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Review

Author unknown (most likely NOT Paul), very ornate Greek, like a sermon, written 67-69 AD
Theme: Jesus is the ultimate revelation of God, is the “exact representation” of the Father (1:3), and is superior to creation, angels, and The Law
Jesus not only covers our sins, He is also preparing the future for us
Jesus took on human form to die in our place in order to defeat sin, the devil, and death
Jesus now mediates between humanity and the Father as our High Priest

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Jesus greater than Moses (3:1-6)

1	Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession,
2	who was faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God’s house.
3	For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself.
4	(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,
6	but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.

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Discussion Questions

Why is Jesus superior to Moses?
What is the “house” that Jesus built and that Moses served in?

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Jesus greater than Moses (3:1-6)

Moses was a Pretty Big Deal to the Jews:

He led Israel out of the land of Egypt.
He received the Law of God at Mt. Sinai.
Basked in God’s glory and the nation had a nightlight for weeks.
God spoke face-to-face with Moses (Num. 12:6-9).
He governed the nation for 40 years.

However:

Moses prophesied God’s plans. Jesus fulfilled them.
Moses is a created creature. Jesus is the Creator.
Moses is a servant. Jesus is the Son of the Father.
Jesus is a Bigger Deal than Moses.

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Jewish OT analogies for salvation vs blessing

Paul routinely uses words like redemption, redeem, deliver, ransom, purchase, slavery, and freedom to explain salvation to the Jews.
Exodus was an event of deliverance from bondange in Egypt; salvation is an event of deliverance from the bondage of sin.
Jews were “saved” by being freed from Egyptian captivity, but they did not receive the full blessing of the Promised Land because of disobedience.
Disobedient Jews weren’t sent back to Egyptian captivity, just like disobedient Christians don’t have their salvation removed.
Disobedience hampers fellowship, but does not negate the salvation contract.

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Believer’s unbelief?

Audience is clearly believing Christians (2:1, 3:1).
How can a believer have unbelief?
Avoid automatically associating a word with a theological concept (ie, “unbelief” must mean “not saved”).
Unbelief simply means not trusting; Christians can still do this.

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Do not rebel (3:7-11)

7	Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice,
8	do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness,
9	where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years.
10	Therefore I was provoked with that generation, and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart; they have not known my ways.’
11	As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest.’”

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Discussion Questions

What are ways we do not trust God today?
What control do you have over not trusting God?

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Encourage one another (3:12-19)

12	See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.
13	But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.
14	We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end.
15	As has just been said: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.”
16	Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt?
17	And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies perished in the wilderness?
18	And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed?
19	So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.

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Discussion Questions

If “unbelieving heart” refers to “not saved”, would this passage be teaching that believers can lose their salvation?
What is the connection between the “deceitfulness of sin” and an “unbelieving heart” that falls away from God?
What is “sharing in Christ”? What are the requirements for participation?

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Encourage one another (3:12-19)

In context, unbelief is not an inability to understand, but rather a volitional decision to not trust God.
Christians can fail to trust God today and still be part of the family of God.
Distinction between legal and practical; ostracized family member is still legally part of the family even if they don’t actively participate in the family.

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Perseverance is not accidental

"The Enemy has guarded him from you through the first great wave of temptations. But, if only he can be kept alive, you have time itself for your ally. The long, dull monotonous years of middle-aged prosperity or middle-aged adversity are excellent campaigning weather.

You see, it is so hard for these creatures to persevere. The routine of adversity, the gradual decay of youthful loves and youthful hopes, the quiet despair (hardly felt as pain) of ever overcoming the chronic temptations with which we have again and again defeated them, the drabness which we create in their lives and inarticulate resentment with which we teach them to respond to it-all this provides admirable opportunities of wearing out a soul by attrition.

If, on the other hand, the middle years form prosperous, our position is even stronger. Prosperity knits a man to the World. He feels that he is 'finding his place in it' while really it is finding its place in him. . . . That is why we must often wish long life to our patients; seventy years is not a day too much for the difficult task of unraveling their souls from Heaven and building up a firm attachment to the earth."

(C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters)