A house built by God! This week’s Bible study will be looking at the importance of understanding who Christ is from a hierarchy standpoint.  Most of you may be asking, isn’t Christ God, so what hierarchy are you referring to?  The answer lies in the purpose of why the Book of Hebrews was written.  If you have been following along our series, you know that Hebrews was written to the Messianic Jews, the Jews who received Christ as Lord and Savior, and the situation in their community resulting in a backsliding and a reverting to Judaism.  So, the author uses key points that Jews would understand, using references to Moses and his significance in Judaism.

Let’s look at verse 1 and 2, “Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus, who was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was faithful in all His house”.  It’s imperative that we take these two verses with the utmost importance because of three reasons: 1) establishes Jesus’ role and standing, and 2) a comparison is made between Jesus and Moses with Christ being God and appointed by the Father to do the work which would redeem mankind from their sinful ways – obviously to those who receive Jesus as Lord and Savior.  As we see here, the author establishes Jesus as the High Priest, which is one of the key statements and explanation provided in the Book of Hebrews.  One of the main points is that God will not contradict Himself, and the model that was established on earth by God – High Priest, was an archetype of the One that would come to establish this eternal role.  The role of the High Priest was to bring an offering to Yahweh to ask for forgiveness for the people of Israel. This was done first by offering a sacrifice for his sins – since he is merely a sinful man, and once his sins were cleansed, only then was he capable of offering a sacrifice as a mediator for the people of Israel.  In the case of Christ, He is God and is sinless, therefore, only He could offer the sacrifice of His body as the sacrificial lamb for our sins.  More will be explained in our study in Hebrews in the coming weeks, but this is important to point out as we are covering the first 6 verses of chapter 3. 

Next, we see the importance of obedience is explained here and how we should all be obedient to God.  In the case of Moses, God appointed him to serve, and he accepted the calling. Jesus being the second person of Holy Trinity, He was appointed by God the Father and the Son being our supreme role model, we are to follow His example and to do the following: 1) Remove and reject pride, serve all – regardless of stature and “greatness” – all are equal before God, 2) obediently serve – as Christians our calling on a macro level is to share the Gospel and to serve in Church.  Obviously, more factors are present in the life of the faith such as helping the poor, etc. but on a grand level this is what we have. 

Regarding the word house used in verse 2 refers to the body or community of believers.  In the previous week’s study, we learned that Christ refers to us as brothers and sisters, and we are a part of God’s family.  Likewise, the house represents the family and the body of believers being a part of the house of God.  1 Timothy 3:15 states “but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth”.  This verse supports the explanation and definition of the word house and its meaning in the Kingdom of Heaven – in the life of faith we live.  Verses 3 – 4 elaborate on the definition of the word house.  The author states “For this One has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as He who built the house has more honor than the house. For every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God”.  Hence the reason we have title this Bible study, A house built by God! It’s in verse three that the shift takes place, elevating Jesus above Moses and explaining that Jesus was not merely a teacher, He is God.  He further delineates that Christ was the one who created Moses and all of creation.  In Ephesians 2:10 Paul the Apostle states “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them”.  Christ is a part of the Holy Trinity and He is responsible along with the two other persons of the Holy Trinity in the creation of mankind.  This is the point of the author to distinguish Christ above all and to explain that Jesus is God. 

Furthermore, the author continues in the logic of the role of Moses verses Jesus in verse 5 and 6, as well as our participation and belong to the house of God: “And Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which would be spoken afterward, 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 to the end”.   Psalm 2:7 validates this verse from Hebrews “I will declare the decree: The LORD has said to Me, You are My Son”. 

To sum up verse 1 through 6, we need to read Deuteronomy 18:15-22 “The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear, according to all you desired of the LORD your God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, nor let me see this great fire anymore, lest I die.’ “And the LORD said to me: What they have spoken is good. I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of him. But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.’ And if you say in your heart, ‘How shall we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?’— when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him”. 

Thus, God the Father is affirming that both Moses and Christ are prophets, however, Jesus is the Prophet, the Son of God, High Priest, and Apostle.  Jesus is above all who have come before Him, and Jesus is the one whom we have waited for.  Through Jesus we are redeemed to the Father.   To ensure everyone understands how God has established His order on earth, we must realize that the heavenly model, or the model of the Kingdom of Heaven is established on earth as the archetype for what is to come.  That’s why there is reference to prophet, comparison to Moses, High Priest and so on. 

Lastly, we hope that this Bible study titled, A house built by God was helpful in understand these Biblical truths. Salvation is achieved through receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior as explained in Romans 10:9 “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved”.  If you are ready to receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior today, please pray this prayer: Lord Jesus I know that I am a sinner and I ask you to forgive me of my sins. I receive you as my Lord and Savior, please come into my heart and write my name in your Book of Life. I receive you Father God, Son and Holy Spirit, and I pray this in Jesus name, Amen.