Hebrews 3: Greater than Moses
HEBREWS 3:1-19
FOCUS 1-15
APPLICATION: Become aware of the dangerous deception of sin that can hinder you from accomplishing God's will in your life.
IN THE FIRST CHAPTER OF HEBREWS WE STUDIED HOW JESUS IS GREATER THAN THE ANGELS OF HEAVEN.
WE SAW THE CLEAR EXPRESSION OF HIS POSITION BY THE FACT THAT THE ANGELS WORSHIPPED HIM, NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND.
WE SAW THAT HE WAS THE RESPONSIBLE ONE OF ALL CREATION AND THE HEIR OF ALL THINGS.
WE SAW THAT HE IS THE EXPRESS IMAGE OF THE FATHER, AND VERY IMPORTANTLY IS THE BRIGHTNESS OF THE GLORY OF GOD.
WE SAW FINALLY IN CHAPTER ONE THAT IN ADDITION TO ALL THESE WONDERFUL ATTRIBUTES, JESUS HIMSELF UPHOLDS ALL THINGS BY THE WORD OF HIS OWN POWER.
THEN WE SAW THAT THE FATHER HIMSELF SHOWED ALL OF CREATION THAT JESUS WAS HIS OWN AND ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, SPEAKING IN HIS OWN VOICE THREE TIMES TO THE WORLD CONCERNING THE SON.
IN CHAPTER TWO WE SAW THAT CHRIST BECAME FLESH TO CLEARLY SHOW THAT HIS LIFE FULFILLED THE LAW BY HIS TOTAL DEPENDENCE ON HIS FATHER AND TOTAL OBEDIENCE IN ALL THAT HE DID.
THROUGH HIS SINLESS LIFE WE ARE GIVEN THE EXAMPLE TO FOLLOW, OF DEPENDENCE UPON THE LORD, OF OBEDIENCE TO THE LORD, AND IMPORTANTLY WE WERE GIVEN KNOWLEDGE THAT EVEN THOUGH TEMPTATION WAS PUT IN HIS PATH, JESUS DID NOT YIELD TO THAT TEMPTATION AND THEREBY SIN.
SO WE HAVE HOPE OURSELVES, THAT EVEN THOUGH WE ARE NOT SINLESS AS HE WAS, WE CAN ALWAYS FOLLOW HIS EXAMPLE TO LIVE AS HE WISHES HIS CHILDREN TO LIVE.
NOW WE BEGIN TO STUDY THE FIRST 15 VERSES OF CHAPTER THREE, WHICH PROVIDE THE NEXT EVIDENCE OF JESUS BEING THE “BETTER WAY” BY GRANTING PROOF THAT JESUS WAS SUPERIOR TO MOSES.
THE CONTENTS OF THIS CHAPTER COMPARING THE LORD TO HIS MOST POWERFUL SERVANT IN THE OLD TESTAMENT MAY BE THOUGHT OF IN THIS WAY:
THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, THE MEDIATOR OF THE NEW COVENANT, IS HIGH ABOVE MOSES, THE MEDIATOR OF THE OLD COVENANT BECAUSE JESUS IS THE ONE INCARNATE SON OF GOD AND IS LORD OF THE HOUSE OF GOD.
WHILE MOSES IS PERHAPS THE MOST FAITHFUL SERVANT OF THE HOUSE OF GOD, HE IS STILL THE SERVANT.
JESUS IS THE MASTER OF THE HOUSE.
ONCE WE UNDERSTAND THIS DIFFERENCE IN THE OFFICE OF THE TWO, THERE IS THEN THE EXHORTATION THAT WE SHOULD NOT HARDEN OUR HEARTS UNLESS WE COME TO FAILURE AS WE TRY TO ENTER INTO THE REST PROMISED TO ALL WHO ACCEPT AND FOLLOW.
IT SEEMS HELPFUL TO THINK FIRST OF THE HISTORY OF MOSES, WHICH WAS REMARKABLE FROM HIS BEGINNING.
THE HAND OF GOD PRESERVED HIM AS A BABY AND THE HAND OF GOD DUG HIS GRAVE AT HIS END.
BETWEEN THESE TWO POINTS OF LIFE MOSES LIKELY WAS ONE OF THE TWO OR THREE MEN CLOSEST TO THE LORD IN ALL THE OLD TESTAMENT, PERHAPS ALONG WITH ABRAHAM & DAVID.
THE HONORS GIVEN MOSES BY GOD WERE ABOVE ALL OTHER MORTAL MEN WHO EVER LIVED BEFORE OR SINCE.
