After proving that Jesus is superior to the angels in Hebrews 1-2, the writer moves to his second argument, that Jesus is superior to Moses. Why move from angels to Moses? For most modern readers, angels are superior to humans, so if Jesus is superior to angels, he would obviously be superior to Moses. But it is important to read this argument in the context of first century Jewish Christianity. For Jews living in the Second Temple period, Moses was the most significant person in salvation history. In Sirach (about 200 B.C.), Moses is described as equal to the “holy ones” or even God himself (as the Hebrew text of Sirach can be translated):
Sirach 45:1-2 …and was beloved by God and people, Moses, whose memory is blessed. He made him equal in glory to the holy ones, and made him great, to the terror of his enemies.
In addition, messianic hopes in the first century sometimes focused on the coming of a prophet like Moses. Hope for a “return of Moses” as messiah was so strong that at least one messianic pretender stopped the Jordan in a re-enactment of the crossing of the Red Sea. Matthew’s gospel is designed to highlight Jesus as a new Moses who goes up on the mountain and gives the people the Law (the Sermon on the Mount).
The writer of Hebrews might be trying to counter an objection to the first two chapters of Hebrews: Jesus might be superior to the angels, but the ultimate servant of God was Moses, who gave the Law. In the context of the first century, then, our author will argue that Jesus is a superior to even Moses as a servant of God. Ultimately, this will lead to the conclusion that the covenant which Jesus made (the New Covenant) is superior to that of the Old Covenant made by Moses. In verse two Moses is compared to Jesus, then he is subordinated to Jesus (verse 3) and by verse 5 he is contrasted to Jesus, negatively.
The author of Hebrews makes a “lesser to greater” type of argument. If Moses was faithful in God’s household in the previous age, how is Jesus be superior to him in the present age? First, Jesus is superior because he is the builder of the house. Here the writer is making the point that Jesus is God, and because God is the designer of the administration that Moses presided over, he is therefore superior to him.
Second, Moses is a servant of the house, but Jesus is the son of the Builder, and therefore heir to the administration himself. He is of a different class that Moses, beyond servant. This takes into consideration the first argument of the book, that the angels were servants, but Jesus is the son. Moses is a servant, but the word here is unique in the New Testament to Moses. It is not a slave, but an “attendant,” one who “renders devoted service” (BDAG). The LXX uses the word for Moses in Num 12:7 (as well as Exod 4:10 and 14:31). Moses was a servant of the first class, but he is still a servant of Jesus.
How does the author of Hebrews develop this Moses/Jesus typology? Does he intentionally denigrate Moses or the Law when he argues Jesus is superior?
Reblogged this on Talmidimblogging.
Jesus fulfilled the old covenant, so a new one was made in that process. Hebrews 8:6-9 clearly explains how the old covenant was not meant to last, and the people were not faithful, so God finished his work in the old covenant and completed it by sending Jesus to earth to be the final and greatest High Priest that atoned for all sins once and for all. Moses was a servant to God, and was chosen to receive the law and first covenant and share it with the people as seen in Hebrews 9:19-21. Hebrews states again and again how the law was made of copies of the heavenly things (Heb. 9:23), which sums up that Moses was a part of the first covenant and does not need to be denigrated for that, but rather explained to see the bigger picture of why Jesus came and fulfilled the Law that God started, which naturally made him superior.
Moses obviously was highly significant to Jews living in that time and it is clear they regarded him highly. Hebrews 3: 1-4 describes Moses actually being compared to Jesus. It says Jesus was faithful to the one who appointed Him just as Moses was faithful to all of God’s house. While this comparison is made, it then goes on to say how, while they were both obedient, Jesus is superior because of who He is and His role. The son of the master is more important than the “servant” of the master. I like how you have the distinction that Moses was not a servant how we would think of today, but rather an attendant, faithful to God. Although saying Jesus was superior to the angels, and this would obviously infer that He was superior to Moses, I still like the comparison because it also shows the superiority between not just Moses, but the old and new covenant. I think it says that not only is Jesus superior, but so is the covenant which He established.
