יּקנרק'ד

Hebrews Chapter 3  Verse 1

:1 “Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;”

Paul is very clear as to whom this epistle is directed to.  It is directed to “holy brethren.”  Paul was not directing this letter indiscriminately to everyone or to every Hebrew.  It was being directed to brethren.  A person can be a brother by natural relationship in a particular family or he can be a brother in a greater family, such as the family of God.  In this instance it is clear that Paul had in mind that the epistle was directed to the greater family, i.e., the family of God.  Moreover, they are “holy” brethren.  The word, holy, means separate.  These were brethren by the fact that they along with Paul and everyone of the elect family of God has been separated by God’s covenant election of a people before the foundation of the world.  This covenant is clearly set forth in Romans 8:29, 30: “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.  Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.” 

Additional, Paul identified those whom he called “holy brethren” as being “partakers of the heavenly calling.”  This calling is a “heavenly” calling.  It is a calling that originates from heaven and not on earth.  It is not the calling to repentance and service through the gospel call of God’s gospel ministers, but rather it is a calling that is direct from God to the individual.  The Lord identified this calling in John 5:25: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.”  This calling of the Lord by “His voice” brings the one called from a state of being dead in trespasses and sins to a state of spiritual life.  This is a heavenly calling. 

Paul calls upon those who are holy brethren and partakers of the heavenly calling to “consider” someone.  He calls upon him to consider “the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus.”  The use of several nouns to identify the one they are to consider has significance.  Each noun is significant as follows:

    1.  “The Apostle.”  The word, apostle, means “one sent forth.”  Now there were apostles that the Lord sent forth, but “The Apostle” suggest that in His apostleship he is unique, that is, one of a kind.  Christ is the one sent forth as the executor of the covenant of redemption.  The following scriptures clearly set forth that he is the one chosen to execute the covenant of redemption:

        a. Is. 46:9 “Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: 11 Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.”  The Lord came from the far country of heaven to execute the counsel or covenant of God.

        b. Matt. 1:21 “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.”  Jesus came for the express purpose of saving his people from their sins. 

        c. John 6:37 “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. 38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. 39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.”  The Father gave a people to Jesus before the foundation of the world and came for the purpose to save them from their sins; to raise them up in the new or spiritual birth; and to raise them up again in the resurrection of the dead.

    2.  “High Priest.”  Christ was not a high priest after the order of Aaron, but was a high priest after the order of Melchisedec.  Christ’s High Priesthood was far more reaching than Aaron’s high priesthood.  Christ was/is a high priest over the house of God.  The high priest was the one ordained and anointed to offer the sacrifice on behalf of the people to God.  Aaron’s high priesthood was ceremonial in that all the sacrifices offered in the Old Testament never did away with sin.  It took a perfect High Priest after the order of Melchisedec to offer a perfect sacrifice that God would accept and that would be satisfactory for the redemption of God’s people from their sins.  The other main duty of the high priest was to intercede on behalf of the people.  Christ is the perfect intercessor.

    3.  “Of our profession.”  As children of God, we are to not only profess a belief in God and in the Lord Jesus Christ, but we are also to have as the profession of our lives to be the disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

    4.  “Christ.”  The name, Christ, literally means the “Anointed One.”  In the Old Testament, there were two classes of people that were anointed: kings and priests.  In the Old Testament, the kings beginning with David were of the tribe of Judah.  In the Old Testament, the priests were of the tribe of Levi.  It was not allowed in the Old Testament for a king to be a priest nor for a priest to be a king among the children of Israel.  But before the nation of Israel was established in the days of Abraham, there was a man named Melchisedec who was both king of Salem and priest of the Most High God.  Thus, Christ is both the King and the High Priest after the order of Melchisedec. 

    5.  “Jesus.”  The word, Jesus, literally means “Savior.”  Jesus came to save his people from their sins.  Jesus accomplished exactly what he came to do. 

It is for the exact reason that Jesus is both the Apostle, and the High Priest, and the Christ, and the Savior, that we should consider all these aspects of Him since they are extremely significant to us.    

Verses 2-6 

 :2 Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house. 3 For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house. 4 For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God. 5 And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; 6 But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.”

Generally speaking, Moses was highly esteemed among the nation of Israel.  He was the one that God used to deliver the law covenant unto them and to deliver the manner of worship and the pattern of the tabernacle, the priesthood, and the service of God as well as the laws to govern them as a nation.  In the above passage, Paul affirms that though Moses was faithful, yet he has less glory and honor than Christ. 

“Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house.”  Christ was appointed of God to execute the covenant of redemption and he was perfectly faithful to God in doing this.  Moses was faithful in the house of Israel to deliver the things that God gave him to do.  Both were faithful.  The question here is not to compare the faithfulness of both Christ and Moses as both were faithful.

“For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house.”  Moses was a part of the house of Israel.  Christ is the builder of the house of God: Matt. 16:18 “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”  From this alone, Christ receives the greater glory as Christ builds the house and Moses is a part of his house.

“For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God.”  There were many who participated in building the tabernacle in the wilderness and who participated in building the temple in Solomon’s day.  However, this cannot be compared to the fact that Christ created the heaven and the earth and all that is contained therein.  Surely, Christ deserves the greater honor.

“And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after;” Moses was a servant to God and to the people of God.  As a servant Moses was faithful in all his house.  Moses delivered the testimony to the children of Israel and ultimately to us today.  He was faithful to do so.  Likewise, we should be faithful as servants to do what our Master bids us do.

“But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.”  Unlike Moses who was a servant in the house, Christ is a son over his house.  The Son is ruler and Master over the house.  He has a higher position than the servant.  We are members and servants of the visible, militant house of God over which Christ is a son, so long as we hold fast to our confidence of the truth of God that Christ is whom the scriptures say that he is and that he has done what the scriptures say that he did.  In this we rejoice in the hope that is laid up for us in heaven.