Finding Peace through Grace - Hebrews 12:14-29

We’re entering the final words – the final message – of our study through Hebrews. Chapters 3-12:13 built a phenomenal argument for Jesus’ identity. The author covered every aspect as he taught us that Jesus was the fulfillment of the promised Messiah. I encourage you to read Hebrews 12:14-29 before continuing with this section.

Click picture for a printable handout for this section

Don’t we all long for a world of peace? Wouldn’t life be so much simpler without war, discontent, and violence? Yet, they are an inevitable and constant part of our world.

Despite their inevitability, God says “Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness – without it no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14). Despite our culture of conflict, God tells us to pursue peace. He doesn’t let us off the hook. He calls us to pursue peace with everyone – an outward attempt that strives to bring peace to all of our relationships. He calls us to holiness – an upward attempt that strives to bring peace to our relationship with God.

Peace is hard sometimes but probably not as hard as we try to make it. We find peace with God and others through grace. We accept God’s grace to find peace with God; we extend God’s grace to find peace with others. That’s it. It’s a simple concept but one that’s hard to live out in the real world.

Accept God’s grace. Let me emphasize this point for a second. We don’t earn God’s grace. We don’t buy God’s grace. We don’t even have to wait for it. He’s given it to every single last one of us. It’s poured out and waiting for you to receive it. The only way we can fall short of the grace of God is to not accept it.

What might keep us from accepting God’s grace?

Root of Bitterness (12:15)
The mention of a root of bitterness ties back to Deuteronomy 29:16-21, specifically verse 18. “Be sure there is no man, woman, clan, or tribe among you today whose heart turns away from the Lord our God to go and worship the gods of those nations. Be sure there is no root among you bearing poisonous and bitter fruit” (Deuteronomy 29:18). In the midst of an admonition against idolatry, God commands the people to watch out for and avoid the growth of poisonous and bitter fruit. Note that the problem isn’t the idolatry. Seeking after false gods is the effect of a worse problem – a heart that has turned away from God due to the growth of a root of bitterness.

If we allow bitterness – especially bitterness toward God – to take root and grow in our life then we will soon replace the one true God with false idols within the sanctuary of our hearts. We will no longer be accepting God’s grace as we turn away from Him and turn toward the impotent, insatiable idols of this world.

Immorality and Irreverence (12:16-17)
These verses tie back to Genesis 25:29-34 and the story of Esau who sold his birthright for a bowl of stew. Think about that – Esau’s birthright wasn’t only the property and riches he might inherit from his father, Isaac. Esau’s birthright was the promises made by Holy, Eternal God to Abraham who passed it down to Isaac. God spoke to Isaac, “I will confirm the oath that I swore to your Father Abraham. I will make your offspring as numerous as the stars of the sky, I will give your offspring all these lands, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed by your offspring” (Genesis 26:3-4). We studied the promises in more detail in an earlier section.

Similar to our previous inhibition to accepting God’s grace, Esau’s story is an effect rather than a cause. Esau sold his God-given birthright for a bowl of stew but the greater problem was the heart within the man that led him to do such a thing. Esau was an immoral, irreverent man. He didn’t care about what was important – he held nothing as sacred or holy. We don’t see sexual immorality in the Genesis story but the author of Hebrews describes him as such. Immorality exemplifies Esau’s corrupt heart because sexual sin devalues what God has created as holy and set apart unto only one spouse. God chose Abraham’s descendants above all other nations of the earth; Esau tossed his inheritance aside like an abandoned wife in exchange for a moment of satisfaction from a bowl of stew. How cheap.

The immoral and irreverent don’t accept God’s grace because they don’t care at all about what God has given them. They take the holy, special gift of God’s promise and toss it aside for a moment of pleasure. They don’t repent because they don’t recognize the significant. They only shed tears because they don’t get what they want, not because they value what they have lost.

Focus on the Physical, not the Spiritual (12:18-27)
Our third inhibition to the acceptance of God’s grace is a focus on the physical, created world instead of the spiritual world of the Creator. The passage ties back to Exodus 19:9-25 and also Deuteronomy 4:11-12; 5:22-26. God called Moses to the top of Mount Sinai in order to give him the words of the law. While he was there, no other person or even an animal could touch the mountain. The consequence if they did was death. Hebrews describes the whole event as “terrifying” (Hebrews 12:21).

