The Son is More Important than Moses
The Old Testament prophets and the angels had very important roles in the Hebrews' history as messengers. Yet chapter one and chapter two explain that both the prophets and the angels have been replaced by Jesus. He is the supreme messenger with the supreme message.
Prophets are people who tell others what God said to them. Under the Old Testament, God spoke to Moses and Moses told the people what God said –he was a prophet. The same is true for Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, David, John the Baptist and others. The Bible says that when Jesus came, He was the last one that God gave a message to tell the people. "God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world." (Hebrews 1:1)
New Testament prophets don't have new messages from God. Their messages will be what Jesus said when He was here on earth!
Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession; He was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was in all His house. For He has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, by just so much as the builder of the house has more honor than the house. For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God. Now Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later; but Christ [Messiah] was faithful as a Son over His house–whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end. (Hebrews 3:1-6)
Chapter three contrasts the importance of Moses to that of Jesus. This passage points out that Moses is in God's house –he is a member of it. However, Jesus is over God's house –He is the the builder of it and has commanding authority over it. The two are totally different. In human terms this might be compared to the case of a mother who leaves her home for a short while to run an errand. Upon leaving, the oldest child is put in charge to maintain order. And when she returns, her authority is returned to her. The same thing can be said about a commanding officer in the military who puts a trusted ranking soldier in charge of his troops during his absence. And when he returns, all authority is immediately restored to him. In both of these earthly examples, the assignment is for a limited time and with limited authority. Whereas Jesus is eternally the ultimate authority.
The Hebrews' Story of Their
Exodus from Egypt and
Entrance into the Promised Land
In the Old Testament stories, Hebrew names provide extraordinary insights into God's spiritual purpose. An example of this is found in the stories related to the Hebrews' Exodus through their entrance into the Promised Land, specifically by the names of the two leaders: Moses and Joshua. The story is primarily related in Numbers 13-14 and summarized in Deuteronomy chapter one.
Moses is known as the "Law Giver", but his name tells more about him. It means "to draw out" –like water is drawn from a well. Moses drew the Hebrews –he pulled them out of Egypt and out of the Red Sea.
Shortly after they had crossed through the Red Sea, God had Moses take a census of the people. He was to make a record of the men who were over the age of twenty and able to serve in the army. (It's those census results that are recorded in the book of "Numbers".)
Later when they reached the edge of the Promised Land, Moses sent twelve spies in to explore the land. Forty days had passed when Joshua and Caleb (two of the spies) came back with the good news describing what they had seen: fertile land, great produce and inhabitants that could be overtaken. The other ten spies told what they had seen: giants that would "swallow them up".
The men –those whose names were recorded in the census– believed the story that the ten spies told. God became angry with them because they did not believe Him and commit their lives into His hands. They did not believe that this was a land of rest. They saw it as a land of continual battles with heavy casualties. Their refusal to enter the land is referred to as "the rebellion". It occurred just after God led them through the desert and miraculously met all of their needs for food and safety. He was angry with them because of their unbelief –distrust –disobedience –sin. He promised that those rebels could never enter the land.
After realizing the consequences of their actions, the men attempted to make up for their sin. They battled with the giants, but it was too late. God didn't join them in their efforts and they were soundly defeated. It was the start of their forty year wandering through the desert-wilderness –a reminder with one year of troubles for each day that the twelve spies witnessed the goodness contained in the Promised Land. With the exception of Joshua and Caleb, the fighting men of that generation –all 603,550 of them– died in the desert.
Moses once again led them up to the entrance of the Promised Land when the 40 year punishment was over. God was pleased with Moses, but his purpose was completed. The "Law Giver" died and was buried on the mountain from where the Promised Land could be seen in the distance.
God chose a new leader –Joshua– to take them through the Jordan River and into the Promised Land. Joshua's name (pronounced Yeshua) means "Jehovah-saved". He was leading the people to a place that he had already been. He knew the way and the goodness that was waiting for them. Joshua did for the Israelits what Jesus does for His followers – leads them into a place that meets all of their needs –into eternal life. Isn't it curious that His Hebrew name is also Joshua?
