Day 690: Hebrews 3- Means Of Grace

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.
 
Meditation
How does God empower the exhausted, strengthen the weak, provide for the persecuted, and offer hope in desperate situations? God’s Spirit uses God’s Word to do God’s work. God wants to strengthen you through one of His chosen means of Grace: Scripture.
 
Th author of Hebrews is writing Christians facing increasing persecution and plundering because of their faith (Hebrews 10:34-35). God uses His Word to strengthen and support the Church.
 
Beginning with contrasting Jesus with Moses, the author reinforces Christ as the Head of God’s House (1-6). God used Moses to redeem Israel from Egypt. Jesus is the Redeemer the exodus pointed to. God gave His law through revelation to Moses. Jesus fulfilled the law and revealed God’s image in the incarnation (1:3). Moses saw God’s glory. Jesus revealed God’s glory to the world. Jesus is the Word made flesh and our only sustaining food during persecution and problems.
 
The author moves to highlighting the Spirit’s use of God’s word to strengthen God’s people. “The Holy Spirit says,” (7) writes the writer before expositing Psalm 95. The Spirit of God uses the Word of God to comfort the family of God and conform us into the image of God. Beginning with the heart (8, 10, 12, 13, 15) the Word of God invites the people of God to hear, believe, and walk in faith. Contrasting the wilderness generation, who rebelled against God’s promises, the Church is invited to rest in the word and work of God (11, 19).
 
Feast on God’s grace by growing in God’s word!
 
Richly Dwelling
-What stands out to you about Scripture’s use of Scripture in this section?
 
-Where do you look for empowerment, strength, provisions, and hope when you face problems and persecution for your faith? How is that working for you?
 
-Jesus is the Word made flesh. God’s Spirit still wants to use God’s word. How can you be nourished by God’s grace through God’s word? Study? Meditation? Memory verses?
 
Key Verses
 Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession