Christ v. Moses (Hebrews 3)

Christ v. Moses (Hebrews 3) A. Paul devoted a substantial portion of the Epistle to the Hebrews setting forth the superiority of Christ to all things. 1. In this text, Paul shows Christ's superiority to Moses. 2. This was a very important message for the Hebrews since they had such a high regard for Moses. JOH 9:28-29. a. The high regard for Moses was for many Hebrews merely token. JOH 5:45-47. b. Paul's words here, though, would have a special importance for these Hebrews who were “...holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling” (HEB 3:1), that is, these had the promise of eternal inheritance. HEB 9:15. c. Many other Hebrews had no such call and therefore could not understand or love this glorious truth. JOH 8:42-47 c/w ROM 9:6-16, 27-29. B. Believers are to consider (to view or contemplate attentively; to fix the mind upon; to think over, meditate or reflect upon) the One we have professed. v. 1. 1. Christ is the Apostle of our profession. a. An apostle is one who is sent. MAR 3:14; JOH 17:18; 20:21. b. The fact that Christ was sent is stated over forty times in John's gospel. c. Faith must embrace Christ as the Apostle, the One sent of the Father. JOH 5:24; 6:29; 17:3, 8, 21. d. As the Apostle, Christ is sent from God to us. 2. Christ is the High Priest of our profession. As priest He goes for us to God. HEB 2:17; 5:1. 3. As Apostle and High Priest, Christ is the mediator between God and man. 1TI 2:5. C. Christ and Moses were alike in that they were both faithful. v. 2 c/w NUM 12:7. D. Consider some further likenesses between Moses and Christ. DEU 18:15-19. 1. The Hebrews were in bondage to foreign powers at the birth of both. EXO 1:13; LUK 2:1-7. 2. Both were saved from a civil decree to have the young children slain. EXO 1:16, 22; MAT 2:16. 3. Both left exalted positions for the people of God. HEB 11:24-26; PHIL 2:6-8. 4. Both were rejected by Israel. EXO 2:14; JOH 1:11. 5. Both were received by Gentiles while rejected by Israel. EXO 2:15-22; ROM 11:1-12. 6. Both were shepherds. EXO 3:1; PSA 77:20; JOH 10:11. 7. Both were sent of God to deliver His people. EXO 3:10; JOH 3:17. 8. The ministries of both were confirmed with miraculous signs. EXO 4:1-9; DEU 34:10-12; HEB 2:3-4. 9. Both were threatened with stoning by the people. EXO 17:4; JOH 8:59; 10:31. 10. Both were charged with being overworked. EXO 18:17-18; MAR 3:20-21. 11. Both stayed the wrath of God against the sinful people. EXO 32:10-14; PSA 106:23; 1TH 1:10. 12. Both finished a work. EXO 40:33; JOH 17:4. 13. Both prophesied of the fate of Israel shortly before their decease. DEU 32:1-43; MAT 23-24. 14. Both blessed God's people prior to departing. DEU 33:1; LUK 24:50-51. 15. The dead bodies of neither can be found. a. Moses' body is hidden. DEU 34:6. b. Christ's is risen and ascended. LUK 24:39-40, 50-51. Christ v. Moses 7-10-11 Page 1 of 3E. Christ is worthy of more glory than Moses. vs. 3-6. 1. Christ is God Who built all things (JOH 1:1-3), including the house in which Moses ministered. 2. Moses is beneath Christ as a servant is beneath a son. JOH 8:35. a. Moses was a servant IN God's house. b. Christ is the son OVER His OWN house: He is God Who built the house and owns it. c. Moses' ministry was a testimony to Christ. d. Thus, Christ is anointed with the oil of gladness ABOVE His fellow, Moses. c/w HEB 1:9. F. The house of Christ is His people. 1. All regenerate elect are the house of Christ indwelt by Him. ROM 8:9-10. 2. The local church is the house of Christ. MAT 16:18; 1TI 3:15. 3. The assurance of being the house of Christ in either sense comes in holding fast the confidence and rejoicing of hope firm unto the end. v. 6. a. Confidence and rejoicing must be held fast FIRM, not loose. b. Hope breeds confidence and rejoicing both of which must be held fast. G. Given the superiority of Christ over Moses, Paul then argues from the history of Israel in the wilderness the peril of abandoning the confidence and rejoicing of hope. vs. 7-19 c/w HEB 2:1-3; 10:28-29; 12:25-26. 1. In vs. 7-11, Paul quotes PSA 95:7-11. 2. Comparing HEB 3:7 with PSA 95:7, we see that the Holy Ghost is our God. 3. “The Holy Ghost SAITH” (present tense). The Holy Spirit continues to speak in the word. 4. The hardened heart is a heart that does not hearken to “his voice,” the word of God. c/w ZEC 7:11-13. 5. Inasmuch as the non-elect have a hardened heart, the evidence of salvation lies in being otherwise than they. ROM 9:15-18; EXO 8:15. 6. The child of God who hardens his heart will certainly meet with judgment as did Israel in the wilderness. a. Israel did not enter the land of promise and missed God's rest because of hardening their heart. b. Mind the judgments listed in 1CO 10:5-11. c. Joshua and Caleb did not harden their hearts. Therefore, “not all that came out of Egypt” did provoke. v. 16 c/w NUM 14:30. 7. The means to avoid hardening the heart is the brethren taking heed to themselves and exhorting one another DAILY (every day, day by day. Often in a looser sense: Constantly, always, habitually) while it is called Today! 8. The hardened heart is “...an evil heart of unbelief” (v. 12). a. Unbelief will result in departing from the living God. GAL 1:6. b. Over against this heart of unbelief in departing from God is holding the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end. c. The heart is hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. (1) Sin deceives its victim. ROM 7:11. (2) Thus, we need to be daily warned. 9. The evidence that we are partakers of Christ is holding the BEGINNING of our confidence stedfast unto the end. 1JO 2:24. a. partaker: One who takes a part or share, a partner, participator, sharer. b. There is a partaking of Christ that is essential to the possession of eternal life and is Christ v. Moses 7-10-11 Page 2 of 3unconditional. 1CO 10:3-4; JOH 6:53-58. c. There is a partaking of Christ that pertains to fellowship that is conditional. 1CO 1:9; 10:16-17; 2CO 6:14-16; 1JO 1:3. (1) fellowship: Partnership; participation, sharing. (2) communion: Sharing or holding in common with others; participation. d. Our partaking of Christ in an eternal sense is assured to us by our partaking of Christ in a fellowship sense.