Sunday 28th
Hebrews 3
NIV (v3) – ‘Jesus has been found worthy of greater honour than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honour than the house itself.’
ESV (v3) – ‘For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honour than the house itself.’
I have jumped a chapter today, but we will return to chapter 2 later this week.
Our text today shows to us that Jesus is greater than Moses, the author uses two words that help us to understand what the difference between Moses and Jesus were, we are fortunate in the English language that they both begin with the same letter, which is helpful for those of us who preach or teach the word of God, he uses the words SERVANT and SON verses 5-6 ‘Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son.’
There is key word that is used concerning both Moses as a servant and Jesus as a son and it is found in the opening verses of this chapter, faithful. Verse one reminds us that Jesus was faithful to him who appointed him, (God) and Moses was faithful in all of God’s house. So, both are described as faithful, they were obedient in the tasks to which God had appointed them. We know what Moses was appointed to do; he was called by God. While shepherding his father-in-law’s flock, God appeared to him in the bush that burned and was not consumed and commissioned him to go down to Egypt and command Pharaoh to release the children of God from their bondage and to allow them to eventually arrive into the place that God had prepared for them , the promised land. And Moses was obedient in his calling and so proved himself faithful in God’s house. The term God’s house is referring to the community of God’s people, back then God’s house were the people of God (Israel) and Moses had been faithful in God’s house as a servant. But when it comes to Jesus, he was faithful over God’s house as a son. There are two differences between Moses and Jesus which make Jesus as being greater than Moses, there is the servant – son as already mentioned, but also the words in and over, Moses was faithful IN God’s house, Jesus was faithful OVER God’s house. The community of God’s people by the time we get to the book of Hebrews has now included all who have become a part of God’s family through reason of new birth, for as we read in Hebrews there is a new and living way, made available through Calvary and Moses had been faithful as a servant in God’s house, but Jesus had been faithful as a son over God’s house, in other words, Moses was in the house and thus himself a part of the community, but Jesus is over the house, not a part of the community as Moses was, but as the one who has formed or created the community and thus over and above it, and therefore as verse 3 says Jesus is worthy of much more honour and glory, perhaps we can understand it more by referring to Philippians 2 which reminds us that Jesus was also obedient to the commission of his Father, to come to this world to bring about our deliverance, he took on the form of a servant, but was always at the same time still the son, and thus as a result of his obedience he is over the house as the one seated in the place of honour as King of kings and Lord of Lords. Moses never achieved anything near that status, as we know he never even entered the promised land through a later act of disobedience, but Christ was faithful in every way, even unto the point of death, even death on a cross.
Therefore, the Son is greater than the angels and he is greater than Moses.
We can also draw a conclusion from the thoughts today that Jesus being greater than Moses also means that he is greater than any of the other prophets as well. Another of the reasons why the author has highlighted Moses is because he was considered among the Jewish community whom the author was writing to, to be the greatest of all the prophets, but the Hebrew writer needed to remind them that Jesus is even greater, he is now our focus.
I have spent a long time just trying to expound the verses, but feel it is important that we learn a lesson from it, a practical application, and it is this, we too as members of God’s house, need also to learn what it is to be obedient and faithful. Tomorrow we will consider some of the verses of Scripture that implicate what we are and what we should be as the household of God.