The author of Hebrews describes the event in four different ways that tie in with our senses and what is created. When the people came to Mount Sinai, they came…

• To what could be touched (touch)
• To a blazing fire (smell, sight, touch)
• To darkness, gloom, and storm (sight)
• To the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words (heard)

But the author of Hebrews tells us we have not come to Mount Sinai. We have not come to the created, to the law, to the fear and trembling, to the things of this earth. We have come to Mount Zion. The author continues by describing Mount Zion in seven different ways. In Hebrews 12:22-24, we have come…

• To the city of the living God
• To myriads of angels in festive gathering
• To the assembly of the firstborn whose names have been written in heaven
• To God who is the judge of all
• To the spirits of righteous people made perfect
• To Jesus the mediator of a new covenant
• To the sprinkled blood

Let’s compare these two mountains. The author used four descriptions for Mount Sinai and seven for Mount Zion. He has used the comparison of seven and four a few times throughout this book; each time the four shows us some aspect of creation and the earth whereas the seven shows us some aspect of the spiritual and the divine. We see the same thing here. Mount Sinai gave us the message of the earth – the Law. Mount Zion gives us the message of heaven – grace.

Even though the message of Mount Sinai was part of earth and creation, our rejection of it still had eternal consequences. If that’s the case, we can be confident that our rejection of the spiritual message from Mount Zion will have eternal consequences as well.

Those consequences will become apparent at some future date when God will shake things up a little bit. Well, more like a lot, actually. He will “shake not only the earth but also heaven” (Hebrews 12:26). When He shakes things up, the created will no longer stand. Our confidence can’t be in the things of earth, as they will all be gone. At that time, we better cling to the spiritual message of grace from Jesus because it is the only thing that will endure God’s shaking. Grace from Jesus cannot be shaken.

Hold on to Grace (13:28-29)

Let go of bitterness toward God and others.

Value and hold dear what is sacred and holy.

Rely on the spiritual work of the Creator, not on the creation.

Bitterness, irreverence, and the things of this world keep us from accepting God’s grace. They separate us from the relationship He so desperately longs for with us. However, when we overcome them and accept His grace then we finally find a way to live in peace. Without them, our God is a consuming fire because His wrath burns toward anything that separates us from Him.

This verse ties back to Deuteronomy 4:24. Moses lived a life in close communion with God. We’ve discussed it many times throughout this study – here, here, here, and here. However, even Moses messed up and had to face the consequences. His sin kept him from entering the earthly Promised Land. That experience led him to warn the people with a message very applicable to us today. Here’s my modern day paraphrase of Deuteronomy 4:21-24…

You’re about to enter the Promised Land. Not the physical one over in the Middle East but the spiritual one in the presence of Holy God. Don’t forget the covenant that God made with you when He died and resurrected back to life. That death – that covenant – made it possible for you to enter the Promised Land. Don’t go chasing after the immoral and the irreverent. Don’t replace a relationship with Him with impotent idols. Why? “For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God” (Deuteronomy 4:24).

You’re better off to hold on to grace. Only then will you find peace with God.

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By Faith, from the Law to the Promised Land - Hebrews 11:23-40

Creation, Abel, Enoch, and Noah taught us that faith is the reality of our hope even when it is unseen.

Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph taught us faith is the reality of the promise in a future promised land.

In this final section of Hebrews 11, our last group of faith heroes will teach us one more key point about living by faith. For them – and for us today – faith is the reality of our victory that defeats our fears.



Click picture for a printable handout for this section

Faith is the reality of our victory that defeats our fears. All of the people in this section faced some powerful fears – governmental powers, loss of loved ones, slavery, and deadly defeat. They never would have found victory in their own strength and power. But they experienced fullness and abundance of life when they each stepped out in faith thereby conquering their fears and experiencing God’s victory.

By Faith, from the Law to the Promised Land

I encourage you to start by reading Hebrews 11:23-40.

By Faith, Moses (11:23-28)
Moses’ parents – especially his mom – stepped out in amazing faith soon after Moses’ birth. Pharaoh decreed that all baby boys were to be killed but Moses’ mom saved his life. She put him in a basket in the reeds by the Nile River. Pharaoh’s daughter found him there, took him as her own son, and raised him in the Egyptian palace.

• Fear: Moses’ mom feared the loss of her son’s life.
• Victory: She found victory when Pharaoh’s daughter found him in the basket and raised him as her own son.

Moses grew to be a man who lived a life of faith. The opportunities given him as a prince of Egypt were far from what we might call a godly lifestyle. Even in the midst of pleasure and abundance, God called Moses unto Himself and began him on a journey that changed the world.

