Hebrews 3-4: A Better Relationship
JESUS SUPERIOR TO MOSES
HEBREWS 3:1 – 4:13
Application: The student will conclude that following Jesus Christ is better than following the servant of God, Moses.
AS WE BEGIN THIS STUDY STOP WE MUST EMPHASIZE ONCE MORE TO WHOM THE LETTER IS SENT.
IMMEDIATELY WE SEE IN VERSE 1 THE FACT THAT HEBREWS WHO BELIEVE ARE CONSIDERED HOLY BRETHREN, PARTAKERS OF THE HEAVENLY CALLING.
THESE ARE SAVED JEWS AMONG THE HEBREWS.
ALL OF THESE PEOPLE HAD AT SOME TIME, BEFORE CONVERSION, FOLLOWED THE TRADITION THAT MOSES ESTABLISHED, AND HAD RESPECT AND HONOR TOWARD THIS SERVANT OF GOD.
HIS LEADERSHIP IN THE DELIVERANCE AND WILDERNESS GUIDANCE IS AN EPIC TALE OF DIVINE CLOSENESS TO THIS ALMOST ALWAYS OBEDIENT MAN.
IT BECOMES NECESSARY NOW TO SHOW CLEARLY HOW JESUS CHRIST WAS, IS, AND ALWAYS WILL BE, SUPERIOR TO MOSES.
VERSE 1 ALSO REVEALS THAT JESUS WAS THE ORIGINAL APOSTLE, MEANING A MESSENGER WHO BRINGS GOOD NEWS WHICH IN HIS CASE WAS THE BEST NEWS EVER, THAT OF SALVATION BY GRACE THROUGH THE FAITH OF THE HUMAN HEART AFTER THE HEART WAS CALLED BY THE FATHER.
THE COMPARISON BETWEEN THESE TWO BEGINS BY CONSIDERING THEIR FAITHFULNESS.
JESUS AND MOSES WERE BOTH COMMITTED TO DO WHAT GOD CALLED THEM TO DO.
UNFORTUNATELY WHILE STRONGLY FAITHFUL IN ALMOST ALL THINGS, MOSES HAD SINNED PERSONALLY WHICH PROHIBITED HIM FROM ENTERING THE PROMISED LAND.
JESUS NEVER SINNED AND COMPLETED ALL THAT HIS FATHER COMMANDED HIM TO DO, INCLUDING THE GIVING OF HIS LIFE AS THE WAY OF ETERNAL DELIVERANCE FOR SINNERS.
JESUS OBEYED OUT OF SONSHIP WHILE MOSES OBEYED AS A SERVANT OF THE HOUSE OF GOD.
WE OURSELVES JOIN THESE LONG AGO HEBREWS AS PARTAKERS, IF WE HOLD OUR FAITH STEDFAST. (VERSE 14)
THE HISTORY OF MOSES WAS REMARKABLE FROM HIS BEGINNING TO HIS END.
THE HAND OF GOD PRESERVED HIM AS A BABY PUT INTO THE NILE RIVER BY HIS MOTHER AND THAT SAME HAND OF GOD DUG HIS GRAVE AT HIS END.
THE HONORS BESTOWED UPON HIM BY GOD WERE MUCH GREATER THAN ANY BESTOWED ON ANY MAN BEFORE OR SINCE.
ALL GOD’S DEALINGS WITH HIS CHOSEN PEOPLE WERE THROUGH HIM FOR MANY YEARS AND HIS POSITION OF NEARNESS TO GOD WAS FAR MORE REMARKABLE THAN ANY OTHER MAN.
THROUGH HIM WAS THE ENTIRE LEVITICAL ECONOMY ESTABLISHED.
BY HIM, THE TABERNACLE OF WORSHIP WAS BUILT, ACCORDING TO PLANS GIVEN TO HIM PERSONALLY TO REFLECT THE HEAVENLY WORSHIP LOCATION.
IT IS EASY TO GRASP THE HIGH ESTEEM IN WHICH THE JEWS HELD THIS FAVORED MAN OF GOD.
EVEN SO, WE MUST NOT SET ASIDE THE MANY DIFFERENCES IN WHICH JESUS WAS CLEARLY SUPERIOR TO HIM.
