Hebrews 3 · The Lantern

Therefore, my Christian friends, you who, all alike, have received the call from heaven, fix your attention on Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our religion.

Now the Word of God is His Son, as we have before said. And He is called Angel and Apostle; for He declares whatever we ought to know, and is sent forth to declare whatever is revealed; as our Lord Himself says, "He that heareth Me, heareth Him that sent Me." From the writings of Moses also this will be manifest; for thus it is written in them, "And the Angel of God spake to Mo…

After having in this fashion completed the comparison with the angels, he makes a parallel with the mighty Moses, greater than all the prophets, so that after showing the difference to be infinite, he may show at the same time the contrast between the covenants, the promises and of course the priests.

155. – As was said above, the Old Law derived its authority from three sources, namely, from angels, from Moses, and from Aaron, the high priest. But the Apostle preferred Christ, the Author of the New Testament, to the angels through whom the Law was given. Here he intends to prefer Him to Moses, who was the promulgator and, as it were, the lawgiver of the Old Testament.

See how faithful he was to the God who appointed him, as Moses was in the whole house of God.

"The Apostle and High Priest." Coming into the administration [οἰκονομίαν], he speaks all the humble things freely. He calls him an Apostle because he is sent by the Father as a man. And of the confession of faith, "was faithful." He says that he has a favorable faith preserved towards the Father, and that he thinks the same about saving the people.

Intending to depict the advantages of Christ over Moses, the apostle speaks about the high priesthood and says that both the one and the other were entrusted with the people, but Christ to a greater degree. At first he does not show the superiority of Christ, so that they would not turn away; for although they were faithful, they were still devoted to Moses.

158. – Then (v. 2) he compares Christ to Moses; first, he mentions that in which they agree; secondly, that in which Christ excels Moses (v. 3). 159. – What is common to Christ and Moses is fidelity to God; hence he says, He was faithful to him who appointed him. Here it should be noted that everything said here of Moses is based on the statement found in Num.

He has been deemed worthy of far higher honor than Moses, just as the founder of the house is held in greater regard than the house itself.

"For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses," (Again he is speaking of the Flesh), "inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honor than the house"; Moses himself also (he means) was of the house. Moreover he did not say, For this one was a servant, but the Other a master, but he covertly intimated it.

"One who has been worthy of much more glory." He discussed in what ways Moses is equal to Christ, now he talks about Christ's superiority. "Of much more." Who is that? Christ, who is the Word incarnate. "More glory than Moses, just as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself." Now he talks about the highest superiority of God over human beings.

160. – Then (v. 3) he prefers Christ to Moses in two respects; first, as to power; secondly, as to condition (v. 3b). But in commending Christ, he commends Him as having honor in all His house, as Moses had: Yet Christ excels him: first, he gives the reason; secondly, he explains it (v. 4). 161.

For every house has its founder, and the founder of the universe is God.

While the faithful service of Moses in the whole house of God was that of a servant, whose duty was to bear testimony to a message still to come,

The apostles received the gospel for us from the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus, the Christ, was sent from God. Thus Christ is from God and the apostles from Christ. In both instances the orderly procedure depends on God's will.

"And Moses indeed was faithful in all his house." Then Paul speaks of another distinction between Christ and Moses, that Moses was faithful as a servant, while the Christ was a genuine Son and of the same essence. For since he called Christ faithful above, and also Moses faithful, he explains the distinction of the faithful.

165. – Then (v. 5) he prefers Christ to Moses in regard to their state. In regard to this he does two things: first, he states his reason; secondly, he explains it (v. 6b). 166. – His reasoning is this: It is obvious that the master is of more value in his own house than a servant in the master's house.

the faithfulness of Christ was that of a son set over the house of God. And we are his house — if only we retain, unshaken to the end, the courage and confidence inspired by our hope.

But since he said, "as Moses," do not think that he is as Moses; "the glory of this" high priest "is greater than that of Moses inasmuch as the maker of a house has greater honor than the house." Similarly the honor of the Lord and the Son is greater than that of the servant Moses. "Every house was built by someone," but "he who created Moses" and "built all things is God.

— "But Christ as a Son." For even if he is called faithful, Paul says, it is as a genuine Son that he is faithful, fulfilling the will of the Father, rather the common will of the holy Trinity. "whose house we are."Here we are the house of Christ, the faithful, according to what is written: "I will dwell in them." (Lev. 27:12; 2 Cor.

168. – Then (v. 6), But Christ was faithful over God's house as a son, he shows what belongs to Christ, namely, that Christ is not as a servant but as a Son in His Father's house and, consequently, in His own, because He is the natural heir: 'Whom he has appointed heir of all things, by Whom also he made the world' (Heb. 1:2).

Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says — ‘If today you hear God’s voice,

But it is necessary also to unfold the history, to make the argument more clear. For when they had come forth out of Egypt, and had accomplished a long journey, and had received innumerable proofs of the power of God, both in Egypt, and in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness, they determined to send spies to search out the nature of the land; and these went and returned, admirin…

Having spoken about hope and about the need to await with confidence the reward and rest there from the labors here, he next proves on the basis of the prophet's words: believers will enter into rest, but unbelievers will not enter, just as the ancients did not enter.

