Understanding the New and Living Way - Part 3
Bible Study of the Book of Hebrews
Chapter 3
Jesus Is Greater Than Moses
1And so, dear brothers and sisters who belong to God and are partners with those called to heaven, think carefully about this Jesus whom we declare to be God’s messenger and High Priest. 2 For he was faithful to God, who appointed him, just as Moses served faithfully when he was entrusted with God’s entire house.
Remember in chapter 1, we saw how Jesus is superior to all, and how he is seated at the place of honour and authority at God's right hand. God spoke through his prophets, but in these last days he has spoken through his Son. We are to consider, how Jesus lived, what he taught and what he did. He is greater than a prophet, and he is the great High Priest. He was faithful to God unto death. Moses was a great prophet and he was faithful to God, in leading God's People. Moses gave his last years to the work of God, but he did not give his life. Jesus gave everything.
When God Appoints He Anoints
Isaiah 61:1 - speaking about Jesus
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, Because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners;
Jesus Speaks this about Himself, saying today this scripture is fullfilled in Luke 4:18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed."
Not only was Jesus and Moses faithful to God who had anointed them, God remained faithful to that anointing. So we can be encouraged today also, that God has called us and anointed us, which means he has given us the Holy Spirit to empower and enable us to do what he has called us to do.
Look at this scriptures in 1 John 2 v 27,
As for you, the anointing [the special gift, the preparation] which you received from Him remains [permanently] in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you. But just as His anointing teaches you [giving you insight through the presence of the Holy Spirit] about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as His anointing has taught you, you must remain in Him [being rooted in Him, knit to Him].
This scripture in context is speaking about not being deceived. It does not do away with the Teaching Ministry given to the Church by Jesus Christ, but rather is saying as we rely on and yield to the Holy Spirit in our daily lives, we will know and recognise wrong teaching and false doctrine. The main focus here is staying faithful to God - knowing that He remains faithful to us.
The Father sent Jesus to the world and now Jesus sends us to the world. We have the same purpose and calling - To declare the Kingdom of God has come. We are anointed to preach God's Word, which is itself anointed and therefore we release the power of God on the earth.
John 15 v 16
You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you and I have appointed and placed and purposefully planted you, so that you would go and bear fruit and keep on bearing, and that your fruit will remain and be lasting, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name [as My representative] He may give to you.
In Exodus chapter 3 - we read how God called Moses. God had a plan to rescue and deliver the children of Israel out of slavery, and Moses was his chosen vessel to lead the people. As we are studying this new and living way, we see that God had an even greater plan to rescue and deliver all mankind from slavery and Jesus Christ was his chosen vessel. Now in these days, Jesus is still the Saviour, and we are his chosen vessels, called to proclaim and share the good news which is the The Gospel of the Kingdom.
God appointed Moses and anointed him, with his own Holy Spirit. Jesus was appointed and anointed with the same Holy Spirit. We are also appointed and anointed with that very same Holy Spirit. Like Moses said "Who Am I, who will listen to me" we may say these same things, but it is not a matter of who we are - but - Who we belong to.
So we are instructed here in the beginning of Hebrews chapter 3 to consider this Jesus, not just as someone who lived 2000 years ago, but that He still lives and reigns and that we are seated with him in heavenly places.
Ephesians 2 v 6 And He raised us up together with Him [when we believed], and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, [because we are] in Christ Jesus.
Continuing with chapter 3
3 But Jesus deserves far more glory than Moses, just as a person who builds a house deserves more praise than the house itself. 4 For every house has a builder, but the one who built everything is God.
Note that the Jewish tradition held Moses to the highest honour. But we must remember that God is worthy of ALL Praise and ALL Honour.
5 Moses was certainly faithful in God’s house as a servant. His work was an illustration of the truths God would reveal later.
Note it is good to take the time to read carefully and study the life of Moses. We can see the principles of God's Kingdom revealing what would come later. Remember the Old Testament was a pattern and picture of what would be fulfilled in the New Testament.
6 But Christ, as the Son, is in charge of God’s entire house. And we are God’s house, if we keep our courage and remain confident in our hope in Christ.
Note that Moses was faithful IN God's House as a servant BUT Christ, as the Son, IS IN charge of God's entire house. Christ has brought us into the household of God. We are God's Children, if we keep our courage and remain confident in our hope in Christ. How can we remain? By knowing more about The Father and Jesus his Son, who he is and what he has done.
Psalm 100:3 Know that the Lord Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Colossians 1:10 so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
John 17:3 This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
The way we can know him more is through his Word. A famous quote of preachers is "If you want to know the voice of God - read his Word out loud". When I was growing up I heard it quoted many times "If you want to know God's voice - know His Word". It didn't make much sense to me, but as I have grown in reading and studying God's Word, I realise now what those preachers meant. When you know the Word of God, you will not just hear God speak but you will have a confidence that it is God speaking. There is some who know about God - but we want to know God.
7 That is why the Holy Spirit says,
“Today when you hear his voice,
8 don’t harden your hearts
as Israel did when they rebelled,
when they tested me in the wilderness.
9 There your ancestors tested and tried my patience,
even though they saw my miracles for forty years.
10 So I was angry with them, and I said,
‘Their hearts always turn away from me.
They refuse to do what I tell them.’
11 So in my anger I took an oath:
‘They will never enter my place of rest.’”
Many times I have thought, how close the children of Israel where to the Living God, yet they couldn't see him. They saw the miracles and the glory of his presence, but they didn't know him. Here the author is warning us not to be like them. They died in the wilderness and never entered the promise land. Again I would encourage you to take the time to carefully and prayerfully read and study the life of Moses.
12 Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. 13 You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. 14 For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ. 15 Remember what it says:
“Today when you hear his voice,
don’t harden your hearts
as Israel did when they rebelled.”
16 And who was it who rebelled against God, even though they heard his voice? Wasn’t it the people Moses led out of Egypt? 17 And who made God angry for forty years? Wasn’t it the people who sinned, whose corpses lay in the wilderness? 18 And to whom was God speaking when he took an oath that they would never enter his rest? Wasn’t it the people who disobeyed him? 19 So we see that because of their unbelief they were not able to enter his rest.
Unbelief is SIN. Unbelief is the Number 1. hindrance to entering into the rest provided for us by Christ. Many think this is about heaven, but it is much more than that. Notice it says we must warn each other every day, while it is still 'today'. and in verse 15 it says Remember what it says: “Today when you hear his voice don’t harden your heart as Israel did when they rebelled."
What does 'Today' mean?
Today is referring to the The Dispensation of Grace - the New Covenant. What the author is reminding us is that we may be Living in the Day of Grace, where it is not about our own works, but that does not mean that we can be careless and continue to do our own thing, in our own ways. This is a clear instruction, warning us to learn from the examples given to us, of the children of Israel in the wilderness. Just like they had not entered into the rest that God had planned for them, so we may not enter the rest provided for us through Jesus Christ.
Unbelief is Disobedience in both the Old and New Testament. This is a Kingdom Principle that never changes.
Hebrews 11 v 6 But without faith it is impossible to [walk with God and] please Him, for whoever comes [near] to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He rewards those who [earnestly and diligently] seek Him.
Next week we will look at chapter 4 which explains more about the "Rest" of God.
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