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Moses a Servant, Christ a Son

Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, partners in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession,(A) who was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses also “was faithful in all[a] God’s[b] house.” Yet Jesus[c] is worthy of more glory than Moses, just as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself.(B) (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.)(C) Now Moses was faithful in all God’s[d] house as a servant, to testify to the things that would be spoken later.(D) Christ, however, was faithful over God’s[e] house as a son, and we are his house if we hold firm[f] the boldness and the pride inspired by hope.(E)

Warning against Unbelief

Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says,

“Today, if you hear his voice,(F)
do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion,
    as on the day of testing in the wilderness,
where your ancestors put me to the test,[g]
though they had seen my works 10     for forty years.
Therefore I was angry with that generation,
and I said, ‘They always go astray in their hearts,
    and they have not known my ways.’
11 As in my anger I swore,
    ‘They will not enter my rest.’ ”

12 Take care, brothers and sisters, that none of you may have an evil, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” so that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have become partners of Christ, if only we hold our first confidence firm to the end. 15 As it is said,

“Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”(G)

16 Now who were they who heard and rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt under the leadership of Moses?(H) 17 And with whom was he angry forty years? Was it not those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness?(I) 18 And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, if not to those who were disobedient?(J) 19 So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.(K)

Footnotes

  1. 3.2 Other ancient authorities lack all
  2. 3.2 Gk his
  3. 3.3 Gk this one
  4. 3.5 Gk his
  5. 3.6 Gk his
  6. 3.6 Other ancient authorities add to the end
  7. 3.9 Other ancient authorities read tempted me, tested me

Jesus Is Greater Than Moses

And so, dear brothers and sisters who belong to God and[a] are partners with those called to heaven, think carefully about this Jesus whom we declare to be God’s messenger[b] and High Priest. For he was faithful to God, who appointed him, just as Moses served faithfully when he was entrusted with God’s entire[c] house.

But Jesus deserves far more glory than Moses, just as a person who builds a house deserves more praise than the house itself. For every house has a builder, but the one who built everything is God.

Moses was certainly faithful in God’s house as a servant. His work was an illustration of the truths God would reveal later. But Christ, as the Son, is in charge of God’s entire house. And we are God’s house, if we keep our courage and remain confident in our hope in Christ.[d]

That is why the Holy Spirit says,

“Today when you hear his voice,
    don’t harden your hearts
as Israel did when they rebelled,
    when they tested me in the wilderness.
There your ancestors tested and tried my patience,
    even though they saw my miracles for forty years.
10 So I was angry with them, and I said,
‘Their hearts always turn away from me.
    They refuse to do what I tell them.’
11 So in my anger I took an oath:
    ‘They will never enter my place of rest.’”[e]

12 Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters.[f] Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. 13 You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. 14 For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ. 15 Remember what it says:

“Today when you hear his voice,
    don’t harden your hearts
    as Israel did when they rebelled.”[g]

16 And who was it who rebelled against God, even though they heard his voice? Wasn’t it the people Moses led out of Egypt? 17 And who made God angry for forty years? Wasn’t it the people who sinned, whose corpses lay in the wilderness? 18 And to whom was God speaking when he took an oath that they would never enter his rest? Wasn’t it the people who disobeyed him? 19 So we see that because of their unbelief they were not able to enter his rest.

Footnotes

  1. 3:1a Greek And so, holy brothers who.
  2. 3:1b Greek God’s apostle.
  3. 3:2 Some manuscripts do not include entire.
  4. 3:6 Some manuscripts add faithful to the end.
  5. 3:7-11 Ps 95:7-11.
  6. 3:12 Greek brothers.
  7. 3:15 Ps 95:7-8.