August 1, 2020
For the next 13 days we will be spending time together walking through the book of Hebrews! Hebrews is written to Jewish Christians who were undergoing persecution for their faith and considering running back to Judaism. The author of Hebrews takes an in-depth look at the practices and regulations of the Old Testament as articulated in the Torah and argues for how Jesus is both superior to each of them and supreme over all of them! The author also warns his audience of the grave danger facing them should they choose to now reject Jesus and return to their former way of life. These warnings can and should make us feel uncomfortable as we read through the book together; allow the Spirit to do what He wants to do in your heart through them! Overall, the message of Hebrews is that Jesus, the Son of God as well as our Savior and Messiah, is infinitely superior to anything or anyone else we could give our lives to, and He is worthy of all our devotion and worship. Jesus is greater!
In the beginning of this chapter the author explains that not only is Jesus greater than the angels, but He is also far greater than Moses himself! Moses led God’s people out of slavery in Egypt; Jesus delivered God’s people from the slavery to sin. Moses built the tabernacle; Jesus built the entire universe! Moses was faithful in his calling and was a servant of God; Jesus was faithful in His and is God’s own Son!
After demonstrating the superiority of Jesus over Moses, the author goes on to give another strong warning concerning the rebellion that the people of Israel who followed Moses participated in. This time the author, having just contrasted Moses with Jesus, contrasts the response of those who followed Moses with the response we who follow Jesus ought to have to His leadership.
Quoting extensively from the Old Testament (Psalm 95 specifically), the author reminds his audience that those who followed Moses were unable to enter the rest that God had prepared for them in the Promised Land due to their hard hearts, their willful rebellion and unbelief. In contrast, he calls followers of Christ to exhort and encourage one another to continue in the faith!
If Moses was great (and he was), and if the revelation of God through Moses was great (and it was), then how much greater should our devotion and belief towards Jesus be? If Christ is so vastly superior to Moses and all that Moses represents, we must take great care not to fall into the same trap that Moses’ followers fell into. We must hold fast to Jesus and give Him our all!
Hebrews 3
Jesus Greater Than Moses
3 Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, 2 who was faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God’s house.3 For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself.4 (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.)5 Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, 6 but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.
A Rest for the People of God
7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says,
“Today, if you hear his voice,
8 do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion,
on the day of testing in the wilderness,
9 where your fathers put me to the test
and saw my works for forty years.
10 Therefore I was provoked with that generation,
and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart;
they have not known my ways.’
11 As I swore in my wrath,
‘They shall not enter my rest.’”
12 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original 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.”
16 For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? 17 And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness?18 And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? 19 So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Family Discussion Question:
- How can we know if our hearts have been hardened by the deceitfulness of sin? What are some ways we can encourage and exhort one another every day, as we are commanded to in this passage, and take this warning seriously?
Good morning Lord!
I know that you rebuke and discipline me because you love me. Revelations 3: 19
I surrender to you. There is no rest for a rebel. I will obey you. Thank you for your infinite patience and love.
Father, you are the creator-designer of the universe and everything within it. For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God. Vs 4. I have heard the good news and I have knelt before the throne. I have asked Jesus to come into my heart. The Holy Spirit resides in me. Yet I rebel. Oh Father, accept my prayer this morning. ‘Bless me indeed. Enlarge my territory. May your hand be with me. Help me to avoid evil, so as not to cause [you] pain.’ Father, I surrender all. Praying in the name of Jesus. Amen
Dear Heavenly Father,
I have always liked the expression….when we are given lemons,make lemonade. We all are here sent from You to earth for a purpose. When our purpose is fulfilled we will return to You. While we are on earth it is up to us to make the best use of our time ….not focus on temporal things but things that will last forever , so we can be examples to others and motivators to rise above the small insignificant things around us. Please keep my mind and my heart focused always on You! In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Father, God in heaven. You were truly with us yesterday as You came to take Ernest home with You. I felt You as You came to your child who had struggled so hard for so long. The last six years have been really hard on him; the last eleven days years for him I know. I felt you take him with You to your heavenly place where he hurts no more; where he isn’t on a walker; where his hands work and do nit hurt and he will be able to help Your crews fix anything. I know he hears with new ears and hears his fellow angels singing. Maybe you can get him to sing on key. I never could, but he did love to make a joyful noise. I have missed his company with me these last eleven days…they have been so long and he has struggled and fought so hard to stay with us. Thank you for coming for him yesterday and for sending that gorgeous rainbow for me to see driving home. I told him goodbye as he rode on that rainbow home to you. I have loved him since I was 16. I will love him forever. You blessed me and then our children and grands and greats with a smart, kind, funny, sometimes obnoxiously stubborn but always right gentle giant of a man. We will miss him terribly, achingly so, but we all know he is waiting for us with all the other loved saints of our family…..so, Hon, until we meet again one day, I love you. Amen
A precious testimony of your faith and confidence in our Lord and your love and devotion to your sweetheart. I have been praying for you and Ernest ,though you don’t me. And I grieve with you but not as those without hope. The Lord Himself continues to walk with you as He is your Protector and Provider, your Shepherd. He’ll take care of your every need. We are praying for you.
