized by eating a meal with Him)(Revelation 3:14-22)), so the writer to the Book of Hebrews warns his readers of the dangers of drifting, and exhorts them to draw near to Jesus. |
Only God knows the hearts of men.
We know that there will be some who assume that they have gained entrance into heaven who will not be admitted: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the kingdom of heaven – only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. On that day, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons and do many powerful deeds?’ Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Go away from me, you lawbreakers!’” (Matthew 7:21-23) |
Hebrews 3:7-11 "So, as the Holy Spirit says:
“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the wilderness, where your ancestors tested and tried me, though for forty years they saw what I did. That is why I was angry with that generation; I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.’So I declared on oath in my anger,‘They shall never enter my rest.’ ”
“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the wilderness, where your ancestors tested and tried me, though for forty years they saw what I did. That is why I was angry with that generation; I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.’So I declared on oath in my anger,‘They shall never enter my rest.’ ”
Admonition by the Holy Spirit
SO....links this verse to the previous admonition: "And we are His house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast." The author of Hebrews goes further by quoting Psalm 95. Don't miss the fact that although Psalm 95 may have been written by David, the author recognizes the inspiration and direction of the Holy Spirit. What is the significance of Psalm 95 quoted here? This psalm is based on some of Israel's experiences in the wilderness and is used throughout the Scriptures as a reminder to the Israelites of God's faithfulness and their redemption from slavery and is also used as a forward pointing example of Christ's saving work at Calvary....redeeming us from our sin. SEE Exodus Events Referred to in Psalm 95 Consider the following points:
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Isaiah 55:3 Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David.
Revelation 3:20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. There are three components to understanding this verses:
“Today” thus calls attention to at least of couple of applications.
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Hebrews 3:12-19 "See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end. As has just been said:
“Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts
as you did in the rebellion.”
Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies perished in the wilderness? And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.
“Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts
as you did in the rebellion.”
Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies perished in the wilderness? And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.
Why is this relevant now?
Just as the psalmist was able to perceive lessons for his audience from the failures of the Israelites in the wilderness, so the author to the Hebrews understands them as still applicable to his recipients, hundreds of years later. So what is the lesson of Psalm 95 for those who received this Epistle to the Hebrews? It is a warning against disregarding God’s Word, and of forsaking the gathering of the saints for worship and mutual encouragement. This results in ignorance of God’s ways, in a hardened heart, and in a life of rebellion against God. In short, disregarding the Word and worship keeps one from entering into God’s rest. Now just what that “rest” consists of is yet to be revealed in the upcoming chapter. Listen Up! “Oh, that today you would listen as he speaks! Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” Here, the author says it in a plain and straightforward manner: True Christians are those who hold fast to their faith in the Lord Jesus. They never forsake their faith in Him for salvation. They may stumble and fall, but they do not cease to trust in the shed blood of Jesus as the only means of their salvation. And thus, those who appear to be drifting away from their faith and devotion to Jesus are urged not to become hard of heart, which leads to rebellion. When the author cites the portion of Psalm 95 that urges his readers to listen as God speaks “Today,” he underscores the fact that the Christian life is a day-by-day experience. We live out our faith a day at a time. And so the critical question for us is this: Am I listening to what God has to say to me through Christ today, and I am obedient to what He tells me? If not, I am on the path of sin which leads to death. God will not allow me to taste eternal judgment, but He will intercept me at various points and with various forms of discipline. It is simply not worth the price to drift away and to become hard hearted. Encouragement for the Church Today! We need to be much more proactive (exhortation) in our care for one another, rather than merely being reactive (discipline). We need to be faithful to gather for worship, exalting God for His greatness, recalling His acts of mercy and salvation. That is the kind of fuel which promotes faith. We need to be more aggressive in admonishing our brothers and sisters as we see spiritual dangers ahead. This is why we believe the gathering of the church each Sunday is so important. It provides us with the opportunity to encourage one another. |
Responsibility of Corporate Community / Ekklesia!
To paraphrase the author, I believe that he is saying something like this: “Be very careful, my brothers, that no one in your congregation has such an evil, unbelieving, heart that they would turn from their faith in the living God.” There is an important directive expressed to believers: "See to it" ...make sure this gets done. We are told to "encourage one another daily". The Greek word for encourage used here is more than just saying "Hey, hang in there" it actually emphasizes a more robust response....we are to almost fight for one another's faith to ensure that our brothers and sisters remain faithful. Make sure that no one falls away. The Greek word parakaleó also has a legal overtone in that infers that we are to make it our personal responsibility "personally make a call" to believers offering up evidence that stands up in God's court. The root word of parakaleo means to be a "legal advocate". The spiritual health and well being of every member of the church is the responsibility of every member of the church, and not just one of its staff who is paid to do so. We are a body, and we are to care for one another. We are also to see to it that no one in the body becomes “hardened by sin’s deception.” What does it mean to be “hardened by sin’s deception”? When we sin, we will lack the deepening conviction found by staying in the word and allowing the Holy Spirit to do a working in us. In the Ekklesia, we should also be among believers that are grounded in the word that can prayerfully and lovingly approach a believer to accountability for wrong actions. If the believer accepts the truth (spoken in love), they will humble themselves in repentance. However, if the admonition is not taken to heart, the believer will be at risk of hardening their heart by the lure and deception of the sin. Disobedience will seem so logical,so justified and even compelling. This deceit and hardening of the heart takes place over a period of time. It is our duty as members of the body of Christ to be alert to this hardening in our own lives and in the lives of others. Because sin is so deceitful, and because hardened hearts don’t see things clearly, we need to take responsibility for others. What the sinner cannot see, we should see and seek to correct. What is at the root of disobedience? Vs 19 Sums the root of it all – unbelief. That generation of Israelites did not believe God, even though they saw example after example of how God kept His word through Moses. Again and again, God announced a coming plague, and each came as and when God said. Again and again, God announced that He would remove a plague. And each time it came about just as (and when) God said. The Israelites complained and rebelled when they were hungry or thirsty, even though God had promised to meet all their needs. And, in the end, the Israelites failed to believe that God would give them victory over the giants in the land. The root evil behind Israel’s failure to enter into God’s “rest” was unbelief. What do the wilderness wanderings represent today? The wilderness wanderings represent the experiences of believers who will not cross over by faith to claim their spiritual inheritance in Christ, who doubt God's Word and live in restless unbelief. According to Warren Wiersbe "To be sure, God is with them, as He was with Israel, but they do not enjoy the fullness of God's blessing. They are "out of Egypt" but they are not yet "in Canaan." |