We continue our journey through the letter to the Hebrews. Following a dramatic prologue, the author begins a section that outlines the uniqueness of Jesus Christ. In the first part the author has told us how much greater Jesus was than any angel.
• Jesus was the Son, angels were servants
• Jesus was one whom the angels bowed down to worship
• Jesus was the sovereign anointed one of God
• Jesus was the one who came in the flesh, fully divine, yet fully human.
This first section has been interjected with a warning… (the first of 5)… hold on. If Jesus is greater than any angel, then we should pay greater attention to the message Jesus brings us than to that of any other ‘messenger’. Now the attention is switched from heavenly messengers to earthly messengers and we focus on Moses.
Jesus Is Greater Than Moses (3:1-4:13)
Moses was the giver of the law and a key figure in Old Testament history.
1. Moses was a Servant in the House of God - Jesus owned the House (3:1-6)
Hebrews 3:1 Therefore, brothers and sisters, holy partners in a heavenly calling, consider that Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, 2 was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses also "was faithful in all God's house." 3 Yet Jesus is worthy of more glory than Moses, just as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. 4 (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.) 5 Now Moses was faithful in all God's house as a servant, to testify to the things that would be spoken later. 6 Christ, however, was faithful over God's house as a son, and we are his house if we hold firm the confidence and the pride that belong to hope.
The contrast with Moses begins by speaking of how faithful Moses had been. Moses had been appointed by God, to be the one who ministered within the ‘house of God’ a term used to describe the people (and nation) of God. And Moses was incredibly faithful in performing his ministry! But Moses wasn’t the one who built the house. God built the house. Moses worked in the house. As God’s Son, the owner of the house was not Moses, but Jesus. Who inherits a house, the ones who work in it, or the ones who own it?
The one who would inherit the house of God was Jesus Christ, the Lord of the Church. The church is sometimes even called ‘the family and household of God’. Moses was one of the greatest prophets in Israel’s history, but, just like angels, he was only a servant. Jesus was God’s son, the heir to the house, the one through whom God was building the Kingdom.
In addition… Moses spoke about things which were to come. The implication is that the things spoken of as ‘to come’ were a greater thing than the one who said they would come! 5 Now Moses was faithful in all God's house as a servant, to testify to the things that would be spoken later”.
Jesus was the one who fulfilled the testimony of Moses. This is a continuing theme in Hebrews. Jesus is the One who fulfills what those who came before Him foretold. This is consistent with what Jesus Himself taught. In Matthew’s gospel 5:17, Jesus instructs His disciples “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.” Jesus Christ is the one who fulfills the prophecies of old.
The ‘house’ imagery continues in verse 7 “and we are his house if we hold firm the confidence and the pride that belong to hope.” That little verse could be the basis for a whole sermon. (But not right now!) Our calling is to put our faith in Christ and hold firm to His teachings. In particular we are called to be people filled with hope. Hope brings confidence. Hope makes us proud of what we believe.
Hopelessness brings despair but hope builds confidence. Apply that to the life of a church. A church community can look around and say, “The times have changed. The statistics are against us. Our glory days are all in the past. It’s useless. It’s hopeless”. Or a church can look around and say, “It’s a new day. Let’s find out what God is doing in this new time!” When one puts faith in God as the builder then you are placing faith not in what you can do, but in what God can do.
Hopelessness leaves us feeling defeated but hope builds pride. Pride not in the sense of “Hey, aren’t we something!’ but pride in the sense of being able to stand up and hold our heads up high as we proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. In a shifting culture where Christianity is often looked down upon or made fun of, there is a temptation to excuse our beliefs or even feel like we should apologize for them. But if we genuinely believe that the gospel of Jesus Christ has the power to change the world for better… if that’s the hope that drives us… then we are not ashamed to tell it out loud and proud.
This passage is seen as important enough for the author to interrupt the flow of the argument with the second of his “Now just Hold On!” passages. First time he said, “This teaching is important because it’s not coming from angels it’s coming from Jesus!’ This time he says 'Have an open mind about this. When God’s people in the past were stubborn, they missed out on receiving the blessings God wanted for them!’
WARNING 2 But hold On! “Do not harden your heart.” (3:7-19)
Hebrews 3:7-19 7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, "Today, if you hear his voice, 8 do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, as on the day of testing in the wilderness, 9 where your ancestors put me to the test, though they had seen my works 10 for forty years. Therefore I was angry with that generation, and I said, 'They always go astray in their hearts, and they have not known my ways.' 11 As in my anger I swore, 'They will not enter my rest.'"
12 Take care, brothers and sisters, that none of you may have an evil, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "today," so that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have become partners of Christ, if only we hold our first confidence firm to the end. 15 As it is said, "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion."
16 Now who were they who heard and yet were rebellious? Was it not all those who left Egypt under the leadership of Moses? 17 But with whom was he angry forty years? Was it not those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, if not to those who were disobedient? 19 So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.
The author pauses in his comparison of Christ and Moses to discuss the role of the people of God in the scheme of things. Israel’s response to Moses is given as an example for the readers as to how they should respond to Christ. The Israelites hardened their hearts and doubted God’s ability and goodness and refused to trust Him to conquer the enemies in the land. What could happen if they failed to “Hold fast in confidence and pride to their hope” (3:6)?
The result for the Israelites was that they forfeited their right to enter the land. From 3:12-19 the author applies the example of Israel to the Hebrew congregation. 12 “Take care, brothers and sisters, that none of you may have an evil, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God”. If the children of Israel failed to enter into the land because of their unbelief, believers could also fail to enter into God’s rest and share in Christ’s reign if they were unfaithful.
