Hebrews 3

Jesus greater than Moses?   Seems obvious to us, but in the first century those were fighting words.  Here’s why:
To the first century Jews there wasn’t anyone on par with Moses. He had delivered the people from slavery and founded the nation.  He had spoken with God face to face and worked many miracles.  There simply wasn’t anyone else like him in the history books.   Now along comes this guy named “Jesus” whose followers claim is greater than Moses.  However, the people are still in captivity, and Jesus has been crucified by the Romans.  I can understand how difficult it must have been for them to accept this new teaching.   Instead of building upon what Moses laid, Jesus claims to be the foundation itself.  Instead of bringing new tablets of laws, Jesus claims to be the author himself.

Difficult or not, every person who wants to be free from sin must believe. You cannot be forgiven by Moses and you cannot enter heaven because you trace your lineage to him.   Only those forgiven by and adopted by Jesus Christ will enter heaven.

Then the conversation here goes back to “drifting” just as it did in Chapter 2. The quote in verse 7-11 is from Psalm 95:7-11, and the author gives credit to the Holy Spirit for saying it.  This is just one example of what we believe about the Bible.  The Bible is the inspired word of God.  Men wrote as the Holy Spirit gave them insight and ability, but they used their own words to record the inspiration.  They weren’t writing in a trance, transcribing words that they didn’t know.  “All Scripture is God-breathed” 2 Timothy 3:16.

When the author mentions drifting here he uses the term “harden your hearts”. The people who had followed Moses out of Egypt, some of whom lived in the desert and saw miracles, were still not allowed to enter the Promised Land because they had not remained obedient.  This is the message: remain faithful or you will not enter.   It is possible to experience hardening of the heart, brought about gradually by small acts of rebellion.  At first they might seem almost non-existent, but they grow greater with each action, and soon we are drifting right out of the harbor, and not even feeling regret about it.

The cure?   Constant interaction with Jesus through the Holy Spirit.  Don’t forget to spend time in prayer, study and fellowship with other believers.  Missing any one of these three allows for gaps in your “spiritual armor” that satan can then exploit.

Only by remaining faithful, and continuing to trust in Christ will we ever into our eternal home with Jesus.

 

Remaining,

PR