MOSES WAS A MAN OF GOD
JESUS CHRIST WAS GOD.
MOSES WAS A FALLEN DESCENDANT OF ADAM, CONCEIVED IN SIN AND SHAPED IN INIQUITY.
CHRIST WAS SINLESS, IMPECCABLY HOLY.
MOSES WAS A PROPHET THROUGH WHOM GOD SPOKE.
CHRIST WAS HIMSELF THE ACTUAL TRUTH OF GOD.
MOSES EXECUTED PRIESTLY FUNCTIONS.
CHRIST IS THE GREAT HIGH PRIEST.
MOSES, THROUGH GOD, DELIVERED ISRAEL FROM EGYPT.
JESUS DELIVERS HIS PEOPLE FROM EVERLASTING PERDITION.
MOSES BUILT AN EARTHLY TABERNACLE.
JESUS IS PREPARING A PLACE FOR US ON HIGH.
MOSES LED ISRAEL ACROSS THE WILDERNESS BUT NOT INTO CANAAN.
CHRIST WILL BRING MANY SONS INTO GLORY ITSELF.
ALL THESE THINGS WERE IN THE MIND OF THE WRITER IN VERSE 3:1 AS HE BEGINS WITH THE WORD “WHEREFORE”, MEANING BECAUSE OF ALL THESE THINGS WRITTEN BEFORE AND THOSE EXPLAINED NOW.
WE NOTICE THE WRITER TEACHES US TO CONSIDER CHRIST NOT JUST AS AN APOSTLE, BUT AS “THE” APOSTLE.
HE IS ALSO HIGH PRIEST, MEANING HE SPEAKS TO US FOR GOD.
THESE TWO OFFICES WERE JOINED IN HIM.
JOHN WROTE IN HIS GOSPEL (13:3) THAT JESUS WAS FROM GOD AND WENT TO GOD.
IN MATTHEW 17:5 THE HEAVENLY FATHER SPOKE FROM HEAVEN COMMANDING THE EARTH TO “HEAR YE HIM” CONFIRMING INSTANTLY HIS OFFICE AS THE FIRST APOSTLE.
OUR FIRST SIX VERSES PRESENT US WITH FOUR FACTORS WE MUST SEE:
THE CALL TO CONSIDER THE APOSTLE & HIGH PRIEST THAT IS JESUS.
THE SUPERIORITY OF CHRIST OVER MOSES.
THE FAITHFULNESS OF MOSES THAT CANNOT COMPARE
TO THE FAITHFULNESS OF JESUS.
THE HOUSEHOLD OF CHRIST IS THE HOPE FIRM UNTIL THE END.
THERE IS AN INTIMATE CONNECTION BETWEEN THESE FOUR THINGS.
OUR WRITER CLEARLY FEELS STRONGLY THAT THE CASE HAS BEEN FORMED OF JESUS BEING SUPERIOR TO MOSES.
HAVING DONE SO, HE NOW PROCEEDS TO PROVIDE SOME VERSES OF MUCH WARNING TO THESE JEWISH BELIEVERS BY REMINDING THEM NOT TO REPEAT WHAT HAD BEEN DONE BY THE HEBREW PEOPLE DURING THE WILDERNESS JOURNEY.
THE WARNING VERSES BEGIN WITH VERSE 7 WHICH, LIKE VERSE 1 BEFORE AND VERSE 10 AFTER, BEGIN WITH WHEREFORE, AND ARE SAYING TO THE READER BEWARE BECAUSE OF WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN GIVEN.
WE WORK OUR WAY FROM VERSE 7 TO VERSE 12 WHICH SPECIFIES THE WARNING CLEARLY.
“Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.”
WE NOTICE THE WORDS AFTER THE WORD WHEREFORE IN VERSE 7 ENDING IN VERSE 11 ARE IN BRACKETS.
THESE WORDS WERE SPOKEN BY THE HOLY GHOST.
THEY QUOTE PSALM 95:7 IN VERSE 7, PSALM 95:8 IN VERSE 8, PSALM 95:9 IN VERSE 9, VERSE 95:10 IN VERSE 10, AND PSALM 95:11 IN VERSE 11.
