Hebrews Chapter 3

From The Open Bible Project

3:1 Therefore, holy brothers, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Jesus;

• (1) Having laid the foundation that is to say, declared and proved both the natures of one Christ, he gives him three offices, that is, the office of a Prophet, King and Priest, and concerning the office of teaching, and governing, compares him with Moses and Joshua from (Hebrews 3:1-4:14), and with Aaron concerning the priesthood. He proposes that which he intends to speak of, with a grave exhortation, that all our faith may be directed towards Christ, as the only everlasting teacher, governor, and High Priest.
• (a) The ambassador or messenger, as in (Romans 15:8) he is called the minister of circumcision.
• (b) Of the doctrine of the gospel which we profess.

3:2 who was faithful to him who appointed him, as also was Moses in all his house.

• (2) He confirms his exhortation with two reasons, first of all because Christ Jesus was appointed as such by God: secondly, because he thoroughly executed the offices that his Father commanded him.
• (c) Apostle and High Priest.
• (3) Now he comes to the comparison with Moses, and he makes them like one another other in this, that they were both appointed rulers over God’s house, and executed faithfully their office: but he later shows that there is great dissimilarity in the same comparison.

3:3 For he has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who built the house has more honor than the house.

• (4) The first comparison: The builder of the house is better than the house itself, therefore Christ is better than Moses. The reason for the conclusion is this: because the builder of the house is God, which cannot be attributed to Moses; and therefore Moses was not the builder, but a part of the house: but Christ as Lord and God, made the house.

3:4 For every house is built by someone; but he who built all things is God.

3:5 Moses indeed was faithful in all his house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were afterward to be spoken,

• (5) Another comparison: Moses was a faithful servant in this house, that is, in the Church, serving the Lord that was to come, but Christ rules and governs his house as Lord.

3:6 but Christ is faithful as a Son over his house; whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the glorying of our hope firm to the end.

• (6) He applies the former doctrine to his purpose, exhorting all men by the words of David to hear the Son speak, and to give full credit to his words, seeing that otherwise they cannot enter into that eternal rest.
• (d) That is, Christ’s.
• (e) He calls confidence the excellent effect of faith (by which we cry Abba, that is, Father), and to confidence he adds hope.

3:7 Therefore, even as the Holy Spirit says, "Today if you will hear his voice,

• (f) So that God was to speak once again after Moses.

3:8 don't harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, like as in the day of the trial in the wilderness,

• (g) In the day that they troubled the Lord, or struggled with him.

3:9 where your fathers tested me by proving me, and saw my works for forty years.

3:10 Therefore I was displeased with that generation, and said, 'They always err in their heart, but they didn't know my ways;'

• (h) They are brutish and angry.

3:11 as I swore in my wrath, 'They will not enter into my rest.'"[13]

3:12 Beware, brothers, lest perhaps there be in any one of you an evil heart of unbelief, in falling away from the living God;

• (7) Now consider in the words of David, he shows first by this word "today" that we must not ignore the opportunity while we have it: for that word is not to be limited to David’s time, but it encompasses all the time in which God calls us.

3:13 but exhort one another day by day, so long as it is called "today;" lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

• (i) While today lasts, that is to say, so long as the gospel is offered to us.

3:14 For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our confidence firm to the end:

• (8) Now he considers these words, "If you hear his voice" showing that they are spoken and meant of the hearing of faith, opposite which he places hardening through unbelief.
• (k) That beginning of trust and confidence: in the speech of the Hebrews, he calls "beginning" that which is chiefest.

3:15 while it is said, "Today if you will hear his voice, don't harden your hearts, as in the rebellion."[14]

• (l) So long as this voice sounds out.

3:16 For who, when they heard, rebelled? No, didn't all those who came out of Egypt by Moses?

3:17 With whom was he displeased forty years? Wasn't it with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness?

3:18 To whom did he swear that they wouldn't enter into his rest, but to those who were disobedient?

3:19 We see that they were not able to enter in because of unbelief.