Introductory remarks:
Paul continues the doctrine of the superiority of Jesus. Chapters 3-4:13 form one paragraph. "Our High Priest is compared to Moses. Both were faithful but Moses was a servant, where Christ is a Son over God's house, of which we are members if we hold onto the hope. But Israel in the wilderness tested God's patience by their unbelief and could not enter the land. Those in the church who have a heart of unbelief will not be partakers of Christ either" (A Survey of Hebrews - By Brenda). This chapter may be outlined as follows: Jesus superior to Moses vv. 1-6: a rest for the people of God vv. 7-19.
Jesus Superior to Moses
Verse 1, "Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus."
LGT "Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of [the] heavenly calling, consider the High Priest and Apostle of our confession, Jesus."
Wherefore: Paul is drawing a conclusion to Chp. 2:9-18, of Christ becoming a man, He becomes their High Priest. Holy brethren: Paul calls them brethren because of the fact that he too is a Jew. The word "holy" in this context means, "separated from the world and consecrated to Christ" (TEGNT). Partakers of the heavenly calling: the Jews were originally called with an earthly calling with an earthly blessing. All of the sacrifices in the O.T. were given pointing to Christ, and they were beautiful for their time. But now that Christ has come, He has fulfilled the O.T. types, and the calling now for the Jew can only be found in the grace of Christ. They now have a heavenly calling to be metachoi, partners with Christ. The O.T. was an earthly calling; partnership with Christ is a heavenly calling. Consider: long and thoughtful, and serious thinking on grace logic. The High Priest and Apostle: Moses was the apostle, that is, one sent from God, to lead the Israelites of the O.T. Jesus Christ is now the Apostle and High priest of the Jews to lead them; this leading of Christ is a partnership with Him, because He indwells them, and is their partner in grace.
William Pringle notes on Christ being called an Apostle:
"This is the only place in which Christ is called an Apostle: the design no doubt was to institute a comparison between Him and Moses, who is often said to have been sent by God, as Christ is said to have been sent by the Father: they might both therefore be rightly called Apostles, i.e., messengers sent by God. And then he adds, High Priest, that he might afterwards make a comparison between him and Aaron.
He had exalted Christ as a teacher above all the prophets, including no doubt Moses among the rest; but he here refers to Moses as the leader of the people, as one sent especially by God to conduct them from Egypt through the wilderness to the land of Canaan. But as our call is from heaven to heaven, Christ is sent as a messenger to lead us to the heavenly country. We hence see that in this connection the 'heavenly calling' is to be taken most suitably as a call to heaven."
Of our confession, Jesus: The Authorized Version has the word "profession", which the Greek has the word "confession" homologia, which means, to say the same about Jesus that He says about Himself. It would take too much time here to examine all the difference from the O.T. Law, and the N.T. grace, that is, the gospel of the kingdom, and the gospel of grace. Christ in this age of grace has called us all with a heavenly calling, and He is our High Priest, in that He has finished our salvation on the cross, and He has made us partners with Him as our Big Brother, and we are completely dependant on Him for our practical sanctification.
Verse 2, "Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house."
LGT "Being faithful to Him that appointed Him, as also Moses in [all] His house."
Being faithful to Him that appointed Him: this of course is the High Priest of their profession (vs. 1). Christ was faithful to His Father who sent Him to earth in representing God to man, and Christ then represented man to God, Christ is mentioned first because He was superior to Moses in that Moses was a servant and Christ was God's Son. As also Moses in all His house: Moses was the greatest of all the prophets in the eyes of the Jews. Paul says that Moses was faithful, knowing that he made many mistakes, but that he was faithful in God's house, Israel, in leading them through the wilderness, etc. In Exodus 12:7, God calls Israel mine house.
Verse 3, "For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honor than the house."
LGT "For He of more glory than Moses has been counted worthy, by how much more honor has He who built it, than the house."
Christ and God, equal in divinity, created both the Old and New Testament economies. Now the creator of the house is greater than the house and its servants. Moses while ruling others was himself ruled by Christ. We must keep before us the fact that Paul is teaching by these terms that the new economy of grace is far superior to the Law economy.
Verse 4, "For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God."
LGT "For every house is built by some one: but the One who built all things [is] God."
