Hebrews 3:6-10

 

Heb 3:6 (KJB)

But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.

 

We hold fast - Possess or adhere to

The confidence - Courage, boldness, or assurance

Firm - Sure, steadfast, or secure

 

Here are two points concerning the superiority of Christ over Moses. The first one is that Jesus is a “Son” and not a servant. The Son was always the heir of the estate and the servants still continued to work for the son. The second point is that Christ is over his own house, He is not in the house. Christ rules over all the believers, He was not one of us instead through His sacrifice He made us believers in Him resulting in all the true believers being his House. The second part of this verse is a hint concerning those in the house are true believers. Some may claim to be believers but are not. (Mat 24:13 KJV) But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. The key to knowing if you are a true believer is the fact that you continue to endure the hardships and challenges of the Christian life. This verse teaches us that we are the house of Christ if we hold fast with confidence and rejoicing of the hope, whether it be till the end of our life or the end of time. Many will claim to be saved but when the time comes for a little boldness in the faith, they run away and this is an indicator that they are not holding fast with confidence the hope. Those who are truly saved will have much confidence in the message of the Gospel because they know from where it comes and who the originator is. The false Christian has only enough confidence in themselves and when that is exhausted, they flee. We are to hold firm our testimony till the end and that is the indicator we have been truly saved.

 

Heb 3:7 (KJB)

Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice,

 

(Psa 95:7 KJV) For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice, Here the writer to the Hebrews quotes Psalm 95:7 in which he looks back to the time when Israel had opposed Moses throughout the years of their sojourn so all but two of those who came out of Egypt died in the wilderness, Joshua and Caleb believed God and lived. The writer is giving his high approval to the Old Testament Scriptures by reminding his readers that the Holy Spirit was the one who penned the Old Testament. What he is quoting now is a warning to the readers of Hebrews. He is stating that today, if ye will hear his voice, and that is speaking to the Elect of God because those who are in unbelief will not hear the Word of God. It is also a warning to the unbelievers among them, just as there were many unbelievers among the nation of Israel in the time of Moses.

 

Heb 3:8 (KJB)

Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:

 

Harden - Resistant to change or stubborn

Provocation - Rebellion or to make bitter

Temptation - Testing

 

(Psa 95:8 KJV) Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: This is a stern warning to the readers that they must make sure there is never a repeat of what happened in the wilderness journey of Israel. For 40 years God had met all their needs and yet they still murmured and rebelled against God. The writer here is warning that there must never be a repeat of that attitude which only leads into serious chastisement by God plus if a true believer continually acts like they are unbelievers, then God may just shelf them and never use them. God even reserves the right to take a rebellious believer home. (John 15:2 KJV) Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. God wants us to trust Him even in times when we do not know what is happening. Israel did not trust in God instead they trusted only in what they saw, the did not walk by Faith as the true believer must do. (Deu 32:20 KJV) And he said, I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end shall be: for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faith.

 

Heb 3:9 (KJB)

When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.

 

Tempted - Put to the test

Proved - To try, prove, or examine

 

(Psa 95:9 KJV) When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work. The writer continues to quote from Psalm 95 where he states that those in the wilderness had attempted to put God to the test many times. Throughout the wilderness wandering they had not only tested God but proved Him many times. For forty years they saw all His works and how He had met their needs and also fought for them so they would not be exterminated by the different enemies they encountered. They visibly saw the works of God and yet they remained a stubborn and rebellious people. (Psa 78:8 KJV) And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God. The writer to the Hebrews does not want a repeat performance of the attitude of testing or tempting God. (Mat 4:7 KJV) Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. God always has the best interest for His children at heart and His methods may be different from ours but they are all for our good. After all, he sent His Son to die for us, do you think He is going to forsake us now? Christians must never entertain the same unbelieving attitude of Israel in the wilderness.

 

Heb 3:10 (KJB)

Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.

 

I was grieved - Be angry at, displeased with, or angry

Err - Lead astray, deceived, or deluded

Known - Understood, became aware or conscious of

 

Here we are told that God was very angry with the nation of Israel in the wilderness. Unbelief in God’s children should not exist. We must always have faith in God even in a time of perplexity, in fact, that is the best time to trust God. The problem was that Israel was always straying in heart, and that is where the sin begins. Whenever we begin to go astray in heart, it eventually manifests itself outwardly with accompanying actions. Here are just a few examples of how the believer can go astray in their heart: Financial concerns - play the lottery; Worry - take tranquilizers or drink alcohol; Loneliness - buy things believing it fills the void, etc. These are just three ways whereby a believer can go astray in heart. This happens when we take our eyes off the Lord and place them on the situation. (Mat 14:30 KJV) But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. Peter was fine when he kept his eye on Jesus but when he looked around and saw the storm, he panicked and his faith plummeted and then he began to sink. Israel did the same thing in that they took their eyes off the Lord and did not seem to retain the Lord’s ways in their memory. They forgot quickly and with reoccurring amnesia, they did not know the ways of the Lord in how He kept them and came to their rescue many times. It seems they never understood the ways of the Lord in how he dealt with them. May we never forget how the Lord has saved us, through His only begotten Son.

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