Esther 5-6
Psalms 92
*Hebrews 3
-Devotion by Jeremy Martin (TN)
It should be pointed out that to the Jewish folks, Moses (Moshe) was a Really Big Deal. Moses is a big deal to any of the “Children of the Book”, and Christians and Muslims alike regard Moses as a man who spoke God’s words to the people, a prophet who God performed miracles through. All of the prophets were highly revered but to the Jewish people though, the people who Moses led out of slavery, the people who witnessed miracles performed by God through the man, the people who witnessed him going in to speak with God until his face actually glowed, he was a really, really, big deal. Like, 5 out of 5 stars in all the reviews, just top notch. Best Guy Ever.
Let’s review quickly: Moses, old guy with a beard. Not really a big talker. Happily tending his flock out in the middle of nowhere when God* starts to have a conversation with the guy from a burning bush and then tells him that he’s going to be the agent by which God frees His chosen people, the Israelites. A little bit of whining, God loops in his brother Aaron to assist, then off they go back to the land of Egypt. “Give me my people”, “No”, plague plague plague plague (x10), then “ok, you and your people get out”. Run away, “wait, now who’s going to do all the manual labor?”, pursuit, miraculous escape through the sea, followed by immediate miraculous destruction of pursuing army by same sea. Wandering, whining, miracles, manna, more whining, there’s the promised land go get it, “we’re a’scared”, wander wander wander (x40yrs), there’s the promised land go get it, “ok, but can we stop wandering?” and right about then Moses dies. That very brief, highly summarized review of Moses took place in the latter third of his life, covering the time when he was 80-120 years old, the 40 years directly prior to his passing.
Moses was an incredibly Big Deal, he gave the people The Law, and lots of good advice on how to act (which went largely ignored until they were forcibly reminded), and God performed miraculous signs through him. God used Moses to do all of these things, and had a unique and special relationship with Moses unlike any man before or after (until Jesus came). Moses gave the definitive books of the Torah to the Israelites, faithfully recording what God spoke and was a faithful servant who was “more humble than any man was on the face of the earth” (Num 12:3) even despite all of the great deeds listed above. The level of respect and reverence that later generations of Israelites had and have for Moses can not be overstated.
That’s why it is such a big deal in Hebrews 3 when the author says “Moses, yea, super guy, but Jesus? He’s better.” (Heb 3:3, painfully paraphrased). This is being written specifically to convince the Jewish folks that Yeshua the Nazarene (you know, Jesus of Nazareth) was The Christ, the Messiah prophesied long ago by the prophets (including Moses, see Dt 18:18). This guy, he’s really important because with no disrespect to brother Moses (again, 5 out of 5 stars, super guy); Moses was as a servant, but this Jesus guy is as a son. Both came and were servants of God, both came and spoke the words God told them to, both saved a whole bunch of people; but Moses came to save and restore the Israelites, but Jesus came to save and restore the entire earth, and all of it’s people**.
In Heb 3:1-2 it clearly states that we have a High Priest (Jesus) who is faithful to Him who appointed him, as Moses also was faithful. God appointed Jesus as High Priest. Where do we get the High Priest from though? Heb 5:1 says “from men”, and and Psalms 89:19 says “from among the people”. In Heb 1:2, it states “His son, whom He appointed heir of all things…”. Over and over we see very clearly that God has appointed Jesus, as His son, as our High Priest, as The Messiah. To clarify the pecking order, our corporate flow chart, “For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.”(Heb 3:4) and it then goes on to clarify “but Christ was faithful as a son over his house-whose house we are…” in Heb 3:6. God built everything, and appointed Christ heir to inherit it, as a reward for his obedience. Listen: if you already own something (Ps 24:1), you don’t need to appoint yourself as the heir to it. If you already have full supreme power, you don’t need to anoint yourself as king. You’re already in charge of everything. We all agree that “Christ” means “the anointed one”. Anointed by who? Well, the “builder of all things is God”. The heir that God anointed and appointed is Christ. It’s pretty straightforward, if you base your doctrine exclusively on scripture, and not tradition.
This is a pretty basic and undeniable understanding of scripture. We miss out on a lot of opportunities to talk to Jewish folks (God’s chosen people, see above) about the Messiah as Christians because of a lot of the theories and convoluted explanations that are so exasperatingly confusing and contradictory are now held to be doctrine by a huge number of our brothers and sisters. Even worse, we miss out on a lot of opportunities to be obedient to our King and to our (and his) God, when we harden our hearts and don’t listen when we hear his voice. (Heb 3:15). One last thought I’d like to put forth today: both Moses and Jesus were exceptionally humble men, who not only obeyed God’s word and performed miracles, but did so obediently and sometimes in opposition to what they wanted to do personally. These are the true “church fathers”, the one’s that we should listen to, our role models, and our examples of how to please our God.
*-Moses talked to God. Weeeell actually, Moses talked to God’s agent, the angel God sent. See Ex 3:2-4 and contrast v2 with v4, it’s the first unquestionable documented example that God uses agents to interact with His creation, and that when these agents (shaliah) speak God’s words, they speak with the full authority of God (and so are often called God, because as His agent they’re representing His authority). This is well understood in Jewish culture and literature and is common throughout scripture. See also Ex 20:21-22 for another specific example, and note as well the approximately 40 times or so that Jesus says that “God sent me” in the book of John alone, which the Jewish people understood to mean “he speaks with the authority of God because God sent him”, not anything else super confusing that may have been suggested later. Lots of people “saw God” (or His agent) particularly in the OT, but 1 John 4:12 states clearly that “No one has ever seen God”, and this is confirmed in 1 Tim 6:15-16, ergo, anytime that happened it was most likely either in a dream, vision, or an agent that God sent.
**Jesus came to restore the entire earth. Weeeeell actually, initially he came specifically (and exclusively) to “restore the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matt 15:24). Gentiles were given the favor and opportunity for salvation specifically because some of the chosen people of God (the Israelites) rejected him, and also because God had planned to do it this way: to the Jew first, then to all of the nations of the earth. Acts 10 starts the beginning of gentiles receiving salvation, well after Jesus had ascended and finished his earthly ministry, so if you’re a “dog of a gentile” try not to get too arrogant about it. If we do make it into the kingdom, we’ll probably end up being the janitor or “fetchers of wood”, if we’re lucky. Let’s be humble.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
- Why do we, as gentile dogs who are grafted on to the root while other (and arguably better) branches are pruned, ever become arrogant about our salvation when considering the humbleness of both Moses and Jesus (who were much more important than we’ll ever be)? (Yes, I know it’s a leading question, consider it though)
- Have you ever considered how highly favored you are, if you are a member of the body of Christ, a child of God? Just reflect on that for a moment, don’t take it for granted!
- Isn’t God amazing? He told us in the beginning the plan (Gen 3:15), we just didn’t understand it.
PRAYER
Father God, thank you for providing a way for the rest of us, I am humbled and awed that you did. Please lead us, forgive us when we fall short, and teach us the way to salvation. In Jesus name, Amen.
Seek Grow Love 