A beautiful testimony I have been praying for him since you posted on here also for you. I lost my first husband 15 years ago and was not with him as long as you too were. I know you have a special relationship with our Lord and he is right there to carry you through this. All my love and so sorry for your loss. Vickie Williams.
Pat, my immediate response to your news was a rush of tears to my eyes as I considered the pain of the loss of your sweet husband, but I was so encouraged by your strong testimony of faith & the sweet/loving tribute. I have been praying with & for you & Ernest since you first posted your journey & will continue to pray for you & your family for the days ahead. God bless you & keep you & make His face shine on you & give you peace?!
?????????!
Thank You for your beautiful testimony, it was so meaningful to me. Grace to You, Jari
Lord Jesus continue to comfort Mrs Hill. You are our great hope. We will see Mr Hill again went we all get to heaven. What a day of rejoicing that will be. Thank you Lord for conquering death. You are mighty and mighty to be praised. Amen
I was so sorry to hear of your precious husband’s passing. My husband of 58 years went home to be with the Lord in March of last year. I just wanted to encourage you by confirming to you, that our God will be your constant help. Lean into Him. I pray that you will find joy in Him throughout this difficult time.
I will encourage others. I will hold fast from the beginning of my assurance until the end.
Hebrews is a great book to study as it shows the differences between the Old and New Covenants. It has often been called the 5th gospel and it bridges the two testaments together.
As I praised you earlier this morning, I come to you now to again thank you that YOU and only you ( the builder of this house, Earth suit,) must have my full surrender and obedience right now, today. Thank you for your patience, your guidance, your long-suffering and I rejoice in Jesus and Jesus alone To God be the glory !
No other group of people witnessed God like the children of Israel from leaving Egypt to rebelling and not entering promise land. You would have thought that the miracle of God parting the Red Sea for them to cross would have been a life time experience to always trust God for deliverance but it was not. What is pointed out today devotional reading to me is it is a daily commit to reading scripture and prayer.
Heavenly Father,
Thank you for the rain and thank you for the faithful prayer warriors that participate in the daily devotionals. Thank you for helping us see your hand in healing and in death. Your love and mercy continues to abound although we don’t always deserve it. Thank you for revealing to us in your word how the Old and New Testaments work together and we couldn’t have the one without the other. You are truly a good father and I pray that you would continue to remove the scales from our eyes so that we will always see and hear from you. I pray for Mrs. Hill and her family as they deal with the home going of their love one. I pray that they will celebrate that Ernest is now with you and free from the pains of his body and this world. In Jesus name. Amen
13 “But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called today, that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”
Search me O God, and know my heart, test me and know my anxious thoughts, see if there is any offensive way in me, and Father, lead me in your path of righteousness (Ps. 139:23-24). Father, I desire your fellowship more than life, I desire to enter your rest more than anything, forgive my unbelieving heart in those moments when I loose sight of your sovereignty, use me as an encouragement to others. Help us to live in victory of Your finished work on the cross! Amen!
I am sorry for my hard heart Lord. Forgive my unfaithful unbelief. Help me today to trust you by surrendering all my anxieties and worries. Empower me to serve you and your people, to enjoy your presence, and the life you’ve given me to share with Ashley, the girls, our family and friends.
Pat, your tribute to your husband was precious! I will continue praying for you and your family. I miss seeing you at church. Someday soon hopefully we will be able to have church. Bless you!
Wow!!!
I am so sorry Pat for your loss. God be with you all at this time of sorrow and grief.
Glad that you had a really sweet marriage.
Many blessings to you and all of yours.May we all brothers and sisters and many more enter into God’s rest for His people in Jesus Previous and Holy name Amen?
PRECIOUS Jesus name.Amen.