THE POINT OF THE WORDS OF THE HOLY GHOST IS TO WARN CURRENT BELIEVERS NOT TO DO WHAT THEIR HEBREW FATHERS DID IN THE WILDERNESS:
HARDENING THEIR HEARTS
PROVOKING THE LORD
TEMPTING GOD
SAW THE RESULTS OVER 40 YEARS
GOD SAID BECAUSE OF THOSE THINGS HE WAS GRIEVED WITH THEM AS THEY HAD HEARTS OF ERROR AND DID NOT KNOW HIS WAYS AS THEY SHOULD HAVE KNOWN.
FURTHER BECAUSE OF THAT FACT, GOD SWORE IN HIS WRATH THEY WOULD NOT ENTER HIS REST, WHICH WAS THE PROMISED LAND.
VERSES 13-19 ALLOW US MORE SPECIFIC WARNINGS.
EXHORT OTHERS DAILY LEST THE HEART REMAIN HARDENED BY THE DECEITFULLNESS OF SIN.
IF WE ARE STEDFAST, WE BECOME PARTAKERS OF CHRIST.
IF NOT THERE IS ONLY ONE THING AWAITING US, UNBELIEF.
VERSE 16 IS A MOST SOMBER AND CRITICAL WARNING, ADVISING THAT SOME WHO BEGAN THE JOURNEY WITH MOSES SINNED IN THE PROVOCATION OF GOD NOT TRUSTING HIM TO DELIVER THE LAND HE HAD PROMISED.
THE REASON THIS MATTER IS MENTIONED HERE IS TO REMIND THE CURRENT HEBREWS THAT THEY MUST PRACTICE WATCHFULNESS AGAINST ANY HARDENING OF THE HEART BECAUSE THOSE OF OLDER DAYS DID NOT DO SO AND PROVOKED GOD TO THEIR RUIN.
THE EVIDENCE OF THIS MATTER IS SO VERY DIFFICULT WHICH IS THAT OF THE TOTAL OF OVER 600,000 MEN WHO BEGAN THE JOURNEY, WE ONLY KNOW OF THREE WHO FINISHED IT WHO WERE EXEMPT FROM DYING IN THE WILDERNESS (MOSES, JOSHUA, & CALEB).
THIS WORD PROVOKE USED SEVERAL TIMES HERE IN HEBREWS 3 IS FOUND NOWHERE ELSE IN THE NEW TESTAMENT.
IT IS FOUND IN PSALM 78 & 106, & JEREMIAH 44.
ISAIAH 63 USES A CLOSE WORD SAYING THEY
VEXED” GOD.
VERSE 17 CLEARLY STATES WHO GOD WAS ANGRY WITH, BEING GRIEVED WITH THEM 40 YEARS FOR THEIR SIN, AND BY HIS COMMAND LOST THEIR LIVES (IF OVER 20 YEARS OLD) IN THE WILDERNESS.
TO LOSE NO MEANING HERE AND TO BE EXACTLY SURE WHY THESE MEN LOST THEIR LIVES OUR WRITER ALLOWS US THE TRUTH IN VERSES 18 & 19.
THEY WERE DISALLOWED FROM ENTRY INTO THE LAND PROMISED BECAUSE OF THEIR UNBELIEF.
OUR WRITER INCLUDES THE FIRST 13 VERSES OF CHAPTER 4 WITHIN THIS STUDY STOP ON THE JOURNEY THROUGH HEBREWS.
HE BEGINS WITH THE CLEAR MESSAGE WORD OF “THEREFORE” MEANING BECAUSE OF WHAT HAS COME BEFORE.
VERSE 1 TEACHES US THAT WE MUST HAVE A STRONG REVERENTIAL FEAR OF THE LORD IF WE FALL SHORT OF FAITH WHICH WILL ALLOW US TO ENTER HIS REST AS SOME OF THE HEBREWS FELL SHORT.
WHILE WE HAVE A NEW TESTAMENT GOSPEL PREACHED, THE ORIGINAL CONCEPT IS IDENTICAL TO THE HEBREWS OF THESE DAYS IN THAT WHAT THEY HEARD WAS NOT PROFITABLE TO THEM BECAUSE IT WAS NOT ACCEPTED BY THEM ON A FOUNDATION OF FAITH.
