Hebrews 3 Commentary

Hebrews 3 Commentary

Verse 1 introduces us to two offices of Jesus: Priesthood and apostleship. For Israel, no one is more ‘sent’ than Moses. We agree. Israel also credits Moses for the establishment of the priesthood. Again, we agree. But here is one greater than Moses! The Son is greater than Moses.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Might God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end…

Verse 1 invites the saint to fix his or her thoughts on Jesus. The other phrase would be to consider carefully the apostleship and the priesthood of Jesus and what it all means to the church – God’s house.

Hebrews is easier to read as several key lines are clearly marked with words like ‘therefore’, ‘so’, or ‘Take care’. Then you know you must stop and let it sink in.

“Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.” The author relates to the first verse of the Book. The same God (Jesus) who spoke to Israel in the wilderness through the prophets (Moses), has now spoken through His Son (Jesus). It is this voice that we shouldn’t ignore. There are serious consequences. The voice of Jesus is recorded in the 4 gospels; the same voice continues to speak through the Spirit of Jesus (the Holy Spirit) in the writings of the apostles. We call it the New Testament.

The word of God is always in real-time – today.  

We have dos and don’ts. Our hearts shouldn’t be sinful and unbelieving, instead, we should encourage one another daily as long as it is called “today”. Christianity isn’t a Sunday-only thing. It is a 24/7 operation!

Verse 18 introduces us to another important term: rest. God worked for six days and rested on the seventh day. Man was commanded to work for six days and rest on the seventh day. Relate it to creation and see how Adam is commanded to reproduce after his own kind (creation) and rest after six days. Relate it to how man is commanded to endlessly repeat God’s creation work and continuously observe rest.

Possibly we have millennia before Moses is commanded to observe the Sabbath as a holy day – a day of holiness. Man’s rest looks like a father’s (Father) instruction to his (His) son. Wash the car, clean the table, make your bed, then come and we have lunch together. Rest would be described as the all-consuming presence of the LORD in which mankind finds meaning – a blissful and impossibly peaceful state of existence.

Israel humanly translated rest as an absence of slavery and suffering – what Egypt was to Israel. God’s view, however, was a calling to worship. “Let my people be free so that they can worship me”. Worship is God’s definition of rest! It meant obedience to the commands. It meant adherence to the Abrahamic contract, otherwise expanded and called the Law.

Saints must live in obedience. It is called rest.

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