GREATER THAN MOSES

Next to Abraham, Moses was undoubtedly the man most revered by the Jewish people. To go back to the Law meant to go back to Moses, and the recipients of this letter of Hebrews were sorely tempted to do just that. The writer needed to convince his readers that Jesus Christ is more excellent than Moses, for the entire system of Jewish religion came through Moses. In this section, we learn that Jesus Christ is superior to Moses in at least three respects:

1. CONSIDER THE EXCELLENCE OF HIS POWER (HEBREWS 3:1-2

Hebrews 3:1–2 KJV 1900

1 Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; 2 Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house.

The twofold description of the readers makes it clear that they were converted people. "Holy brethren" could only be applied to people in the family of God, set apart by the grace of God. That the writer was referring to people in the church, the body of Christ, is clear from his use of the phrase "partakers of the heavenly calling." No unconverted Jew or Gentile could ever claim that blessing! The word translated "partakers" here is translated as "partners" in Luke 5:7, describing the relationship of four men in the fishing business: they were in it together.

True Christians not only share in a heavenly calling, but they also share in Jesus Christ (Heb. 3:14).

Through the Holy Spirit, we are "members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones" (Eph. 5:30).

True believers are also "partakers of the Holy Spirit (Heb. 6:4).

"Now if any man has not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His" (Rom. 8:9).

Because we are God's children, we also partake in God's loving chastening (Heb. 12:8).

Not to be chastened is evidence that a person is not one of God's children.

Because these people were holy brethren, sisters, and partakers of a heavenly calling, they could give a "PROFESSION" of their faith in Jesus Christ.

The word means "to say the same thing." All true Christians "say the same thing" regarding their salvation experience. Twice in this epistle, the writer exhorts the readers to hold fast to this confession (4:14; 10:23, NAsB). This same confession that they were “strangers and pilgrims” on the earth characterized men and women of faith in the past (11:13).

It was not Moses who did all of this for the people addressed in this epistle; it was Jesus Christ! The writer did not exhort them to consider Moses but to consider Christ.

The word means "to consider carefully, to understand fully. " This is no quick glance at Jesus Christ! It is carefully considering who He is and what He has done.

That Christ is superior to Moses in His person is an obvious fact. Moses was a mere man, called to be a prophet and leader, while Jesus Christ is the Son of God sent by the Father into the world. The title “apostle” means "One sent with a commission." God called and commissioned Moses, but Jesus Christ was sent as God's "last Word" to sinful man. You may want to read some of the verses in the Gospel of John where Jesus is referred to as "sent from God" John 3:17, 34; 5:36, 38; 6:29, 57; 7:29; 8:42; 10:36; 11:42; 17:3; and note also 13:3).

Jesus Christ is not only the Apostle but also the High Priest.

Moses was a prophet who occasionally served as a priest (see Ps. 99:6

Psalm 99:6 KJV 1900

6 Moses and Aaron among his priests, And Samuel among them that call upon his name; They called upon the Lord, and he answered them.

but he was never a high priest. That title belonged to his brother Aaron. Jesus Christ is "Great High Priest" (Heb. 4:14).

As the Apostle, Jesus Christ represented God to men, and as the High Priest, He now represents men to God in heaven. Moses, of course, fulfilled similar ministries; for he taught Israel God’s truth and prayed for Israel when he met God on the mount (see Ex. 32:30-32). Moses was primarily the prophet of Law, while Jesus Christ is the messenger of God's grace (see John 1:17). Moses helped prepare the way for the coming of the Savior to the earth.

However, the writer of Hebrews notes that Moses and Jesus Christ were both faithful in the work God gave them to do. Moses was not sinless, as was Jesus Christ, but he was faithful and obeyed God's will (Num. 12:7). This would encourage those first-century Jewish believers to remain faithful to Christ, even amid the tough trials they were experiencing. Instead of returning to Moses, they should imitate Moses and be faithful in their calling.

2. CONSIDER THE EXCELLENCE OF HIS AUTHORITY

Hebrews 3:3–6 KJV 1900

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

The word "house" is used six times in these verses. It refers to the people of God, not to a material building.

Moses ministered to Israel, the people of God under the Old Covenant. Today, Christ ministers to His church, the people of God under the New Covenant (whose house are we," v. 6). You find an illustration of this dual use of"house" in 2 Samuel 7. David wanted to build a temple for God, a house where God could dwell. But God told David that He would build David's house (household, family) and make a covenant with David's descendants.

