Morning, church. Open up your Bibles to Hebrews chapter 3.
So I've had a lot of joy studying and preparing and getting ready for this morning
! Because we're going to talk about one of my favorite Bible characters, Moses.
And Scripture has a lot to say about Moses, both in the New Testament,
and this is just a tiny little piece of that.
But before we dive in, let's go to the Lord in prayer again.
I just want to ask Him to help us.
Father, we come before You this morning just very thankful for Your presence with us.
Knowing that if it were not for Jesus, we would still be outcasts.
We still would be far away.
But You have drawn us near and made us Your people through the blood of Jesus.
And thank You that He is, even now, standing on our behalf as our advocate.
He's our great, eternal, sympathetic High Priest.
And we can just give You thanks for that, Father.
So Lord, I pray You would just be our teacher this morning.
Help us to focus, to hear Your Word,
and to honor it by taking it from this place and by Your Spirit being obedient.
So we just give this time to You, Father.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
Alright, Hebrews chapter 3.
And so you know, I'm sure most of you have been around long enough.
Without giving you a long spiel, the book of Hebrews is written to a Jewish audience.
And it's written to Jews who have left behind Judaism and are kind of being tempted and even persecuted to kind of come back to the old faith,
kind of return because Jesus is a hoax, like what you're believing.
All you have is a dead Messiah.
We have a temple.
We have a sacrificial system.
We have all these traditions.
What do you have other than a dead carpenter from Galilee?
And the writer of Hebrews is refuting that by saying, by honoring the old covenant,
but also saying Jesus is much better, far greater, far superior than anything in the old covenant.
So you have some people who have crossed over into following Christ,
some who are on the other side trying to get the Jews to come back.
And some that are on the fence not knowing which way to jump.
And so it's a helpful study tool when you're reading Hebrews to kind of figure out which group is he talking to,
those who are kind of threatening to, you know, return, the ones who are standing firm in the faith.
So just a little study tip there.
But to reconnect, just rewind just a couple verses to chapter 2, verse 17, where Nathan preached last week.
He says,
So Christ was obedient to the point of death and the death on the cross.
And so we'll pick up in chapter 3 from there, because the therefore is connecting to what he just said.
Chapter 3, verse 1.
Therefore,
Now Moses was faithful in all God's house as a servant to testify to the things that were to be spoken later.
So, therefore, in light of Jesus being this great high priest, he says,
Holy brothers,
He said,
So,
That's when he's standing on the Red Sea and everybody's panicking and the chariots are closing in.
He says,
Such a great image.
Such a great image in my head.
So, he was definitely a true Bible.
I found that I think I think I think I was a reluctant, he was a reluctant, hesitant leader.
And I feel like I'm a Christian.
He said,
And later on, he's a Christian.
And later on, he appointed elders to help rule over the nation of Israel.
But I do wish at times, and I'm kind of content, and I'm kind of content, and I'm kind of content of myself with that.
That's how God made us.
And I want to give you just a few bullet points here of why Moses is so important.
Incredibly important.
So why Moses?
It's like, why is the writer kind of pointing this out?
But, number one, Moses was graciously chosen by God to be his instrument for an epic task.
We know that.
Exodus chapter 2 talks about how he was divinely preserved from Pharaoh's edict
and the slaughter of the male children,
and how his mother and his sister placed him in a basket to float him down the Nile.
And he was providentially led.
Have you ever, like, watched videos about the Nile?
Some of you may actually have even seen the Nile.
It's a pretty crazy river.
And the fact that it was led right to Pharaoh's daughter was completely by the hand of God.
He was plucked right from the bulrushes, and he was given a noble upbringing.
The name Moses is actually an Egyptian name, not a Hebrew name.
And it means drawn out, rescued from the water, which is what happened to him.
If I may, I'll nerd out just for a second.
Can't help it.
We know that in 1 Kings chapter 6, where Solomon built his temple.
We know that Solomon built the temple in 967 B.C., a long time ago.
But it says in 1 Kings 6,
And if you pick up on that, what it's saying is,
this many years ago from the building of Solomon's temple is when the nation came out of Egypt.
And if you rewind, you land on the 18th dynasty of Egypt.
Pretty cool.
Most of the movies have it wrong.
I don't think it was Ramesses.
But here's what's cool about it.
It's for, when you add that to 967 B.C., plus 480, you get 1446 B.C., a long time ago.
Egypt's 18th dynasty.
The ruler was Tutmosis III, a ruthless conqueror.
And he had a stepmother named Hapshepsut, which was the daughter of Pharaoh.