• Fear: Moses separated from the love of his Egyptian family along with the wealth and luxurious ease of a palace life.
• Victory: He found true riches as “he considered the reproach because of the Messiah to be greater wealth than the treasures of Egyptian, since his attention was on the reward” (Hebrews 11:26). Moses also apparently knew our second key point - faith is the reality of the promise in a future promised land.

After a violent outburst and a poor decision, Moses later faced the wrath of the Pharaoh. In response, he left Egypt and all he had ever known behind.

• Fear: Moses could have feared the anger of the Pharaoh.
• Victory: Instead of fear, he found victory in a new land where he found a wife, a peaceful lifestyle, and eventually a calling from God out of a burning bush. He lived as one "who sees Him who is invisible" (Hebrews 11:27). Moses also knew our second key point - faith is the reality of our hope even when it is unseen.

At God’s calling, Moses returned to Egypt to lead the Israelite people out of slavery. Pharaoh wasn’t too keen on letting his slave labor force leave, however. God sent a series of plagues that eventually persuaded Pharaoh to release his grasp on the slaves. The final plague was a violent attack on the lives of the firstborn sons in each household – Egyptian and Hebrew alike. The death angel passed over all of the homes on which the family had painted the blood of a lamb on the doorpost. That final plague initiated their journey out of slavery and into freedom.

• Fear: Moses and all of the people feared for the lives of their firstborn sons.
• Victory: In the blood of the lamb, the people found freedom from slavery.

By Faith, the Israelites (11:29-30)
Moses led the people away from Egypt with Pharaoh’s reluctant blessing. Pharaoh soon changed his mind, however, and the Israelites found themselves trapped between a raging Red Sea and Pharaoh’s armies. God didn’t view them as trapped; He saw a people about to experience freedom.

• Fear: The people feared they would have to choose between drowning in the sea and allowing their own slaughter at the hands of the army.
• Victory: The people experienced one of the greatest victories ever as God parted the Red Sea allowing them to walk through on dry land. Pharaoh’s army, on the other hand, drowned as walls of water came crashing down on top of them.

Moses didn’t make it to the Promised Land; Joshua instead led the people to the end of their journey. Along the way, they had to defeat the city of Jericho.

• Fear: The people could have feared the people of Jericho and the looming battle for control of the city.
• Victory: Instead, they trusted the words of God who promised them victory over the city through His power rather than the power of their swords.

I’ve written in the past about an interesting correlation between the parting of the Red Sea and the walls of Jericho. The two miracles are powerfully related so I’m not surprised to see them singled out and paired together in this significant historical chapter. Click here to read more.

By Faith, Rahab (11:31)
Joshua sent two spies into Jericho before they crossed the Jordan into the Promised Land. Some of Joshua’s confidence came from their report that the people lived in fear of the Israelites because of the miraculous things God had done for them. Read the article I mentioned in the last paragraph for more. Rahab, however, used her fear to her advantage. She recognized the power of the God of the Israelites; she responded by saving the lives of the spies who in turn saved her and her family.

• Fear: Rahab feared the God of the Israelites.
• Victory: She put her trust in Him rather than the false security of rock walls. She found victory in the salvation of both her physical and spiritual life.

The World was not Worthy of Them(11:32-40)

These verses form one of the most powerful passages in Scripture. Every time I read it, I approach it with a sense of respect and humility. It’s a verbal walk through the cemetery of war heroes who died that we might hear truth and find freedom. It’s a somber moment of reflection at the base of a monument inscribed with the names of those who gave all they had because they chose to live by faith.

The people entered the Promised Land but that didn’t mean life was perfect. Living life by faith – even in the Promised Land – was rough. So I have to ask myself, “Why should I think my life will be any better?”

Living our lives by faith may mean some pretty hard times during our life here on earth. Like the heroes of this chapter, we have to realize the Promised Land of this earth isn’t the end goal. Like them, we have to look “forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. … These all died in faith without having received the promises, but they saw them from a distance, greeted them, and confessed that they were foreigners and temporary residents on the earth” (Hebrews 11:10, 13). Like these heroes, we have to realize faith is living in a different reality where our hope isn’t seen, the promise awaits us in the future, and we have victory over our fears.

“All these were approved through their faith, but they did not receive what was promised.” Each of these men and women still await the promise because “God had provided something better for us, so that they would not made perfect without us” (Hebrews 11:39-40). Here’s the deal, friend… they can’t receive the promise until we have done our part by faith. You and I each have a job to do – a calling to which we need to be faithful. The question then becomes, “Is your name on the list? Are you serving and living by faith? Are you living in a reality where your hope is unseen, your promised reward awaits, and you have victory over your fears?”

