Each Thursday we will take a few minutes to examine three thoughts (or bullets) from the book of Hebrews. We encourage you to read the text, and consider the bullet points. Then join us in a simple prayer.
“Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, who was faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God's house. For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.) Now Moses was faithful in all God's house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, but Christ is faithful over God's house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.
Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, where your fathers put me to the test and saw my woks for forty years. Therefore I was provoked with that generation, and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart; they have not known my ways.’As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest.’”
Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. As it is said, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.
Hebrews 3:1-19
The faithfulness of Moses and the Supremacy of Jesus
Moses held a special place in the hearts of the Jews of the first century. He was considered to be the greatest person in history in certain strands of Jewish tradition and Mary Rose D’Angelo suggests that there is evidence that Moses held a higher status than the angels in some circles of thought because of his special intimacy with God.[1] This would seem to make sense as a natural progression for our author, who having established the supremacy of Jesus (The Son) over the angels, will now also show Jesus’ supremacy over Moses.
“That Moses was faithful over a “house” alludes specifically to Numbers 12:7 and means that his ministry involved establishment of and responsibility for a defined group of people in special relationship to God.”[2] The author will continue to play off this term “house” and allude to it as the whole of Christ’s universal church, of which the original recipients of the letter of Hebrews were certainly a part.
The primary aspect of Moses’ life to which the author of Hebrews points is his faithfulness. He is portrayed as a faithful servant in all God’s house (Hebrews 3:2,5). But even in his amazing faithfulness, Moses is not to be considered equal to Jesus. Instead, the author presents Jesus as the supreme example of faithfulness. Moses was faithful “as a servant” whereas Christ was faithful “as a Son.” In Jesus, we find the ultimate example of faithfulness to the Father. We also find in him our ultimate hope, if we hold fast until the end.
The faithlessness of the Israelites in the desert
In Hebrews 3:7 the author moves from the positive example of Moses to the negative example of those Israelites who grumbled against God and, through their disobedience, fell in the desert before entering the promised land.
Psalm 95:7-11 is used by the author here to warn his original audience to hold fast to their convictions and hope in Christ. He understands the Psalm as an important warning for those who are in danger of drifting. This was the case for the Israelites in the desert and also a primary concern of the author for his original audience, who through persecution, were in danger of falling away and hardening their hearts towards Jesus.
As Guthrie says, “in essence the author is saying, ‘since we cannot be considered Christ’s house if we do not hold fast, therefore’ we must heed the admonition of this OT passage.”[3]
Five principles of faithfulness inherent in Hebrews 3
Guthrie puts forward five principles of faithfulness that he believes are inherent in Hebrews chapter 3. As the original audience heard his exhortation, how should they think about devotion in the Christian life?
A healthy focus on Christ is necessary - We are to fix our thoughts on the one who is the supreme example of faithfulness (3:1-2). The author continues to spotlight Jesus as the key to the problem facing his original audience. He is suggesting that the health of one’s relationship with Jesus will determine their perseverance.
Faithfulness is volitional as well as emotional/intellectual - The original audience (and by extension the church today) should choose to remain faithful to God. His attempts to rouse them through logic and emotion are important, but ultimately all return to a choice. The “today” of Psalm 95:7 show that the time of opportunity is now (Hebrews 3:13). If we hear his voice, we must be careful not to harden our hearts.
Sinfulness and unbelief can hinder faithfulness- A sinful, disobedient heart turns away from God because it does not truly believe in him. By deceit sin hardens the heart, bringing about rebellion and the judgement of God. These failings characterize those who fell in the desert, a stark reminder that the unfaithful must face consequences.
The faithful persevere until the end - We must hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast (Hebrews 3:6), a statement that suggests public identification with Christ and the church. In order for our hope to be sure, our faithfulness must be lived out in the public arena in consistent Christ-following until the end.
Faithfulness is communal - Each believer depends on others in the body of Christ for encouragement. We are part of a spiritual family and share a common experience in God’s household. Therefore we should continue to meet together to offer one another daily encouragement. This call to community was vital to the original audience (who were persecuted even to death in some instances), because in meeting together each believer was strengthened for the task ahead. In much the same way, the church today can heed these words as a direct call to continue meeting. To the work of spurring one another on towards love and good deeds, and as a way of guarding against the hardening of one’s heart through sin and disobedience.
Prayer
Heavenly father,
We need you now. Please be near us in the midst of this pandemic.
In our pain, in the loneliness of our solitude, comfort us.
Forgive us for the ways in which we have been disobedient.
Through your Spirit, convict us of sin, that we may confess it to you, and rid ourselves of any hardening in our hearts.
Help us to look to Jesus, who was faithful in every way.
He is our hope. Help us to cling to him and persevere.
Amen.
[1] Mary Rose D’Angelo, Moses in the Letter to the Hebrews, SBLDS (Missoula, Mont.:Scholars, 1979), 91-131.
[2] Guthrie, George H.. Hebrews (The NIV Application Commentary Book 15) (p. 127). Zondervan Academic. Kindle Edition.
[3] Ibid.