THE BOOK OF HEBREWS
CHAPTER THREE

The Study

James Deering, AncientPath.net


Hebrews Chapter 3 Overview[1]
Considering Christ, Hebrews 3:1-6

The writer moves in chapter-1 through the 33 ways The Son of God, Jesus, is better than the prophets – He’s the object of the prophets message – and He is better than the Angels.

In Chapter 2 the writer finishes with the Angels and in VS 5 and following his focus shifts away from Angels to man. We learned that Jesus had been temporarily made lower than the Angels in order to suffer death for all men. He would partake of man to fully identify with man and his sufferings in a fallen world (see Philippians 2:5-11).

Christ’s incarnation and suffering prepared Him for His office as High Priest. Now He is able to fully intercede before God the Father on behalf of all of mankind as their Royal High Priest.

Moving into Chapter 3 we move from heaven (Angels) to earth (Moses), as Moses is the 1st High Priest of the Nation of Israel (Exodus 17:19 ff).

The writer’s journey moves his readers up the hierarchy from The Prophets who, through visions revealed God, to Angels who, covering their persons in His presence revealed God, and now to Moses who revealed God face-to-face. In each case The Son of God, Jesus Christ, is found to be superior in the revelation of God, in every way, because  He is God. Barclay says, “Only through Jesus Christ has a man real access to God.”[2]

 

I.   The Challenge to Consider Christ, 3:1

A.     Consider Who We Are, 3:1b

    1.      We Belong To Christ - “Holy”

    2.      We Are Brothers In Christ Jesus -”Brethren”

    3.      We Are Believers in Christ Jesus - “Partakers….”

B.     Consider Who He Is, 3:1a

    1.      He Is The Son Of God, 3:1c - “Apostle”

    2.      He Is The Son Of Man, 3:1c - “High Priest”

 

II.  The Comparison of Christ and Moses 3:2

A.     Why Consider Moses?

    1.     Because of the Life He Lived

    2.     Because of the Leadership He provided

      3.     Because of the Lord He Knew

    4.     Because of the Law He was Given

    5.     Because of the Legacy He Left

    6.     Because of the Lowliness He Exhibited (Num. 12:3)

B.     Moses Was Faithful in All His House, 3:2

    1.      Christ Jesus Was Faithful in All His House, 3:2

 

III.      The Contrast of Christ and Moses, 3:3-6

A.     The Builder Is Greater Than the Building, 3:3-4

B.     The Son Is Greater Than the Servant, 3:5-6a

 

IV. The Call To Continuance In Our Faith, 3:6b

 

V.   The Disobedience of a Hard Heart, 3:7-11

A.     The Exhortation to the Hebrews, 3:7-8a

B.     The Example of the Israelites, 3:8b-11

    1.      The Rebellion, 3:8b-9

    2.      The Retribution, 3:10-11

VI. The Deceitfulness of an Evil Heart, 3:12-19

A.     The Peril We Need to Look Out For, 3:12

B.     The People We Need to Look Out For, 3:13

C.     The Past We Need to Look Back To, 3:14-15

D.     The Process We Need to Look Into, 3:16-19

 

BRIEF INTRODUCTION 

“Let us again remember the conviction with which the writer to the Hebrews starts. The basis of his whole thought is that the full and supreme revelation of God comes through Jesus Christ, that only through Jesus Christ has a man real access to God. He began by proving that Jesus was superior to the prophets; he went on to prove that Jesus was superior to the angels; and now he proceeds to prove that Jesus is superior to Moses. It might at first sight seem that that is an anticlimax. But it was not so for a Jew. In the thought of the Jew, Moses held a place which was utterly and absolutely unique. He was the man with whom God had spoken face to face as a man speaks with his friend. He was the direct recipient of the Ten Commandments, the very Law of God. The greatest thing in all the world for the Jew was the Law, and Moses and the Law was one and the same thing.

