“Lord, make me as yielded to your will as the tumbleweed is to the wind.”
Hebrews Three was quite the study today! We began in Exodus 19:5-6, where the Lord selected the entire nation of Israel to be priests, specifically the first born sons of every tribe. But, the episode of the golden calf in Exodus 32 changed who would be priests. Exodus 32:26-29 revealed that the men of the tribe of Levi heeded the call from Moses to cleanse the camp. From that point on they were sanctified / set apart to serve in the tabernacle and administer the sacrifices, as well as set up and break down the tabernacle.
The second major section of Hebrews in Hebrews 3:1-5:10. It reveals the high priestly character of Jesus Christ. As we unpack chapters three, four, and five, we will build upon the truths we have learned previously.
Warning #One: Beware of drifting from the truth through negligence.
Hebrews 2:1-4
Chapters 1&2 established the Son of God as supreme to the angels. He took on flesh, the flesh of a Jew, died for the sins of the whole world, and through his resurrection, he became the merciful and faithful high priest, making reconciliation for the sins of the people.
Now, in chapter 3:1-6, Paul reveals how Jesus is superior to / better than Moses. Moses was faithful in the house (of Israel), while Christ is faithful over the house of Israel, if they hold fast until the end. We will see this similar theme many times throughout the book of Hebrews as we study these chapters. Each time is a reminder of the prophecy Jesus made in Matthew 24:13-14:
But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
Warning #Two: Beware of the Danger of Disbelief. Hebrews 3:7-19
God’s covenant with Israel was a covenant of “IF”s. It was a conditional covenant. Exodus records over 35 “IF”s. Leviticus records over 140 “IF”s. Deuteronomy records 52 “IF”s. Hebrews 3 records four “IF”s, Hebrews 4 records four “IF”s. As we saw in Matthew 24 above, salvation in the tribulation will be dependent upon endurance and performance. Of course God’s grace and the faith of the Jews, holding on to the end is all part of the plan of God to reconcile His wife and redeem her back to fellowship.
Deuteronomy 8:1-6 describes how God faithfully cared for the nation forty years.
Deuteronomy 30:1-11 explains God’s position knowing that Israel will rebel and He will return her to the land that she will be dispersed out of. He is the one who will be faithful unto her!
Romans 11:25-29: For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes. For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
Matthew 24:3-31 (Revelation 6:1-17 covers the same events in the six seals), Luke 17:26-37, 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 all describe the same events of the tribulation. 1 Corinthians 10:1-11 gives us a history lesson of the nation of Israel in the wilderness and the cost of their rebellion.
Next Sunday, we will unpack Hebrews Four, and see how Christ is better than Joshua, who led the nation of Israel into the rest of the promised land, and how the Lord Jesus Christ is exalted to the position of great high priest who is passed into the heavens.