DURING ITS MOST MEMORABLE PART OF ITS HISTORY, ALL OF THE DEALINGS OF JEHOVAH GOD WITH HIS CHOSEN PEOPLE WERE THROUGH MOSES.
HIS POSITION OF NEARNESS TO JEHOVAH WAS REMARKABLE, AWESOME AND UNIQUE.
THROUGH HIM THE ENTIRE LEVITICAL EXISTENCE WAS ESTABLISHED.
BY HIM THE TABERNACLE OF GOD WAS BUILT.
HIS ESTEEM AMONG THE JEWISH PEOPLE WAS ABSOLUTE.
NO QUIBBLE HAS EVER BEEN MADE BY ANY THEOLOGIAN TO THESE POINTS ON THE WONDER OF THE RELATIONSHIP GOD CONSTRUCTED WITH HIS SERVANT MOSES.
THE POWER OF VICTORY ITSELF IN BATTLE WAS GRANTED TO MOSES WHEN HIS ARMS WERE RAISED, THE HEBREW FIGHTERS PREVAILED, WHEN HIS ARMS WERE WEARY AND SINKING, THE HEBREWS FOUND DEFEAT.
NOW, THIS CHAPTER OF HEBREWS TEACHES US ONE OF ITS MOST VALUABLE LESSONS.
AS GREAT AS MOSES WAS, AS POWERFUL AS MOSES WAS, AS CLOSE AS MOSES WAS TO GOD, THERE WAS AND IS ONE GREATER, ONE MORE POWERFUL, AND ONE CLOSER TO GOD THAN MOSES.
THAT ONE IS JESUS CHRIST.
THERE ARE SOME ESSENTIAL COMPARISONS THAT WE MAY HAVE HEARD BEFORE BUT SOME BEAR REPEATING TO HELP US UNDERSTAND THE POINTS TAUGHT BY THIS CHAPTER.
MOSES WAS A GREAT MAN OF GOD. JESUS CHRIST WAS GOD.
MOSES WAS A FALLEN CHILD OF ADAM, CONCEIVED IN SIN AND SHAPED IN INIQUITY.
JESUS WAS SINLESS, HOLY, AND WITHOUT INIQUITY.
MOSES WAS THE PROPHET THROUGH WHOM GOD SPOKE.
CHRIST WAS HIMSELF THE WORD IN FLESH.
MOSES EXECUTED PRIESTLY FUNCTIONS.
JESUS WAS THE GREAT HIGH PRIEST.
MOSES DELIVERED HIS PEOPLE FROM BONDAGE IN EGYPT.
CHRIST DELIVERS HIS PEOPLE FROM THE BONDAGE OF SIN.
MOSES BUILT GOD'S EARTHLY TABERNACLE.
JESUS IS THE EVERLASTING TABERNACLE.
NOTICE HOW THE FIRST VERSE OF HEBREWS 3 BEGINS:
“WHEREFORE HOLY BRETHREN, PARTAKERS OF THE HEAVENLY CALLING, CONSIDER THE APOSTLE AND HIGH PRIEST OF OUR PROFESSION, CHRIST JESUS.”
THIS VERSE BRINGS QUICKLY THREE QUESTIONS TO MIND:
WHAT IS MEANT BY CONSIDER?
WHY SHOULD WE DO SO?
WHAT ARE THE SPECIAL CHARACTERISTICS WE CONSIDER?
THE HEBREW WORD USED HERE IS MEANT TO “THOROUGHLY THINK ABOUT”.
IT IS NOT A SHALLOW THINKING BUT MEANS TO THINK IN DEPTH.
WE SEE THIS SAME WORD IN LUKE 12:24 USED BY JESUS TO TEACH US TO CONSIDER THE PROTECTION OF GOD TO HIS NATURAL CREATION.
WE SEE IT IN PETER'S RESPONSE TO THE VISION OF ACTS 11:6 OF THE SHEET COMING DOWN FROM HEAVEN.
WE SEE IT IN MATTHEW 7:3, ROMANS 4:19, AND HEBREWS 10:24, IN ALL CASES MEANT TO BEHOLD.
SO THE LESSON HERE IS THAT WE SHOULD CAREFULLY PONDER WHO AND WHAT HE IS, TO BE ATTENTIVE TO HIS DIGNITY, HIS EXCELLENCE AND HIS AUTHORITY.
AFTER WE GRASP THESE MATTERS, WE CAN
CLEARLY PERCEIVE WHY WE SHOULD DO SO.