170. – Having proved that Christ is greater than Moses, the Apostle now concludes that Christ is more deserving of our obedience. He does this by the authority of David the prophet in Psalm 94. He does three things: first, he proposes the authority which contains an exhortation; secondly, he explains it (v. 12); thirdly, he argues from the authority and the explanation (chap.

harden not your hearts, as when Israel provoked me On the day when they tried my patience in the desert,

Where your ancestors tried my forbearance, And saw my mighty deeds for forty years.

Therefore I was sorely vexed with that generation, And I said — “Their hearts are always straying; They have never learned my ways”;

While in my wrath I swore — “They will never enter upon my rest.”’

Be careful, friends, that there is never found in anyone of you a wicked and faithless heart, shown by that person separating themselves from the living God.

Thinking, then, that they could find a better, they wander and become wretched, and enter upon pathless places. But those which fell into the fire and were burned are those who have departed for ever from the living God.

"an evil heart." There are many wicked hearts of unbelief. For there is a wicked heart of unbelief, which does not believe, but is greedy for gain, is arrogant, is drunken, and many other things. Moreover, and incomparably, a heart is a wicked heart of unbelief, which departs from the faith in God.

185. – Above, the Apostle showed on the authority of the Psalmist that Christ must be obeyed strictly. In that authority he found three things, namely, the exhortation, the guilt, and the punishment. These he now explains in that order: first, the exhortation; secondly, the guilt (v. 16); thirdly, the punishment (v. 18).

Rather encourage one another daily — while there is a ‘Today’ — to prevent anyone among you from being hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

"Give us this day our superessential bread." Ordinary bread is not "superessential," but this holy bread is superessential in the sense of being ordained for the essence of the soul. Not of this bread is it said that it "passes into the stomach and is discharged into the drain." No, it is absorbed into your whole system to the benefit of both soul and body.

"But encourage one another." Build each other up, and spur one another on. "As long as it is called 'today'." Until the end, he says; for until the end, today is called. For he said, "Today, if you hear his voice," he says, until that which is spoken of as today.

187. – But if that evil should be found in anyone, should he despair? No; he should be admonished all the more. Therefore, he says, but exhort one another every day, i.e., continually, namely, by discussing your conscience and by exhorting to good, as long as it is called today, i.e., while the present time of grace lasts: 'I must work the works of him that sent me, whilst it i…

For we now all share in the Christ, if indeed we retain, unshaken to the end, the confidence that we had at the first.

"For we have been made partakers of Christ." What is this, "We have been made partakers of Christ"? We partake of Him (he means); we were made One, we and He - since He is the Head and we the body, "fellow-heirs and of the same body; we are one body, of His flesh and of His bones." "If we hold fast the beginning of our confidence [or, the principle of our subsistence] steadfast…

"For we have become partakers of Christ." One, he says, we have become partakers with Christ, since He has deemed it worthy to be our head and to make us His members. "if we hold the beginning of our confidence." The beginning of confidence is faith towards Christ. For by it we have endured and have become partakers of Christ.

188. – Then (v. 14) he explains their condition. As if to say: That condition is more powerful than the other, because they only hear, but we share in Christ.

To use the words of scripture — ‘If today you hear God’s voice, Harden not your hearts, as when Israel provoked me.’

Then he adds, "When it is said, To-day if ye hear His voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation." This is a transposition, "when it is said, To-day if ye hear His voice, harden not your hearts." It must be read thus: "Let us fear lest a promise being left us of entering into His rest, any of you should seem to come short of it; for to us was the Gospel preached as we…

"As in the rebellion." Hyperbaton [ὑπερβατὸν] is: for we must understand it as "Let us fear." The surpassing thing; in what is said: Today, if you hear the voice, and the things following, let us fear, lest, a promise being left behind, and the things following.

He confirms in what sense he said "to the end," and says that this is signified by the expression "today." For "today" means: always, as he also said above: "but exhort one another every day, as long as it is called 'today'" (Heb. 3:13).

Who were they who heard God speak and yet provoked him? Were not they all those who left Egypt under the leadership of Moses?

"For some when they had heard did provoke, howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses: And with whom was He grieved forty years? Was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness? And to whom sware He that they should not enter into His rest, but to them that believed not?

For some, having heard the promises of God, just as we hear them, provoked God to anger through unbelief. For He desires to save them just as He saves those who have heard, and they are of no benefit from merely hearing the promise. Thus, he says, you also will not be fulfilled if you have only heard the preaching, unless you also believe.

191. – Then when he says, who were they that heard, he explains what he had said about their sin. As if to say: You are made partakers of Christ, if you do not harden your hearts, as they who have heard and yet were rebellious. Was it not all? No, not all; for two, namely, Caleb and Joshua remained and consoled the others.

And with whom was it that God was sorely vexed for forty years? Was not it with those who had sinned, and who fell dead in the desert?

"To whom did he swear that they should never enter his rest?" To those who did not want to obey Moses, Aaron, Joshua and Caleb … "So we see that they were unable to enter" the land promised to them, not because of their evil actions, even though they were wicked, but "because of unbelief" in the Word of God.

God urged them to leave for the promised land, but some spoke in opposition, citing fear and the multitude of the enemy. Hence God consumed them all individually in the desert and brought in their children in place of them.

192. – Then (v. 17) he explains what he had said about the punishment. 193. – He says, therefore: With whom was he provoked forty years? Was it not with them that sinned? From this it is clear that forty years refers to the statement, I was provoked. Hence, he says that he was offended through those forty years.

And who were they to whom God swore that they should not enter upon his rest, if not those who had proved faithless?

We see, then, that they failed to enter upon it because of their want of faith.

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