Those are important questions to consider because one day we will fully see our hope, God will give us what He has promised, and the victory will be ours. When that day comes, trust me, you’ll want to be a part of it.

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Believe - Hebrews 3:7-19

We are about knee-deep into the book of Hebrews. We’ve gotten our feet wet and found the water refreshing. We’ve stepped into a stream of truth that washes away our doubts, fears, and regrets – in short, that washes away our sin.

Have you ever had a hard time believing someone – perhaps a spouse, parent, child, or close friend? Sometimes a loved one loses our trust through poor actions and decisions on their part. However, sometimes it’s hard to believe them even though they’ve never proven unfaithful or dishonest in the past. Sometimes believing is just hard.

Today’s passage from Hebrews reminds us though that God asks us to believe Him. He asks us to live a life reflecting our belief in His faithfulness, power, and grace. He asks us to experience the abundant life available for those who do believe Him. But He also reminds us that consequences await those who refuse to believe. Join with us as we consider Hebrews 3:7-19.

Click picture for a printable handout for this section.

Therefore
Once again, our passage begins with this simple word. Let’s review quickly to see the case the author is building…

• Because Jesus is our high priest who offers atonement for our sin as did Aaron… Section 4.
• Because Jesus is our apostle who delivers us from slavery as did Moses… Section 5.

Therefore, don’t harden your heart. Believe Him and enter His rest.

If the Israelites were responsible for their choice to believe or not, then so are we
Hebrews 3:7-11 quotes Psalm 95:7-11. In short, the Israelite people witnessed many miracles as they left Egypt and journeyed to the Promised Land. They experiences the plagues in Egypt, they walked on dry land between walls of water in the Red Sea, they ate bread miraculously and daily provided from heaven, they drank fresh water from rocks in a dry, desert land, and much more. Yet, when God called them to enter the land, they refused to believe He could help them conquer the Canaanites. God became angry and said, “How long will they not trust in Me despite all the signs I have performed among them? … None of the men who have seen My glory and the signs I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tested Me these 10 times and did not obey Me, will ever see the land I swore to give their fathers” (Numbers 14:11, 22).

Even Moses and Aaron weren’t exempt from the consequences of disbelief. They disobeyed God; specifically, they took credit for one of God’s miracles as they didn’t trust God to do it. God spoke to them in response, “Because you did not trust Me to show My holiness in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this assembly into the land I have given them” (Numbers 20:12).

It boils down to this… It doesn’t matter who you are, you have to believe God to enter His rest.

Unbelief is evil as it calls God a liar (Hebrews 3:12).
I can think of people I know who choose not to believe God. You probably can to. They sit next to us at work, talk to us at our kids’ school activities, and live next to us in our neighborhoods. Generally speaking, we’d call them good people. They aren’t slicing heads off of Christians. They aren’t kidnapping young girls to sell them into sex trafficking. They aren’t murdering unborn children in their mother’s wombs. They’re honest, hard-working, compassionate people. And yet, by choosing not to believe God, they’re evil. It’s harsh but God’s Word makes it reality.

Their decision to not believe God is sin. Unbelief stares God in the face and says, “You’re wrong. You won’t do it. You won’t save me. You won’t love me. You won’t protect me. You won’t provide for me. You’re lying when You say You will.” Unbelief exalts itself over God – a catastrophic position every time. Consider the message from that perspective and perhaps it’s not so difficult to see the evil intent behind what appears as benign unbelief on the surface.

Combat unbelief with encouragement. Do it today (Hebrews 3:13).
Followers of Christ, can I pick on us a little? Can I call us out on something? We can be a little condemning and judgmental. The word “little” probably shouldn’t even be in that sentence. We can be a lot condemning and judgmental. It’s not pretty; in fact, it’s one of the reasons many turn away from a relationship with Jesus. It’s the reason they’ve believed the lie that God won’t do what He says He will do.

Friends, we don’t combat unbelief with judgment, condemnation, or manipulation. We overcome unbelief with encouragement. Encouragement keeps others from being “hardened by sin’s deception.” When you meet someone who is hurting due to a poor decision – any poor decision that is now causing pain in their life – offer words of encouragement rather than condemnation!

Consider the root word of encouragement with me – courage. Encouragement comes to a hurting person and fills them with courage. It gives them the courage to believe God does love them, will save them, will provide for and protect them. It gives them the courage to look the lie – the deception – squarely in the face and say, “I will not believe you. I will believe the truth of the Word of God which says God loves me, died to save me, and wants a relationship with me.”