And more than likely, like she's written a lot about,
she ruled for about 20 years until Tutmosis III became of age.
And he was furious with her.
He erased a lot of her images and did a lot of other things.
But the fact that Egyptian history makes much out of this one queen, this one daughter of Pharaoh,
I like to think it might have been her.
That's my theory.
Come talk to me later if you want to nerd out on that.
But Moses was chosen for that task by God.
Number two, Moses was used of God to be an incomparable deliverer of his people
through an unparalleled display of power.
He was a deliverer through using incredible power given to him or worked through him by God.
Exodus 7 and 12 talks about how he delivered the Hebrews from bondage in Egypt,
turned the Nile to blood,
plagues,
parting of the Red Sea,
splitting of the rock and the wilderness,
and making water gush out of it.
Like, you don't see many more,
I guess,
powerful images of God's power than you do,
sort of, in the life of Moses a lot of the time.
Like, what imagery all that is.
So, then he brought his people to the foot of Mount Sinai,
which is in modern-day Saudi Arabia, again, in my opinion.
And thirdly,
Moses served as the greatest prophet of Israel.
He spoke boldly to the people of God,
through God.
God said,
Tell them this,
and he did.
And he gave the Ten Commandments,
God's holy law,
brought that down for the people.
And even today,
it serves as like a measuring rod of all other laws out there.
Number four,
Moses was the first writer of the Bible,
known as the first historian of the Hebrews,
and under divine inspiration,
recorded the first five books of the Bible.
That was Moses.
Pretty cool.
Then lastly,
number five,
Moses was marked.
This is what I would want so bad,
out of my life.
Moses was marked
as the humblest of all God's servants ever to walk the earth.
And he was greatly privileged to speak with God,
plainly and simply,
as a friend does,
face to face.
Man,
what a privilege.
Now,
keep your hand,
or keep a mark in Hebrews,
but just flip to Exodus 33 really quick.
Exodus 33.
And some of the points I just read to you,
you'll see in some of these texts I'm about to read,
but I just want you to flip to one of them,
and I'll read you a couple of others.
But Exodus chapter 33,
where the nation is gathered at Mount Sinai,
and Exodus 33 verse 8.
It says,
whenever Moses went out to the tent,
the tabernacle,
all the people would rise up,
and each would stand at his tent door
and watch Moses until he had gone into the tent.
And when Moses entered the tent,
the pillar of cloud would descend
and stand at the entrance of the tent.
And the Lord would speak with Moses.
And when all the people saw the pillar of clouds
standing at the entrance of the tent,
all the people would rise up and worship,
each at his tent door.
Thus,
the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face
as a man speaks to his friend.
Man,
how can you not want that?
And what a privilege that was.
The whole nation stood away in fear
that Moses was allowed to go in.
And in Numbers 12,
I'll read you some stuff from Numbers 12.
When I was saying he was the most humblest of God's servants.
It says,
Now the man Moses was very meek,
more than all the people who were on the face of the earth.
And he said,
the Lord said,
Hear my words.
If there is a prophet among you,
I, the Lord,
make myself known to him in a vision.
I speak with him in a dream.
But not so with my servant Moses.
He is faithful in all my house.
And with him,
I speak mouth to mouth,
clearly and not in riddles.
And he beholds the form of the Lord.
So in other words,
God does speak through the other prophets,
but he does so in a mysterious way,
through dreams,
visions.
But he's like,
not Moses.
I speak plainly and clearly to him
in a very intimate context.
And then Deuteronomy 34,
a couple of verses.
But this was the last thing written of Moses.
And I think Joshua probably actually picked up the pen
and wrote this in my opinion.
But Deuteronomy 34,
verse 10 says,
And there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses,
whom the Lord knew face to face,
none like him for all the signs and wonders
that the Lord sent him to do in the land of Egypt,
to Pharaoh and all his servants,
and to all his land.
Listen to this.
And for all the mighty power
and all the great deeds of terror
that Moses did in the sight of Israel.
So,
Moses is a huge deal.
Huge deal.
And God honored him as such.
So,
our writer,
getting back to Hebrews now,
you can flip back over.
Our writer,
it's important to kind of understand this.
He is not cutting down Moses.
He's not trying to belittle Moses
or take away from Moses at all.
And he does so by first kind of comparing Moses,
making comparison between Moses and Jesus.
In verse 2,
chapter 3,
it shows that both Moses and Jesus
were faithful
and trustworthy
in the work that God gave them to do.
They both carried out
the work God gave them.
And they were faithful in God's house,
which is a picture of God's people.
