Daily Thoughts from Hebrews: Superior to Moses (3:1-6)

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. 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. (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.) 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. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope. (Hebrews 3:1-6, ESV)

Jesus is superior to angels, who, indeed, had a role in establishing the Law for Israel and who should therefore be obeyed as the Law expresses, but Moses also had a supreme role in the establishment of the Law and you can just hear the families and friends of this congregation who remain in Judaism challenging this congregation with a failure to honor Moses by honoring Jesus.  But if Moses is considered God’s chief servant who faithfully oversaw His house (Israel and the Tabernacle), then Jesus is the Son who built the house and is faithful over it as God’s Son, not servant.

Jesus is the apostle and high priest of our confession of faith, our confessional utterance of belief.  He is both the one sent from God (‘apostle’ means sent one) with authority to represent God, and he is high priest of our confession, the one whose intercession on our behalf and sacrifice on our behalf has made our confession a saving one.  He has made us holy brothers and sister and given us a heavenly calling in contrast with the current Judaistic earthly focus on a ritual that the author of Hebrews will later show has been displaced.  Why would anyone leave the one calling for the former?

Moses was indeed faithful in all God’s house and God defended him as such in Numbers 12 against Miriam and Aaron’s jealousy for his power.  But Jesus is faithful over God’s house and we are that house, as Israel was, only if we retain our confession, our confidence and trust in the hope Jesus offers.

Why would you leave or grow weary of a calling that comes from such an exalted Jesus for a former life that was characterized by poverty of spirit, hopelessness, purposelessness, addiction to earthly things and absent divine direction?  You had confidence in Christ and his calling, you even boasted about it because it is the greatest.  If you don’t  hold fast to it what excuse will you give on judgment day?

Backsliders jump from the lifeboat into the Titanic.