Hebrews 3:1-6

Morning, church. Open up your Bibles to Hebrews chapter 3.

Hebrews 3 · chapter mention

So I've had a lot of joy studying and preparing and getting ready for this morning

! Because we're going to talk about one of my favorite Bible characters, Moses.

And Scripture has a lot to say about Moses, both in the New Testament,

and this is just a tiny little piece of that.

But before we dive in, let's go to the Lord in prayer again.

I just want to ask Him to help us.

Father, we come before You this morning just very thankful for Your presence with us.

Knowing that if it were not for Jesus, we would still be outcasts.

We still would be far away.

But You have drawn us near and made us Your people through the blood of Jesus.

And thank You that He is, even now, standing on our behalf as our advocate.

He's our great, eternal, sympathetic High Priest.

And we can just give You thanks for that, Father.

So Lord, I pray You would just be our teacher this morning.

Help us to focus, to hear Your Word,

and to honor it by taking it from this place and by Your Spirit being obedient.

So we just give this time to You, Father.

In Jesus' name, Amen.

Alright, Hebrews chapter 3.

Hebrews 3 · chapter mention

And so you know, I'm sure most of you have been around long enough.

Without giving you a long spiel, the book of Hebrews is written to a Jewish audience.

And it's written to Jews who have left behind Judaism and are kind of being tempted and even persecuted to kind of come back to the old faith,

kind of return because Jesus is a hoax, like what you're believing.

All you have is a dead Messiah.

We have a temple.

We have a sacrificial system.

We have all these traditions.

What do you have other than a dead carpenter from Galilee?

And the writer of Hebrews is refuting that by saying, by honoring the old covenant,

but also saying Jesus is much better, far greater, far superior than anything in the old covenant.

So you have some people who have crossed over into following Christ,

some who are on the other side trying to get the Jews to come back.

And some that are on the fence not knowing which way to jump.

And so it's a helpful study tool when you're reading Hebrews to kind of figure out which group is he talking to,

those who are kind of threatening to, you know, return, the ones who are standing firm in the faith.

So just a little study tip there.

But to reconnect, just rewind just a couple verses to chapter 2, verse 17, where Nathan preached last week.

He says,

He says,

So Christ was obedient to the point of death and the death on the cross.

And so we'll pick up in chapter 3 from there, because the therefore is connecting to what he just said.

Chapter 3, verse 1.

Therefore,

Now Moses was faithful in all God's house as a servant to testify to the things that were to be spoken later.

So, therefore, in light of Jesus being this great high priest, he says,

Holy brothers,

He said,

So,

That's when he's standing on the Red Sea and everybody's panicking and the chariots are closing in.

He says,

Such a great image.

Such a great image in my head.

So, he was definitely a true Bible.

I found that I think I think I think I was a reluctant, he was a reluctant, hesitant leader.

And I feel like I'm a Christian.

He said,

And later on, he's a Christian.

And later on, he appointed elders to help rule over the nation of Israel.

But I do wish at times, and I'm kind of content, and I'm kind of content, and I'm kind of content of myself with that.

That's how God made us.

That's how God made us.

And I want to give you just a few bullet points here of why Moses is so important.

Incredibly important.

Incredibly important.

Incredibly important.

So why Moses?

It's like, why is the writer kind of pointing this out?

But, number one, Moses was graciously chosen by God to be his instrument for an epic task.

We know that.

Exodus chapter 2 talks about how he was divinely preserved from Pharaoh's edict

Exodus 2 · chapter mention

and the slaughter of the male children,

and how his mother and his sister placed him in a basket to float him down the Nile.

And he was providentially led.

Have you ever, like, watched videos about the Nile?

Some of you may actually have even seen the Nile.

It's a pretty crazy river.

And the fact that it was led right to Pharaoh's daughter was completely by the hand of God.

He was plucked right from the bulrushes, and he was given a noble upbringing.

The name Moses is actually an Egyptian name, not a Hebrew name.

And it means drawn out, rescued from the water, which is what happened to him.

If I may, I'll nerd out just for a second.

Can't help it.

We know that in 1 Kings chapter 6, where Solomon built his temple.

1 Kings 6 · chapter mention

We know that Solomon built the temple in 967 B.C., a long time ago.

But it says in 1 Kings 6,

And if you pick up on that, what it's saying is,

this many years ago from the building of Solomon's temple is when the nation came out of Egypt.

And if you rewind, you land on the 18th dynasty of Egypt.

Pretty cool.

Most of the movies have it wrong.

I don't think it was Ramesses.

But here's what's cool about it.

It's for, when you add that to 967 B.C., plus 480, you get 1446 B.C., a long time ago.

Egypt's 18th dynasty.

The ruler was Tutmosis III, a ruthless conqueror.

And he had a stepmother named Hapshepsut, which was the daughter of Pharaoh.

And more than likely, like she's written a lot about,

she ruled for about 20 years until Tutmosis III became of age.

And he was furious with her.

He erased a lot of her images and did a lot of other things.

But the fact that Egyptian history makes much out of this one queen, this one daughter of Pharaoh,

I like to think it might have been her.

That's my theory.

Come talk to me later if you want to nerd out on that.

But Moses was chosen for that task by God.

Number two, Moses was used of God to be an incomparable deliverer of his people

through an unparalleled display of power.

He was a deliverer through using incredible power given to him or worked through him by God.

Exodus 7 and 12 talks about how he delivered the Hebrews from bondage in Egypt,

turned the Nile to blood,

plagues,

parting of the Red Sea,

splitting of the rock and the wilderness,

and making water gush out of it.

Like, you don't see many more,

I guess,

powerful images of God's power than you do,

sort of, in the life of Moses a lot of the time.

Like, what imagery all that is.

So, then he brought his people to the foot of Mount Sinai,

which is in modern-day Saudi Arabia, again, in my opinion.

And thirdly,

Moses served as the greatest prophet of Israel.

He spoke boldly to the people of God,

through God.

God said,

Tell them this,

and he did.

And he gave the Ten Commandments,

God's holy law,

brought that down for the people.

And even today,

it serves as like a measuring rod of all other laws out there.

Number four,

Moses was the first writer of the Bible,

known as the first historian of the Hebrews,

and under divine inspiration,

recorded the first five books of the Bible.

That was Moses.

Pretty cool.

Then lastly,

number five,

Moses was marked.

This is what I would want so bad,

out of my life.

Moses was marked

as the humblest of all God's servants ever to walk the earth.

And he was greatly privileged to speak with God,

plainly and simply,

as a friend does,

face to face.

Man,

what a privilege.

Now,

keep your hand,

or keep a mark in Hebrews,

but just flip to Exodus 33 really quick.

Exodus 33.

And some of the points I just read to you,

you'll see in some of these texts I'm about to read,

but I just want you to flip to one of them,

and I'll read you a couple of others.

But Exodus chapter 33,

Exodus 33 · chapter mention

where the nation is gathered at Mount Sinai,

and Exodus 33 verse 8.

Exodus 33:8

It says,

whenever Moses went out to the tent,

the tabernacle,

all the people would rise up,

and each would stand at his tent door

and watch Moses until he had gone into the tent.

And when Moses entered the tent,

the pillar of cloud would descend

and stand at the entrance of the tent.

And the Lord would speak with Moses.

And when all the people saw the pillar of clouds

standing at the entrance of the tent,

all the people would rise up and worship,

each at his tent door.

Thus,

the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face

as a man speaks to his friend.

Man,

how can you not want that?

And what a privilege that was.

The whole nation stood away in fear

that Moses was allowed to go in.

And in Numbers 12,

I'll read you some stuff from Numbers 12.

When I was saying he was the most humblest of God's servants.

It says,

Now the man Moses was very meek,

more than all the people who were on the face of the earth.

And he said,

the Lord said,

Hear my words.

If there is a prophet among you,

I, the Lord,

make myself known to him in a vision.

I speak with him in a dream.

But not so with my servant Moses.

He is faithful in all my house.

And with him,

I speak mouth to mouth,

clearly and not in riddles.

And he beholds the form of the Lord.

So in other words,

God does speak through the other prophets,

but he does so in a mysterious way,

through dreams,

visions.

But he's like,

not Moses.

I speak plainly and clearly to him

in a very intimate context.

And then Deuteronomy 34,

a couple of verses.

But this was the last thing written of Moses.

And I think Joshua probably actually picked up the pen

and wrote this in my opinion.

But Deuteronomy 34,

Deuteronomy 34:10

verse 10 says,

And there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses,

whom the Lord knew face to face,

none like him for all the signs and wonders

that the Lord sent him to do in the land of Egypt,

to Pharaoh and all his servants,

and to all his land.

Listen to this.

And for all the mighty power

and all the great deeds of terror

that Moses did in the sight of Israel.

So,

Moses is a huge deal.

Huge deal.

And God honored him as such.

So,

our writer,

getting back to Hebrews now,

you can flip back over.

Our writer,

it's important to kind of understand this.

He is not cutting down Moses.

He's not trying to belittle Moses

or take away from Moses at all.

And he does so by first kind of comparing Moses,

making comparison between Moses and Jesus.

