Hebrews 3
Jesus As Superior to Moses And A Warning Against Unbelief
The author steadily develops his argument that Jesus is supremely great. He is greater than the angels, the author of a great salvation, and great enough to become man to accomplish it. Now the author turns his attention to Moses, regarded by the Jews as the greatest of men. - Leon Morris
Let us remember the conviction with which the writer to the Hebrews starts. The basis of his thought is that the supreme revelation of God comes through Jesus Christ and that only through him has a man real access to God. He began by proving that Jesus was superior to the prophets; he went on to prove that Jesus was superior to the angels; and now he proceeds to prove that Jesus is superior to Moses. - William Barclay
Consider Jesus
Brothers And Sisters
Vs. 1 - Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in a heavenly calling
The author consistently addressed fellow believers in this sermon. His calls to “consider” Jesus (1) and to “watch out” for unbelief (12) were directed to those he considered “brothers and sisters” (1), Jewish Christians facing persecution in the first century Roman empire.
Apostle And High Priest
Vs. 1-2 - consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession. He was faithful to the one who appointed him
The author had presented evidence for both the deity and the humanity of Jesus in the first two sections of this sermon. Here he summarized those descriptions in a call to consider Jesus as both “apostle,” one sent from God to men, and as “priest,” one who represented men before God. As both apostle and high priest, the Messiah was perfectly qualified to bridge the gulf fixed between humanity and the Creator.
Superior to Moses
Vs. 3 - For Jesus is considered worthy of more glory than Moses
If you were a first-century Jew it would be hard to find a figure who ranked higher in your mind than Moses. Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt in the exodus, a crucial and foundational moment in the story of God’s people. Moses was the one who delivered the law and set up the whole system of temple worship.
Our author will not disparage Moses. He does not say that Moses was wrong and that we are thankful to Jesus for fixing his mistakes. No, Jesus doesn’t fix or correct Moses. He fulfills all that Moses pointed toward. - Michael Kruger
Moses matters, says Hebrews, but Jesus matters even more; Moses was a true servant of God, but Jesus is God’s son. You don’t diminish Moses by making Jesus superior to him; you give him his rightful place, which is a place of honour even though it’s not the supreme honour. - N.T. Wright
Builder vs. Creator - 3-4 - For Jesus is considered worthy of more glory than Moses, just as the builder has more honor than the house. Now every house is built by someone, but the one who built everything is God.
Moses functioned as a servant, preparing something that would serve as a model for a later time. The tabernacle was a microcosm of God’s greater house. God’s house over which Jesus Christ sits in authority represents the whole system of worship that our Lord inaugurated with the New Covenant. He sits in God’s place, the holy of holies of this house. The tabernacle foreshadowed this final system of worship in which Jesus rules as King Priest. - Thomas Constable
Moses was a member of the household of God, but Jesus is the creator of that house. - David Guzik
Servant vs. Son - 5-6 (NLT) - Moses was certainly faithful in God’s house as a servant. His work was an illustration of the truths God would reveal later. But Christ, as the Son, is in charge of God’s entire house.
Moses was a faithful servant; Jesus was a faithful Son. Moses served in symbols; Jesus was the substance. Moses foreshadowed; Jesus fulfilled.
Vs. 6 - And we are God’s house, if we keep our courage and remain confident in our hope in Christ.
The author clarified that Christians had become the “house” that Jesus built, a replacement for the tabernacle and temple, if they continued following Him. He will say more about this subject in the coming chapters.
Watch Out for Unbelief
The writer to the Hebrews has just been striving to prove the unique supremacy of Jesus, and now he leaves argument for exhortation. If Jesus is so uniquely great, it follows that complete trust and complete obedience must be given to him. If they harden their hearts and refuse to give him their obedient trust, the consequences are bound to be terrible. - William Barclay
Testing in The Wilderness
Vs. 7-8 - Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion
The author quoted Psalm 95 as a negative illustration of unbelief and of failure to enter in the “rest” of God. The psalm specifically referenced Israel’s failure to trust God’s provision when they needed water. But a more general application speaks to the need for God’s people to persevere in trusting His ways and wisdom, His plan and provision, so that they do not receive the same judgment of exclusion from promised “rest.”
Psalm 95:8-8 - Do not harden your hearts as at Meribah, as on that day at Massah in the wilderness where your ancestors tested me
Numbers 20:13 - These are the Waters of Meribah, where the Israelites quarreled with the Lord, and he demonstrated his holiness to them.
God had warned the people in the wilderness that, if they grumbled and rebelled and put him to the test, they wouldn’t be allowed to enter his ‘rest’ – in other words, to find their settled home in the promised land. In the same way, says the Psalmist, you now are facing a choice: either worship and serve this same God, or run the risk of missing out on the ‘rest’ which is promised to you in turn. - N.T. Wright
Unable to Enter
Vs. 16-17 - For who heard and rebelled? Wasn’t it all who came out of Egypt under Moses? With whom was God angry for forty years? Wasn’t it with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness?
Vs. 19 - So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.
The writer of Hebrews appeals to his recipients not to become discontented because of their suffering, and not to let discontentment give way to open rebellion, lest they, like their forefathers, lose the blessings of the privileges that now were available to them as believers. - Pentecost
The parallel is striking. This is being written to Christians as a warning. “You have been delivered from slavery of sin as the Israelites had been delivered from Egyptian slavery. You have been baptized and become part of Christ just as the Israelites were “baptized” in the Red Sea (1 Corinthians 10:1). Do not now harden your heart after all that you have experienced. You have seen the mighty works of God. Do not turn back.” - Brent Kercheville
The writer to the Hebrews says to his people, "Beware lest you show the same disobedience and distrust of God that your forefathers showed, and that you do not for that reason lose the blessings you might have had, just as they lost theirs." In effect he says, "While there is yet time, while you can still speak of 'today' give God the trust and the obedience that he must have." For the individual "today" means "while life lasts," and the writer to the Hebrews is saying, "While you have the chance, give God the submission you ought to give. Give it to him before your day closes." - William Barclay
Encourage And Hold Firm
Vs. 12 (NLT) - Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God.
The author’s exhortations to “be careful,” to “make sure” and to “warn each other” appear consistently in this sermon to struggling Jewish Christians. He must have known their difficulties and sensed their doubts. And over and over in his sermon, he will remind them of the stakes and encourage them to “hold on” to their hope in Jesus their Messiah.
Vs. 13 (NLT) - You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God.
Unbelief is such a constant and dangerous temptation that we must help each other fight it off. Persevering in faith to the end is a community project. - John Piper