HE IS THE ONE WHO IS THE BRIGHNESS OF THE GLORY OF GOD.
HE CAME TO REDEEM HIS PEOPLE, TO ARRANGE THEIR FORGIVENESS, TO ARRANGE THEIR ACCESS FOREVER DIRECTLY TO THE LORD, AND THEN SAT AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD.
THESE ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS WE ARE TO UNDERSTAND AS WE CONSIDER HIM AND WHY HE IS SO MUCH BETTER THAN MOSES.
ALSO, WE SHOULD NOTICE THAT HE IS SAID TO BE “THE APOSTLE” NOT ONE APOSTLE OR ONE OF THE APOSTLES.
REMEMBER THIS TERM MEANS ONE WHO IS SENT FORTH BY GOD, AND JESUS WAS CHIEF AMONG ALL THOSE SENT.
HE IS THE FIRST OF ALL APOSTLES AND ALL OTHERS WERE APPOINTED BY HIM.
HE IS ALSO OUR HIGH PRIEST, ACTUALLY OUR GREAT HIGH PRIEST AS WE WILL STUDY CAREFULLY IN CHAPTER 7.
THE DESCRIPTION OF “OUR PROFESSION” MEANS OUR CONSENT.
NOTICE THE BEAUTIFUL DESCRIPTION OF :PARTAKERS OF HEAVENLY CALLING.
HERE WE SEE QUICKLY THE SUPERIOR POSITION TO JUDAISM AS THE STRICT JEWISH FAITH WAS OF AN EARTHLY CALLING THROUGH MEN APPOINTED, WHERE NOW THERE IS A CALLING FROM HEAVEN ITSELF.
THE WORD “PARTAKERS' MEANS SHARERS OF.
THE SPIRIT AND THE WORD HAVE COME FROM HEAVEN TO EACH OF US, PROVIDING A CALLING OF US WHO ACCEPT AND BELIEVE INTO HEAVEN ITSELF.
HOW WAS IT POSSIBLE FOR ANY MAN WHO WE KNOW THAT NO MATTER HOW DEVOTED HE MAY BE, TO BE GRANTED A HEAVENLY CALLING CONSIDERING HOW SINFUL HE IS FROM BIRTH?
THIS IS THE UNDERLYING MESSAGE OF THIS VERSE AND THEREFORE THIS CHAPTER.
ONLY BY BEING MADE JUST BY THE SACRIFICE OF JESUS ON HIS CROSS CAN ANY SINFUL MAN RECEIVE SUCH A CALLING.
HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS TRADED FOR OUR SIN.
THE NEXT FEW VERSES PROVIDE STRONG COMPARISONS OF THE USE OF THE TERM “HOUSE”.
THE PHRASE “BUILD THE HOUSE” MEANS THAT WHILE MOSES WAS A FAITHFUL SERVANT OF THE HOUSE OF GOD, JESUS WAS THE BUILDER OF THE HOUSE.
HEBREWS VERSE 3 TEACHES THAT CHRIST IS A SON OVER HIS OWN HOUSE AND THAT WE ARE THAT HOUSE.
1ST PETER 2:5 SPEAKS ALSO ON THAT MATTER AS PETER TEACHES THAT “... YE ALSO, AS LIVELY STONES, ARE BUILT UP A SPIRITUAL HOUSE.”
THE TERM “HOUSE OF GOD” IS FREQUENTLY USED IN SCRIPTURE TO BE A DESCRIPTION OF THE CHURCH.
WE SEE THIS IN 1ST TIMOTHY 3:15:
“... THOU OUGHEST TO BEHAVE THYSELF IN THE HOUSE OF GOD, WHICH IS THE CHURCH OF THE LIVING GOD, THE PILLAR AND GROUND OF THE TRUTH.”
WE RECALL THAT CHAPTER ONE TAUGHT US THAT JESUS IS THE AGENT OF ALL CREATION.
THE BUILDER OF A HOUSE FOR HIS FAMILY, AS JESUS IS, BECOMES THE FOUNDER OF THE FAMILY.
MOSES WAS NOT THE BUILDER, BUT RATHER A MEMBER OF THE FAMILY THAT JESUS BUILT FOR.
REMEMBER THAT JESUS HIMSELF USED THIS IDEA LATE IN HIS MINISTRY TO DESCRIBE THAT IN THE FATHER'S HOUSE ARE MANY MANSIONS AND THAT HE WENT TO PREPARE A PLACE FOR HIS ETERNAL FAMILY WHICH WILL COME TO HIM IN THE LAST DAY.