The point Paul is making is not that because Christ is God, and that makes Him greater than Moses; what Paul is teaching is that the house that Christ built in grace, the Church, is greater than Moses because He is a son and not a servant. Paul will continue to stress this logic in grace as we go along on this epistle.
Verse 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:"
LGT "And Moses indeed [was] faithful in his house, as a ministering servant, for a testimony of the things going to be spoken:"
This verse means that Moses was faithful in giving the Word that God commanded him to give to the children of Israel. Moses was a mere servant ministering the word of God; Christ is the Son of God, equal to the One giving Moses the commands.
Verse 6, "But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house we are, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end."
LGT "But Christ as Son over His house: whose house we are, if indeed the boldness and the boasting of the hope we should hold."
But Christ as Son over His house: Christ is a Son, which makes Him better than Moses, who was but a servant in the house; Also Christ was Creator, and Moses one of His creations. Whose house we are: Christian Jews and Gentiles alike are part of God's house, not an organization but a family. If indeed the boldness and the boasting of the hope we should hold: Believers will remain true to the Word; not because they are able to hold firm, but because they will be held firm by the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul has already stated that believers are "partakers" [metachoi] of the heavenly calling, and are counted among the brethren. If they did not have this boldness and confidence it would be doubtful they were part of the family.
A Rest for the People of God
Verse 7, "wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, Today if ye will hear his voice."
LGT "Wherefore, even as He says, the Holy Spirit, Today if His voice ye will hear,"
Verse 7-11 is a quotation from Psalm 95:7-11. The wherefore in this verse looks back at the Word spoken by the prophets, and now Paul says they must heed the voice of Christ who has come and finished their salvation. He quotes the Psalms, because he is writing to Jews, and he is showing from this Messianic Psalm that Christ is who He says He is.
Verses 8-11, "Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: when your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, they do always err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. So I sware in my wrath, they shall not enter my rest.)"
LGT The Greek is the same as the Authorized Version.
In these four verses Paul is relating to their memory what most Jews knew from their Scriptures of the exodus of the children of Israel from Egypt. God delivered them but instead of spending eleven or twelve days in the wilderness, they spent forty years because of their unbelief. They refused to cross over the Jordan River because they were afraid of the giants in the land. They gave a false report, and because of this that generation would not enter the Promised Land. Joshua and Caleb, who gave a true report, took the next generation into the land. Paul is giving this account making a comparison of the Christian who trusts the Lord and the Christian who does not. Today it would be the Christian who studies the Word of God, and believes and puts his trust in it, and the lazy believer who relies on others to give him the truth. (Read the book of Exodus for a complete history of the Jews wanderings). I believe reading other men's studies of the Word is a good thing, as long as you have an open mind and let the Holy Spirit keep you situated completely in grace. If what a man says is contrary to the grace of God, reject it. I believe it is a good thing to search the Word of God using good Bible teachers to help understand some of the finer points of doctrine. I just do not think going to a Bible study once a week will accomplish what Paul desires for all believers.
Verse 12, "Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God."
LGT "Take heed, brethren, lest perhaps shall be in anyone of you a wicked heart of unbelief, in departing from [the] living God."
Take heed: a warning to the Jewish believers to not let the sins of their fathers also be their sin; that is, the sin of unbelief. Lest perhaps shall be in anyone a wicked heart of unbelief: the Greek word ponara apistia, "wicked unbelief", is not mere unbelief but purposely disbelieving. There is nothing intelligent in unbelief; just the opposite, disbelieving God is the stupidest thing a person can brag about. In departing from the living God: the Greek word for "departing" is apostanai, an infinitive meaning to put away or cast off; you see, it is a deliberate departing from the truth. Apostasy is not something a person can't help; it is a deliberate casting off the truth. The unbeliever knows what the truth is; it is just that they will not have anything to do with the truth. Paul is not describing a person who once believed and then became an unbeliever; he is describing one who has known the truth, but never accepted the truth. When Christ walked the earth, everyone who saw Him and His works, knew that He was the Christ, but would not accept Him as the Christ; they would only accept Him as a great teacher or rabbi. Paul is trying to get across to these Jewish believers that to believe in God is to believe in Christ; some of the Jews claiming to be believers refused to believe in Christ.
