Hebrews - Chapter 3
CHRIST IS SUPERIOR TO MOSES
Summary: The Lord Jesus Christ, the bringer of the new covenant is high above Moses, the mediator of the old covenant because Jesus is the Son of God, and Lord over the house whereas Moses is the servant of God, who is faithful in the house. It is upon this concept that the warning is included that we should not harden our hearts unless we might fail to enter into His rest, of which the promised land was given as our Old Testament type.
If Christ was so much better than Moses then it makes sense to think first of what we know of Moses himself.
The history of Moses was among the most remarkable of all scripture.
The hand of God preserved him as a baby and the hand of God dug his grave.
The honors given to him by God were greater than those given to any other man, before or since.
During the most important history of the chosen people, all of God’s dealings with those people were transacted through this one man.
His position of nearness to the Lord was unique and awesome. He may be viewed as an original prophet & priest & king to the chosen people.
Through him, the entire Levitical law was made.
By him, the tabernacle was constructed.
No man was more esteemed to this special people than Moses.
(John 9:28-29):”… we are Moses’ disciples. We know that God spake unto Moses, as for this fellow (Jesus) we know not from whence he is.”
Yet, as great as Moses was, this chapter of Hebrews calls on us to consider one who was far greater, perhaps greater than him as the heavens are greater than the earth.
Consider:
Moses was a man of God, Jesus WAS God himself.
Moses was a fallen descendant of Adam, born in sin, lived in sin, Jesus was sinless and holy.
Moses was a prophet through whom God spoke, Jesus was himself the “TRUTH” revealing the mind, the will, and the heart of God.
Moses performed priestly functions (Ex 24:6 & 32:11) while Jesus is the great high priest of all.
Moses was king in Jeshurun (Deut 33:5) while Jesus is “King of kings”.
Moses delivered Israel from Egypt, while Jesus Christ delivers his people from hell eternal.
Moses built an earthly tabernacle, while Jesus is building a place for us on high.
Moses led Israel across the wilderness, while Jesus will lead many sons into glory.
3:1 Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;
Apostle = one who is sent. How many times has Jesus reminded us of one who sent Him? He is like a missionary who first brings the message to a new location and he is the initiator of our salvation and in addition our High Priest (much more concerning this matter in Chapter 7).
What a person thinks about Jesus Christ will determine that person’s destiny and we must not overlook the fact that Jesus is the model for our Christian life.
In Hebrews 12 we are taught:
“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the captain and finisher of our faith … Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart”.
In 1 Peter 2:20 we are taught:
“And if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, … to this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in His steps”.
Are we partakers of the heavenly calling as He was? Have we followed His example in John 17:
1 I have glorified you upon the earth. I have accomplished the work which you have given me.
6 I have revealed your name. I pray for them. I protected them.
14 I have given them your word.
26 I have made known to them your name.
3:2-4 Who was faithful to him that appointed him as also Moses was faithful to all in his house.
Moses was faithful in all God’s house (where He dwelt) but the maker of the house is more honored than the house itself.
3:4 For every house is builded by some man, but he that built all things is God.
“Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made” (John 1:3)
“For by him, all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible….” (Col 1:15)
CAREFUL NOTE: Building things here by man is not faith! Faith is NOT a work (Rom 4:5). Building things in His name are applications of faith, not faith itself.
3:5-6 Moses was verily faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after.
But Christ, as a son over his own house, whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.
Moses’ ministry was a shadow of the ministry of Christ. Jesus himself said to the unbelieving Jews in John 5:45-46 that they should not think he would accuse them before the Father, but rather Moses will do so.
While we are taught that Moses appeared at the Transfiguration (along with Elijah) we MUST always remember that in one of the only three times the Father spoke audibly to the earth, He said, “This is my son, whom I love, with him I am well pleased. Listen to him”. (Matt 17:3-5).
There appears in verse 6 a conditional teaching (note the word “if”), and this conditional occurs also elsewhere in scripture :
1 Cor 15:12 “By this gospel you are saved IF you hold firmly to the word I preached to you”.
2 Cor 13:5 “Do you not realize that Christ is in you – unless, of course, you fail the test”.
John 8:31 “IF ye continue in My word, then ye are My disciples indeed”.
