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In these verses, the Author compares the work of Christ with the work of Moses. First, let us look at the way the Author addresses us in the beginning of this chapter. "Holy Brethren who share in a heavenly call." The question is, what is holy about us? Well obviously, nothing in and of ourselves is holy, but that which God gives us, through Jesus Christ, is holy, i.e. salvation, sanctification and sainthood. Now what is the "heavenly call" that we share with the Author? It is eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ. That faith produces for us forgiveness, peace, strength for spiritual growth and a place in heaven. None of this was available through Moses, thus we who are "called" should see the superiority of the work of Christ over the work of Moses. This was particularly meaningful to the Jews.
Notice what the Author calls Jesus. He calls Him an Apostle and a High Priest. As an Apostle, He is the great Teacher of the Christian faith which we confess and profess to have. As our High Priest, He intercedes for us to achieve for us pardon from sin and acceptance from God. Moses led the people out of earthly bondage, Christ leads His people out of eternal bondage. Both, the Author says, were faithful to the One who appointed them, but Jesus was counted worthy of much more glory than Moses.
Then the Author makes some comparisons which he felt anyone could understand.
The house, of course, is the body of believers, set apart sense the time of Moses.
From this, we can see the difference in the work of the two and we have no problem
with this, but if you had been a Jew, you perhaps could appreciate the problem.
Over Moses, His Person
["Click here for Hebrews 3:5-6"]
Again the Author compares the two in relation to their calling. Moses the servant
of God, Jesus the Son of God. Moses who was faithful to speak of things to come
and Jesus who was faithful to speak those things. Both members of the house,
Moses, the servant, Jesus, the Master. Who else does the Author say belongs in the
house? "Those who hold fast their confidence and pride in their hope." This is
just another way of saying that they have the assurance of their salvation.
Over Moses, His Second Warning
["Click here for Hebrews 3:7-19"]
The second warning concerns the hardening of hearts. This is not a physical condition, it is a stubborn condition, sometimes caused by the Lord, as in the case of Pharaoh, and sometimes caused by the person exercising their "free will". The condition can be found in saved as well as lost people.
Lets look at the lost first, as the Author does in verses 7 and 8. "When you hear the voice of the Holy Spirit..." The key to this verse is the word "hear". The work of the Holy Spirit is to enlighten the lost. to enable them to know of their lost condition and to enable them to know how they can be saved. "When you hear this information," the Author warns, "Do not harden your hearts." Until and unless the Holy Spirit enlightens a lost person, they cannot accept or reject God's plan of salvation. But when they are enlightened by the Holy Spirit, they now have a decision to make. This is where "free will" comes in. They can either harden their hearts or they can accept Christ. This is a very great warning. Rejection of Christ is the only unforgivable sin. It is not to be taken lightly.
Here, the Author uses as an example, the Israelites who hardened their hearts at Kadesh-barnea and refused to enter the Promised Land and for this, they were forced by the Lord to wonder for 40 years until all the adults that had left Egypt died. None including Moses, accept Joshua and Caleb, were allowed to enter the Promised Land. This refusal at Kadesh-barnea is called, by the Author, the Rebellion.
The Author says to us and to the Hebrews, "Be careful, my Brethren, lest there be any of you with an unbelieving heart." Yes, we. as believers can harden our hearts against the leading of the Holy Spirit and as a result, "fall away from the living God". Again, this condition does not take from us our salvation, only the joy of that salvation, the joy of knowing that we are in His will. As Calvinists, we believe in the "Eternal Security of the Believer", the inability to fall out of Grace. We believe that salvation is a gift of God and that He who is able to save us is able to "keep us". There are those who believe that a believer can fall out of Grace and be lost. This belief is called "Apostasy".
Verse 11 is used by those who believe in Apostasy as support for their beliefs. It says that the Lord, because of their lack of faith at Kadesh-barnea , declared, "They shall never enter my rest." I believe, and it is born out by the rest of the account, that the Lord was speaking of the Promised Land when he spoke of "His rest". He was provoked with that generation and He did not allow them to enter the Promised Land. But the Apostates would have you to believe that they never entered Paradise or the "Bosom of Abraham", as the place of eternal rest was often called, but we know that that was not true because Peter, James and John, there on the Mount of Transfiguration, Saw Moses and Elijah at peace and conversing with the Lord.
So, how does this relate to us and to the Hebrews at Rome. Just as lack of faith kept the bulk of the Israelites out of the Promised Land, so it will keep us from that fullness of life that is promised to those who believe and put their faith and trust in Christ and do not harden their hearts to the leading of the Holy Spirit. "Take care, lest there be in you an unbelieving heart." This is the only thing that will keep you from experiencing the fullness of life that is yours, by faith.
Verse 19 says that you will never enter that fullness of life if you continue in lack of faith. The Author exhorts us to constantly remind ourselves and one another, as long as it is called "today". Today, is the Day of Grace. Do not harden your hearts to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Notice the Author says this sin is evidenced by disobedience, putting God to the test, provoking God and being rebellious. These are the sins that the Author is warning about. These can occur only when we harden our hearts.
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