In the second century there was a Jewish teacher called Rabbi Jose ben Chalafta and he was commenting on this very passage which declared that Moses was faithful in all His house, and he said: “God calls Moses faithful in all His house, and thereby He ranked him higher than the ministering angels themselves.” For a Jew this step that the writer to the Hebrews takes is the logical and inevitable step in the argument. He has proved that Jesus is greater than the angels; now he must prove that He is greater than Moses who was greater than the angels.”[3]

 “The life of Moses presents a series of striking antitheses.[4]

He was the child of a slave, and the son of a queen.

He was born in a hut, and he lived in a palace.

He inherited poverty, and enjoyed unlimited wealth.

He was the leader of armies, and the keeper of sheep.

He was the mightiest of warriors, and the meekest of men.

He was educated in the court, and he dwelt in the desert.

He had the wisdom of Egypt, and the faith of a child.

He was fitted for the city, and he wandered in the wilderness.

He was tempted with the pleasures of sin, and endured the hardships of virtue.

He was backward in speech, and he talked with God.

He had the rod of a shepherd, and the power of the Infinite.

He was a fugitive from Pharaoh, but an ambassador from heaven.

He was the giver of the Law, and the forerunner of grace.

He died alone on Mount Moab (Nebo), and appeared with Christ Jesus in Judea.

No man assisted at his funeral, yet God buried Him”

 

I.            THE BOOK OF HEBREWS Chapter 3 [NASB]
(Paragraph Form)

 

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 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.

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.’”

 

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.”

 

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.

 


 

THE VISUALIZED TEXT

Hebrews 3 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

 

I.      THE CHALLENGE TO CONSIDER CHRIST, 3:1

1  Therefore,[5]

        holy brethren[6],

        partakers of a heavenly calling,

                consider Jesus,

                        the Apostle[7] and

                        High Priest[8] of our confession;[a]


 

II.    THE COMPARISON OF CHRIST AND MOSES, 3:2

2  He was faithful

        to Him who appointed Him,

        as Moses also was

                in all His house.


 

 

III.   THE CONTRAST OF CHRIST AND MOSES, 3:3-6

3  For

        He has been counted worthy

                        of more glory than Moses,

                        by just so much as

                                the builder of the house[9]

                                        has more honor than the house.


4                                                                            For every house is built by someone,

                                        but the builder of all things is God.[10]


5  Now[11]

        Moses was faithful

                in all His house[12]

                        as a servant,

                for a testimony[13]

                        of those things which were to be spoken later;


6  but

        Christ was faithful

                        as a Son

                        over His house

                                —whose house we are,

                                if we hold fast[14]

                                        our confidence and

                                        the boast of our hope

                                        firm until the end.[15]


V.     THE DISOBEDIENCE OF A HARD HEART, 3:7-11

7  Therefore,

        just as the Holy Spirit says,

                Today if you hear His voice,
8             
Do not harden your hearts
[16] as [
b]when they provoked Me,
                As in the day of trial in the wilderness,
9              Where your fathers tried Me by testing Me,
                And saw My works for forty years.
10            Therefore I was angry with this generation,
                And said, ‘They always go astray in their heart,
                And they did not know My ways’;
11            As I swore in My wrath,
                They shall not enter My rest
.’”
[17], [18]

 

 


 

VI.    THE DECEITFULNESS OF AN EVIL HEART, 3:12-19

12  Take care, brethren,

that

        there not be

                in any one of you

                        an evil,

                        unbelieving heart [c]

                                                that falls away from

                                        the living God.[19], [20]


 

13  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.


 

14  For

        we have become partakers of Christ,

if

        we hold fast

                the beginning of our assurance

                firm until the end,


 

15  while it is said,

Today if you hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts, as [d]when they provoked Me.”

 

16  For

        who provoked Him when they had heard?

Indeed,

        did not all those who came out of Egypt

                led by Moses?


 

17  And

        with whom was He angry for forty years?

        Was it not with those who sinned,

                whose bodies fell in the wilderness?


 

18  And

        to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest,

                but to those who were disobedient?