3:7-9 “Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, today if ye will hear his voice,
Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When you fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.”
For the next section of verses we see a use of the use of the words directly taken from Psalm 95 (here we see 95:7-9).
The analogy is between the constant backsliding of the chosen people in the wilderness times and the backsliding Christians in the first century.
Review 1 Cor 10:1-6
“… God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert. Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did.”
To harden the heart is to not listen to and heed the word of the Lord and can be a breaking of the commands or just a refusal to ponder and accept.
A hardened heart is one not receptive.
This particular event from Psalm 95 and reminded in Hebrews is from Exodus 17:
The whole Jewish nation in the desert was thirsty and they quarreled with Moses and demanded he provide water to the people. Moses asked them not to put the Lord to the test, but still they grumbled against both Moses and the Lord. Moses asked the Lord what to do and the Lord once more provided for his people advising Moses to use the same rod he used over the Red sea to strike the rock and water gushed forth so that all may drink.
Moses called this place Massah & Meribah, which is Hebrew for the quarrelsome people.
Are we not guilty of similar grumbles in our lives today? Do we trust that He will provide or do we simply want to gripe if our momentary desires are not met instantly? Is God our servant or are we his?
Faith deepens as it is tested & tribulation brings patience !!!!!!!!!!
3:10-11 Wherefore I was grieved with that generation…. They do always err in their heart….. so I swear in my wrath, they shall not enter my rest”.
These words are a direct quote from Psalm 95:10-11 describing the grumbling of the people showing no appreciation for God’s blessing of freedom & provision. God finally gave up on that generation.
Note what He says in Numbers 14:27-29:
“How long will this wicked community grumble against me… In this desert your bodies will fall… not one of you will enter the land… except Caleb and Joshua”.
Here we have a teaching applying these matters to the life of those who follow Christ. Salvation is by grace through faith in Christ and faith is revealed by one’s attitude & actions. A heart always going astray is not a heart that has been regenerated by His love.
It might be good to think about the constancy of God toward those who love Him and accept his word (and The Word, His given Son):
Perhaps we should at this point remember that the chosen people started out singing the praises of God on the shores of the Red sea (Ex 15).
These same people swore their faithfulness to the Lord in Ex 19:8 when “all the people answered together and said, All that the Lord has spoken we will do”.
Yet, in fact, these same people slid away from the Lord when times were difficult EVEN THOUGH GOD PROVIDED, and because of that sliding away all but two who began the journey perished in the wilderness.
This is EXACTLY the lesson of Hebrews 3:12
Take heed brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
As Peter taught in 2 Peter 1:10 “brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure”.
DO WE THINK THE LORD IS LOOKING FOR A MOMENT OF FAITH OR A LIFETIME OF FAITH FROM HIS SONS?
13:13 Exhort one another daily, while it is called today, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
Exhort is used 109 times in the NT, always meaning “urge” “implore” “plead” “appeal” comfort” “encourage” (Are we so doing?)
13:14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end.
Another conditional sentence “IF”
There are two great concepts running through all of the NT, that God is sovereign, and that man is responsible for his life.
It is the balance between these two that brings Him to abide in us, dwell in us though the Holy Spirit and us in him through our free will choice to accept Him and live as his.
13:15-19
“… with whom was he grieved forty years? … So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.”
Of the more than 600,000 who began the journey, only 2 entered the promised land.
Is there any clearer picture of disobedience anywhere in scripture?
Is it disobedience which brings unbelief or is it unbelief that brings disobedience?
They go hand in hand and we know that there are Christians who become unbelievers through disobedience.
Paul taught in 1 Cor 10 that “… all were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all baptized into Moses, all ate the same spiritual food, all drank the same spiritual drink for they drank from the spiritual rock, and nevertheless God was not pleased with most of them, their bodies scattered over the desert.”
John taught in 3:36 that “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life, and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him”.
and
1 John 3:24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him.
and
Jude 5 … the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.
CHAPTER 3 QUESTIONS:
Why is Christ superior to Moses?
How does Jesus function as both apostle and high priest?
With a strong emphasis on unbelief, what is the result?
Do we “exhort each other daily”? How can we improve upon this important instruction? Is this one of the main reasons we are told to “assemble ourselves together”? Isn’t this one of the main foundations of brotherhood?