This story is a spiritual analogy showing that the Law (the Ten Commandments) acts like a mirror which reflects man's unrighteousness –his rebellious, distrustful, disobedient, sinful nature. The Law cannot make a man righteous –it can not push him into the promise of eternal life. The Law cannot save anyone. Rather, because of his fallen nature, man rebels to the Law (1 Corinthians 15:56-57). The purpose of the Law is for man to see his enslavement to sin and death so that God can draw him out. Only Jesus –the second Joshua, or "Jehovah-saved"– can lead a person into God's salvation. He is the only One who has been there before and knows what's on the other side of this short life.
The Hebrews are warned over, and over again, to firmly grasp hold of Jesus' message and not ignore it. His message can lead them into God's salvation. In this Hebrews 3 passage, those who have ever-lasting life are referred to as members of God's house. Moses' assignment was to lead the Hebrews to Jesus (Luke 24:25-27). Jesus would then take over and lead them on to eternal life.
Their Sin
For some, the phrase in verse 6, "we are his house if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope" creates doubt in their hearts –thinking their salvation is somehow dependent upon their own faithfulness. But let's read on and put this phrase into the context of this book. So far we have read that the angels and the prophets were God's messengers to the Hebrews in the past, but Jesus brought them a new message –one that is immeasurably more important.
Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, "TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME, AS IN THE DAY OF TRIAL IN THE WILDERNESS, WHERE YOUR FATHERS TRIED Me BY TESTING Me, AND SAW MY WORKS FOR FORTY YEARS. "THEREFORE I WAS ANGRY WITH THIS GENERATION, AND SAID, 'THEY ALWAYS GO ASTRAY IN THEIR HEART, AND THEY DID NOT KNOW MY WAYS'; AS I SWORE IN MY WRATH, 'THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST.'" (Hebrews 3:7-11)
This quote from Psalm 95 is once again referring to the Exodus from slavery in Egypt and the entrance into the Promised Land. God called the Promised Land His "rest" because they could rest from their works like He rested from His work on the seventh day of creation –the Sabbath. The land was all prepared for them. The buildings were already built –bricks making was a thing of the past; the wells were already dug; the vineyards were already planted; the soil was already plowed. There would be enemies, but God had also promised to drive them out gradually as the Hebrews grew in number and filled the land. Meanwhile, those "enemies" would be maintaining the buildings and the farm land until they were needed. The Hebrews were guaranteed victorious and bountiful lives of rest. All they needed to do was enter it by faith.
During their trip –before the rebellion– the people witnessed God's awesome power and compassion. They praised and boasted about Him. But when it came time to enter the land, their fears overtook them and they drew back. The sin they committed had nothing to do with leaving the land after once entering it. Their sin was refusing to enter His rest –when and how He offered it. This message is so important that it bears repeating...
There is only one sin identified in all of the book of Hebrews.
The Hebrews hardened their hearts against God.
They did not enter the Promised Land –His rest– when and how He offered it.
In Egypt, the Hebrews had endured 400 years of harsh slavery. The Promised Land was intended to be a place of relaxation –rest from worries about domination by foreigners and from scratching out a meager existence. However, the opportunity to enter that land was limited. God established the time and the way by which they could enter. Yet, over 600,000 of them that refused to enter on His conditions; they tried to do it their own way and died.
Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "Today," so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end, while it is said, "TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS, AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME." (Hebrews 3:12-15)
Physical death was the punishment for the Hebrews who disobeyed the message that came through Moses. That's severe, but the message that came through Christ [Messiah] has an even greater consequence! The warning in Hebrews 3 is to pay careful attention to God's final message –the message that was spoken through His Son. In that message God tells the Hebrews to follow His Son –Joshua –Yeshua. Follow the Son into God's rest –the eternal Promised Land. That's where He has provided everything needed for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:1-4).
For who provoked Him when they had heard? Indeed, did not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was He angry 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 not able to enter because of unbelief. (Hebrews 3:16-19)
The fact is that the offer is still open to enter His eternal rest through His Son. But there will come a time when it's too late. The offer will expire and those who have not accepted Yeshua as their Messiah will die the eternal death –a permanent separation from God.