Hebrews 3:1-19
Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest. He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house. Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. “Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house,” bearing witness to what would be spoken by God in the future. But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are his house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory.
So, as the Holy Spirit says:
“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the wilderness, where your ancestors tested and tried me, though for forty years they saw what I did. That is why I was angry with that generation; I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray,and they have not known my ways.’So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’ ”
See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end. As has just been said:
“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.”
Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies perished in the wilderness? And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.
Devotion
This passage of scripture moves into a comparison between Jesus and Moses. Obviously, Moses was highly esteemed in the mind of the Jews. The comparison, therefore, hits right at the heart of the issue. The comparison is also made between the congregation in the wilderness and the present congregation being addressed. Several important lessons are drawn from the wilderness experience of ancient Israel and applied to the present situation.
Verse one of chapter three is considered a key verse in the book of Hebrews. It contains the basic exhortation of the letter; “fix your thoughts” or “consider” Jesus. The writer wants his readers to stop and take a close look at the person of Christ before they walk away from the Christian faith. He is convinced that a proper view of Jesus will keep people from drifting away from Him.
In this text, Jesus is referred to as: “the Apostle” and the “High Priest.” Jesus is the messenger that brought God’s final word to mankind. He also is the mediator who mediated between God and man. In both these respects, He is comparable to Moses who was a messenger of God and a mediator between God and Israel.
In verses 2-4, we see that although both Jesus and Moses were faithful in the performance of their duties, Jesus is superior in light of the fact that He built the house, while Moses was a part of the house. His superiority is evident.
The last half of verse six leads us into the exhortation section of chapter three. “And we are His house, if we hold on to our confidence and the hope of which we boast.” We are members of Christ’s house or eternal family if we “hold on to our confidence.” This “holding on to” is the evidence of true membership in the house or family of God. Falling away betrays the fact that we were never really true members at all.
In verses 7-11, we see that Israel was tempted to forsake God and return to Egypt. They provide a fitting example for the present audience to behold. Israel’s turning back is comparable here to the “falling away” from Christ. The author of Hebrews is using Israel’s example to warn professing Christians not to turn away from their faith in God.
In verses 12-19, the writer will now apply the historical lesson directly to his readers. Just as Israel saw God’s works, yet still managed to reject God, so these Christians had been exposed to the life and teaching of Christ, but now were in danger of drifting away from Him. A true partaker of Christ will hold fast from beginning to end. It is not a matter of losing one’s salvation, but a question of whether one ever really possessed it in the first place. Perseverance in one’s faith in Christ the superior One is the evidence of saving faith. The summary of this passage is that a true partaker of Christ perseveres to the end.
Questions to Ponder
To what other religious leaders is Jesus often compared to today? How would you encourage someone who seems to be struggling with sin? As our merciful and faithful High Priest, Jesus is acquainted with all our temptations, including the temptation toward unbelief. What do you think He wants you to do when you are tempted to disbelieve God’s Word? Are you persevering in your faith? Are you trusting in the One who is superior to the prophets, angels, priests, and even Moses?
Prayer Points
- Worship the Lord as the One True God, God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Praise Him as the Great High Priest, merciful and faithful.
- Invite Him to search your heart and bring to your remembrance anything you need to confess. Receive His amazing forgiveness.
- Pray for yourself and other Christians to have an accountability partner. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you faith to trust Him. Ask for His help.
- Pray for grace and truth. Let us be ones who sharpen each other and call each other upward in Christ Jesus.
Suggested Prayer
Lord,
Thank You that I can come right into the Holy of Holies, into Your throne room of grace in a time of need. Thank You that You never grow weary in hearing from me, in fact, You desire that I depend on You and ask for help. You desire to hear my voice and fellowship with me. Lord, protect my heart and help me to hide Your Word in my heart. Help me and our Oak Pointe family to walk by faith and trust You more. Help us to encourage each other, pray for each other and love each other well. Lead us I ask in the Name of Jesus Christ, amen.