Do it now. Today. Everyday. Let me call us out on another thing. We’re kind of fickle. Yesterday, we were encouraged and rose above the deception to believe the truth of God. Today, that sin might sneak right back into our life. Or it might sneak right back into the life of your loved one. We need encouragement every day to continue fighting the battle against Satan’s deceptive lies.

Hold on to the reality (Hebrews 3:14-15)
Reality is what’s true. In this case, reality is the understanding we had at the beginning of our walk with Jesus. If we are His followers, at one point we recognized our sin and accepted His forgiveness. That’s our reality – our truth – that we’re redeemed, saved, forgiven recipients of His grace.

Here’s the problem, though… The world – the entire range of options opposed to the work of Jesus – is going to try to pull that away from us. It can’t remove the salvation given us but it can remove the joy of a life lived believing God. It can make us doubt our reality. It can deceive us with the lie. It can make us harden our heart to the truth.

The author of Hebrews has reminded us of this repeatedly so far.

• Hebrews 2:1 – Pay attention to the message because we’re responsible for it.
• Hebrews 2:1 – Don’t forget God’s message; don’t let it slip from your mind.
• Hebrews 2:3 – Don’t neglect God’s message; don’t be careless with it.
• Hebrews 3:6 - Hold on to the courage or boldness required to speak our faith to others; hold on to our confidence of our hope of eternity with Him.

Belief leads you to God’s promised rest (Hebrews 3:16-19)
The Israelites experienced the plagues in Egypt, along with God’s supernatural protection. They saw the parting of the Red Sea. They ate the manna. They saw the clouds and heard the thunder when God met with Moses on Sinai. And yet, when faced with the situation of whether to believe God or not, they said, “No, God, you won’t do it.” They chose to believe the lie rather than God’s truth. They wandered in the wilderness for forty years until every one of the adults died without seeing the land God promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

The Jews of the first-century experienced Jesus’ miracles. Thousands of them ate from a few loaves and fish. Many of them knew someone who had received healing at His hands. Hundreds of them witnessed His living body after knowing He had been crucified. And yet they also said, “No, God, you won’t do it.” They also chose to believe the lie rather than God’s truth. Forty years later God allowed the destruction of their temple, the end of their sacrifices, and their dispersion throughout the world. They didn’t remain in the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Many of us know Him today. The miracles in our lives are greater than the parting of some water or the multiplication of some bread. We have experienced His grace that forgave the filth in our lives. We have seen the transformation that comes in a life submitted to Him. We have felt the presence of God Himself as His Spirit dwells within us. And yet we look at Him and say, “No, God, you won’t do it.” We believe the lie rather than God’s truth that He can do what He says He’ll do. Will we have forty years to repent and choose to believe? I don’t know. Perhaps that is why He says, “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion” (Hebrews 3:15).

← Previous Section: Consider Jesus

Next Section: Enter His Rest →

Consider Jesus - Hebrews 3:1-6

Jesus is God. He became a man in order to restore dominion over the earth back to humanity and to restore the sinless relationship between God and man. In order to do this, He became our high priest. That’s a review from sections one, two, three, and four covering Hebrews 1-2.

 

This review is the foundation to our current passage, Hebrews 3:1-6.

 

The word “therefore” is repeated often throughout this entire book as the author builds his case as to Jesus’ identity and purpose. In fact, the author uses this simple word much more frequently than any other New Testament author. That’s why a repetitious building of our case as we progress through each section is so important. We can’t pick one section and build a whole case for or against Jesus’ Messianic position based on it; this book is written to build upon itself.

 

Our current section begins with “therefore” so the review at the beginning of this article is important. Because Jesus did all that He did, therefore, consider Him. Consider Jesus. To the readers of the book of Hebrews, you’ve considered Moses, our apostle sent to bring our people out of slavery. You’ve considered Aaron, our high priest who made atonement for our sins. Now… “consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession” (Hebrews 3:1).

 



Click picture for a printable handout for this section.

 

Moses and Jesus – Let’s compare and contrast

 

The author of Hebrews isn’t going to ask you to forget all about Moses and blindly follow Jesus. He’s presenting a well-laid argument for Jesus’ superiority over Moses. But before we go there, let’s first see how they’re similar.

 

Jesus is similar to Moses

Other similarities may exist but we see three listed in this passage. “He [Jesus] was faithful to the One who appointed Him, just as Moses was in all God’s household” (Hebrews 3:2).