The contrast between Moses and Christ is clear:

Moses was a servant in the house, while Jesus Christ is a Son WITH AUTHORITY over the house. Moses was a member of the household, but Jesus built the house

The truth in these verses is a powerful argument for the deity of Jesus Christ. If God built all things, and Jesus Christ built God's house, then Jesus Christ must be God.

There is another factor in Christ's superiority over Moses: the Prophet Moses spoke about things to come, but Jesus Christ brought the fulfillment of these things (v. 6). Moses ministered "in the shadows" as it were (see 8:5 and 10:1), while Jesus Christ brought the full and final light of the Gospel of the grace of God.

The Greek word translated "servant" (v. 5) is not the usual New Testament word for servant or slave. This word means "a voluntary servant who acts because of affection." In the New Testament, it is used only of Moses. At the beginning of his ministry, Moses was hesitant and resisted God's call. But once he surrendered, he obeyed out of love and devotion.

'The "If clause (v. 6) needs to be understood in the light of the total context, which is Moses leading Israel out of Egypt and to the Promised Land. The writer does not suggest that we, as Christians, must save ourselves. This would contradict the major theme of the book, which is the finished work of Christ and His heavenly ministry guaranteeing our eternal salvation (7:14, 19, Rather, the writer is affirming that those who hold fast their confidence and hope are proving that they are genuinely born again.

The word "confidence" literally means "freedom of speech, openness”.

*When you are free to speak then there is no fear and you have confidence. A believer can come boldly (same word as "confidence") to the throne of grace (4:16) with openness and freedom and not be afraid. We have this boldness because of the shed blood of Jesus Christ (10:19). Therefore, we should not cast away our confidence, no matter what the circumstances might be. We should not have confidence in ourselves because we are too prone to fail; but we should have confidence in Jesus Christ who never fails.

Because of this confidence in Christ, and this confession, we can experience joy and hope (v. 6).

The writer exhorted these suffering saints to enjoy their spiritual experience and not simply endure it.

Jesus Christ is the beloved Son over His house and will care for each family member. He is the faithful High Priest who provides all the grace we need for each demand of life. As the Great Shepherd of the sheep (13:19-20), Jesus Christ is using the experiences in His people's lives to equip them for service that will glorify His name.

In other words, those who have trusted Christ prove this confession by their steadfastness, confidence, and joyful hope.

They are not burdened by the past or threatened by the present but are "living in the future tense" as they await the "blessed hope" of their Lord's return. This “heavenly calling” motivates the believers to keep living for the Savior even when the going is tough.

The wandering of Israel in the wilderness is a major topic in this section. Two men in that nation- Caleb and Joshua illustrate the attitude described in 3:6.

Everybody else in Israel over the age of 20 was to die in the wilderness and never enter the Promised Land (see Num. 14:26-38). But Caleb and Joshua believed God and God honored their faith. For 40 years, Caleb and Joshua watched their friends and relatives die, but those two men of faith had confidence in God's Word that they would one day enter Canaan. While others were experiencing sorrow and death, Caleb and Joshua rejoiced in confident hope. As believers, we know that God is taking us to heaven, and we should reveal the same kind of joyful confidence and hope.

3. CONSIDER THE EXCELLENCE OF HIS SABBATH (Heb. 3:7-4:13)

This long section is the second of the five exhortations in this epistle. In the first exhortation (2:1-4), the writer pointed out the danger of drifting from the Word because of neglect. In this exhortation, he explains the danger of doubting and disbelieving the Word because of the hardness of the heart. It is essential that we understand the background of this section, which is the Exodus of Israel from Egypt and their experiences of unbelief in the wilderness.

To begin with, we must understand that there are spiritual lessons in the geography of Israel's experiences. The nation's bondage in Egypt illustrates a sinner's bondage in this world. Much as Israel was delivered from Egypt by the blood of lambs and the power of God, so a sinner who believes on Christ is delivered from the bondage of sin (Col. 1:13-14). Jesus Christ is "the Lamb of God" whose death and resurrection have made our deliverance from sin a reality.

It was not God's will that Israel remains either in Egypt or in the wilderness. His desire was for the people to enter their glorious inheritance in Canaan. But when Israel got to the border of their inheritance, they delayed because they doubted the promise of God (Num. 13-14). "We are not able,” wept the 10 spies and the people.

"We are able with God's help!" said Moses, Joshua, and Caleb. Because the people went backward in unbelief instead of forward by faith, they missed their inheritance and died in the wilderness. It was the new generation that possessed the land and entered into their rest.

