In the first two chapters of this letter, our author emphasizes that Jesus is God, far above the angels. Now the author compares Jesus with that ancient Jewish hero, Moses.
3:1-4, Jesus is greater than Moses
Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess. 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.
What is the house here? How does the metaphor of house & house-builder fit into the Jewish point of view? What role does Jesus have? What is he called here? Note how the roles & titles of Jesus seem to morph; the author is not consistent; his metaphor is fluid.
3:5-6, Son vs. servant
Moses was faithful as a servant in all God's house, testifying to what would be said in the future. But Christ is faithful as a son over God's house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast.
Jesus is the architect/owner of "God's house"; Moses is the butler who welcomes you in.
"God's house" is equivalent to God's kingdom, or (in New Testament language) the universal Church.
3:7-11, A lesson from the Exodus
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 desert, where your fathers tested and tried me and for forty years saw what I did. That is why I was angry with that generation, and 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.'"
The writer is quoting from Psalm 95 (verses 7-11) here. Note the new metaphor, from ancient Jewish history. What is the "rest" implied here? How is Jesus involved in that rest? Moses?
3:12-15, Hear his voice!
See to it, brothers, 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 we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first. As has just been said: "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion."
3:1-4, Jesus is greater than Moses
Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess. 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.
What is the house here? How does the metaphor of house & house-builder fit into the Jewish point of view? What role does Jesus have? What is he called here? Note how the roles & titles of Jesus seem to morph; the author is not consistent; his metaphor is fluid.
3:5-6, Son vs. servant
Moses was faithful as a servant in all God's house, testifying to what would be said in the future. But Christ is faithful as a son over God's house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast.
Jesus is the architect/owner of "God's house"; Moses is the butler who welcomes you in.
"God's house" is equivalent to God's kingdom, or (in New Testament language) the universal Church.
3:7-11, A lesson from the Exodus
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 desert, where your fathers tested and tried me and for forty years saw what I did. That is why I was angry with that generation, and 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.'"
The writer is quoting from Psalm 95 (verses 7-11) here. Note the new metaphor, from ancient Jewish history. What is the "rest" implied here? How is Jesus involved in that rest? Moses?
3:12-15, Hear his voice!
See to it, brothers, 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 we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first. As has just been said: "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion."
There are more quotations from Psalm 95. The nation of Israel, as recorded in the book of Exodus, saw dramatic displays of God at work, yet backed off at the last moment, unable to enter the Promised Land.
What is the meaning of the phrase, "as long as it is called Today"? What is the real concern here?
3:16-19, The danger of disobedience
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 fell in the desert? 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.
The action that kept the Jewish people out of the promised land was (active) unbelief, an active refusal to acknowledge God's plan. The writer of Hebrews is concerned here that his/her readers may also back away at the last moment, snatching defeat from victory.
Compare the ending of this passage with the beginning. The overall comparison is of Moses and Jesus; what Moses began, Jesus completes. So, the message is, "Move on and don't get left behind!"
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 fell in the desert? 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.
The action that kept the Jewish people out of the promised land was (active) unbelief, an active refusal to acknowledge God's plan. The writer of Hebrews is concerned here that his/her readers may also back away at the last moment, snatching defeat from victory.
Compare the ending of this passage with the beginning. The overall comparison is of Moses and Jesus; what Moses began, Jesus completes. So, the message is, "Move on and don't get left behind!"
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