Hebrews 03
Jesus and Moses
3:1 Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, partners in a heavenly calling, take note of Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess,
The author addressed his readers as “brothers and sisters,” meaning that they were fellow believers in Christ. He also called them “partners in a heavenly calling,” meaning that they had received the efficacious call of God. The efficacious call is given to the elect. It cannot be resisted. It always results in the salvation of the believer.
These Jewish Messianic Christians had already believed in the Lord Jesus Christ for eternal salvation. Next, the author asked them to take note of Jesus. Jesus was an apostle, because He was sent by God the Father. He was also the High Priest who poured out His own blood on the heavenly altar for the eternal remission of sins.
Notice that these Jews confessed Jesus as their apostle and high priest, so they were believers. The author included himself in this group.
3:2 who is faithful to the one who appointed him, as Moses was also in God’s house.
The author quoted Numbers 12:7. Just as Moses was faithful to the house of Israel, so was Jesus faithful to the house of Israel. Jesus was greater in faithfulness than Moses, because Moses sometimes failed in his ministry. Jesus never failed in His ministry. Therefore, Jesus is superior to Moses.
3:3 For he has come to deserve greater glory than Moses, just as the builder of a house deserves greater honor than the house itself!
Moses was in the house of Israel, but Jesus was the one who built the house of Israel. Therefore, Jesus was superior to Moses.
3:4 For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.
Jesus is God, so He is the builder of everything.
3:5 Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that would be spoken.
Moses was a servant in God’s house. He testified of things to come. He testified of the Messiah to come. Since Jesus is God, then Moses was the servant of Jesus. The master is superior to the servant. Therefore, Jesus is superior to Moses.
3:6 But Christ is faithful as a son over God’s house. We are of his house, if in fact we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope we take pride in.
Moses was a servant of the house of Israel, but Jesus was the son who was the heir of all things. The son is greater than the servant. Therefore, Jesus was superior to Moses.
Exposition of Psalm 95: Hearing God’s Word in Faith
3:7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Oh, that today you would listen as he speaks! 3:8 “Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, in the day of testing in the wilderness. 3:9 “There your fathers tested me and tried me, and they saw my works for forty years. 3:10 “Therefore, I became provoked at that generation and said, ‘Their hearts are always wandering and they have not known my ways.’ 3:11 “As I swore in my anger, ‘They will never enter my rest!’”
In verses 7–11, the author quoted Psalms 95:7–11. The author of Hebrews states that the real author of Psalm 95 is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is asking the Messianic believers of Israel to listen to His words. He warns the Messianic believers not to harden their hearts against the teachings of the Holy Spirit. He warns the Messianic believers not to be like Korah, who rebelled also against the teachings of the Holy Spirit. Korah rebelled against Moses and was swallowed up by the ground. The Holy Spirit asked the Messianic believers not to make this same mistake.
The fathers of the Messianic Jews saw the miracles of God for forty years, but they still rebelled. God became angry at this rebellious generation. Their fathers knew the ways of God, but they always wandered away. The Holy Spirit promised their father that they would not enter the Promised Land. Only Joshua and Caleb would enter.
3:12 See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has an evil, unbelieving heart that forsakes the living God.
The author called his readers “brothers and sisters,” meaning that they were fellow Jewish believers. He warned this current group of Messianic believers that they were about to make the same mistake of their fathers. They were about to enter apostasy by turning back to the Levitical system of Judaism.
3:13 But exhort one another each day, as long as it is called “Today,” that none of you may become hardened by sin’s deception.
The Jewish believers were being persecuted for their faith. Their easiest way to escape persecution was to return to Judaism. The author asked them to encourage each other not to be hardened by this deception.
3:14 For we have become partners with Christ, if in fact we hold our initial confidence firm until the end.
The Greek word for “have become” is γεγόναμεν (gegonomen), a perfect active indicative verb of being, meaning we became partners with Christ in the past and we will continue to be partners with Christ for eternity. The perfect active indicative verb rules out the Armenian false teaching that one can lose his/her salvation. The perfect active indicative verb means that this partnership can never be lost for eternity. This verb tense guarantees eternal security. Christ will keep this partnership firm until the end. Holding on to this partnership until the end would be the evidence to the world that they were partners with Christ. They would never lose this partnership relationship.
3:15 As it says, “O, that today you would listen as he speaks! Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”
The author quoted Psalm 95:7 again. He reminded the Jews that they needed to listen to the teachings of the Holy Spirit. They were not to harden their hearts again, such as Korah and their fathers had done in the wilderness rebellion.
3:16 For which ones heard and rebelled? Was it not all who came out of Egypt under Moses’ leadership?
The author asked his readers five questions. First, who heard and rebelled? The ones who heard and rebelled were the same ones who God rescued out of Egypt. The very ones who were to enter the Promised Land had missed out because of their rebellion.
Second, did not all of Israel come out of Egypt under the leadership of Moses? The answer is “yes.” They were all under the leadership of Moses, but because of their rebellion, none of them were to enter the Promised Land except for Joshua and Caleb.
3:17 And against whom was God provoked for forty years? Was it not those who sinned, whose dead bodies fell in the wilderness?
Third, who was God angry at for forty years? God was angry at the Israelites for forty years, because they kept rebelling against Him.
Fourth, did those who continue in their sin die off in the wilderness? The answer is “yes.” If the Messianic Jews continue in their sin and revert to Judaism, then they will also die physically in their sins. They will not lose their salvation, but they will lose their physical life, just as those in the wilderness. Moses, Aaron, Miriam, and many others were believers, yet they lost their physical life in the wilderness.
3:18 And to whom did he swear they would never enter into his rest, except those who were disobedient?
Fifth, who would not enter the Promised Land to receive the rest that was promised to them? Those in the wilderness who rebelled against God will not enter the Promised Land and receive their rest. If the Jews go back into Judaism, they will make the same mistake that their fathers made. Notice that Israel did not lose their status as a redeemed people. However, they did lose the rest that they would have received from entering the Promised Land.
3:19 So we see that they could not enter because of unbelief.
This chapter had nothing to do with a believer losing his salvation, as Armenians falsely claim. These verses are not about the modern church. These verses teach that if the first century Jews returned to Judaism, they will make the same mistake that their fathers made in the wilderness. They will not lose their salvation, but they will lose their physical life, Most of the Jews of Judea who rejected Jesus died in the Temple destruction of 70 A.D.