CHRIST AND MOSES.
Hebrews 3: 1-6 Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of a Heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Jesus. Who was faithful to Him that appointed him, as also was Moses in all his house. For he has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, by so much as he that built the house has more honor than the house. For every house is built by some one; but he that built all things is God. And Moses indeed was faithful in all his house, for a testimony of those things which were afterward to be spoken: But Christ as a Son, over His house (Genesis 1:7; 2:6-7); whose house are we, if we hold fast our boldness and the glorying of our hope firm to the end.
THIRD SECTION continued
Hebrews 3: 1-6.
Christ Jesus more than Moses,
AN EXPOSITION OF THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS
BY THE REV. ANDREW MURRAY
The writer had just spoken (2:17) of Christ as a merciful and faithful High Priest. Later ( 4: 14~ 5: 7), he will speak again of Him as merciful. Here he wishes first to set before us His faithfulness. To this end he compares Him to Moses, of whom God Himself had spoken (Num. 12:7): "My servant Moses, who is faithful in all My house." But he goes on at the same time to prove that Christ the Son is more than Moses the servant We have seen that Christ is more than the angels through whom the law was given (Genesis 2:15-17); we shall yet see that He is more than Aaron, through whom the law was ministered; He is more than Moses too, the mediator of the law, the servant in the house of God. In every aspect the New Testament has more Glory than the Old.
Moses and Aaron together represented God in Israel; the one as apostle or messenger, the other as high priest. In the person of Jesus the two offices are united. As High Priest He is merciful as Aaron; as Apostle of our profession He is faithful as Moses. Moses was the great apostle or messenger of God, the Old Testament type of Christ as prophet. He had access to God, and brought the word of God to the people. Christ is the great Apostle or Prophet of the New Covenant. He even spoke of Himself as the one whom the Father had sent; in Him, the Son, God speaks to us. As Apostle He is God's Representative with us, making God known to us; as High Priest, our Representative with God, bringing us into His presence. As High Priest He stands linked to us by His mercy and compassion, as He now, having died for us, helps us in our trials, tribulations and temptations and weakness; as Apostle He pleads for God with us, and proves Himself entirely faithful to Him. We need to consider Christ Jesus, not only as a High Priest in His mercy, but as the Apostle of our profession who was faithful to Him that appointed Him, as also was Moses in all his house. Faithfulness is trustworthiness. As we see Jesus faithful to Him who appointed Him, our faith and trust will rise into perfect and joyful assurance that He will indeed most faithfully fulfill all God's promises in us, that in us too He will be faithful as a Son over His own house. Nothing gives such strength to faith as resting on the faithfulness of Jesus. The Glory of Jesus is the Glory of Christianity; is the strength and glory of the Christian life.
Moses was in every respect a type of Christ. In what he suffered from his very brethren; in his rejection by his brethren; in his zeal and his sacrifice of all for God; in his willingness to die for his people; in his fellowship with God; we see the marks of an apostle, as they were to be perfectly revealed in Christ Jesus. And yet it was all only a shadow and a prophecy, a testimony of things to come. For He has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, by so much as he that built the house has more honor than the house. For every house is built by some one; but He that built all things is God. And Moses verily was faithful in all his house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were afterwards to be spoken; but Christ, as a Son over His house. Moses was himself but a part of the house: Jesus Christ is the builder. Moses was a servant in the house; Jesus was a Son over His own House. (Genesis 1:27-28 Man as a spirit in the image and likeness of Yehovah his creator; 2:6-7 Yehovah creates a house or body, for His spirit-man formed in His image and likeness, from the earth or dust of the ground to which he is to return.)
Whose house we are. The True House, the True dwelling of God, is His people. In Christ we are built together for a habitation of God in the Spirit. Of the Church, as His Body, of the individual souls, Christ says: "We will come and make our abode." It is the characteristic of Spiritual things that each part is also a Living whole. Collectively and individually we are Christ's House: he that would know the faithfulness of Christ in His house, must yield himself to be His House (occupancy or access is through death of all that is self centered), must allow Christ as Son over His House to be Master, to have the keys alone, to hold undisturbed possession and rule over and in His House.
Whose house we are. Later on we shall see how the great work of Christ, as the great High Priest over the House of God, is to open the Way into the Holiest of God's dwelling, His Living, Loving presence. The word we have here to-day tells us beforehand that the Holiest is not only with God, and that we must enter into it; it is also with us, and God will come in to us too. God's heart is our habitation; our heart is God's Habitation. When Jesus spoke, "Abide in me, and I in you," He taught us that mutual relationship, or intimacy. The more my heart goes out to Jesus and lives in Him, the more He comes to Live in me.
Whose house we are. Would you have the full experience of all that means and brings? Holy brethren, partakers of the Heavenly calling, consider Jesus, who is faithful to Him that appointed Him, as a Son over His House. Yield yourself to Him as His House, and Trust His faithfulness to do His work. And, remember, as the Epistle teaches us the spiritual meaning of the external symbols of the Old Testament, that we must not seek their fulfillment again in other external things, however much we conceive of them as infinitely higher and greater, but in that inward spiritual experience which comes when Jesus dwells in us as His House. It is as the Indwelling Savior that He does His work, whether it be Prophet, Priest, or King. Whose house we are.
1. Faithful to God. This Is the Spirit of God's House, the mark of being of His Household. It was so with Moses the servant. It was so with Christ the Son. It must be so through the whole Household. Be it so with us: Faithful to God.
2. Whose house we are. Not like a house of stone and wood, in which the indweller has no living connection with it. No, Christ dwells in us as a Life within a life, inspiring us with His own temper and disposition. Our moral and spiritual being, our power of willing and living and acting, within these He comes and dwells in us a Divine, hidden, but mighty power and operation.
3. Faithful as Son over His House. But He must be Master in His own House. Not only an honored guest, while you have the keys and the care. So it is with many Christians. So It may not be. No, give Him the keys; give Him entire control over the whole being: as Son over His House. He will blessedly prove how faithful He is to God and to you.
4. Consider well the faithfulness of Christ: this will work in you the fulness of faith.
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