 

Both men were faithful. It may seem obvious but it’s a powerful similarity. They are both part of the promises made through Abraham. “Just as Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness, then understand that those who have faith are Abraham’s sons. Now the Scripture saw in advance that God would justify the Gentiles by faith and told the good news ahead of time to Abraham, saying, All the nations will be blessed through you. So those who have faith are blessed with Abraham who had faith” (Galatians 3:6-9).

 

Both men were appointed by God. Hebrews 3:2 says God appointed Jesus to His task. Acts 7:44 says the same thing about Moses, “Our ancestors had the tabernacle of the testimony in the wilderness, just as He who spoke to Moses commanded him to make it according to the pattern he had seen.” God called Moses to the top of the mountain to give him clear instructions for how to make the tabernacle.

 

Both men served in the Tabernacle.

• Hebrews 3:2 says Moses was faithful “in all God’s household.” The word for household can refer to “the house of God, the tabernacle.” Considering God appointed Moses to the task of building the tabernacle (Acts 7:44) and considered him faithful (See also Numbers 12:7-8), I believe it’s a safe assumption that the use of the word “household” refers to the tabernacle.
• You may be thinking that Jesus never served in the Tabernacle. After all, Solomon had the temple built during his reign so they no longer needed the tabernacle. It was gone almost 1,000 years before Jesus birth. God appointed Jesus to a different tabernacle in which He also was faithful. Earlier we read Acts 7:44. A few verses later, after a brief summary of the history of the tabernacle and temple, we read, “However, the Most High does not dwell in sanctuaries made with hands, as the prophet says: Heaven is my throne, and earth My footstool. What sort of house will you build for Me? Says the Lord, or what is My resting place? Did not My hand make all these things?” (Acts 7:48-50). The italicized portion is a quote from the Old Testament in Isaiah 66:1-2 – an unfulfilled prophecy of our future judgment balanced with our hope and restoration. Jesus will be front and center then as He serves faithfully in His universal tabernacle. (See also Ephesians 1:20-23.)

 

One big difference

As with the similarities, other differences exist. For example, Jesus is sinless whereas Moses wasn’t. However, this section chooses to focus on only one key difference. “For Jesus is considered worthy of more glory than Moses, just as the builder has more honor than the house” (Hebrews 3:3).

 

Both men were worthy of glory. Ok, I know. That’s actually a similarity but it fits better in this section because of where we’re going to go with it.

• Moses was worthy of glory. He met with God in open conversation. When he did so, his face would glow so brightly that he scared the people. From then on, he had to wear a veil over his face (Exodus 34:29-35). When Aaron and Miriam became angry with Moses’ position, God rebuked them. He honored Moses as His faithful servant whom He could speak to directly. He even said Moses could see “the form of the Lord” (Numbers 12, quote from verse 8). The priest Korah led over 250 men in rebellion against Moses’ leadership. God spoke to Moses and Aaron, “Separate yourselves from this community so I may consume them instantly.” In the end, God brought judgment on over 14,000 people because they rebelled against Moses (Numbers 16). It’s safe to say, God considered Moses to be a man worthy of honor.
• Jesus was worthy of glory. God said so at Jesus’ baptism, “This is My beloved Son. I take delight in Him!” (Matthew 3:13-17, quote from verse 17). He said so again at Jesus’ transfiguration, “This is My beloved Son; listen to Him!” (Mark 9:2-13, quote from verse 7). Finally, at Jesus’ resurrection, through the prophecy of King David, “He was not left in Hades, and His flesh did not experience decay” (Acts 2:25-35, quote from verse 31).

 

But Jesus is worthy of more glory. Jesus is worthy of more glory because the “builder has more honor than the house” (Hebrews 3:3). In other words, Jesus is the word made flesh who spoke the universe into creation. The Creator is more worthy than the creation. Jesus is more worthy than Moses.

 

Jesus is more worthy because, as Creator, His tabernacle is all of creation whereas Moses’ tabernacle – although designed by God – was only a tent. His Gospel message is superior to Moses’ message of the Law (Acts 13:37-39, Romans 8:1-4).

 

Click on picture to view a larger version.

 

Finally, Jesus is worthy of more glory because He is the Son over the whole creation of God’s tabernacle whereas Moses was a servant in the earthly tabernacle (Hebrews 3:5-6). Jesus is the Son over it all; Moses is a Servant in a smaller version.

 

So why consider Jesus over Moses?

 

Both men were faithful, appointed by God, and served in their respective tabernacles. Both of them were worthy of glory and honor. But Jesus is more worthy. He is more worthy because He is the Creator, not the creation. He is more worthy because He brought a gospel message of grace for all people of creation rather than the Law’s message of death for those under it. He is more worthy of glory because He is the Son of God whom God put over all rather than a servant in an earthly tent. We consider Jesus because He is more worthy.