In verse 2,

chapter 3,

it shows that both Moses and Jesus

were faithful

and trustworthy

in the work that God gave them to do.

They both carried out

the work God gave them.

And they were faithful in God's house,

which is a picture of God's people.

And he does that by quoting what I just read to you

out of Numbers 12,

where it says,

verse 2 there,

it says,

Jesus

was faithful to him,

who was God the Father,

who appointed him

just as he,

just as Moses

also was faithful

in all of God's house.

So he wanted that Jewish audience

to understand that.

I'm not taking anything away

from Moses.

Like,

what an honored

and incredible man

Moses was.

He was faithful

in his work

that God gave him to do.

Both Jesus and Moses

fulfilled their God-appointed roles.

And so although Jesus

is superior to Moses,

Moses deserves tremendous respect,

which actually makes Jesus

look even better

because Moses has such high respect.

So he wishes to honor Moses

by making a comparison,

but then he makes a contrast

in the next part of this.

So Christ is superior to Moses.

You see this in verse 3.

Jesus has been accounted worthy

of more glory than Moses.

And a tremendous contrast.

Moses was one of a kind

in his day

with more of an intimate relationship

with God

than anyone else.

So he's just saying

in the beginning of this,

consider Jesus.

The word consider.

Like,

stop doing what you're doing.

Focus.

Hone in on this.

Think about it.

Ponder it.

Meditate on it.

Consider why Jesus

is more glorious

than Moses.

Right?

So,

in the end of this,

why we need to do this,

like why this is important,

you'll see

at the end of our text

because it's going to give us

great hope

and confidence

in our faith

if we actually look

and see this comparison

or this contrast.

If we hold fast

our confidence

in the boast

of our hope

firm until the end,

which is what

Hebrews 3.6 says.

So let's look at

two ways

that the writer

makes the contrast

to say Jesus

is superior to Moses.

There's two ways.

Number one,

consider Jesus'

superior vocation.

Consider Jesus'

superior vocation.

See this in verse

three and four.

It says,

as much more glory

as the builder

of a house

has more honor

than the house itself.

For every house

is built

by someone

but the builder

of all things

is God.

So the first comparison

is relationship

to the house.

Jesus is the builder

of the house

but Moses is just

a part of the house.

The spiritual household

of God.

And it was common

and I don't know

if this is still true

but in the ancient world

it was really common

to equate

the architect

with more glory

than what they actually built.

which is kind of

a foreign concept today.

But like

every artist,

every architect

would have great honor

like more than

what they actually have made.

And so

trying to think of

an analogy

but it's going to

really fall short.

Imagine three of the

greatest athletes

out there.

Nolan Ryan,

one of my favorite.

5,714 strikeouts.

Still holds the record.

And he knocked out

a guy one time

and charged the mound too.

So

Michael Jordan,

probably the best

basketball player ever.

I don't know why

I threw Tom Brady

in the air.

It was just really late

when I was figuring this out.

Tom Brady,

six Super Bowl rings.

Ridiculous.

And then

throw in somebody else

that you just

thinks all that.

Nolan Ryan,

Michael Jordan,

Tom Brady,

and Jesus.

Sitting around

discussing

how amazing

their careers were

and how great

they were.

Kind of acting

humbly on the outside

but inwardly thinking

I'm better than

these guys.

like,

I deserve

much more

glory

than these guys.

But acting

humbly on the outside.

And when they're

done talking

around their mouths

they look over

to Jesus and say,

how about you Jesus?

And in true

humility,

like inwardly

and outwardly

he just says to them,

well,

well fellows

at some point

in history

you ceased

to exist

until I spoke

you into being.

I created

and fashioned you.

I made your minds,

your hearts,

your legs,

your arms.

I sustained you

from your mother's womb

and I still sustain you

even now.

And I gave you

the skills

that you have.

So actually,

boys,

I'm the greatest.

And he says that

in like the truest

humility.

Like he

made us.

He made Moses.

He created

Moses.

And he created

us.

So Jesus

is to the people

of God

as the builder

is to a house.

Moses was just

a part of

God's house.

So Moses

is,

let's see here,

best way to phrase this,

Jesus made Moses,

he made us,

and this

gives us,

like,

look at verse 4

real quick,

gives us,

for every house

is built by someone,

but the builder

of all things

is God.

God.

And then in verse 3

it says that

Jesus made

the house

of God.

He's the maker

of all things.

Remember chapter 1

how God

created all things

through him?

Chapter 1,

verse 2

of Hebrews.

He is the

son of God.

So they were

both faithful,

but

Jesus

actually built

the house

and he made

Moses.