What does Canaan represent to us as Christians today? It represents our spiritual inheritance in Christ (Eph. 1:3, 11, 15-23). Unfortunately, some of our hymns and Gospel songs use Canaan as a picture of heaven and "crossing the Jordan" as a picture of death. Since Canaan was a place of battles and even of defeats, it is not a good illustration of heaven! Israel had to cross the river by faith (a picture of the believer as he dies to self and the world, Rom. 6) and claim the inheritance by faith. They had to "step out by faith" Josh. 1:3) and claim the land for themselves, just as believers today must do.

Now we can understand what the wilderness wanderings represent: the experiences of believers who will not claim their spiritual inheritances in Christ, doubt God's Word and live in restless unbelief. 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 not yet "in Canaan.

“With this background, we can now better understand one of the keywords in this section- rest (Heb.3:11, 18; 4:1, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11). The writer mentioned two different "rests" found in Old Testament history:

(1) God's Sabbath rest, when He ceased from His Creation activities (Heb. 4:4; Gen. 2:2);

(2) Israel's rest in Canaan (Heb. 3:11; Deut. 12:9; Josh. 21:43-45).

But he saw in these "rests" illustrations of the spiritual experiences of believers today. The Sabbath rest is a picture of our rest in Christ through salvation (Heb. 4:3, and see Matt. 11:28). The Canaan rest is a picture of our present rest as we claim our inheritance in Christ (Heb. 4:11-13; note the emphasis on the Word of God). The first is the rest of salvation; the second is the rest of submission.

But a third rest enters the discussion, that future rest that all believers will enjoy with God.

"There remaineth, therefore, a rest to the people of God" (4:9). This word for rest is the Greek word sabbatismos-"a keeping of a Sabbath".

"_and this is the only place in the New Testament where this word is used. When the saints enter heaven, it will be like sharing God's great Sabbath rest, with all labors and battles ended (Rev. 14:13).

We may diagram these rests in this way:

With this background of Israel's history and the

"rests" involved, we may now examine the passage itself. The writer gives a threefold admonition:

A. Let Us TAKE Heed (HEB. 3:7-19).

Take heed to what? To the sad history of the nation of Israel and the important lesson it teaches. The writer quotes from Psalm 95:7-11 which records God's response to Israel's tragic spiritual condition. God had delivered His people from Egypt and had cared for them, revealing His power in many signs and wonders. Israel saw all of this and benefited from it, but the experience did not bring them closer to God or make them trust Him more. All that God did for them did not benefit them spiritually In fact, just the opposite took place: they hardened their hearts against God! They put God to the test and He did not fail them; yet they failed Him.

The heart of every problem is a problem in the heart. The people of Israel (except Moses, Joshua, and Caleb) erred in their hearts (Heb. 3:10), meaning their hearts wandered from God and His Word.

They also had evil hearts of unbelief (v. 12); they did not believe God would give them victory in Ca-naan. They had seen God perform great signs in Egypt. Yet they doubted He was adequate for the challenge of Canaan

When a person has an erring and a disbelieving heart, the result will also be a hard heart. This is a heart that is insensitive to the Word and work of God.

So hard was the heart of Israel that the people even wanted to return to Egypt! Imagine wanting to exchange their freedom under God for slavery in Egypt!

Of course, all this history spoke to the hearts of the readers of this letter because they were in danger of

"going back themselves.

God's judgment fell on Israel in the wilderness at Kadesh-Barnea. That entire generation was condemned to die, and only the new generation would enter the land. God said, "They shall not enter into My rest" (3:11). But what message does this bring to a believer today? No believer today, Jew or Gentile, could return to the Mosaic legal system since the temple is gone and there is no priesthood. But every believer is tempted to give up his confession of Christ and return to the world system's life of compromise and bondage. This is especially true during times of persecution and suffering. The fires of persecution have always purified the church because suffering separates true believers from the counterfeit. True believers are willing to suffer for Christ and hold firmly to their convictions and confession of faith (see Heb. 3:6 and 14). We are not saved by holding to our confession. The fact that we hold to our confession is proof that we are God's true children.

We must take heed and recognize the spiritual dangers that exist. But it is also essential that we encourage each other to be faithful to the Lord

(3:13). We get the impression that some of these believers addressed were careless about their fellowship in the local assembly (see 10:23-25). Christians belong to each other and need each other. Moses, Caleb, and Joshua did try to encourage Israel when the nation refused to enter Canaan, but the people would not listen.

It is clear from this section that God was grieved with Israel during the entire 40 years they wandered in the wilderness. The Jews had not been out of Egypt long when they began to provoke God (Ex. 16:1f1).

