HEBREWS 3

 

HEBREWS 3 - CHRIST Vs MOSES

            The third chapter divides naturally into two parts, verses 1 to 6 and 7 to 19. The first section compares and contrasts Christ and Moses; the second begins the discussion of Israel in the wilderness, which subject is continued in the fourth chapter. 

Christ Vs Moses

            Moses held a place of high esteem with Israel. He had given them the law that came to be known as the law of Moses. He had been in the mount with God and had interceded for the people. He had built the sanctuary, and to him God had spoken face to face. Moses led Israel out of Egypt into the wilderness, where they wandered forty years. He never brought them into the Promised Land for which they started. That, however, was the fault of the people. They murmured and complained and failed to enter because of unbelief.

1.  Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;

            Paul addresses the readers as holy brethren who have had a heavenly calling. Jesus is the earthly name of the Saviour. Christ, or the Messiah, refers to His divine nature. Jesus represents Him as the Son of man; Christ as the Son of God. When the two names are used together as Christ Jesus; the reference is to the God-man, our Saviour and Lord.

            In this verse we are asked to consider Him specifically in His positions as apostle and high priest. An apostle is one who is sent. This is the only place where Christ is called by that name, though in many places He is spoken of as being sent (John 5:24; 6:44; 17:3).

2.  Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house.

            Christ Jesus was faithful to God Who sent Him. The record of Christ's life emphasizes this point. At no time did Christ do His own will or speak His own words. "I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me." John 5:30. "The word which you hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me." John 14:24. His very name is "the faithful and true witness." Revelation 3:14.

            The author presents Christ as the antitype of Moses, comparing Him with the great leader of Israel. We hear God speaking about Moses as being "faithful in all mine house," (Numbers 12:7). The record reads: "According to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so the children of Israel made all the work. And Moses did look upon all the work, and behold, they had done it as the Lord had commanded, even so had they done it: and Moses blessed them." Exodus 39:42, 43.

            In like manner Christ could say, "The works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me." John 5:36. "The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he sees the Father do: for what things so ever he does, these also does the Son likewise." John 5:19. And when His work was done, He announced, "I have finished the work which thou gave me to do." John 17:4. Thus Moses and Christ were both faithful in their respective spheres.

3.  For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house.

            Christ has more glory than Moses, inasmuch as the builder is greater than the house. It is obvious, of course, that however glorious a house may be, the one who produced it is greater. The author here considers Christ a builder, and Moses the house. The church is the house of God, and as such Moses was part of the house. Christ is the builder of this house, the church.

4.  For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God.

            He that built all things is God, this is an indirect pronouncement that Christ is God. For “all things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made”. John 1: 3

5.  And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after;

            Moses as part of the house of God was faithful as a servant and completed the task committed to him. The things he did, stood and were spoken of as a testimony of his faithfulness later (Exodus 39: 42, 43).

6.  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.

            Christ is faithful as a son over His own house, the church – His people.  We shall be considered as part of His house if we hold fast the confidence – a holy boldness grounded in confidence and trust in God.  God wants us to approach Him in confidence, and not in slavish fear; and He holds this confidence in such high esteem.  "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but you have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:” Romans 8: 14 – 16.

            Sonship, however, is to be distinguished by more than boldness. We are to hold not only "the hope firm," but "the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.” God is not satisfied with having His children sorrow and bowed down as a bulrush. That is an incorrect reflection of Him. We give false testimony about God when we are gloomy and despondent. God wants us to be cheerful, and not give a wrong impression of God by our demeanour (manner/ appearance). This is one of the signs that should distinguish the heir from the servant.

           Wandering in the Wilderness

            This section (verses 7 – 19) deals with Israel's wanderings in the wilderness. It recounts Israel's failure to enter God's rest and points out the reasons for this failure. The apostle has two purposes in mind in recounting the wilderness experience, both of which are important.

            The first is to show the superiority of Jesus over Moses and Joshua. Neither Moses nor Joshua brought Israel into the rest that God had planned for them. Moses himself did not enter Canaan but died on the border; so, he did not lead Israel in; and though Joshua brought them into the land, he did not bring them into the rest. That which neither Moses nor Joshua could do, Christ has done and is doing.  Christ brings rest.  This shows Christ's superiority over all others.

            The fact that Israel did not enter the land because of unbelief furnishes the apostle an opportunity to admonish his readers not to fail as did Israel. This is his second purpose. A leader has now appeared who will bring us into the true rest of God. We must not fail to follow Him, and thus must make our calling and election sure.  