 

19  So

        we see that they were not able to enter

                because of unbelief.[21], [22], [23]


 

End notes:

a.    Hebrews 3:2 Lit Being faithful

b.    Hebrews 3:8 Lit in the provocation

c.    Hebrews 3:12 Lit in falling

d.    Hebrews 3:15 Lit in the rebellion

 


Questions to be explored based on this study's verses

 

ABOUT: (Questions to be explored based on this study's verses) 
 

(Hebrews 3:1)
"Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession." (NASB)

1.  When you see the term "therefore" or "wherefore" what are you supposed to do?
See what it's there for.

2.  What does the word "holy" mean?
Set apart - has two forms. 1. To be set apart from something (i.e., "Take him and set him apart from us"). 2. To be set apart unto something (i.e., "As High Priest, he is set apart unto God").

3.  Who are the "brethren" here?
The brothers and sisters in this local assembly who are believers - remembering that in this particular assembly there are true believers and there are those who wish to return to Judiasm.

4.  What is the definition of "partaker"?
Those who share a part in something, partners.

5.  What is the definition of "calling" as used here"
Called of God, called or invited, esp. of the divine invitation to embrace the salvation of God.

6.  What is an "heavenly" calling?
See #5.

7.  Consider the word "consider." (You consider - 2p/pl/1aor/act/imperative)
This is one of the two only Greek commands in this chapter. It is a call to perceive, observe, understand, to "fix one's eyes or mind upon something."

8.  What is the normal definition of an "Apostle"?
Specifically one who has been called to this position and has been an eye witness to the things of Jesus Christ while He was visibly on earth.

9.  How is the word "Apostle" used here? (read John 5:24 first) See BibSac Note 1
as the most eminent teacher and witness to the things of God.

10.  What is the normal definition of an "High Priest"?
Under Hebrew law, the God-called High Priest of the Aaronic family, who was the head of the priestly order.

11.  How is the word "High Priest" used here? See BibSac Note 2
As members of the body of Christ believers are all Royal (members of God's family) Priests, Jesus then is the High Priest of this order. It is Jesus who stands before God Almighty in our stead and on our behalf.

12.  Make a list of the ideas and responsibilities that come to mind when considering Jesus Christ as God's Apostle to you, and Jesus Christ as your High Priest.

13.  Have you personally applied these two offices of Jesus Christ to your life?


(3:2)
"He was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was in all His house." (NASB)

1.  If the "who" here is Jesus Christ, Apostle and High Priest, then whom is the "Him" that appointed Jesus to those positions?
2.  Consider Jesus Christ's faithfulness to God the Father in fulfilling these positions or offices.
3.  How was Moses "faithful"?
4.  What are some of the possible meanings of the term: "in all his house"?


(3:3)
"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." (NASB)

1.  What is the significance of the word "man" here?
2.  Describe "counted worthy"?
3.  List some of the things Moses would be counted worthy for?
4.  List some things Jesus Christ would be counted worthy for?
5.  Why was Jesus Christ "counted worthy of more glory than Moses"?
6.  What is the writer alluding to when he speaks of "the builder of the house"?
7.  What is the writer alluding to when he speaks of "the house"?


(3:4)
"For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God." (NASB)

1.  What is the significance of the word "for" here?
2.  Why does the Holy Spirit repeat things in the scriptures? (builders, houses)
3.  Who built all things?
4.  How many is "all"?


 (3:5)
"Now Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later;" (NASB)

1.  What is the significance of the word "and" here?
2.  What do you know about Moses?
3.  Whose house was Moses a faithful servant?
4.  What was the testimony of Moses?


(3:6)
"but Christ 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." (NASB)

1.  What is the significance of the word "but" here?
2.  Whose house was Jesus Christ a faithful Son?
3.  Who is revealed as the "house" of the Son?
4.  Please read this link before proceeding. 
See BibSac Note 3
The last phrase in this verse seems to indicate that one cannot know his relationship to God until "the end."  Since the power of God, through the effective work of Jesus and the Cross -- and not the power of the individual believer -- Then one who has gone to the Father and given up his will to Him, through the shed blood of Jesus Christ (often referred to as making Jesus your own personal Lord and Savior) is incapable of losing their salvation.  The book of Hebrews is addressing both saved and unsaved Jews in the local assembly.  The writer of Hebrews speaks in loving terms to the unbelieving segment that their salvation is "near" and to "hold on" to their current direction of being with and learning from the believing segment of that local church that they might yet be saved if not snatched away by the devil or the power of sin.


