Hebrews 3 Bible Study – (Video)
Hebrews Chapter 3
Again, Hebrews is about the sin of unbelief. Since this letter is to Jews, why would that make sense? What did the Jews use to pursue God if not Jesus? They perused the law.
For the first 10 chapters, we will not see any mention of lying. adultery, gossip, or any OUTWARD sin.
The Jewish people have had the law for hundreds of years and they take OUTWARD immorality seriously. In this story the Jewish people are struggling with the idea that righteousness can, and moreover must come from faith in Christ.
Hebrews is also the letter that is commonly cited for losing salvation and we’ll talk about that a little today too.
We begin in vs 1 with another comparison, but this time is Jesus / Moses.
Jesus Our High Priest
[Hebrews 3:1-3] 3 Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession; 2 He was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was in all His house. 3 For He has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, by just so much as the builder of the house has more honor than the house.
Who is greater, the one who serves in a house or the one who built/owns it?
Moses served.
[Hebrews 3:4-6] 4 For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God. 5 Now Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later; 6 but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house—whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end.
“If we hold fast” is not a threat of losing salvation. Remember who the letter is written to. Jews who are just beginning to hear His voice, and not sure if they want to give Him their heart. You’ll see it in a second.
[Hebrews 3:7-8] 7 Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, “Today if you hear His voice,
8 Do not harden your hearts as when they provoked Me,
As in the day of trial in the wilderness,
Who is doing the hardening in vs 8?
Remember the story in the wilderness? Not trusting God for food. Water. Rescue from Egypt
[Hebrews 3:9-10] 9 Where your fathers tried Me by testing Me,
And saw My works for forty years.
10 “Therefore I was angry with this generation,
And said, ‘They always go astray in their heart,
And they did not know My ways’;
What kind of sin do you see here – disobedience or unbelief?
[Hebrews 3:11] 11 As I swore in My wrath,
‘They shall not enter My rest.’”
Now skip ahead and read Hebrews 4:11 and see what we have today.
Hebrews 4:11 Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience.
[Hebrews 3:12]12 Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God.
What is the evil here? The unbelieving heart!
[Hebrews 3:13-14] 13 But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end, 15 while it is said,
The point is to hear the truth and believe it. Don’t just consider it (as many Jews did). If you do, you WILL receive the Holy Spirit and no one can take you from His hands.
[Hebrews 3:15-16]“Today if you hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts, as when they provoked Me.” 16 For who provoked Him when they had heard?
Critical we don’t miss what’s coming up. This is where we see the context for sin in the book of Hebrews, and if you miss it, it will distort your entire interpretation.
[Hebrews 3:16-17] Indeed, did not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses? 17 And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned,
Get ready because we’re getting ready to see what is sinning to the author of Hebrews.
[Hebrews 3:18 ]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?
Well, what kind of disobedience was it… and we find out in vs 19.
[Hebrews 3:19] 19 So we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief.
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