THIS PORTION OF THE MESSAGE IS TEACHING US THAT THE BETTER RELATIONSHIP IS BASED UPON BOTH SALVATION AND THE ENTIRE LIFE AFTER SALVATION.
VERSE 3 ALLOWS US ONCE MORE TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS PLAN OF GOD WAS NOT PROVIDED TO BELIEVERS ONLY IN THE NEW COVENANT BUT WAS ARRANGED AT THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD AS REVEALED FOR US IN REV 13:8 (THE LAMB SLAIN).
VERSE 5 IS SHORT IN WORDS BUT LONG IN WISDOM.
IT SAYS ISRAEL COULD ENTER INTO THE REST OF THE LORD BY BELIEF IN THE PROMISES OF GOD.
NEW TESTAMENT BELIEVERS ENTER BY THE SAME WAY, FAITH IN BELIEVING THE GOSPEL MESSAGE THAT LEADS TO ETERNAL REST.
VERSE 6 ONCE MORE TEACHES US THAT “SOME” WILL ENTER BUT OTHERS WILL NOT BECAUSE OF UNBELIEF.
VERSES 7-11 REMIND US THAT GOD DID END HIS WORK ON THE 7TH DAY, KNOWN AS A DAY OF REST EVEN THOUGH GOD AS ALL POWERFUL NEEDED NO ACTUAL REST BUT WE ARE REMINDED THAT DAVID IN PSALM 95 WAS AGAIN TAUGHT THAT THE HEART MUST NOT BE HARDENED IF REST IN GOD IS TO BE FOUND.
VERSES 9-10 HAVE A SWEET TEACHING THAT THOSE WHO ARE IN CHRIST JESUS ARE RESTING UNDER HIS LEADERSHIP, NO LONGER WORKING WITHOUT GUIDANCE AND HELP OF THE LORD.
LIVING A LIFE TRUSTING IN THE LORDSHIP OF JESUS CHRIST IS THE REST THAT COMES TO ALL BELIEVERS WHO WILL SUBMIT AND DENY THEMSELVES.
REFUSING TO DENY SELF IS EXACTLY THE UNBELIEF MENTIONED SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE FOR US HERE.
VERSES 12-14 HERE MAKES SURE THE HEBREW BELIEVERS (AND US) UNDERSTAND THAT THE WORD OF GOD HAS ENTERED BY THE HOLY GHOST GIVEN AND BECOMES LIKE A SHARP TWO EDGE SWORD SEPARATING FROM FURTHER SIN.
VERSE 13 IS QUITE CLEAR THAT ALL THINGS ARE KNOWN OF THE LORD AND NO CREATURE, INCLUDING MANKIND, MAY HAVE HIDDEN THINGS APART FROM GOD.
ADAM TRIED TO HIDE FROM GOD AFTER HIS SIN AND WE ALL UNDERSTAND HOW THAT WORKED OUT FOR HIM AND US.
ACHAN TRIED TO HIDE HIS SIN IN JERICHO FROM GOD AND ALL THE HEBREW NATION AND WE ALL REMEMBER HOW THAT WORKED OUT FOR THE HEBREW FIGHTERS LOST IN AI.
THE NATION OF ISRAEL HAD A GRACIOUS OPPORTUNITY TO ENTER THE PROMISED LAND WHERE GOD PROMISED TO BLESS THEM BEYOND MEASURE.
THEY FAILED TO ENTER ORIGINALLY BECAUSE THEY DID NOT TRUST AND THEREFORE MOST DIED IN THE WILDERNESS BECAUSE OF THEIR UNBELIEF.
JESUS LAID OUT THE VERY SAME THOUGHT FOR US IN THE GOSPEL OF JOHN (10:10) THAT HE CAME TO GIVE LIFE AND THAT THOSE WHO BELIEVE WITH NOT ONLY HAVE IT BUT HAVE IT MORE ABUNDANTLY.
THE REST OF GOD TO THE HEBREWS AND THE REST OF GOD IN CHRIST IN THE NEW COVENANT IS THE SAME THING.
TRUSTING AND OBEYING THE LORD ALLOWS NO PLACE FOR UNBELIEF AND PROVIDES THE REST IN HIM IN LIFE HERE AND THEN IN LIFE ETERNALLY.