To answer the second half of the question you asked in your post, I would say no. The writer does not say or even feel that Jesus is ‘better’ than the Law or Moses because the Law or Moses doesn’t measure up. Instead, this says that Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment and the final sacrifice to finish what God started with Israel in the Old Testament (Heb. 2:17). So the New Covenant is superior in that it is what has been coming to the Jews. The point of the message is the Moses and the Old Covenant are not useful anymore for salvation, but only that Jesus is. I am glad to understand without the effects of philosophical teachings (Jobes 93 and 95).
PLong-I feel that the author of Hebrews develops the Jesus/Moses typology by comparing and contrasting them and by using similes to describe their prospective potions. For example, as you said above Moses is a servant in the house of God(Hebrews 3:5); Moses was one of the many great leaders to pave the way for Jesus’ coming by following God’s instructions that He gave them. However, as you said Christ is the heir to the throne(Hebrews 3:6). Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of the Covenant versus Moses who was simply a part of ensuring it was fulfilled through his faithfulness. I do not think the author purposely puts down Moses or the Law. The author is simply stating the truth, Jesus is superior to the Law and Moses; Jesus is the Son of God and also God. If one believes in the trinity they have to agree that God is superior to the Law and Moses (a mere mortal).
As many have said before me, I think the primary purpose of this was not necessarily to denigrate Moses or the law, but to show that Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment to both of those things. In Jewish culture, Moses is a revered man, a man of great faithfulness, but even his faithfulness does not compare to that of Jesus. In many ways, the life of Moses alludes to Jesus, like much of the old testament. It is interesting also to consider that Moses was considered a savior in Jewish culture; being that he delivered them from Egypt. The salvation that Moses brought was only temporary though. Before long, they found themselves wandering the desert, and eventually enslaved once again. Another way that Jesus is superior to Moses is that he delivers salvation that is eternal, not simply temporary.
Moses was a servant to God. Through being a servant he was faithful to all that God asked of him. Moses was not the Son of God but rather was a faithful servant of God. Hebrews 3:3 states, “Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself.” I don’t feel that the author intentionally denigrates Moses or the Law but rather states that Jesus is superior to them. In doing so, it is proving the value and worth of Jesus Christ being God’s Son and that Jesus was superior to angelic beings. Moses was a faithful servant to God, but again He was not the Son of God. Moses was able to articulate the Old Covenant and even though the Old Covenant is still applicable, more was added and transformed when the New Covenant came through Jesus Christ and Christ brought salvation for the world. In result, Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of all things.
It is obvious that Moses was a huge figure in Jewish history. Jobes even stated in her book that he was the biggest name in the Jewish literature. They looked to him as one of the big patriarchs. He was the one that God appeared to, through the burning bush. God revealed His back to Moses, giving him a huge honor. It is unquestionable that he was an important figure, which makes Jesus all the more important. I think that it was much more about showing Jesus’ superiority than to demean Moses. Also, I think it is a natural comparison when you look at the fact that God gave the original covenant, the one the Jews had lived by for so long, to Moses, and has now given us a new covenant through Jesus.
The author of Hebrews does not denigrate Moses or the law when he argues the superiority of Jesus. If the author of Hebrews did denigrate Moses it would have been off putting to the audience that the author was trying to persuade. If the audience read the writing that was discounting the importance of Moses they would have taken the offensive to defend one of their heroes of the faith. This would have automatically made proving that Jesus Christ is above all men and the angels much harder. The author of Hebrews then uses a positive image of Moses to his advantage. The author of Hebrews describes Moses as faithful to God and a man worth glory (Hebrews 3:2). In describing Moses in a positive view and reminding the audience how faithful and amazing Moses was, the audience is not in a defensive frame of mind. Then as the author of Hebrews describes how Jesus is even more worthy than Moses would be awe inspiring to the audience. Respecting the viewpoint of the audience and using positive methods of persuasion resulting in an effective teaching for the superiority of Christ.
