GREATER THAN MOSES - Object of Faith / Bible Study
GREATER THAN MOSES
Object of Faith
The Catastrophe of Unbelief
Hebrews 3:1-6
Next to Abraham, Moses was undoubtedly the man most greatly revered by the Jewish people. To go back to the Law meant to go back to Moses, and the recipients of this Letter to the Hebrews were sorely tempted to do just that. It was important that the writer convince his readers that Jesus Christ is greater than Moses, for the entire system of Jewish religion came through Moses. We learn that Jesus Christ is superior to Moses in at least three respects.
Christ Is Greater in His Person (Heb. 3:1-2)
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 "partners" in Luke 5:7, where it describes 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 have 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 brothers and sisters, and partakers of a heavenly calling, they were able to give a "confession" of their faith in Jesus Christ. The word simply means "to say the same thing." All true Christians "say the same thing" when it comes to their experience of salvation. Twice in this epistle, the writer exhorted the readers to hold fast to this confession (Heb 4:14; 10:23). It was this same confession that they were "strangers and pilgrims" on the earth that characterized men and women of faith in the age’s past (Heb 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 a careful consideration of 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." Moses was called and commissioned by God, but Jesus Christ was sent as God's "last Word" to sinful man.
Jesus Christ is not only the Apostle, but He is also the High Priest. Moses was a prophet who on occasion served as a priest (Ps 99:6), but he was never a high priest. That title belonged to his brother Aaron. In fact, Jesus Christ has the title "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 he prayed for Israel when he met God on the mount (Ex 32:30-32). Moses was primarily the prophet of Law, while Jesus Christ is the Messenger of God's grace (John 1:17). Moses helped prepare the way for the coming of the Saviour 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 riot sinless, as was Jesus Christ, but he was faithful and obeyed God's will (Num 12:7). This would be an encouragement to those first-century Jewish believers to remain faithful to Christ, even in the midst of the tough trials they were experiencing. Instead of going back to Moses, they should imitate Moses and be faithful in their calling.
Christ Is Greater in His Ministry (Heb. 3:3-6)
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," Heb 3:6). You find an illustration of this dual use of "house" in 2 Sam 7. David wanted to build a temple for God, a house in which 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 over the house. Moses was a member of the household, but Jesus built the house! By the way, 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 (Heb 3:6). Moses ministered "in the shadows," as it were (Heb 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" (Heb 3:5) is not the usual New Testament word for servant or slave. This word carries the meaning of "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 a bit hesitant and resisted God's call. But once he surrendered, he obeyed out of a heart of love and devotion.
The "if" clause (Heb 3:6) 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 is not suggesting that we, as Christians, must keep ourselves saved. This would contradict the major theme of the book, which is the finished work of Christ and His heavenly ministry guaranteeing our eternal salvation (Heb 7:14). Rather, the writer is affirming that those who hold fast their confidence and hope are proving that they are truly 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 with boldness (same word as "confidence") to the throne of grace (Heb 4:16) with openness and freedom and not be afraid. We have this boldness because of the shed blood of Jesus Christ (Heb 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 of Christ, we can experience joy and hope (Heb 3:6). 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 He will care for each member of the family. 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 (Heb 13:19-20), Jesus Christ is using the experiences in His people's lives to equip them for service that will glorify His name.
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. It is this "heavenly calling" that motivates the believers to keep on living for the Saviour 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 Heb 3:6. Everybody else in Israel over the age of twenty was to die in the wilderness and never enter the Promised Land (Num 14:26-38). But Calet) and Joshua believed God and God honored their faith. For forty 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.
Christ Is Greater in the Rest He Gives (Heb. 3:7-4:13)
This long section is the second of the five exhortations in this epistle. In the first exhortation (Heb 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 hardness of heart. It is important that we understand the background of this section, which is the Exodus of Israel from Egypt and their experiences of unbelief in the wilderness.
We must understand that there are spiritual lessons in the geography of Israel's experiences. The nation's bondage in Egypt is an illustration of 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 that the people enter their glorious inheritance in the land of 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 ten 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). It is unfortunate that some of our hymns and Gospel songs use Canaan as a picture of heaven, and "crossing the Jordan" as a picture of death. Since Carman 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 inheritance in Christ, who 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 they are not yet "in Canaan."
With this background, we can now better understand one of the key words in this section, rest (Heb 3:11,18; 4:1,3-5,8-11). The writer mentioned two different "rests" found in Old Testament history: (1) God's Sabbath rest, when He ceased from His Creation activities (Gen 2:2; Heb 4:4); (2) Israel's rest in Canaan Deut 12:9; Josh 21:43-45; Heb 3:11). 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; 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.
There is a third rest that enters into the discussion, that future rest that an believers will enjoy with God. "There remaineth, therefore, a rest to the people of God" (Heb 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).
Diagram these rests in this way:
Past
Present
Future
God’s Sabbath Rest
Salvation
Heaven
Israel’s Canaan Rest
Submission Rest (Victory in Christ
With this background of Israel's history and the "rests" involved, we may now examine the passage itself. The writer gives a threefold admonition.
Let us take heed (vv. 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 Ps 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 His 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. 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), which means that their hearts wandered from God and His Word. They also had evil hearts of unbelief (Heb 3:12); they did not believe that God would give them victory in Canaan. 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 heart 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" (Heb 3:11). But what message does this bring to a believer today? No believer today, Jew or Gentile, could go back into 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 go back into 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 they hold firmly to their convictions and their confession of faith (Heb 3:6,14). 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.
It is important that we take heed and recognize the spiritual dangers that exist. But it is also important that we encourage each other to be faithful to the Lord (Heb 3:13). We get the impression that some of these believers addressed were careless about their fellowship in the local assembly (Heb 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 forty years they wandered in the wilderness. The Jews had not been out of Egypt long when they began to provoke God (Ex 16:1). After He supplied bread for them, they complained about a lack of water (Ex 17:1-7). Moses called that place "Massah and Meribah" which means "provocation and trial." These same words are used in Heb 3:10.
The sin of Israel is stated in Heb 3:12, "departing from the living God." The Greek word gives us our English word "apostasy." This is the only place His word is used in Hebrews. Israel departed from the living God by refusing God's will for their lives and stubbornly wanting to go their own way back to Egypt. God did not permit them to return to Egypt. Rather, He disciplined them in the wilderness.