 

In the end, we consider Jesus because “we are that household if we hold on to the courage and the confidence of our hope” (Hebrews 3:6). That’s not something that’s going to simply happen on its own, though. We have to hold on to it. The world is going to try to pull it away from us. In a previous section we discussed the importance of paying attention to God’s message. We can’t be careless with it or let it slip from our minds. We must pay attention and take it seriously. We see that same idea here. The world will try to pull away our abundant life made possible by walking with the Savior. We have to cling to it – holding on tight to keep it in our grasp.

 

We consider Jesus – we hold on to His message – with a confident, courageous speech that lets the world know what He has to offer. We hold on to His message as our only source of hope in a world that is quickly becoming a rough place for those who choose to follow Him. We consider Jesus – we hold on to His message – until the end when we behold Him face to face and our faith becomes sight.

 

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Time to Pay Attention - Hebrews 2:1-4

“We must, therefore, pay even more attention to what we have heard, so that we will not drift away. For if the message spoken through the angels was legally binding and every transgression and disobedience received a just punishment, how will we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was first spoken by the Lord and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him. At the same time, God also testified by signs and wonders, various miracles, and distributions of gifts from the Holy Spirit according to His will” (Hebrews 2:1-4).

Therefore.

I’ve decided that “therefore” may be one of the most important words in the Bible, especially when it comes to spiritual growth as a Christian. We usually skim right past it while reading; instead, we should stop reading, circle it in our Bibles, and take a moment to consider what we’ve just read. You see, the word “therefore” is our call to action. “Therefore” says that because of what you’ve read, this is what you should do. Because of this… do this… So begins our current passage of Scripture.

Where have we been?

Our first section of Scripture was Hebrews 1:1-4. In it, we reviewed seven evidences from Old Testament stories that showed Jesus to be the provider of our salvation. The key point in that list – number four – also equated Jesus with God.

Our second section of Scripture was Hebrews 1:5-14. This section contains seven different Old Testament prophetic quotations. We looked at the original prophecies in their context to see that Jesus is King of all, while the fourth point also showed Him to be God. We also looked at this passage a little from the perspective of the quotes themselves as listed in Hebrews 1. From that angle, we saw that Jesus is superior to the angels; again, the fourth point stands out as unique in showing us that Jesus is God.

So in short, we see…

• Jesus is God and the provider of our salvation.
• Jesus is God and King of all.
• Jesus is God and superior to the angels.

 

Click picture for a printable handout for this section.

Therefore…

Because of these three things ↑, we need to do this →. We should “pay even more attention to what we have heard, so that we will not drift away” (Hebrews 2:1). Here’s our call to action. Here’s the change that should be evident in our lives because of who Jesus is.

We pay attention.
Do you remember your school days? We all knew those easily distracted students to whom the teacher always had to say, “Pay attention!” Maybe you were that student. The teacher wanted the unfocused student to pay attention because he or she knew how important the teaching would be to the student’s life. The teacher also knew the student would be responsible for knowing the information later.

The phrase “pay attention” has a certain level of responsibility attached to it. A student not in your class wouldn’t have to pay attention to the teacher because they weren’t responsible for the taught material. But if you were in the class, you were responsible to know it and you better pay attention.

The author of Hebrews sees you and me as participants in that class. We need to pay attention to the message because we’re going to be responsible for it.

We pay even more attention.
Then it goes a step further. We don’t only need to pay attention to this message, we need to pay even more attention to it than to… Well, I’m getting ahead of myself. We’ll look at the alternate message in a minute. But, for now, more is a comparison word used to compare two different items. Consider this example, sledding is fun but snow skiing is even more fun. This example compared two different winter sports to let you know which sport I think is more fun.

We don’t drift away.
Drift away is the Greek word pararreō; in other Greek writings, it’s often translated as “a thing escapes me” or “it slips from my mind.” I’m sure we can all identify with that! We know we knew a piece of information – the location of our cell phone, the name of an acquaintance, the time of the meeting – but we can’t recall it now. It has slipped from our mind.

Similar to the point earlier about our need to pay attention, this one also implies some level of interaction with and responsibility for the given information. Simply put, we can’t forget something we never knew in the first place.

Why might you be discouraged?
One of the reasons we’re studying Hebrews is to “exhort discouraged Christians to continue on strong with Jesus.” This is a good time to stop and think about that reason.

