3 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.
The writer of Hebrews contrasted Moses to Christ because Moses was highly regarded by the unstable converted Jews to whom this epistle is addressed.
3 For
The “for” explains why people should “consider” (He 3:1) carefully that Jesus was to be more highly regarded than either Moses or Aaron. The glory of Christ completely surpassed the honor given to Moses (2 Co 3:7f). Presentation of the unrivaled glory of Christ was important in the book of Hebrews because certain Jewish believers wanted to go back to the glory of Old Testament theology.
this One [Christ] has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses,
Although Moses was a faithful servant (He 2:2), Jesus was counted by the Father as worthy of more glory than Moses. “Glory” here is magnificence. The glory of Jesus is of greater brightness than that of Moses. Moses and the Mosaic law was a big issue in the book of Hebrews. Some readers were in the process of reverting to the Mosaic law rather than making Christ the center and superiority of their lives.
The comparison between Jesus and Moses was not to denigrate Moses but to show the superiority of the new economy that Jesus brought (the New Covenant) over the old economy (the Mosaic Law).
inasmuch as He who built the house has more honor than the house.
Moses was simply a servant in the house of God, whereas Jesus built the house itself. God used Moses to erect the house of God, but Jesus functioned as Creator of it all. Moses’ house was a type but Jesus’ the Antitype. Moses’ house was a shadow of the reality of Jesus’ house. Moses’ house only prefigured the permanent house that Jesus fulfilled in every respect. Moses was in the house, but Jesus was over the house. The “house” refers to the sphere of stewardship, whether Moses’ or Christ’s.
PRINCIPLE:
Jesus is superior to Moses.
APPLICATION:
The difference between Moses and Jesus is a difference of categories. The economy under Moses was minimal in comparison to that of Christ. Moses was the servant of the house, but the Son created the house. Jesus had a superior glory based on His rank, not His faithfulness. As great as Moses was, He was inferior to Christ.
Moses was merely a servant, but Christ was the only begotten Son. Moses was part of the tabernacle, but Jesus fulfilled all the types of the tabernacle. Moses testified about what was coming; Jesus personally fulfilled that testimony.
There is a radical contrast between what the Old Covenant brought and what the New Covenant brings. Jesus abrogated the Old Covenant to bring His New Covenant. The Old was provisional but the New was permanent. The Old awaited the coming of Christ. The New fulfilled the Old. Jesus is the Guarantor of the New Covenant (He 7:22; 8:6; 9:15; 12:24). The Old had a mediator (Ga 3:19-20) but there was no Guarantor. Jesus made surety by His blood (He 10:14, 29).