Well,

Moses is just

a part of

that house.

So he is

worthy of

much more glory

than Moses

as the builder

is

to a house.

So never be

haughty about

what you've

accomplished

or what you

think you've

done

or how great

you are.

You don't

come close

to Moses.

No one

does.

But Jesus

made you

and so

when you

boast,

boast only

in the Lord

that he

has given

you every

good thing

that you

have.

to only

boast in

Christ.

So that's

the first

one.

Consider

Jesus'

superior

vocation

or his

superior

work

that he

did.

And

number

two,

you see

this in

verses 5

and 6,

consider

Jesus,

Jesus'

superior

person.

Consider

Jesus'

superior

person.

Right?

Verse 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.

So,

there's a

really easy

comparison

there.

Moses

was incredible.

He was a

servant and

he served

faithfully as

a servant,

but Jesus

is a son

of that

house.

Huge

comparison,

huge

difference.

But again,

the writer is

not trying to

take away from

Moses at

all.

I actually

read about

this.

The word

servant here

that's used

for Moses

is the

only time

this word

is actually

used in

the New

Testament.

Servant.

But what

it means

is an

honored

servant

who is

far above

a slave,

but yet

still is a

servant.

Wow,

that's

singling

Moses out

and bringing

him up a

notch,

actually.

So he's

still honoring

Moses,

but in

the house

of God,

Moses showed

great trust

in him.

He refused

the privileges

and rights

of living

a wealthy

life in

Egypt as

Pharaoh's

son,

chose to

associate

with his

people in

slavery instead,

and he

showed fervent

obedience,

right?

Like he was

such a

humble guy.

He followed

the task

that the

Lord gave

him,

and he

was the

intercessor

of the

people.

Even though

Aaron was

the high

priest and

his family

kind of

followed him

that,

Aaron let

the people

down a

lot,

and Moses

was the

true

intercessor

of the

people.

He was

such a

humble and

faithful man.

But,

as we read,

it says,

Moses testified

to the things

that were to

be spoken

later.

meaning he

testified of

Christ.

He talked

about Jesus.

Hold your

hand, but

there's only

two places

for you to

look after

this, but

John 5,

this is

incredible.

John

John 5:39

chapter 5,

verse 39,

Jesus is

in a

holy argument

with religious

leaders,

and he's

putting them

in their

place,

but they

are rejecting

him,

they are

angry with

him,

and this

is what he

says to

them,

John 5,

John 5:39

verse 39,

he says,

you search

the scriptures

because you

think that in

them you have

eternal life,

and it is

they that bear

witness about

me,

yet you refuse

to come to

me that you

may have

life.

stop there,

like,

this is an

incredible gift

of God,

but just

knowing facts

about this

won't bring

you life.

It's about

knowing the

Savior that

this testifies

of.

Jesus says

that right

here,

these bear

witness about

me, but

you didn't

come to

me.

So,

sobering

warning,

so go to

Jesus,

the one that

this testifies

of.

Then he

says,

I do not

receive glory

from people,

but I know

that you do

not have the

love of God

within you.

I have come

in my

Father's name,

and you do

not receive

me.

If another

comes in his

own name,

you receive

him.

How can you

believe when

you receive

glory from

one another

and do not

seek the

glory that

comes from

the only

God?

Listen to

this,

do not

think that

I will

accuse you

to my

Father.

There is

one who

accuses you,

Moses,

on whom

you have

set your

hope.

For if

you had

believed

Moses,

you would

have

believed

me,

for he

wrote

about me.

But if

you do

not believe

his

writings,

how will

you believe

my words?

Man.

Jesus

was spoken

of by

Moses.

in

Deuteronomy

and other

places,

he says,

I will

raise up

a prophet

that will

speak the

words of

God,

and you

must listen

to him.

He is

to come

from this

people,

and he

is to

speak the

words of

God,

listen to

him.

And then

we also

know the

image of

Jesus,

and later

in John

3,

saying,

as Moses

raised up a

bronze serpent

in the

desert,

so the

all would

look upon

that bronze

serpent in

faith,

in faith,

and believe

they would be

saved,

they would

be spared

death.

And that

was a

picture,

an image

of Jesus,

us looking

to him

to be

saved.

So,

Jesus

is the

son of

the house

of God.

Moses is

the servant

of the house

of God.

And the

differences are

immense between

a servant

and a son.

The son

obtained

inheritance,

the inheritance.

He was the

Lord over

the house.

He provided

for all the

servants in

the house.

out of his

own wealth.

But servants

didn't own

anything in

the house.

They received

provision from

the master

and they

followed the

words of

the master.