(3:7)
"Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, "TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE," (NASB)

1.  When you see the term "therefore" or "wherefore" what are you supposed to do?
2.  This verse continues into verse 8

 (3:8)
"DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME, AS IN THE DAY OF TRIAL IN THE WILDERNESS," (NASB)

1.  How does one "harden" their heart?
2.  Why was the 40 years in the wilderness (by the nation of Israel) called "The Provocation"?
3.  How long did it take the Israelites to make the 11 day journey through the wilderness to Canaan?


(3:9)
"WHERE YOUR FATHERS TRIED Me BY TESTING Me, AND SAW MY WORKS FOR FORTY YEARS." (NASB)

1.  When did the Jewish fathers tempt God?
2.  How was God "proved" by the provocation of God in the wilderness?
3.  How many years did this go on?


(3:10)
"THEREFORE I WAS ANGRY WITH THIS GENERATION, AND SAID, 'THEY ALWAYS GO ASTRAY IN THEIR HEART; AND THEY DID NOT KNOW MY WAYS';" (NASB)

1.  When you see the term "therefore" or "wherefore" what are you supposed to do?
2.  Does God get "angry"?
3.  How does He do that without violating His righteousness?
4.  Which generation was God angry with according to this verse?
5.  How long is a generation?
6.  Who always went astray in their heart?
7.  Who did not know His ways?
8.  What was the result of going astray and not knowing His ways?


(3:11)
"AS I SWORE IN MY WRATH, 'THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST.'" (NASB)

1.  What great benefit did that generation of wayward, unknowledgeable people lose?
2.  Where was Canaan?
3.  What other names was Canaan known by in the Old Testament?
4.  What is the relationship between the Seventh Day of God's creation, and the land of Canaan?


(3:12)
"Take care, brethren, lest there should be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart, in falling away from the living God." (NASB)

1.  "Take heed, brothers and sisters, that an unbelieving heart doesn't lead you away from the Living God, Jesus Christ."


(3:13)
"But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "Today," lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin." (NASB)

1.  What is the significance of the word "but" here?
2.  What does exhort mean? (You Exhort - 2p/pl/pres/act/imperative)
3.  Why is it important to "Call Out" the excellencies of Christ daily to each other?
4.  "Instead, while in your unbelief, seek other believers in this body of Christ daily and make your choice FOR Christ while it is still "TODAY," lest any one of you be lead away from Christ by the deceitfulness of sin."


(3:14)
"For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end;" (NASB)

1.  Consider "the end" as the end of "Today."


 (3:15)
"while it is said, "TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS, AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME." (NASB)

1.  No comment necessary.


(3:16)

"For who provoked Him when they had heard? Indeed, did not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses?" (NASB)
1.  What is the significance of the word "For" here?
2.  How many is "some"?
3.  When did they hear?
4.  What did they hear?
5.  Who was provoked?
6.  Why was He provoked?
7.  Out of all the generation who went into the wilderness, how many were allowed to enter Canaan?
8.  Why?


 (3:17)
"And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness?" (NASB)
1.  Who was God grieved with for forty years?
2.  Is "provoking the Lord God" sin?
3.  Who had provoked the Lord God in the wilderness?
4.  What happened to them as the result of their sin?


 (3:18)
"And to whom did He swear that they should not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient?" (NASB)
1.  Who did God promise they would not enter Canaan (God's Rest)?
2.  Is Unbelief disobedience?
3.  Why?


(3:19)
"And so we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief." (NASB)
1.  What is the significance of the word "So" here?
2.  Who is the "we" see of this sentence?
3.  Who could not enter in?
4.  Why could they not enter in?
5.  Where was "God's Rest"?
6.  How does this apply to you?