THE ‘REST’ OF GOD
You’ll have maybe noticed by now that the phrase ‘The Rest’ is used a number of times. It will appear a number of times in our next section also. What’s meant by ‘The Rest’?
Firstly; The Israelites had come out of slavery in Egypt and entered into the wilderness. They were in Egypt for generations and wandered around the desert for decades. They were tired. They were weary. But they would not find rest until they entered into the land God had promised. So in it’s original setting ‘The Rest’ was a symbol of entering into the Promised Land. Because of their rebellion and unbelief, many of the Israelites in the wilderness never reached the place of rest.
A second meaning of rest can be found in our next passage where we will read 4:4 “For in one place it speaks about the seventh day as follows, "And God rested on the seventh day from all his works." ‘The Rest of God’ is associated with the Sabbath, the seventh day when God took time out simply to enjoy all that was created. All that had needed to be done had been done. The creative process was completed. The Rest of God is thus associated with completion, wholeness and Sabbath.
Thirdly, in the New Testament ‘The Rest of God’ is associated with our salvation in Christ. Just as the Israelites were set free from slavery in Egypt so Jesus came to set us free from all the things that enslave us. The Israelites wandered in a wilderness, just about getting by from day to day. So God sends the Holy Spirit to us that we no longer have to wander aimlessly through life, but can live with purpose and meaning.
Also in the New Testament ‘The Rest of God’ is related to that great Reformation doctrine of ‘salvation by grace through faith’. The work Jesus Christ came to do is a finished work. Those very words came from His lips as he hung upon the cross ‘It is finished’. Those words are not meant to apply to the work of creating a new heaven and a new earth, but apply to the work of salvation. We are invited to enter into the ‘rest’, meaning the ‘salvation’ that Jesus Christ obtained for us through His death on the Cross.
The biblical commentator Matthew Henry, who although ministered in a previous generation is one whose work I get a lot out of in terms of his ability to relate scripture to scripture, makes this comment about the salvation Christ obtained for us through his death and resurrection. Through faith he explains:
“We enter into a blessed union with Christ, and into a communion with God through Christ; in this state we actually enjoy many sweet communications of pardon of sin, peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Ghost, increase of grace and glimpses of glory, resting from the servitude of sin, and reposing ourselves in God till we are prepared to rest with Him in heaven."
The “Rest of God” offered to us through placing our faith in Jesus Christ is something we experience in part now, in the blessings that God’s love brings to us in the present, but a rest that will only fully be realized when we enter our final ‘resting place’ in eternity. That’s exactly how it is with salvation. We are saved in the now but will never know what that really looks like till we are in God’s nearer presence and out of this earthly life.
This idea of ‘Rest’ is wonderfully captured in Fanny Jane Crosby’s hymn “Blessed Assurance”
Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.
Perfect submission, perfect delight,
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
Angels, descending, bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.
Perfect submission, all is at rest,
I in my Savior am happy and blest,
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.
Refrain:
This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Savior all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Savior all the day long.
Having thought about what the ‘Rest of God’ is we return to our original theme; ‘Jesus is greater than Moses.’ Moses ministered in the house, but Jesus built the house and owned the house. As He calls us to make our home in His house, such should fill us with hope. For His house is a place of rest and salvation. Moses never got the people through to experience that promised rest. But Jesus did! And that’s the second reason given for Christ’s supremacy over Moses.
2. Moses Could not Bring Them Into God’s Rest, but Christ Can (4:1-13)
Hebrews 4:1-13 Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest is still open, let us take care that none of you should seem to have failed to reach it. 2 For indeed the good news came to us just as to them; but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened.
3 For we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said, "As in my anger I swore, 'They shall not enter my rest,'" though his works were finished at the foundation of the world. 4 For in one place it speaks about the seventh day as follows, "And God rested on the seventh day from all his works." 5 And again in this place it says, "They shall not enter my rest."
6 Since therefore it remains open for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience, 7 again he sets a certain day-- "today"-- saying through David much later, in the words already quoted, "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts." 8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not speak later about another day.
9 So then, a sabbath rest still remains for the people of God; 10 for those who enter God's rest also cease from their labors as God did from his. 11 Let us therefore make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one may fall through such disobedience as theirs.
12 Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account.
The events of Israel’s disobedience are found in Numbers Chapters 13 through 14. To summarize the Old Testament story… spies are sent out to survey the Promised Land. They come back with a report that is extremely scary and disheartening and fails to take into account the promises of God. This causes the people to panic and rebel against God. Moses pleads with God, but the damage has been done. The people never make the journey and remain in the wilderness.
The writer is urging us to not make the same mistake. God knows the thoughts of our hearts and minds. ‘The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.’
It is for us to put our faith in Jesus Christ and make the blessings He offers our own. For the ‘Rest of God’ is still available. Freedom from sin. Pardon for past wrongdoing. The hope of glory. The promise of God’s presence to lead us and guide us. As the writer urges us "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts."
Jesus is greater than Moses
• Moses ministered in the house as a servant; Jesus owns the house
• Moses foretold the coming of Jesus.
• Moses failed to bring people into the ‘Rest of God’, Jesus died that we may know God’s ‘Rest’
• THE WARNING: Don’t miss the ‘Rest’ though unbelief. Trust in God whose Word changes everything.
Next time we will go onto look at how Jesus was greater than all priests who came after Moses, leading us to a consideration of a priest who is made much of in this section of the book of Hebrews... the mysterious Melchizedek.