And he does that by quoting what I just read to you
out of Numbers 12,
where it says,
verse 2 there,
it says,
Jesus
was faithful to him,
who was God the Father,
who appointed him
just as he,
just as Moses
also was faithful
in all of God's house.
So he wanted that Jewish audience
to understand that.
I'm not taking anything away
from Moses.
Like,
what an honored
and incredible man
Moses was.
He was faithful
in his work
that God gave him to do.
Both Jesus and Moses
fulfilled their God-appointed roles.
And so although Jesus
is superior to Moses,
Moses deserves tremendous respect,
which actually makes Jesus
look even better
because Moses has such high respect.
So he wishes to honor Moses
by making a comparison,
but then he makes a contrast
in the next part of this.
So Christ is superior to Moses.
You see this in verse 3.
Jesus has been accounted worthy
of more glory than Moses.
And a tremendous contrast.
Moses was one of a kind
in his day
with more of an intimate relationship
with God
than anyone else.
So he's just saying
in the beginning of this,
consider Jesus.
The word consider.
Like,
stop doing what you're doing.
Focus.
Hone in on this.
Think about it.
Ponder it.
Meditate on it.
Consider why Jesus
is more glorious
than Moses.
Right?
So,
in the end of this,
why we need to do this,
like why this is important,
you'll see
at the end of our text
because it's going to give us
great hope
and confidence
in our faith
if we actually look
and see this comparison
or this contrast.
If we hold fast
our confidence
in the boast
of our hope
firm until the end,
which is what
Hebrews 3.6 says.
So let's look at
two ways
that the writer
makes the contrast
to say Jesus
is superior to Moses.
There's two ways.
Number one,
consider Jesus'
superior vocation.
Consider Jesus'
superior vocation.
See this in verse
three and four.
It says,
as much more glory
as the builder
of a house
has more honor
than the house itself.
For every house
is built
by someone
but the builder
of all things
is God.
So the first comparison
is relationship
to the house.
Jesus is the builder
of the house
but Moses is just
a part of the house.
The spiritual household
of God.
And it was common
and I don't know
if this is still true
but in the ancient world
it was really common
to equate
the architect
with more glory
than what they actually built.
which is kind of
a foreign concept today.
But like
every artist,
every architect
would have great honor
like more than
what they actually have made.
And so
trying to think of
an analogy
but it's going to
really fall short.
Imagine three of the
greatest athletes
out there.
Nolan Ryan,
one of my favorite.
5,714 strikeouts.
Still holds the record.
And he knocked out
a guy one time
and charged the mound too.
So
Michael Jordan,
probably the best
basketball player ever.
I don't know why
I threw Tom Brady
in the air.
It was just really late
when I was figuring this out.
Tom Brady,
six Super Bowl rings.
Ridiculous.
And then
throw in somebody else
that you just
thinks all that.
Nolan Ryan,
Michael Jordan,
Tom Brady,
and Jesus.
Sitting around
discussing
how amazing
their careers were
and how great
they were.
Kind of acting
humbly on the outside
but inwardly thinking
I'm better than
these guys.
like,
I deserve
much more
glory
than these guys.
But acting
humbly on the outside.
And when they're
done talking
around their mouths
they look over
to Jesus and say,
how about you Jesus?
And in true
humility,
like inwardly
and outwardly
he just says to them,
well,
well fellows
at some point
in history
you ceased
to exist
until I spoke
you into being.
I created
and fashioned you.
I made your minds,
your hearts,
your legs,
your arms.
I sustained you
from your mother's womb
and I still sustain you
even now.
And I gave you
the skills
that you have.
So actually,
boys,
I'm the greatest.
And he says that
in like the truest
humility.
Like he
made us.
He made Moses.
He created
Moses.
And he created
us.
So Jesus
is to the people
of God
as the builder
is to a house.
Moses was just
a part of
God's house.
So Moses
is,
let's see here,
best way to phrase this,
Jesus made Moses,
he made us,
and this
gives us,
like,
look at verse 4
real quick,
gives us,
for every house
is built by someone,
but the builder
of all things
is God.
God.
And then in verse 3
it says that
Jesus made
the house
of God.
He's the maker
of all things.
Remember chapter 1
how God
created all things
through him?
Chapter 1,
verse 2
of Hebrews.
He is the
son of God.
So they were
both faithful,
but
Jesus
actually built
the house
and he made
Moses.
Well,
Moses is just
a part of
that house.
So he is
worthy of
much more glory
than Moses
as the builder
is
to a house.
