1 Therefore, holy brothers, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Jesus; 2 who was faithful to him who appointed him, as also was Moses in all his house. 3 For he has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who built the house has more honor than the house. 4 For every house is built by someone; but he who built all things is God. 5 Moses indeed was faithful in all his house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were afterward to be spoken, 6 but Christ is faithful as a Son over his house; whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the glorying of our hope firm to the end. 7 Therefore, even as the Holy Spirit says, "Today if you will hear his voice, 8 don't harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, like as in the day of the trial in the wilderness, 9 where your fathers tested me by proving me, and saw my works for forty years. 10 Therefore I was displeased with that generation, and said, 'They always err in their heart, but they didn't know my ways;' 11 as I swore in my wrath, 'They will not enter into my rest.'" 12 Beware, brothers, lest perhaps there be in any one of you an evil heart of unbelief, in falling away from the living God; 13 but exhort one another day by day, so long as it is called "today;" lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our confidence firm to the end: 15 while it is said, "Today if you will hear his voice, don't harden your hearts, as in the rebellion." 16 For who, when they heard, rebelled? No, didn't all those who came out of Egypt by Moses? 17 With whom was he displeased forty years? Wasn't it with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? 18 To whom did he swear that they wouldn't enter into his rest, but to those who were disobedient? 19 We see that they were not able to enter in because of unbelief.
Analysis Of The Chapter
In Hebrews 3, the Jews valued their religion on many accounts. One was that it had been given by the instrumentality of distinguished prophets sent from God, and by the medium of angels. The apostle, in the previous chapters, had shown that in these respects the Christian religion had the advantage over theirs, for it had been communicated by one who was superior to any of the prophets, and who had a rank above the angels. Next to this, they valued their religion because it had been imparted by a Law-giver so eminent as Moses - a man more distinguished than any other one on earth as a legislator. To him they looked with pride as the founder of their economy, and the medium through whom God had given them their special laws. Next to him, their high priest was the most important functionary in the nation. He was at the head of their religion, and served to distinguish it from all others, for they had no conception of any form of true religion unless the office of high priest was recognized. The apostle, therefore, proceeds to show that in these respects the Christian religion had lost nothing, but had the advantage altogether - that it was founded by one superior to Moses, and that Christ as high priest was superior by far to the high priest of the Jews.
This chapter Hebrews. 3, and to Hebrews 4:13, relates to the first of these points, and is occupied with showing the superiority of the Redeemer to Moses, and the consequences which result from the admission of that fact. It consists, therefore, of two parts.
I. The first is employed in showing that if the Author of the Christian religion is compared with Moses, he has the preference; Hebrews 3:1-6. Moses was indeed faithful, but it was "as a servant." Christ was faithful, "as a son." He had a rank as much above that of Moses as one who builds a house has over the house itself.
II. The consequences that resulted from that; Hebrews 3:7-19, and Hebrews 4:1-13. The general doctrine here is, that there would be special danger in apostatizing from the Christian religion - danger far superior to that which was threatened to the Israelites if they were disobedient to Moses. In illustrating this, the apostle is naturally led to a statement of the warnings against defection under Moses, and of the consequences of unbelief and rebellion there. He entreats them, therefore,
(1) not to harden their hearts against God, as the Israelites did, who were excluded from Canaan; Hebrews 3:7-11.
(2) to be on their guard against unbelief; Hebrews 2:12.
(3) to exhort one another constantly, and to stimulate one another, that they might not fall away; Hebrews 2:13.
(4) to hold the beginning of their confidence steadfast unto the end, and not to provoke God as they did who came out of Egypt; Hebrews 3:14-19.
In the following chapter Hebrews 3:1-13 he completes the exhortation, by showing them that many who came out of Egypt were excluded from the promised land, and that there was equal danger now; and then proceeds with the comparison of Christ with the Jewish high priest, and extends that comparison through the remainder of the doctrinal part of the Epistle.
Jesus is the High Priest of our profession, Hebrews 3:1. And is counted worthy of more honor than Moses, as the Son Israelites did, and were excluded from the earthly rest in Canaan, Hebrews 3:7-11. We should be on our guard against unbelief, Hebrews 3:12. And exhort each other, lest we be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin; and we should hold fast the beginning of our confidence to the end, and not provoke God as the Israelites did, and who were destroyed in the wilderness, Hebrews 3:13-17. They were promised the earthly rest, but did not enter because of unbelief, Hebrews 3:18, Hebrews 3:19.
INTRODUCTION TO HEBREWS 3
The apostle having discoursed, in the preceding chapters, concerning the dignity of Christ's person, and his wondrous grace in the assumption of human nature, and suffering in the room and stead of his people, exhorts the Hebrews in this to a serious consideration of him, attention to him, and faith in him, and constancy in it; the arguments he uses to engage them to these things are taken from the grace and benefit they themselves were partakers of through him, from the office in which he was, and his faithfulness to his Father in the discharge of it, Hebrews 3:1 which is illustrated in the case of Moses, who was faithful in the house of God, and whom Christ excelled, and therefore was worthy of more honour; partly, because he is the builder of the house; and partly, because he is a Son in it, when Moses was only a servant; which house is Christ's own, and consists of true and steadfast believers in him, Hebrews 3:2, wherefore the exhortation to regard him is renewed, enforced, and expressed in the words of the Holy Ghost, Hebrews 3:7 which are taken out of Psalm 95:7 and applied to the present case: hence the apostle cautions against unbelief, as being a great evil in itself, and bad in its consequence, causing persons to depart from the living God, Hebrews 3:12, in order to prevent which he advises to a daily exhortation of each other to their duty, that so they might not be hardened in sin through the deceitfulness of it, Hebrews 3:13 and the rather it became them to be concerned to hold fast their faith in Christ to the end, since this is the grand evidence of being a partaker of him, Hebrews 3:14. And then the exhortation in the above passage of Scripture is recited, Hebrews 3:15 to show, that though not all the persons spoken of, yet some did provoke the Lord by their unbelief, and unbecoming carriage, Hebrews 3:16 wherefore, by the example of punishment being inflicted on such, of which instances are given in the forefathers of these people, such as their carcasses falling in the wilderness, and their not entering into the land of Canaan, which they could not, because God swore they should not, being grieved and provoked by them, and because of their unbelief, they are dissuaded from the same evils, lest they should be punished in like manner, Hebrews 3:17.
(Hebrews 3:1-6) The superior worth and dignity of Christ above Moses is shown.
(Hebrews 3:7-13) The Hebrews are warned of the sin and danger of unbelief.
(Hebrews 3:14-19) And of necessity of faith in Christ, and of stedfastly following him.
SUMMARY.--Our Apostle and High Priest. He Above Moses, as the Builder is Above the House. Moses a Servant in the House; Christ the Son. Lessons Drawn from Israel Under Moses. How the Israelites Provoked God in the Wilderness. How He Refused Them Admission to the Rest. Unbelief Caused Their Fall.
*More commentary available by clicking individual verses.