The fulfillment of Jesus “a prophet like Moses” was not The Sermon on the Mount, in my thinking. The sermon of Jesus was more about showing the original meaning of The Law as having an inward component as well as outward act. The Sermon on the Mount was different than Mt. Sinai in too many ways.
The way that Jesus was like Moses is stated elsewhere for us readers but Moses hearers would have understood that God would send a meek person who would not bruise a reed or extinguish a smoldering wick. Moses was unlike a warlord with a hierarchy of supporters- this, I believe, is why there were so many challenges initially to his leadership. When Moses said several times “who am I”, or “who are we” (referring to himself and Aaron), the reality on the ground expected the reply: yes, “you are nothing.” This is the servant attitude true to all God’s servants whether Paul, Jesus, or the prophets. Jesus, though the ruler, takes the form of a servant to be our priest and savior. So, in my thinking, “the prophet like Moses” which you mentioned briefly as going up a mountain as fulfillment is not cited in the text as fulfillment of that aspect. The implicit servant aspect is much more comprehensive and typological of what the text points to in fulfillment (all in my view).
There is clear evidence that Moses was a servant to God. One example that the blog points out is within the New Testament concerning the way that Moses is regarded as a servant (not as a slave). This “attendant” title is unique to Moses. It is interesting to connect the role of a servant in society today compared to what Moses really did during Biblical times. It is important to notice that his title as servant meant something different than even the typical servant in that day. Servants during Biblical times were more loyal and thought of as family rather than with hierarchy. Hebrews 3 records the greatness of Jesus over Moses, but it is still impressive that Moses can even be compared to Jesus in such high honor and faithfulness. The verses in Hebrews 3 pretty much indicate that the servant of the King is lower than the Son of the King even though they were both obedient to the King. In connection with the covenant, Jesus was the fulfillment of it whereas Moses was an important person along the journey to fulfillment. I don’t think the goal was to belittle Moses and his works in response to your question, P. Long. The author is speaking the truth here that Jesus is superior to Moses, but that doesn’t mean that Moses wasn’t a key piece to the puzzle.
When the author of Hebrews begins comparing Jesus to Moses in the beginning of chapter 3, it can be easy to see how Jesus is superior as one who has grown up always knowing that. However, the author had to almost prove to his audience that the Moses who they looked up so highly and revered was in fact inferior to another human.This is because his audience would have been taught at an early age the importance behind Moses and how he was “the ultimate Servant of God”. The author had to explain why this other human was superior, while we know the reason of that superiority is the fact that Jesus was also completely God. Moses is not denigrated as much as he is surpassed in what the author writes regarding him versus Jesus. While Moses spoke the Law in which God gave him, Jesus fulfilled it. As the passage says, the house was built by Christ, whereas Moses was only a caretaker over that house. Like the article reads, Jesus can then be seen as far greater than Moses. In verse 17 of the previous chapter, Jesus is described as the High Priest in addition to Him being God’s son and the messiah.
I like the analogy of the son of the builder and the servant of the house. It is a good distinction of what Jesus means to the kingdom of God compared to Moses. I don’t feel that the intention of the passage was to devalue Moses, because the author of Hebrews does acknowledge that Moses was a great servant to the kingdom of God (3:3-5). I personally don’t even feel that it’s fair to even compare Jesus and Moses and say who is better, because it’s the comparison of a man who did what he could to serve God and was not perfect but faithful against the literal son of God, and the messiah of the world.
I think it’s really interesting that out of all the Old Testament figures, Moses is presented as the servant of the house. I think this is ultimately an analogy because Moses physically presented the Law, as God had given it to him. Jesus, as part of the Trinity, According to Jobes, the author of Hebrews writes in relation to all members of the Trinity. Here we see Jesus setting the example of the Law in the new Testament, living the perfect Jewish life, and building the house — the foundation, for Christianity. Moses is a part of the house as the servant because he is not the author or foundation of the law, but that he served God by presenting His law.