So never be
haughty about
what you've
accomplished
or what you
think you've
done
or how great
you are.
You don't
come close
to Moses.
No one
does.
But Jesus
made you
and so
when you
boast,
boast only
in the Lord
that he
has given
you every
good thing
that you
have.
to only
boast in
Christ.
So that's
the first
one.
Consider
Jesus'
superior
vocation
or his
superior
work
that he
did.
And
number
two,
you see
this in
verses 5
and 6,
consider
Jesus,
Jesus'
superior
person.
Consider
Jesus'
superior
person.
Right?
Verse 5,
now Moses
was faithful
in all
God's
house as
a servant
to testify
to the
things that
were to
be spoken
later.
But Christ
is faithful
over God's
house as
a son.
So,
there's a
really easy
comparison
there.
Moses
was incredible.
He was a
servant and
he served
faithfully as
a servant,
but Jesus
is a son
of that
house.
Huge
comparison,
huge
difference.
But again,
the writer is
not trying to
take away from
Moses at
all.
I actually
read about
this.
The word
servant here
that's used
for Moses
is the
only time
this word
is actually
used in
the New
Testament.
Servant.
But what
it means
is an
honored
servant
who is
far above
a slave,
but yet
still is a
servant.
Wow,
that's
singling
Moses out
and bringing
him up a
notch,
actually.
So he's
still honoring
Moses,
but in
the house
of God,
Moses showed
great trust
in him.
He refused
the privileges
and rights
of living
a wealthy
life in
Egypt as
Pharaoh's
son,
chose to
associate
with his
people in
slavery instead,
and he
showed fervent
obedience,
right?
Like he was
such a
humble guy.
He followed
the task
that the
Lord gave
him,
and he
was the
intercessor
of the
people.
Even though
Aaron was
the high
priest and
his family
kind of
followed him
that,
Aaron let
the people
down a
lot,
and Moses
was the
true
intercessor
of the
people.
He was
such a
humble and
faithful man.
But,
as we read,
it says,
Moses testified
to the things
that were to
be spoken
later.
meaning he
testified of
Christ.
He talked
about Jesus.
Hold your
hand, but
there's only
two places
for you to
look after
this, but
John 5,
this is
incredible.
John
chapter 5,
verse 39,
Jesus is
in a
holy argument
with religious
leaders,
and he's
putting them
in their
place,
but they
are rejecting
him,
they are
angry with
him,
and this
is what he
says to
them,
John 5,
verse 39,
he says,
you search
the scriptures
because you
think that in
them you have
eternal life,
and it is
they that bear
witness about
me,
yet you refuse
to come to
me that you
may have
life.
stop there,
like,
this is an
incredible gift
of God,
but just
knowing facts
about this
won't bring
you life.
It's about
knowing the
Savior that
this testifies
of.
Jesus says
that right
here,
these bear
witness about
me, but
you didn't
come to
me.
So,
sobering
warning,
so go to
Jesus,
the one that
this testifies
of.
Then he
says,
I do not
receive glory
from people,
but I know
that you do
not have the
love of God
within you.
I have come
in my
Father's name,
and you do
not receive
me.
If another
comes in his
own name,
you receive
him.
How can you
believe when
you receive
glory from
one another
and do not
seek the
glory that
comes from
the only
God?
Listen to
this,
do not
think that
I will
accuse you
to my
Father.
There is
one who
accuses you,
Moses,
on whom
you have
set your
hope.
For if
you had
believed
Moses,
you would
have
believed
me,
for he
wrote
about me.
But if
you do
not believe
his
writings,
how will
you believe
my words?
Man.
Jesus
was spoken
of by
Moses.
in
Deuteronomy
and other
places,
he says,
I will
raise up
a prophet
that will
speak the
words of
God,
and you
must listen
to him.
He is
to come
from this
people,
and he
is to
speak the
words of
God,
listen to
him.
And then
we also
know the
image of
Jesus,
and later
in John
3,
saying,
as Moses
raised up a
bronze serpent
in the
desert,
so the
all would
look upon
that bronze
serpent in
faith,
in faith,
and believe
they would be
saved,
they would
be spared
death.
And that
was a
picture,
an image
of Jesus,
us looking
to him
to be
saved.
So,
Jesus
is the
son of
the house
of God.
Moses is
the servant
of the house
of God.
And the
differences are
immense between
a servant
and a son.
The son
obtained
inheritance,
the inheritance.
He was the
Lord over
the house.
He provided
for all the
servants in
the house.
out of his
own wealth.
But servants
didn't own
anything in
the house.
They received
provision from
the master
and they
followed the
words of
the master.
