Hebrews 3 Bible study
Notes
Transcript
text: Hebrews 3
1 Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, set your focus on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess.
2 He was faithful to the One who appointed Him, just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house.
3 For Jesus has been counted worthy of greater glory than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself.
4 And every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything.
5 Now Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house, testifying to what would be spoken later.
6 But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are His house, if we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope of which we boast.
7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear His voice,
8 do not harden your hearts, as you did in the rebellion, in the day of testing in the wilderness,
9 where your fathers tested and tried Me, and for forty years saw My works.
10 Therefore I was angry with that generation, and I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known My ways.’
11 So I swore on oath in My anger, ‘They shall never enter My rest.’ ”
12 See to it, brothers, that none of you has a wicked heart of unbelief that turns away from the living God.
13 But exhort one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.
14 We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly to the end the assurance we had at first.
15 As it has been said: “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts, as you did in the rebellion.”
16 For who were the ones who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt?
17 And with whom was God angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness?
18 And to whom did He swear that they would never enter His rest? Was it not to those who disobeyed?
19 So we see that it was because of their unbelief that they were unable to enter.
Context:
Hebrews Exegesis
Since Jesus has conquered death and sin, fulfilling the destiny for human beings by ruling the world as God’s vice-regent, those who belong to him are his “holy brothers.”
Commentary with My translation:
Ὅθεν, ἀδελφοὶ ἅγιοι, κλήσεως ἐπουρανίου μέτοχοι, κατανοήσατε τὸν ἀπόστολον καὶ ἀρχιερέα τῆς ὁμολογίας ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν,
1 Therefore, holy brothers, (my) companions in (our) heavenly calling, think carefully about the ambassador and high priest to whom we swear allegiance, Jesus,
Holy brothers - he calls them holy brothers, though he acknowledges that some of them may not be true believers.
Companions in a heavenly calling - those who share or participate together with the author in the heavenward call of God
Think carefully about Jesus - pay attention to Jesus, consider Jesus, contemplate Jesus
The ambassador and high priest to whom we swear allegiance - we confess or swear allegiance to Jesus; he is the ambassador or apostle, one sent to represent God to people, and he is the high priest, one who represents people to God.
Moses functioned as an apostle (sent one) to deliver the people of Israel from Egypt and also unofficially as a priest, interceding and representing the people to God. But Jesus is a greater Apostle and High Priest.
2 πιστὸν ὄντα τῷ ποιήσαντι αὐτὸν ὡς καὶ Μωϋσῆς ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ αὐτοῦ.
2 who was faithful to the One who made Him (an ambassador and high priest) just as Moses also (was faithful) in His house.
Faithful - He was faithful or trustworthy in carrying out His mission as the sent one to make God known to us, and He is faithful as our high priest interceding for us. (John 8:29; 17:4; Heb 2:17; 7:25-26; 1 John 1:9)
Just as Moses - Just as Moses was faithful in God’s house (Num 12:7), fulfilling God’s purpose, obeying God’s commands.
3 πλείονος γὰρ οὗτος δόξης παρὰ Μωϋσῆν ἠξίωται καθʼ ὅσον πλείονα τιμὴν ἔχει τοῦ οἴκου ὁ κατασκευάσας αὐτόν·
3 For He (Jesus) has been considered worthy of much greater glory than Moses, just as the constructor has more honor than the house he builds;
Considered worthy of greater glory - by God; the Father has honored Jesus in ways He did not honor Moses.
The constructor has more honor than the house he builds - just as the builder deserves more honor than the house, so Jesus deserves more honor than Moses; that is, Jesus built Moses. Jesus deserves more glory than Moses because He made Moses.
Possible reference to Zech 6:12, the Branch who will build the temple.
Also, 2 Samuel 7:13, David’s son will build a house for God’s name.
4 πᾶς γὰρ οἶκος κατασκευάζεται ὑπό τινος, ὁ δὲ πάντα κατασκευάσας θεός.
4 For every house is built by someone, and the One who built everything is God.
Another reason Jesus is greater than Moses is that Jesus is God, and Moses is only a created man.
5 καὶ Μωϋσῆς μὲν πιστὸς ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ οἴκῳ αὐτοῦ ὡς θεράπων εἰς μαρτύριον τῶν λαληθησομένων,
5 And, to be sure, Moses was faithful in His whole house as an attendant (and so served) as an indication of the things that will be expressed,
Moses was faithful in His whole house - perhaps to make sure it doesn’t sound like he’s bashing Moses, he acknowledges that Moses really was great; God testified of Moses’s faithfulness. Moses did everything God commanded (Ex 40:16).
as an attendant - Moses was just a servant, as great as he was; and his life and work were a testimony of what was to come (that is, Christ)
Possible allusion to Deut 18:15, 18: the prophet greater than Moses to whom the people must listen.