After He supplied bread for them, they complained about a lack of water (Ex. 17:1-7). Moses called that place "Massah and Meribah, “ meaning "provocation and trial." These same words are used in Hebrews 3:10.

The sin of Israel is stated in verse 12-"departing from the living God." The Greek word gives us our English word "apostasy." This is the only place this word is used in Hebrews. Does "apostasy" mean abandoning one's faith and being condemned forever? That does not fit into this context. Israel departed from the living God by refusing God's will for their lives and stubbornly wanting to go their way back to Egypt. God did not permit them to return to Egypt. Rather, He disciplined them in the wilderness.

God did not allow His people to return to bondage.

Hebrews emphasizes that true believers have eternal salvation because they trust a living Saviour who constantly intercedes for them. But the writer carefully points out that this confidence is no excuse for sin. God disciplines His children. Remember that Canaan is not a picture of heaven but of the believer's present spiritual inheritance in Christ. Believers who doubt God's Word and rebel against Him do not miss heaven, but they do miss out on the blessings of their inheritance today, and they must suffer the chastening of God.

B. LET US FEAR (4:1-8).

Believers today may enter and enjoy their spiritual inheritance in Christ. We must be careful lest we fail to believe God's Word, for it is only as the Word is "mixed with faith" that it can accomplish its purposes. The argument in this section is given in several propositions:

(1) God finished His work and rested so His rest has been available since Creation.

(2) The Jews failed to enter into their rest.

(3) Many years later (Ps. 95), God said that a rest was still available.

That "Today" is still here! This means that Joshua did not lead Israel into the true rest because a rest still remains. [Note that the name "Jesus" in Heb. 4:8, kJv, ought to be "Joshua." “Jesus” is the Greek form of "Joshua."]

The Canaan rest for Israel is a picture of the spiritual rest we find in Christ when we surrender to Him.

When we come to Christ by faith, we find salvation rest (Matt. 11:28

Matthew 11:28 KJV 1900

28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

When we yield and learn of Him and obey Him by faith, we enjoy submission and rest (11:29-30) The first is "peace with God" (Rom. 5:1

Romans 5:1 KJV 1900

1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

the second is the "peace of God" (Phil. 4:6-8

Philippians 4:6–8 KJV 1900

6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

It is by believing that we enter into rest (Heb. 4:3

Hebrews 4:3 KJV 1900

3 For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

obeying God by faith and surrendering to His will that the rest enters into us.

C. LET US LABOR (4:9-13).

"Give diligence" is a good translation of this admonition. Diligence is the opposite of"drifting" (2:1-3). How do we give diligence? By paying close attention to the Word of God. Israel did not believe God's Word, so the rebels fell in the wilderness.

"So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God" (Rom. 10:17).

In comparing the Word of God to a sword, the writer is not suggesting that God uses His Word to slaughter the saints! It is true that the Word cuts the heart of sinners with conviction (Acts 5:33; 7:54), and that the Word defeats Satan (Eph. 6:17). The Greek word translated "sword" means "a short sword or dagger." The emphasis is on the power of the Word to penetrate and expose the inner heart of man. The Word is a "discerner" or "critiC." The Israelites criticized God's Word instead of allowing the Word to judge them.

Consequently, they lost their inheritance.

Of course, God sees our hearts (Heb. 4:13); but we do not always know what is there Jer. 17:9). God uses the Word to enable us to see the sin and unbelief in our own hearts. The Word exposes our hearts; if we trust God, the Word enables our hearts to obey God and claim His promises. This is why each believer should be diligent to apply himself to hear and heed God's Word. In the Word we see God, and we also see how God sees us. We see ourselves as we really are.

This experience enables us to be honest with God, to trust His will, and to obey Him.

All of this is possible because of the finished work of Jesus Christ. (The two "He's" in v. 10 refer to Jesus Christ.) God rested when He finished the work of Creation. God's Son rested when He completed the work of the new creation. We may enter into His rest by trusting His Word and obeying His will. We can do this by listening to His Word, understanding it, trusting it, and obeying it. Only in this way can we claim our inheritance in Christ.

Before Joshua conquered Jericho, he went out to survey the situation; and he met the Lord Jesus Christ Josh. 5:13-15). Joshua discovered that he was second in command! The Lord had a sword in His hand, and Joshua fell at His feet in complete submission. It was this action in private that gave Joshua his public victory.

We too claim our spiritual inheritance by surrendering to Him and trusting His Word. We must beware of an evil heart of unbelief.