Christ is Superior to Moses
Hebrews Chapter Three
Introduction:
1. The author in chapter two gave a great argument for Christ superiority.
a. A Superior Message.
b. A Superior Man.
c. A Superior Christ
d. A Superior Relationship
e. A Superior Personification
f. A Superior Life.
2. In this chapter Paul will argue that Jesus is better than Moses.
I. Christ Faith Is Superior to Moses’s v. 1-2
Why Worry When You Are a Child of a Father Who Sustains the World?
Spurgeon speaks of an evening when he was riding home after a heavy day’s work. He felt weary and depressed, when as suddenly as a lightning flash came this verse, "My grace is sufficient for thee." He said, "I should think it is, Lord," and he burst out laughing. It seemed to make unbelief so absurd.
"It was as if some little fish, being very thirsty, was troubled about drinking the river dry, and the river says, ’Drink away, little fish, my stream is sufficient for thee.’
"Or, it seemed like a little mouse in the granaries of Egypt after seven years of plenty fearing it might die of famine, and Joseph might say, ’Cheer up, little mouse, my granaries are sufficient for thee.’
"Again, I imagined a man away up on yonder mountain saying to himself, ’I fear I shall exhaust all the oxygen in the atmosphere.’But the earth might say, ’Breathe away, oh man, and fill thy lungs ever; my atmosphere is sufficient for thee.’"
Little faith will bring our souls to heaven, but great faith will bring heaven to us.
a. Christian Brotherhood v. 1
i. The combinations of these two words occur only here in the New Testament.
1. The “holy brethren” are the Hebrew Christians.
a. They were brethren because they had the same father.
b. They were holy because they had been sanctified.
ii. These Christians had been separated from the world because of Christ’ sacrifice.
b. Christian Calling v.1
i. “heavenly calling”
1. Christians have been invited share in the inheritance of heaven.
a. We have all been called by the gospel.
2 Thessalonians 2:14
(14) Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
What we are called from and called to: What we are made by obeying the call:
I. Called from labor to rest (Matt. 11:28) I. We are made sons of God (John 1:12)
II. Called from death to life (1 John 3:14) II. We are made the children of God (Gal. 3:26)
III. Called from bondage to liberty (Gal 5:13) III. We are made the servants of God (Matt. 25:21)
IV. Called out of darkness into light (1 Pet. 2:9) IV. We are made God’s saints (Col. 1:1)
V. Called from bondage to peace (1 Cor. 7:15 V. We are made God’s witnesses (I Thess. 2:10)
VI. Called to the fellowship of His Son (1 Cor. 1:9) VI. We are made workers together with God (2 Cor. 6:1)
2. Jesus became “flesh and blood” and Christians will become spirit.
ii. This is an invitation to everyone.
“The Israelites had an earthly calling; they were called out of Egypt to go into the promised land: Christians have a heavenly calling; they are invited to leave the bondage of sin, and go to the kingdom of God. These were made partakers of this calling; they had already embraced the Gospel, and were brought into a state of salvation.”
Adam Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible
c. Christian Example v.1b-2
i. There is a call here to remember “our profession.”
1. These Hebrew Christians had once confessed Christ but now wanted to return to Judaism.
2. Paul calls on them to remember why they had called on Christ.
ii. Christ is our “apostle and high priest.”
1. The word “apostle” means one sent on a mission
a. Christ mission was to redeem all mankind.
b. An apostle is God’s representative on earth.
2. A “high priest” represents man in the presence of God.
a. By introducing the idea of Jesus being our high priest, (which he did in Chapters 1 and 2) he will begin to contrast, Christ and Moses, and Christ and Aaron.
iii. He is “faithful.”
1. It was God who appointed Moses as his apostle and Aaron as his high priest in the old covenant.
2. It is God who appointed Jesus as apostle and high priest in this new covenant.
3. Christ is faithful in that he will continue to be our high priest and apostle.
II. Christ Position Is Superior to Moses’s v. 3-6
a. Jesus is the builder of the house as opposed to Moses only being part of the house v. 3-4
i. “worthy of more glory than Moses.”
1. Why? Because the one “who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house.”
ii. “he that built all things is God.”