Moses is
just that
servant.
He doesn't
own the
house.
He doesn't
provide for
anything in
the house.
He follows
the word
of the
master.
So,
Jesus is
the son,
the superior
to Moses.
Those three
ways,
Jesus owns
the house,
he rules
it,
and he
provides for
it.
So,
we have
to consider
Jesus as
the son
of God,
a privileged
place in
the household
of God,
while Moses
still honored,
yet remains a
servant in
that house.
But,
again,
I think
Jesus himself
honored Moses
more than we
could ever
imagine.
this is
the last
place I
want you
to turn,
but look
at Luke
9.
Luke
chapter
9,
verse
28.
The
transfiguration.
Alright?
And Luke
9,
verse 28.
Now,
about eight
days after
these sayings,
he took
with him
Peter,
John,
and James,
and went
up on the
mountain to
pray.
And as he
was praying,
the appearance
of his face
was altered,
and his
clothing became
dazzling white.
And behold,
two men were
talking with him,
Moses and
Elijah,
who appeared
in glory and
spoke of his
departure,
which he was
about to
accomplish at
Jerusalem.
Now,
Peter and those
who were with
him were
heavy with
sleep,
but when
they became
fully awake,
they saw
his glory
and the two
men who
stood with
him.
And as
the men
were parting
from him,
Peter,
of course
Peter,
said to
Jesus,
Master,
it is good
that we are
here.
Let us
make three
tents,
one for
you,
and one
for Moses,
and one
for Elijah,
not knowing
what he
said.
And he
said,
he was
saying these
things,
a cloud
came and
overshadowed
them,
and they
were afraid
as they
entered the
cloud.
And a
voice came
out of the
cloud,
saying,
this is
my son,
my chosen
one,
listen to
him.
And when
the voice
had spoken,
Jesus was
found alone,
and they
kept silent
and told no
one in those
days anything
of what
they had
seen.
Jesus'
face was
altered.
He was
illuminating
from within.
The
dazzling
white
phrase
that's used
there means
bright as a
flash of
lightning.
A glimpse
of the
glory of
Christ.
So this
isn't Moses
and Elijah
reincarnated,
this is
Moses and
Elijah
standing there
coming from
the presence
of God
to speak
with Christ.
And at
least in
the Old
Testament,
Moses
represents
the law,
Elijah
represents
the prophets,
how Jesus
is fulfilling
both of
those.
But do you
remember in
Exodus 34
when Moses
came down
off the
mountain and
his face
was radiant
because he
had been
deep in
the presence
of God?
He was
reflecting
the presence
of God
but Jesus
was radiating
it.
It was
coming out
of him
like it
was within
him not
without.
Jesus is
superior in
this person
because he
radiates the
glory of
God from
the inside
because he
is God.
But he
honored
Moses.
Moses got
to stand
there and
speak with
him.
How humbly
that must
have been.
What a
sight.
in
conclusion
go back
to Hebrews
verse 6
chapter 3
what is
some of
the meaning
for us
because the
writer wants
us to
immediately
apply this
to where
we are
in our
relationship
with Christ.
It says
and we
are his
house
if indeed
we hold
fast our
confidence
and our
boasting
and our
hope.
That means
this morning
not just
in Moses'
day but
this morning
Christ is
our creator
our maker
our provider
remember all
the things
that the
son does
in the
house
he rules
over the
house
he gives
us what
we need
and Moses
is a fellow
servant
along with
us even
though he
was singled
out to be
the greatest
of servants
we are
his house
we are
his people
we are
partakers
of the
divine
nature
and a
heavenly
calling
if we
hold fast
our
confidence
and boast
until the
end.
So we
need to
understand
that there
are
descriptions
like this
in the
Bible
that call
believers
to
persevere
if you
remain
if you
stay in
the
faith
if you
remain
steadfast
you have
reason for
great
confidence
because God
is at
work
within you
and we
can have
that great
trust and
confidence
because Jesus
is superior
to Moses
he is the
one that
we are
hanging all
our hope
on
this life
and
eternal
life
afterwards
all rest
on Jesus
so we
have to
consider him
as great
as Moses
was
he was
far
greater
so there's
a call
here
to persevere
to hang
on
to keep
the confidence
that you
have
as a
follower
of Jesus
so
think about
where your
hope is
think about
where your
confidence
is this
morning
and no
matter
where
to stop
and consider
Jesus
how
great
he was
the builder
of the
house
he made
the house
he made
us
and he is
the son
of God
and not
just a
servant
so
that's our
text today
let's pray
together