Day 634: Faithful in God's house - Hebrews 3 vs 1 - 6

1-2 Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, who was faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God's house. 3-4 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. For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God. 5 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. 6 And we are his house if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope. Hebrews 3:1-6 (English Standard Version)

The writer of this letter had been showing the predominantly Jewish Christian readers that Jesus Christ is superior to angels. In Chapter 1 he quoted some Old Testament verses about the Messiah that said: “Let all God's angels worship him”, and, speaking of the angels, “Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?” The angels serve the Messiah in His great work of saving those who were lost in sin and doomed to die. Now he moves on to show that Jesus Christ is also greater than someone else who the Jews deeply revered. Who was that? (vs 1-2)

When Moses died it was said of him: “There’s never again been a prophet in Israel like Moses! The Lord  spoke face to face with him - and sent him to perform powerful miracles in the presence of the king of Egypt and his entire nation. No one else has ever had the power to do such great things as Moses did for everyone to see.” (Deuteronomy 34:10-12) Jews regarded Moses as God's greatest messenger and Hebrews refers to Jesus here as an ‘apostle’. That's a word which meant a messenger. Someone sent by God. What is the picture he uses in vs 1-2 for the work that Moses and Jesus came to do?

He speaks of God's ‘house'. It's as if he is thinking of a building in which they both faithfully served God. (Family and servants living in such a building are spoken of as being the household.) But he makes two important differences between Moses and Jesus in God's building. What's the first difference in vs 3-4?

The implication of those verses is that, not only did Jesus come to serve in God's house, He is also the builder of the house. At the very start of this letter the writer referred to Jesus as the one “through whom God created the world.” (Hebrews 1:2) That puts Jesus way above Moses. And what is the other reason why Jesus is superior to Moses in this house? (vs 5)

The difference between Moses and Jesus is as great as the difference between a servant and a son in a family. Keep in mind that a servant in those days was more of a slave than an employee! Part of Moses' job as a servant had been to tell what God was going to do in the future. He said to the Israelites: “The Lord  your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers, it is to him you shall listen!” (Deuteronomy 18:15) When the apostles Peter and John were being challenged for preaching that Jesus is the Messiah they quoted these words of Moses to the Jewish leaders of their day and said they referred to Christ. For those of us who aren't Jewish the things being said in this letter may not come across as strongly as it would have to those first readers. But the truth of what he is saying is just as important. What is the application he made to them in vs 6 that applies as much to us today?

He was giving them reasons to be proud of Jesus and to hold fast to the confident hope of eternal life that He had given them. Remember, they were going through a very hard time of rejection by their fellow Jews who didn't believe Jesus is the Messiah. We may face the same rejection and ridicule in the days we are living in. But the saviour we have put our hope in is superior to angels and far greater than Moses. Let us hold fast to what we have believed and seek to serve Christ as faithfully as Moses sought to serve God.