BUT WE ALSO SEE IN THE LAST WORDS OF VERSE 6 A STRONG WARNING TO ALL BELIEVERS.
WE ARE THE HOUSE OF CHRIST BUT WE MUST HOLD FAST THE CONFIDENCE AND THE REJOICING OF HOPE UNTO THE END.
HE EXPECTS STEADFAST FAITH TO BE SHOWN BY ALL WHO HAVE COME TO BE HIS.
THIS HOPE IS THE HOPE GIVEN BY THE GOSPEL IN COL 1:23 AND IS THE HOPE LAID UP IN HEAVEN FOR GOD'S PEOPLE IN COL 1:5 AND THE HOPE OF GLORY IN COL 1:27.
1:23 “... BE NOT MOVED AWAY FROM THE HOPE OF THE GOSPEL...”
1:27 “... THE RICHES OF THE GLORY OF THIS MYSTERY AMONG THE GENTILES, WHICH IS CHRIST IN YOU, THE HOPE OF GLORY.”
PETER TEACHES THAT WE ALL HAVE A LIVING HOPE IN 1ST PETER 1:3 AND TITUS TEACHES US OF A BLESSED HOPE IN TITUS 2:13.
1ST PETER 1:3 “... HIS ABUNDANT MERCY HATH BEGOTTEN US AGAIN UNTO A LIVELY HOPE BY THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST FROM THE DEAD”
(NOTICE THE TEACHING HERE OF “BORN AGAIN”)
TITUS 2:13 “... LOOKING FOR THAT BLESSED HOPE AND THE GLORIOUS APPEARING OF THE GREAT GOD AND OUR SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST”.
THE HOPE TO WHICH WE HOLD FAST IS THE HOPE OF HIS PROMISED RETURN FOR ALL WHO ARE HIS.
THIS WONDERFUL CHAPTER NOW TURNS TOWARD THE EXHORTATION WE SPOKE ABOUT BEFORE WHICH IS ONE TAKEN FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT, PSALMS 95.
THIS PSALM IS WRITTEN TO TEACH US TO PRAISE GOD FOR HIS GOODNESS AND HIS GLORY, AND THAT WE ARE NOT TO TEMPT HIM.
PSALM 95:7-8 TEACHES US:
“FOR HE IS OUR GOD; AND WE ARE THE PEOPLE OF HIS PASTURE, AND THE SHEEP OF HIS HAND. TODAY IF YE WILL HEAR HIS VOICE,
HARDEN NOT YOUR HEARTS.”
VERSE 9 TAKES THE WARNING FURTHER STILL BY REMINDING THAT:
“WHEN YOUR FATHERS TEMPTED ME, PROVED ME, AND SAW MY WORK.”
HE WE SHOULD REMEMBER THAT THE FATHERS ALL DIED IN THE WILDERNESS EXCEPT CALEB & JOSHUA.
VERSE 12 IS VERY CLEAR IN ITS WARNING “TAKE HEED BRETHREN” AND TEACHES WHAT WE SHOULD BE IN HEED OF, AN EVIL HEART OF UNBELIEF, IN DEPARTING FROM THE LIVING GOD.'
WE SEE THIS WARNING EXPRESSED AGAIN BY PETER IN 2ND PETER 1:10 WHEN HE WARNS:
“... LET US PRAY THE MORE FREQUENTLY AND THE MORE EARNESTLY FOR GOD TO DELIVER US FROM AN EVIL HEART OF UNBELIEF”.
SAME WORDS, SAME WARNING. WE MUST HEED.
AS WE SUMMARIZE THE OVERALL MESSAGE WE ARE GIVEN, WE SHOULD SAY THAT IT IS THAT GOD IS SOVEREIGN, AND MAN IS HIS CREATURE.
MAN IS ONLY DELIVERED FROM OUR CREATURELY NATURE BY THE TRUTH GIVEN BY GOD.
WHILE THE LORD GRANTS THE TRUTH, WE ARE RESPONSIBLE TO RECEIVE IT, STUDY IT, ACCEPT IT, AND APPLY IT TO OUR OWN LIVES.
OUR ONLY SAFEGUARD IN THIS LIFE FROM REMAINING FALLEN CREATURES IS THE UNDERSTANDING AND RESPECT WE GIVE TO THE VOICE OF THE LORD, HIS SON AND HIS HOLY SPIRIT.
TODAY IF WE HEAR HIS VOICE, WE ARE NOT TO HARDEN OUR HEARTS.