The admonitions to “pay attention” and to not “drift away” both imply a familiarity with the taught message. This isn’t an evangelistic text; this passage is for you and me as followers of Jesus. If you’re discouraged as His follower, maybe you need the reminder that Jesus is God, He provided our salvation, He is superior to the angels, and He is King of all. Maybe you need to sit up and pay attention to His message rather than the alternative. Maybe you need to keep it forefront in your thoughts rather than let it drift away.

What is that alternative message?

It’s the message of the angels.
Moment of honesty here – I didn’t know what that is at first. A little research into the whole of Scripture helped me out, though.

Let’s start by reading Deuteronomy 33:2-4. This passage is the introduction to Moses’ final words before His death. Earlier in his life, Moses spent time with God on Mount Sinai when he received the Law from God. This passage recalls that during that event, God came “with ten thousand holy ones.” He held His holy ones in His hand as His people assembled at His feet. (Deuteronomy 33:2-3; The Israelite people gathered around the base of the mountain as God gave the Law to Moses.) As was often the case in the Old Testament, the word of God – in this case, the Law – came to the people through His messengers, the angels.

A couple quick references from the New Testament further confirm our understanding of “the message of the angels” being a reference to the Law of Moses. Acts 7:53 says, “You received the Law under the direction of angels…” while Galatians 3:19 says, “the Law was put into effect through angels.”

I think it’s safe to say that if a first-century Jewish believer in Jesus as the Messiah read this passage in Hebrews, he or she would have immediately known the message of the angels was a reference to the Law. God gave the Law through the angels to Moses, who then taught it to the Israelite people. They also would have understood exactly what the author of Hebrews meant when he wrote that message “was legally binding and every transgression and disobedience received a just punishment” (Hebrews 2:2).

Two messages - the message of the angels and the message of Jesus. We need to pay attention to the second even more than to the first.

How much more important is Jesus’ message?
Jesus is God.

Jesus is the provider of our salvation.

Jesus is King of all.

Angels can’t make those claims. Well, one did and it won’t end so well for him. God created hell so he and his angelic followers would have a place to call home for eternity. That’s for another time, though.

Jesus is superior to the angels. How much more is His message superior to the message of the angels?

That’s why we can’t “escape if we neglect such a great salvation” (Hebrews 2:3). Neglect means to be careless or to make light of it.

Moses didn’t escape when he was careless with the Word of God. Earlier we read Deuteronomy 33:1-4. Immediately prior to that, God told Moses to ascend Mount Nebo. The revered prophet and leader would see into the Promised Land but he wouldn’t lead the people in. He would never set foot on the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This seems pretty harsh to take Moses’ life right as the people are ready to enter the land. However, disobedience receives a just punishment and God will not have His people be flippant with His Word.

That’s exactly what Moses had done, too. He disobeyed God and treated His Word lightly. You can read more of the story in this article. If Moses received such a great consequence, do you think we will avoid all consequences if we’re careless or make light of the Word of God?

We can’t deny it.
Change can be hard. I think God knows that about us. He knew it would be hard for the first century believers – who were predominantly Jewish – to pay even more attention to Jesus’ message than they had the Law. He knew even for us 2,000 years later, we would keep returning to a works based system than a message of pure grace.

Focus can be hard. Even before terms like ADD dominated our culture, people have had a hard time staying focused on one thing. We quickly move on to the newer and better. He knew we would have to be reminded to pay attention, don’t let it slip from our minds, and don’t be careless with it.

Because He knew it would be hard to change and stay focused, He gave us some extra evidence to show us it’s worth it. He confirmed Jesus’ message in three different ways. First, Jesus spoke it. Those who heard His words told His message to others. They told others. All these years later, we’re still passing Jesus’ words along. Second, God confirmed this message with signs, wonders, and miracles. Just as He had done with Moses, He did again through Jesus. Third, the Spirit gives spiritual gifts to those who accept Jesus’ message. He works in us to transform us into His new creation – a creation we could never be on our own.

Call to Action

Jesus is the provider of our salvation, superior to the angels, and King of all.

Jesus is God.

We live in a world where messages fly at us from all directions every day. We have to weed through the mess and pay attention to God’s message given to us through His Son, Jesus. We have to keep it forefront in our minds as we allow it to impact each decision. We have to pay more attention to it than to a message that would deny the grace of God He has now given us. We can’t let it slip from our minds. And we sure can’t be careless with it or make light of it. Jesus left the glories of heaven and descended to the swamp of earth to speak that message to us. He died to make it possible. We can at least pay attention and take it seriously.

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