When I read Hebrews 3:1-6 I tend to get that glazed over look on my face. It’s not that I don’t understand the words or even the structure of the sentences. The overall point is pretty simple; namely, Jesus is greater than Moses. But when I’ve read it I’ve always felt like I was missing something.
Why is the author of Hebrews telling us this? How does this serve his argument? I know that Jesus is better than Moses, but what is all this talk about building a house?
Much of the story of the Old Testament is about getting back to the presence of God. This is what all of the promises of land are really about. And the author of Hebrews has been arguing from places like Psalm 8 that Jesus Christ is the one who restores us to our proper place—Jesus gives rest, rule, and relationship.
The author of Hebrews is engaging in the discipline of biblical theology. He’s telling the whole story of the OT and how Jesus Christ fulfills it. Hebrews 3:1-6 is just a little chunk in his overall argument that Christ—and particularly the new covenant instituted by Christ—is superior to and a fulfillment of the Old Covenant.
So how does all of this talk about Moses and a house serve his purpose? Here in particular he is concerned about the presence of God. “The house” is pointing to the presence of God with the people of God. Moses was faithful as one who spoke God’s Word to the people and as one who interceded on behalf of the people.
Moses was faithful but he was just part of the house. He’s just like one of us. But Jesus stands outside of the house as the builder of it. Moses couldn’t ultimately get people into the presence of God. He couldn’t fully represent the people of God. He was faithful in what God called him to do—but he wasn’t meant to be the builder. That role belongs to Jesus Christ who is “the apostle and high priest of our confession”.
Moses was a servant of the house. Jesus is the Son who is set over the house. (And there is something to be said here for the continuity of the OT people of God and NT people of God). Jesus is building his church. Jesus even built Moses.
He is faithful over God’s house as a son! Moses is in the house. Jesus is OVER the house. And we are this house! Where does God dwell? The Holy Spirit within us. “Christ in you the hope of glory”
The presence of God has been restored through Christ in the life of God’s people. He is an apostle you can trust and a high priest you can count on. This is where the author of Hebrews is taking us. But you aren’t going to fully grab hold of Jesus if you’re still trying to hold on to Moses.
If I was riding in a cab to get to my wedding it’d be a little silly to take the cab-driver down the aisle with me. Moses did his job. He got us to the chapel. Now we enjoy the presence of Bridegroom who stands over all.
This means we enjoy dancing in grace to the One we are united to and refusing to be shackled to the one who drove us to the party.
—
Photo source: here