1. If one who builds a house receives more honor, one must remember that God built the resources to build the house
2. This is a direct reference to Jesus being God.
God’s Existence
Imagine a family of mice who live all their lives in a large piano. To them in their piano-world came the music of the instrument, filling all the dark spaces with sound and harmony. At first the mice were impressed by it. They drew comfort and wonder from the thought that there was Someone who made the mu sic-invisible to them-yet close to them. They loved to think of the Great Player whom they could not see.
Then one day a daring young mouse climbed up part of the piano and returned very thoughtful. He had found out how the music was made. Wires were the secret; tightly stretched wires of graduated lengths which trembled and vibrated. They must revise all their old beliefs: none but the most conservative could any longer believe in the Unseen Player. Later, another explorer carried the explanation further. Hammers were now the secret, numbers of hammers dancing and leaping on the wires. This was a more complicated theory, but it all went to show that they lived in a purely mechanical and mathematical world. The Unseen Player came to be thought of as a myth. But the Pianist continued to play.
b. Jesus is the son of the house as opposed to Moses only being a servant of the house v. 5-6
i. Moses was faithful in his house.
ii. Christ is faithful over his own house.
iii. Both are faithful but Christ is better because of his position in his own house.
1. In the book of exodus;
a. Moses’ house is delivered from Egyptian bondage but Christ has delivered us from sin.
b. Moses ate the Passover lame, but Jesus was the Passover lamb.
c. The Red sea was a hindrance in the way of liberation, but Jesus has liberated us from all hindrances to God.
d. Moses ate manna from heaven but Jesus was the bread of life come from heaven.
e. Moses brought water from the rock but Jesus is the living water.
2. In the book of Leviticus;
a. Access to God was made through sacrifices and offerings, but now Christ is the Sacrifice for all ages.
b. Access to God was made through Priest, but now Christ is our high priest.
c. In Leviticus we see the five feasts, but in these last days Christ calls us to “come and dine.”
d. In Leviticus we find the “year of Jubilee,” but Christ kingdom is Jubilation forever.
3. In the book of Numbers;
a. Christ is the Smitten Rock
b. Christ is the Brazen Serpent
c. Christ is the City of Refuge
4. In the book of Deuteronomy we are called to remember;
a. The giving of the Law
b. The covenant
c. The past slavery
d. The great deliverance
e. The divine leadership
f. The sins of the past
g. The divine Judgments
h. The Ancient of Days
5. These sentiments are mimicked in this lesson from Hebrews.
III. A Warning to the House of God v. 7-19
Fear of Death
Alfred Krupp of Prussia, the great cannon king, was literally a manufacturer of death. However, he had such a fear of death that he never forgave anyone who spoke to him of it. Every employee throughout his vast works was strictly forbidden to refer to the subject of death in conversation. He fled from his own home when a relative of his wife suddenly died there, and when Mrs. Krupp remonstrated, he became so enraged that lifelong separation ensued. During his last illness he offered his physician a million dollars if he would prolong his life ten years. But no amount of money could buy an extension of his life. How different it was with Jesus Christ, because He was not only God but man at the same time. When He became man, He came down for a definite time, that by His death and resurrection death might be conquered.
a. The unbelief of Israel v. 7-15
i. Wonders of God v. 9
1. The house of Moses grieved Jehovah because they had witness the miracles he had wrought, and still had little faith in him.
ii. Wrath of God v. 11
1. God was angry because these people had a heart condition.
2. This still grieves God today.
iii. Winners in God v. 14-15
1. Paul warns against “an evil heart of unbelief.”
2. “exhort one another daily, while it is called To day;”
a. “Today” does not last forever.
b. These Hebrew Christians were to give an encouraging word to each other everyday.
3. These Hebrews were encouraged to keep the same confidence they had when they first confessed Christ.
b. The penalty of Israel v. 16-19
i. They did not enter.
1. Because of their unbelief.
Conclusion:
1. The Holy Spirit has here guided the writer of Hebrews to write the perfect argument on why Christ is better than Moses.
2. He has shown why Christ faith is superior to that in which Moses had.
3. The author establishes that Christ position is superior to Moses.
4. He pushes the house of God onto a greater faith.
a. The encourages then to remember their confession of Christ
b. He warns them to beware of unbelief.
5. In chapter four the writer will continue in this vein.
