Chapter 3
Now the writer is showing that Christ was higher than Moses. His point is that Moses lived in the house Christ built. Through Christ, all things were created. Moses lived in creation. Christ must be above Moses. The implicit assumption - not stated that I can see - is that Christ is the Messiah. He makes the case that Moses was a faithful servant, but Christ is faithful as a son. Does this refer back to vs. 2:13b?
2023 - This verse I have not noticed before:
1 Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, [Heb 3:1 ESV]. Jesus the apostle of our confession. What an interesting term! Same Greek word that was used of the 12. Here are the definitions from the BLB outline of Biblical usage:
a delegate, messenger, one sent forth with orders
specifically applied to the twelve apostles of Christ
in a broader sense applied to other eminent Christian teachers
of Barnabas
of Timothy and Silvanus
I note that this does not mention Hebrews 3:1.
2022 - God built the house. Moses was a faithful servant in the house God built. Jesus is the faithful son of the house. We are the house itself. Not a perfect analogy, but I get the idea.
A case is then made that despite all they saw, despite all God did for them, Israel rebelled in the wilderness, and because of this they were cursed. They were never allowed to enter God's rest. The case is built that they didn't believe, and it was unbelief that led to their dying in the wilderness, not inheriting the promises. Only those who believe - and do not instead harden their hearts against the truth - will inherit the promises, will receive the rest. The point seems to be that the rituals and sacrifices and feasts - no matter how profoundly followed, will not replace true belief.
2023 -Vss 7-11 are quoted from Psa 95. As I recall, almost all the quotes in Hebrews are from the Psalms, or Isaiah. There have been few - if any - from the books of Moses. Why would the writer of Hebrews be avoiding those books?
2022 - By extension, no accumulation of good works, not even works that God would bless and affirm, can overcome the congenital sin that characterizes all men. No matter that you follow the cloud and the fire, if you don't believe, you die in the wilderness. He is steering them away from the Levitical traditions and laws and telling them that what is in their hearts is what matters. Indeed, it is all that EVER mattered.
2022- This verse:
12 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. [Heb 3:12 ESV]
The writer is making it very clear that there are those within the church, or within the synagogue, certainly with the Hebrew heritage, that no matter what they seem to be, still harbor unbelief. This phrase fall away...I get a picture of a mountain peak, and people climbing to reach that peak. But some, because they lack what is needed to summit the peak, "fall away" when the going gets difficult, and can never ever reach the top. Think of it as having no "pitons", or too short a rope. As the final push to attain grows steep, only those properly equipped can attain the summit. Only those with true belief can be saved. This is why it is phrased as "falling away".
2022 - The verse is repeated that says 15 As it is said, "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion." [Heb 3:15 ESV]. It is here twice, so it must be doubly important to understand. In terms we are familiar with today, we would say this means that when you come under conviction, when you are overcome with the urge to walk down the aisle and take the preacher's hand, and tell him you want to be saved, don't dare risk delay. In Israel's case, they wandered 40 years and the call never came again. They had seen so much - God had directly showed them His power - and yet they still would not believe, would not submit, would not embrace, would not follow, would not trust. All these are necessary to salvation, and the call may never be repeated. This is a good FB post.
2022 - The conclusion then, in vss 16-19, is that those who left Egypt left with Moses. They followed "the greatest Hebrew", knew him, talked to him. Yet even their status as followers of Moses himself was not enough. They followed Moses, they saw the miracles in the desert, they had closer contact with God than any people before or since. Yet even these, because they rebelled and would not believe, incurred not God's peace, but God's wrath. Based on what then? Not on position. Not on place. But because of unbelief. No "standing in the church", no amount of preaching, song leading, choir practice...no generosity to the pastor and his family, no deacon or elder attains because of what they do. Belief. Only belief attains. The rest is incidental to belief.
2023 - This last verse:
19 So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief. [Heb 3:19 ESV]. I think the point in this book is that the most connected Hebrews that ever walked, those who followed Moses himself out of Egypt, ALL were prevented from entering God's rest because of their unbelief. The tabernacle traveled with them, the fire and the cloud were there, they received Moses' interpretations and judgments directly, they survived on manna that came directly from heaven...yet they did not enter God's rest. None of these things sufficed in the face of their rebellious unbelief, their refusal to trust. They would not abandon their own resources and fall backward into the arms of God. They could not let go. This writer is saying that the Hebrews of his day must let go of the Law that they depend on and fall backwards in faith also. Because unbelief can and still will separate them from God's rest. The Law was built atop faith, not a substitute for faith. Christ is greater than angels. Christ is greater than Moses, and so greater than the Law. The argument is that the Son was not just a messenger - as are angels - but is specially appointed as the one through whom God works redemption. All the way back to Psa 2:7 in Heb 1:5, "You are my son...". Moses was only a servant in God's house, Jesus is the son in the house.