Moses is

just that

servant.

He doesn't

own the

house.

He doesn't

provide for

anything in

the house.

He follows

the word

of the

master.

So,

Jesus is

the son,

the superior

to Moses.

Those three

ways,

Jesus owns

the house,

he rules

it,

and he

provides for

it.

So,

we have

to consider

Jesus as

the son

of God,

a privileged

place in

the household

of God,

while Moses

still honored,

yet remains a

servant in

that house.

But,

again,

I think

Jesus himself

honored Moses

more than we

could ever

imagine.

this is

the last

place I

want you

to turn,

but look

at Luke

9.

Luke

Luke 9:28

chapter

9,

verse

28.

The

transfiguration.

Alright?

And Luke

Luke 9:28

9,

verse 28.

Now,

about eight

days after

these sayings,

he took

with him

Peter,

John,

and James,

and went

up on the

mountain to

pray.

And as he

was praying,

the appearance

of his face

was altered,

and his

clothing became

dazzling white.

And behold,

two men were

talking with him,

Moses and

Elijah,

who appeared

in glory and

spoke of his

departure,

which he was

about to

accomplish at

Jerusalem.

Now,

Peter and those

who were with

him were

heavy with

sleep,

but when

they became

fully awake,

they saw

his glory

and the two

men who

stood with

him.

And as

the men

were parting

from him,

Peter,

of course

Peter,

said to

Jesus,

Master,

it is good

that we are

here.

Let us

make three

tents,

one for

you,

and one

for Moses,

and one

for Elijah,

not knowing

what he

said.

And he

said,

he was

saying these

things,

a cloud

came and

overshadowed

them,

and they

were afraid

as they

entered the

cloud.

And a

voice came

out of the

cloud,

saying,

this is

my son,

my chosen

one,

listen to

him.

And when

the voice

had spoken,

Jesus was

found alone,

and they

kept silent

and told no

one in those

days anything

of what

they had

seen.

Jesus'

face was

altered.

He was

illuminating

from within.

The

dazzling

white

phrase

that's used

there means

bright as a

flash of

lightning.

A glimpse

of the

glory of

Christ.

So this

isn't Moses

and Elijah

reincarnated,

this is

Moses and

Elijah

standing there

coming from

the presence

of God

to speak

with Christ.

And at

least in

the Old

Testament,

Moses

represents

the law,

Elijah

represents

the prophets,

how Jesus

is fulfilling

both of

those.

But do you

remember in

Exodus 34

when Moses

came down

off the

mountain and

his face

was radiant

because he

had been

deep in

the presence

of God?

He was

reflecting

the presence

of God

but Jesus

was radiating

it.

It was

coming out

of him

like it

was within

him not

without.

Jesus is

superior in

this person

because he

radiates the

glory of

God from

the inside

because he

is God.

But he

honored

Moses.

Moses got

to stand

there and

speak with

him.

How humbly

that must

have been.

What a

sight.

in

conclusion

go back

to Hebrews

verse 6

chapter 3

what is

some of

the meaning

for us

because the

writer wants

us to

immediately

apply this

to where

we are

in our

relationship

with Christ.

It says

and we

are his

house

if indeed

we hold

fast our

confidence

and our

boasting

and our

hope.

That means

this morning

not just

in Moses'

day but

this morning

Christ is

our creator

our maker

our provider

remember all

the things

that the

son does

in the

house

he rules

over the

house

he gives

us what

we need

and Moses

is a fellow

servant

along with

us even

though he

was singled

out to be

the greatest

of servants

we are

his house

we are

his people

we are

partakers

of the

divine

nature

and a

heavenly

calling

if we

hold fast

our

confidence

and boast

until the

end.

So we

need to

understand

that there

are

descriptions

like this

in the

Bible

that call

believers

to

persevere

if you

remain

if you

stay in

the

faith

if you

remain

steadfast

you have

reason for

great

confidence

because God

is at

work

within you

and we

can have

that great

trust and

confidence

because Jesus

is superior

to Moses

he is the

one that

we are

hanging all

our hope

on

this life

and

eternal

life

afterwards

all rest

on Jesus

so we

have to

consider him

as great

as Moses

was

he was

far

greater

so there's

a call

here

to persevere

to hang

on

to keep

the confidence

that you

have

as a

follower

of Jesus

so

think about

where your

hope is

think about

where your

confidence

is this

morning

and no

matter

where

to stop

and consider

Jesus

how

great

he was

he was

the builder

of the

house

he made

the house

he made

us

and he is

the son

of God

and not

just a

servant

so

that's our

text today

let's pray

together