William Pringle notes:
"The word connected with 'heart' is ponara, which means diseased, and hence corrupt, depraved, wicked. Depraved or wicked would perhaps be the best rendering of it here. 'Unbelief' is a genitive used for an adjective or a participle, - 'a wicked unbelieving heart.' It is unbelieving owing to its wickedness or depravity. Grotius says, that there are two kinds of unbelief, - the first the rejection of the truth when first offered, - and the second the renouncing of it after having once professed it. The latter is the more heinous sin."
Verse 13, "But exhort one another daily, while it is called To-day; lest any of you hardened through deceitfulness of sin."
LGT "But encourage yourselves every day, as long as it is called to-day; in order that any of you may not be hardened by [the] deceitfulness of sin."
This is a warning to the believers of the deceitfulness of sin that it hardens the heart against righteousness. Paul is urging the believers to encourage one another in the grace of God. Sin blinds men from understanding God's grace. The heart is deceitful when it entertains sin, and it is blinded to the grace of God.
Verse 14, "For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end."
LGT "For companions we have become of the Christ, if indeed we should hold the beginning of the assurance firm unto [the] end."
For companions we have become of the Christ: it is possible to be in Christ and not a companion of Christ. If indeed we should hold fast the beginning of the assurance firm unto the end: assurance comes with Bible study. Paul is teaching these Hebrews that they must remain in fellowship with the lord Jesus Christ if they are be in partnership with Him, that is, His metachoi. Some believers are saved and have no assurance of their salvation; it is the desire of our Lord that all have the assurance and enjoy their companionship with Him; this can only be obtained through daily Bible study and fellowship with Him.
Verse 15, "While it is said, To-day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation."
LGT "In its being said, To-day, if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation."
Paul repeats Psalm 95:7, which he quotes also in verse 8. This verse is probably introductory to what follows. Paul is saying as long as life lasts, harden not your hearts to the grace of God, and continue to be His partner.
Verse 16, "For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses."
LGT "For who were they after hearing provoked? But were they not all who came out from Egypt by Moses?"
For who were they after hearing provoked: Paul uses the exodus to reinforce his doctrine of holding fast to the faith. The children of Israel begun well but ended up provoking God in the wilderness wanderings. The answer to this first question is in the next phrase: But were they not all who came out from Egypt by Moses: none of the ones who came out of Egypt but Joshua and Caleb saw the promised land. Crossing the Jordan into the Promised Land is not a type of heaven, for there are no enemies in heaven; the crossing Jordan is a type of Christian victory. The second generation of the wandering Israelites went across into the Promised Land led by Joshua and Caleb.
Verse 17, "But with whom was he grieved forty years? Was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness?"
LGT "And with whom was He provoked forty years? [Was] it not with those who sinned, of whom the carcasses fell in the wilderness?"
And with whom was He provoked forty years: God was provoked at the unbelief of His chosen people whom Moses guided to the promised land flowing with milk and honey. Was it not with those who sinned: the sin of unbelief. Of whom the carcasses fell in the wilderness: the children of Israel all perished in the wilderness except Joshua and Caleb who believed God. Even Moses was not allowed to cross over Jordan, but not for the same reason; Moses disobeyed God by striking the rock, which he was commanded to speak to. The unforgivable sin today is the sin of not believing in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior.
Verse 18, "And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?
LGT "And to whom swore He [that they] shall not enter into His rest, except to those who disobeyed?"
And to whom swore He that they shall not enter into His rest: the Promised Land was the type of the believers rest today. The children of Israel did not enter because of their building a golden calf, and their fornication in the wilderness; they did not enter because of their unbelief. Except those who disobeyed: unbelief is at the root of all disobedience. When we stop trusting the Father, we start trusting other things and other people, and then we sin.
Verse 19, "So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief."
LGT "And we see that they were not able to enter in on account of unbelief."
Robertson says "this is a triumphant conclusion to the exegesis of Psalm 95." There is no break between chapter three and four, so this verse is held up as the great lesson for the Hebrew Christians. The children of Israel did not enter the Promised Land because they feared the enemy and did not trust God could preserve them. Unbelief is at the root of all sin.
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