“Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also was Moses in all his house. For he hath been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, by so much as he that built the house hath more glory than the house. For every house is builded by some one, but he that built all things is God. And Moses indeed was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which afterward to be spoken; but Christ, as a son, over his house; whose house we are …” (Heb. 3:2-6a)
In these verses is continued the theme of the Hebrew writer: the superiority of Christ. Earlier the writer has shown Christ’s superior nature over angels; thus his words are greater than the words angels revealed. Now his aim is to show that Christ is superior to Moses just as a son is superior to a servant.
The writer does not presume to take away any honor due Moses: he accords him respect due to a faithful servant. God commended Moses’ worth in many instances and the statement, “Moses indeed was faithful in all his house as a servant,” is essentially a quotation from Numbers 12:7. The expression, “faithful in all his house,” is not a designation of Moses’ status in his personal household: it is a declaration of Moses’ faithfulness in God’s house as the reference from Numbers shows. The “house” in both Moses and Christ’s instance is God’s. The difference is the relationship of Moses and Christ is to the house. Moses was a servant, Christ a son.
When the writer says, “to have been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, by so much as he that builded the house hath more honor that he than the house,” it is evident that he tells us that an architect has more honor than the house he designs. It is God who designed the house; Moses “built” the “house” by revealing to Israel God’s requirements of them, but God was the architect. God designed the “house” for physical Israel and the “house” for spiritual Israel. And, while Moses was God’s instrument in revealing God’s plan for the tabernacle and its services to Israel — and was faithful in his revelation of that to God’s people (“thus did Moses, according to all God commanded him, so did he”), Moses was part of the house itself. The sacrifices and services beneficial to physical Israel applied equally to him; but Christ offered Himself as a sacrifice for others, including Moses.
“Moses was faithful … for a testimony of those things which were afterward to be spoken.” Because Moses was faithful; Israel could believe the word he told them from God. But, he was after all, just the media through which God made His message known. Christ, as God, has spoken to man face to face. Christ is not a servant, but a Son, whose house we are. NEXT: “His House — If We Faint Not.”
Jim McDonald
