Hebrews 3

Grace and Greetings,

What a gift! I am continually amazed at God's Word. Today, I am thankful for Hebrews 3. What a gift. The Chapter outline begins with the 'N' of SoN is Mediator:

• Not Moses but Jesus (1-6)
• Not hardened but hear Him (7-19)

The memory passage taken from these main sections are:

• Not Moses but Jesus
  Hebrews 3:3
  
  ³For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself.
• Not hardened but hear Him
  Hebrews 3:13-15
  
  
  ¹³But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. ¹⁴For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. ¹⁵As it is said, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”

The first section, 'Not Moses but Jesus', focuses on the priority of Jesus over Moses. Jesus is the Apostle and High Priest; The Father's Apostle to us and our High Priest to the Father. The writer certainly does not disrespect Moses (which might raise undo angst from his target audience) and gives him the honor he is due in light of his service to the Lord. But it must be made clear that while Moses was faithful as a servant, Christ is faithful as a Son. Jesus is worthy of more glory than Moses, just as the builder of the house has more glory than the house itself (3). This house is further defined as us, the church; those who 'hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope' (6). The only confidence we have is Christ, and our only hope is found in the Gospel He proclaimed and embodied.

The second section, 'Not hardened, but hear Him', draws its title and theme from a quote from Psalm 95. The phrase 'Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion' is written twice in this section (7,15). The writer skillfully draws on the history and commensurate warning to the nation of Israel (Ex 17:1-7, Num 14:20-38, Ps 95:7-11) and transposes the lesson to the body of Christ. "Remember how your fathers put God to the test and provoked His wrath! They were not allowed to enter His rest. So you, guard your heart that it not become evil and unbelieving. Exhort each other so that you do not grow hard with sin and fall away from God. I repeat, if you hear God, don't harden your heart!'

Then, so as to make sure there was no misunderstanding, the writer reviews the facts.

1. Who rebelled? Israel rebelled after God rescued them from Egypt.
2. Whom did God punish for 40 years? Those who rebelled.
3. Who did not enter His rest? Those who disobeyed.
   

Verse 19 lucidly concludes the thought: '...they were unable to enter because of unbelief'.

How does this affect my worship?

How quickly I forget God's faithfulness. Days, if not moments, after He comes through for me or my family in a miraculous way I find myself groping the air for some sign of His love. He doesn't need to remind me of His faithfulness, I must remember. We laugh at Israel; 'how could they doubt God!? He just unleashed an unprecedented display of heavenly warfare on Egypt (see the plagues), guided them through the desert with a cloud by day and fire by night, split the stinkin' Red Sea in half so they could walk on through (and holding it just long enough to finish off the Egyptian army), and now they're whining about food and water! Don't they remember what just happened?!?!' And yet I do the same thing. Not only that, I get envious when I see Him bless others the way I want to be blessed. That's no way to worship Him. Even in praise, I must come humbly to His throne in awe and wonder of His faithfulness.

How does this affect my discipleship?
This building metaphor pops up all over the Bible. There are different applications, and we must beware of mixing them too much. Here, 'the house', seems to take on two different meanings. For Moses, the house was God's people; Israel. He was faithful as a servant with the tasks He was given. For Jesus, the house is us; His Body. And our belonging in His house has to do with our trust in Him and our hope in His Word. This serves as one of the many goals of disciple-making; grow in our own confidence in Christ as we lead others to grow with us. Have hope and give hope. Obedience without hope does not seem to be the full life Jesus offers.

Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me,