Footnotes:

[1]      David Jeremiah, Hebrews The Supremacy & The Sufficiency of Christ, Vol. 1, pp. 53ff

[2]      William Barclay, The Letter to the Hebrews, Westminster Press, p. 22

[3]      William Barclay, The Letter to the Hebrews, The Westminster Press, Philadelphia, p. 22

[4]      I. M. Haldeman, cited in Gleanings in Exodus, by A. W. Pink (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, p. 16).

[5]      The author uses different pictures to explain Jesus’ relationship to believers: Hi is (1) the apostle (“one who is sent”) of God, to whom we should listen, (2) our high priest, through whom we come to God the Father; and (3) the ruler of God’s house (“faithful as a son over God’s house”), whom we should obey.

[6]      Holy Brethren – found only here in the New Testament. Holy because we have been sanctified (cf. 2:11).

[7]      Apostle – The one sent from God to represent God to us – see: John 5:24.

[8]      High Priest – The one who represents us to God – Our Mediator

[9]      Christ is better than Moses because Christ is the builder of God’s house whereas Moses was but a servant in the house.

[10]    To the Jewish people, Moses was a great hero; he had led their ancestors, the Israelites, from Egyptian bondage to the border of the promised land. He also had written the first five books of the Old Testament, and he was the prophet through whom God had given the law; therefore, Moses was the greatest prophet in the Scriptures. But Jesus is worthy of greater honor as the central figure of faith than Moses, who was merely a human servant. Jesus is more than human; He is God Himself (1:3). As Moses led the people of Israel out of Egyptian bondage, so Christ leads us out of sin’s slavery. Why settle for Moses when you can have Jesus who appointed Moses, the author of Hebrews asks.

[11]    Hebrews 3:5-6 Christ as a Son and the one over the house is therefore superior to Moses

[12]    Numbers 12:7 The Lord said, “Not so, with My servant Moses, He is faithful in all My household.”

[13]    Knowing the Old Testament is the best foundation for understanding the New Testament. (1) We see how God used people to accomplish His purposes, (2) God used events and personalities to illustrate important truths, (3) through prophets, God announced the Messiah, and (4) through the system of sacrifices, God prepared people to understand the Messiah’s work.

[14]    We believers are now God’s house(hold), but to enjoy that position requires that we hold fast to our moorings (same word in v. 14; 10:23)

[15]    Because Christ lives in us as believers, we can remain courageous and hopeful to the end. We are not saved by being steadfast and firm in our faith, but our courage and hope do reveal that our faith Is real. Without this enduring faithfulness, we could easily be blown away by the winds of temptation, false teaching, or persecution.

[16]    The Bible warns us not to “harden” our hearts. This means stubbornly setting ourselves against God so that we are no longer able to turn to Him for forgiveness. Be careful to obey God’s Word, and do not allow your heart to become hardened.

[17]    The quote is from Psalm 95:7-11. The children of Israel challenged god’s authority over them by their rebellion in the wilderness. Because of this, they failed to enter into the rest of dwelling in Canaan and they perished in the wilderness (See Numbers 14:22-23).

[18]    God’s rest has several meanings in Scripture: (1) the seventh day of creation and the weekly Sabbath commemorating it; (2) the promised land of Canaan; (3) peace with God now because of our relationship with Christ through faith; and (4) our future eternal life with Christ. All of these meanings were probably familiar to the Jewish Christian readers of Hebrews.

[19]    Remembering the failure of the Children of Israel, the writer now applies Israel’s experience to the dangers facing his readers.

[20]    Our hearts turn away from the living God when we stubbornly refuse to believe Him.

[21]      Israel’s disgrace is summarily described as unbelief [provocation (3:15); sin (3:17); and disobedience].

[22]    The Israelites failed to enter the promised land because they did not believe in God’s protection, and they did not believe that God would help them conquer the giants in the land. So God sent them into the desert to wander for 40 years. Lack of trust in God always prevents us from receiving His best.

[23]    Although Moses was faithful to God, the generation of which he was a part perished in the Wilderness. This fact served as a warning to the generation which heart the gospel of Christ and was in danger of rejecting it. Ironside (Commentary: Hebrews, p. 48) says, “There is every reason to doubt the salvation of one whose nature does not delight in the will of God.”


2019-09-29
2024-03-18 update