            The next set of 5 verses are a direct quote from Psalm 95: 7 – 11, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit through the Psalmist.

7.  Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice,

            We are admonished not to harden our hearts if we are to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit today. "To day," is the today of God's call, the day of salvation; it is this day, any day, every day, on which the call sounds.  In Israel's day it was today; in Christ's day it was today; in our day it is today. It is the ever-present today. The day did not close in the wilderness, though many died there because they did not heed the call.  It did not close in Christ's day, though many rejected Him.  It has not closed today, though the last call of mercy is about to sound.  It is still today for those who will hear and heed.

8.  Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:

            We harden our hearts when we do not heed the call to obey God’s voice.  Our hearts are hardened when we do not manifest the trust and confidence in God and further provoke Him with our actions of unbelief. This is what happened in the wilderness.

            The first time Israel murmured against Moses and provoked God, was at Marah, three days after they had crossed the Red Sea. (Exodus 15:23-26). When they arrived thirsty at this place, they could not drink the water, for it was bitter. God showed Moses a tree and told him to cast it into the water; and immediately after he had done this the water became sweet. The statement, "there he proved them" (Exo 15: 25), indicates that God purposely brought them to the bitter water to test them. The children of Israel unfortunately failed in the day of temptation (Massah - trial/ temptation) in the wilderness, by murmuring, complaining and provoking God.

            God wanted to strengthen them for the trying days ahead, in which they would need faith in God; and so, He permitted them to be deprived of water that they might learn to trust Him. He had just saved them from Pharaoh's army and had parted the Red Sea for them. When they came to the bitter water, God would have been pleased to have them say, "The God who caused us to pass dry shod through the Red Sea, Who slew Pharaoh's army, will not permit us to die of thirst. Let us wait and be patient. God is testing us. He will send us water when He sees best."

            A little later when they lacked food, God rained manna from heaven for them. They were told to gather "a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no." Exodus 16:4. Thus God again tested them; but they did not stand the test.   

            The third test came when Israel "pitched in Rephidim: and there was no water for the people to drink." Exodus 17:1. By this time they should have known that God was testing them. But they cried for water, raising the old complaint against Moses: "Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?" Exo 17: 3. So God gave them water by having Moses smite the rock (Exo 17: 5, 6). God did not rebuke them the first and the second time, but the third time when "they tempted the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not?" Exodus 17:7; they went too far. God was provoked, and Hebrews calls it "the provocation." God had done much for them, but they had not learned their lesson.

9.  When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.

            At the close of their wilderness wanderings, nearly forty years after the experiences mentioned above, Israel came into the wilderness of Zin, and again lacked water. It would seem after this long time they should have learned to trust God; but instead, they cried as before, "Why have you brought up the congregation of the Lord into this wilderness, that we and our cattle should die there?" Numbers 20:4. And so God gave them water. Once more they had failed to stand the test. "This is the water of Meribah (strife/ chide); because the children of Israel strove with the Lord, and He was sanctified in them." Numbers20:13.

            Thus, all through the journey in the wilderness for forty years, the children of Israel tempted and tested God though they saw the mighty workings of God amidst them.

10.  Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.

            "They do always err in their heart," said God, "and they have not known my ways." For forty years they had seen His works yet they did not know God. Every day manna had rained down from heaven. (Exodus 16:4) Their garments had miraculously been preserved: "Your clothes are not waxen old upon you, and thy shoe is not waxen old upon thy foot." Deuteronomy 29:5. "Neither did thy foot swell." Deuteronomy 8:4. Despite the manna from heaven and the very personal miracle of the preservation of their garments, they had not learned to trust God. God was much grieved with that generation that God rejected them.

11.  So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)

            God had borne with them long. He could do no more for them. They had erred, not only in act but "in their heart.” And so reluctantly God swore, "They shall not enter into my rest."

            God had more in mind for them than merely entering the Promised Land. He wanted them to enter into His rest. His rest is the rest of the soul, when the burden of sin is rolled away and the man is set free.  It was to this rest He called Israel.

            But Israel did not respond. A few, indeed, did enter by faith, but the large majority refused, and died in the wilderness and of the thousands who at last entered Canaan, only a few entered God's rest.

12.  Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.

