Next to the Old Testament patriarch Abraham, perhaps no human figure was as highly regarded by the recipients of this letter as Moses. Philo of Alexandria, a Jewish philosopher who lived in the time of Christ, wrote that Moses functioned as a prophet, priest, king, and legislator.

The author of Hebrews turns next to Moses to show that Jesus is better. In Hebrews 3:1 the writer calls Jesus an apostle. It is the only place in the New Testament where this term is used of Jesus. The title is not intended to lower Jesus’ status but to show that, like Moses, Jesus was an authorized messenger of God.

Moses and Jesus alike served as God’s representatives to His people. But there is a distinct difference. Verse 3 points out what makes Jesus worthy of even greater honor. Moses was a servant, but Jesus was the “builder.” Moses is God’s messenger, but Jesus is God’s Son and the Creator (v. 6). If the readers of this letter respected the message that came to them through Moses, they had even more reason to regard the message that came through Christ.

But the writer goes a step further by pointing out that Moses bore witness to Jesus (v. 5). In this way, Moses was not only God’s servant but also a servant of Christ. This assertion echoes Jesus’ claim in John 5:39 that the words of the Old Testament “are the very Scriptures that testify about me.” Consequently, those who ignore Christ’s message make the same mistake as the disobedient generation that perished in the wilderness after the Exodus (vv. 7–11). Those who reject Christ reject God and miss the rest He has promised to all who come to Him in faith (Matt. 11:28–30). If you have heard His call, do not ignore it!

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