6 Χριστὸς δὲ ὡς υἱὸς ἐπὶ τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ· ὃς οἶκός ἐσμεν ἡμεῖς, ἐὰν τὴν παρρησίαν καὶ τὸ καύχημα τῆς ἐλπίδος κατάσχωμεν.
6 But Christ as Son (was faithful) over His house; we are His house, if we cling tightly to (our) courage and the boast of (our) confident expectation.
But Christ as Son - here he makes the same contrast as in chapter 1 with angels. Just as Jesus is better than angels because they’re servants and He’s the Son, so Jesus is better than Moses because Moses is a servant and Jesus is the Son.
Over - implies His authority
We are His house - we are the temple of the living God (1 Cor 3:16; 2 Cor 6:16; Eph 2:21-22)
If we cling tightly - our present and future perseverance are the test of whether our profession is genuine.
7 Διό, καθὼς λέγει τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον· Σήμερον ἐὰν τῆς φωνῆς αὐτοῦ ἀκούσητε, 8 μὴ σκληρύνητε τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν ὡς ἐν τῷ παραπικρασμῷ, κατὰ τὴν ἡμέραν τοῦ πειρασμοῦ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, 9 οὗ ἐπείρασαν οἱ πατέρες ὑμῶν ἐν δοκιμασίᾳ καὶ εἶδον τὰ ἔργα μου 10 τεσσεράκοντα ἔτη· διὸ προσώχθισα τῇ γενεᾷ ταύτῃ καὶ εἶπον· Ἀεὶ πλανῶνται τῇ καρδίᾳ· αὐτοὶ δὲ οὐκ ἔγνωσαν τὰς ὁδούς μου· 11 ὡς ὤμοσα ἐν τῇ ὀργῇ μου· Εἰ εἰσελεύσονται εἰς τὴν κατάπαυσίν μου.
7 Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit is saying, “Today, if you (all) hear His voice, 8 Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the desert, 9 where your ancestors put (Me) to the test (to examine My genuineness) and saw My works 10 for forty years; therefore, I became very angry with this generation, and I said, “Their heart is constantly straying, and they refused to know My ways.” 11 So I swore an oath in My indignation: (May I be cursed by God) if they enter My place of rest [that is, they shall certainly not enter].”
The Holy Spirit is saying - the Psalm 95 by David is the Holy Spirit’s speech; He is saying these things 1000 years after David wrote them, and even now, another 2000 years later. God is speaking through His Word; ours is to listen.
If you hear His voice - hearing His voice is a test of the genuineness of our faith, as Jesus said in John 10:27.
They refused to know My ways - literally they did not know, but not out of ignorance. They were stubbornly rebellious and refused to listen and learn God’s ways. Their ignorance was guilty ignorance.
I swore an oath - to swear an oath involves calling down judgment from God against oneself for failing to do what one swears; So God calls down judgment from God against Himself if He lets them enter His rest. This construction follows the Hebrew OT pattern of only supplying the “if” clause when giving an oath; the “then” is assumed.
Allusion to Numbers 14:23, 30.
12 βλέπετε, ἀδελφοί, μήποτε ἔσται ἔν τινι ὑμῶν καρδία πονηρὰ ἀπιστίας ἐν τῷ ἀποστῆναι ἀπὸ θεοῦ ζῶντος,
12 Watch out, brothers, so that there may not be in any of you a wicked, disloyal heart, that causes you to withdraw from the living God;
Watch out, brothers - though most of them are brothers, he warns them to watch out against the deceitful promises of sin. Warning serves as a means of preservation of faith.
A wicked, disloyal heart - or an evil, unbelieving heart; a refusal to believe God’s promises leads to disloyalty of heart and disobedience in actions.
Withdraw(ing) from the living God - the most dangerous thing we can do is move away from God, stepping off the path of righteousness onto the path of sin. This whole book calls us to move toward God - to draw near (Hebrews 4:16, 7:25; 10:22 & others)
13 ἀλλὰ παρακαλεῖτε ἑαυτοὺς καθʼ ἑκάστην ἡμέραν, ἄχρις οὗ τὸ Σήμερον καλεῖται, ἵνα μὴ σκληρυνθῇ τις ἐξ ὑμῶν ἀπάτῃ τῆς ἁμαρτίας·
13 Rather, call upon each other for help every day, as long as it is called “Today,” in order that none of you may become unyielding or resistant (towards God) because of sin’s deceptive promises of pleasure.
