Hebrews 3

Heb 3:1-6 AMP  SO THEN, brethren, consecrated and set apart for God, who share in the heavenly calling, [thoughtfully and attentively] consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest Whom we confessed [as ours when we embraced the Christian faith].  (2)  [See how] faithful He was to Him Who appointed Him [Apostle and High Priest], as Moses was also faithful in the whole house [of God]. [Num. 12:7.]  (3)  Yet Jesus has been considered worthy of much greater honor and glory than Moses, just as the builder of a house has more honor than the house [itself].  (4)  For [of course] every house is built and furnished by someone, but the Builder of all things and the Furnisher [of the entire equipment of all things] is God.  (5)  And Moses certainly was faithful in the administration of all God\’s house [but it was only] as a ministering servant. [In his entire ministry he was but] a testimony to the things which were to be spoken [the revelations to be given afterward in Christ]. [Num. 12:7.]  (6)  But Christ (the Messiah) was faithful over His [own Father’s] house as a Son [and Master of it]. And it is we who are [now members] of this house, if we hold fast and firm to the end our joyful and exultant confidence and sense of triumph in our hope [in Christ].

  • Verse 1 – What does consecrated mean?  What do other translations say in verse 1 of Hebrews 3?  What do you think this means to you and your relationship with God?  What role do you plan in this?
  • Verse 2-6 – Whose faith is lifted up?  How does Jesus compare to Moses?  What is the difference between a builder of a house and the house itself and how does that apply to Moses and Jesus or even compare to us and Jesus?
  • Verse 6 – there is a condition to our membership of this house – what do you think that means (see Numbers 12)?

Heb 3:7-19 NASB  Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, “TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE,  (8)  DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME, AS IN THE DAY OF TRIAL IN THE WILDERNESS,  (9)  WHERE YOUR FATHERS TRIED Me  BY TESTING Me, AND SAW MY WORKS FOR FORTY YEARS.  (10)  “THEREFORE I WAS ANGRY WITH THIS GENERATION, AND SAID, ‘THEY ALWAYS GO ASTRAY IN THEIR HEART, AND THEY DID NOT KNOW MY WAYS’;  (11)  AS I SWORE IN MY WRATH, ‘THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST.'”  (12)  Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God.  (13)  But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.  (14)  For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end,  (15)  while it is said, “TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS, AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME.”  (16)  For who provoked Him when they had heard? Indeed, did not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses?  (17)  And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness?  (18)  And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient?  (19)  So we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief.

  • Read Psalm 95 — what do you see of God and of His people in these verses?
  • What is the author of Hebrews trying to teach us by referring to this verse?
  • What is the key attribute that the author of Hebrews states in verse 12 and that was behind those who were unbelievers among the Hebrews referred to in Psalm 95?
  • What is our work to prevent this error (Verse 13)?  Was that apparent among the Jews in the desert?  How would this make a difference?  What is the benefit of being encouraging?
  • Where does this ability to be encouraging come from?
  • What is the consequence of an evil, unbelieving heart?  (see Heb 1:13-14)