            Based on the experiences of the Israelites, the apostle warns us to ‘take heed, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God’. Unbelief is considered as having an evil heart and it was the reason that they did not enter into God’s rest.  Despite the lessons of the past, we quickly lose faith when help does not come at the time and in the manner in which we think it should come. In this respect we are even less believing than they; for we have added evidence of God's might and care, such as they did not have. Our lack of faith stands in marked contrast to the faithfulness of Christ and Moses as recorded in the first part of the chapter.

13.  But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

            We are to "exhort one another” day by day. We are in need of constant reminders of God's goodness and our duty, lest we forget. We need to take advantage of every means God has provided for the building up of the church of God: stated periods of public worship, prayer and meditation, study and communion, family worship, missionary endeavour, work for the unfortunate and shut-ins, hospital and prison work, attendance at the ordinances of God's house, and any other means that will encourage others and strengthen our own faith.

            Most people are aware of the allurement and fleeting pleasure of sin. It often looks attractive, and people are lured into its snare. Its deceitfulness is not always immediately apparent. But as a man sows, so he shall also reap; and the awakening to the reality of the harvest – ruined health, broken home, disgrace, contempt of right-thinking people, loss of friends and possessions, condemnation of conscience, loss of eternal life - comes as a terrific shock. It is well that we be exhorted daily, lest we become hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

14.  For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end;

            Union with Christ here and now is a most precious experience, and the highest attainment possible for a Christian. ‘We are made partakers of Christ’ when ‘we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end’. We were admonished to hold fast our confidence and the rejoicing of our hope firm unto the end. Here, we are told to hold fast not only our confidence but "the beginning of our confidence." As our faith, confidence, and boldness were strong in the beginning, when we were in our first love, so we are to continue steadfast. We are not to lose our first love or our first confidence; for this will keep us united to Christ. 

            These were written for the members of the church of Jerusalem who expected Christ to come soon in their time that they sold out all their possessions and laid them at the feet of the apostles.  But many years had passed since then, and there was still no sign of Christ's immediate coming. Their faith was waning. They needed the admonition to hold on; but more than this, they needed a clear conception of Christ's work so that they would not wait in idle expectation, but intelligently co-operate with Him in His work. This is more relevant for us who are in the last days and are awaiting the imminent return of Christ.

15.  While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.

            God is anxious that Israel shall not harden their hearts on hearing the voice of God. Therefore, the repetition of the warning, ‘To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation’. When God warns us not to harden our hearts, He has reference to more than the final, unforgivable sin. Let each examine himself. This may be done as Pharaoh hardened his heart in final impenitence; but there are other simple ways by which we might harden our hearts, which, while they may not immediately result in the loss of the soul, nevertheless do much harm, and of which we need to beware.

            For example, it is dangerous to steel the heart against calls for help to the needy, the poor, the outcast. Some may restrict their giving because of unwise spending. There are those who tend to be careless in speech, in property rights, in personal habits. We need not particularize, but small habits have a tendency to harden into permanent conduct.

            Constant contact with sickness and suffering tend to make people less sensitive and less sympathetic than they should be. This is a danger that threatens all, especially physicians and nurses. But no Christian can afford to kill or deaden the impulse of sympathy and tenderness. When we become incapable of responding properly to that which normally would call for deep feeling, we are cheating ourselves, and are not living to the full measure of our capacity.

16.  For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.

            Again, talking about the Israelites, their provocations on hearing the voice of God, are remembered. However, among all that came out of Egypt by Moses, there were still some who were faithful. Of the prominent ones who entered the land were Caleb and Joshua (Numbers 26:65). Others, of less eminence, were Eleazar, the priest, and Phinehas, his son. (Joshua 17:4; 22:13,31,32; Numbers 25:7) A study of the records reveal that there were other priests who were also faithful.

 17.  But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?

            From the first to the last, Israel was consistently disobedient. Forty years God bore with them, but to little purpose. They sinned by not heeding the voice of God and their carcases fell in the wilderness and God was grieved with them for forty years.

18.  And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?

            They were anxious to enter Canaan and have rest from their wilderness wanderings, but they were not willing to conform to the conditions of entering into God's rest. At every trial they manifested unbelief at God, ever taking them into the promised land. At last God was compelled to reject them as unfit for the kingdom.

19.  So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

            Though God had sworn that they should not enter, it was not an arbitrary decree. They simply were not able to enter; they could not enter. Their unbelief made it impossible.

 

 

REFERENCE:

Andreason M L. The Book of Hebrews. Washington D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association; 1948. 190 p.