Call upon each other for help - often translated urge, exhort, encourage (related to Paraclete, the Holy Spirit’s role); but the responsibility doesn’t just fall on us to help others, but also to invite others to help us. This implies initiative not only in helping others but also in seeking help for ourselves.
Hebrews Exegesis
Encouragement and exhortation, the author believes, are a community project and a mutual endeavor
Every day, as long as it is called Today - as long as the “Today” of v. 7 is being spoken - as long as the Holy Spirit is speaking, we are to seek help from others and give help to others
In order that none of you may become unyielding or resistant towards God - hardened, unable to turn to God because you love the world so much; the regular help and accountability of others keeps us soft; isolation hardens.
Because of sin’s deceptive promises of pleasure - literally, by/because of the deceitfulness of sin. Sin makes promises, but they are lying promises. Sin promises pleasure it cannot deliver. We must believe God’s promises, not sin’s promises.
Hebrews Exegesis
Advice, correction, and encouragement from others are the means by which the deception of sin can be unmasked.
14 μέτοχοι γὰρ τοῦ Χριστοῦ γεγόναμεν, ἐάνπερ τὴν ἀρχὴν τῆς ὑποστάσεως μέχρι τέλους βεβαίαν κατάσχωμεν.
14 For we have become companions of Christ, if indeed from the beginning of our faith we cling tightly and steadfastly (to it) until the end.
For we have become companions of Christ - sharers in Christ (same word as in v. 1, also Heb 1:9); this past experience will prove to be real, IF…
If indeed from the beginning of our faith we cling tightly and steadfastly (to it) until the end - the word faith is not here in Greek, but the word hypostasis is, which is the definition of faith according to Heb 11:1; to cling to what is real, to the substance, is to have faith. And our faith has a beginning point and an end, which is when our faith becomes sight - when we see the reality to which we have been clinging. So once again, as in v. 6, the test of genuineness is perseverance. Those who persevere in faith prove to be genuine believers.
15 ἐν τῷ λέγεσθαι· Σήμερον ἐὰν τῆς φωνῆς αὐτοῦ ἀκούσητε, Μὴ σκληρύνητε τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν ὡς ἐν τῷ παραπικρασμῷ.
15 While it is said, “Today if you hear His voice,” do not harden your hearts as (they did) in the rebellion.
Now the author requotes some of Psalm 95, speaking these words to his readers, directing their attention to apply these words personally. The Holy Spirit is still speaking, so listen, and don’t harden your heart. As long as He is speaking, we must be listening.
16 τίνες γὰρ ἀκούσαντες παρεπίκραναν; ἀλλʼ οὐ πάντες οἱ ἐξελθόντες ἐξ Αἰγύπτου διὰ Μωϋσέως;
16 For which ones rebelled, although they heard (His voice)? Was it not indeed all who went out from Egypt through (the agency of) Moses?
They heard - that generation heard God’s voice and yet rejected Him. Their rebellion is all the more serious because they heard God.
17 τίσιν δὲ προσώχθισεν τεσσεράκοντα ἔτη; οὐχὶ τοῖς ἁμαρτήσασιν, ὧν τὰ κῶλα ἔπεσεν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ;
17 And with which ones did He become very angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the desert?
Their corpses fell in the desert - God’s punishment for them was physical death, for those who heard His first covenant; how much worse punishment will there be for those who hear and reject His new covenant?!
18 τίσιν δὲ ὤμοσεν μὴ εἰσελεύσεσθαι εἰς τὴν κατάπαυσιν αὐτοῦ εἰ μὴ τοῖς ἀπειθήσασιν;
18 And about which ones did He swear an oath that they will never enter His place of rest, except to those who disobeyed (Him)?
His place of rest - here referring to the promised land, a sort of return to Eden, picturing the eternal rest of God. They missed out on a physical blessing because they disobeyed; we are in danger of missing out on an eternal spiritual blessing if we disobey the word spoken through His Son (Heb 4:1-2).
Those who disobeyed (Him) - this word (ἀπειθήσασιν) carries the idea of distrust as well as disobedience. They refused to trust in God’s promises and so disobeyed His commands. That’s why the author concludes that unbelief was the root problem (v. 19).
19 καὶ βλέπομεν ὅτι οὐκ ἠδυνήθησαν εἰσελθεῖν διʼ ἀπιστίαν.
19 And so we perceive that they were not able to enter because of their unbelief [that is, their unwillingness to commit themselves to God or respond positively to His words and actions; disloyalty].
Unbelief - may also include the idea of faithlessness or disloyalty; God had entered into a covenant with them, and they acted like a faithless, disloyal, harlotrous wife committing adultery.