It is odd to me that Jesus and Moses are even being compared. How can you compare a perfect man who is all human and all God to a man who is only human? Jesus is the ultimate sacrifice making him the greatest servant we will know. Moses did great work, which God recognizes and knows Moses to be a genuine follower of Christ. Moses was a great servant of Christ that can be proven throughout the Bible. Moses was an important figure in the Jewish Christian Literature, thus why he is looked on so highly, but we all know that Jesus is the ultimate servant. The author was not trying to demean Moses and the works he did but wanted to show how great Jesus is.
I do not think that the author of Hebrews was purposely trying to in any way show feelings of dislike towards Moses. In fact, the author mentions how faithful Moses was to God and how he was as faithful as a servant. (Hebrews 3:1-6). I believe that the author of Hebrews was more trying to use the right analogy for the readers. The author was showing that Moses was great, but Jesus would be even better. He was going to bring them eternal life through His sacrifice. Moses brought the law to the people and is well known for is incredible devotion to God. The author was comparing Jesus to Moses to show the readers the importance Jesus has. The author needed to prove that Jesus was much more important than Moses and needed to do it in a way that the readers would understand.
Although Moses never makes it to the promise land, he was still a greatly devoted servant of God. I think this comparison between Moses and Jesus, both servants, doesn’t quiet serve the purpose its supposed to. Jesus, the ultimate heir to the throne, and Moses, someone affected by the fall of humanity, both serving. Although, the author of Hebrews seems to mention the faithfulness of Moses, when compared to Jesus, Moses is nobody. I think what the author of Hebrews was trying to do was show its readers, just how amazing Jesus was. Not that Moses was not a great servant of God, its just that Jesus was just that perfect. Jesus was on the earth for one reason, to serve. Moses was good at what he did, yet he still fell short. We don’t see that with Jesus, which is exactly why the author of Hebrews portrays Jesus as this perfect individual.
The author of Hebrews makes a point that Jesus is superior to Moses. In the Gospels, it is clear that the Pharisees held the Law with great esteem to the extent that they had more specifics to the Law. They also honored Moses because he was the one who gave the Israelites the Law from God. Moses was a loyal servant of God. Professor Long makes a good point that Jesus is the head of the house that Moses served in thus making Jesus more superior to Moses. Not only that, but with Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross He started a New Covenant that replaced the Old Covenant that Moses started with the Law. The author of Hebrews wanted to make it clear that Moses was devoted in serving God and His Son, Jesus.
Moses is like no other person. Moses was a faithful man that followed Gods plan and whom God even revealed Himself to (Gen 33:18-23). This is a huge honor as God has never done so with anyone else (so in first century Jewish Christianity he “is described as, holy one”). God even calls Moses His friend (Ex 33:11). Moses was the founder of the old covenant (Jobes, 94). The author of Hebrews praises Moses for being faithful in Gods house but recognizes that Moses is not to be give all praise and glory (Heb 3:5-6). Glory ought to be placed on the designer and builder of the house (God’s people), who is Jesus Christ. While Moses was a faithful servant in the house, Jesus is over the house. God’s house bows in worship of Jesus (Jobes, 94). The author desires to explain the continuity and discontinuity of gospel covenant. Through the death and resurrection Jesus brings about a new plan, an eternal plan, that God has graciously given us. Jesus shares the nature of God and the only one that could accomplish redemption of the human race. The new covenant was offered with the “blood of his own incarnation, releases people from the condemnation of the old and into a new covenant with God” (Jobes 98). Moses could never truly compare to Jesus because he was sinful (just as Adam and Eve where), where as Jesus perfect and had no sin.
Moses is no doubt an example for us to follow. Acts 7:35-53, Stephan says that “Moses was sent to be a ruler by God himself” (Acts 7:35). Stephen gives a high account of Moses all leading up to Jesus who is greater by far, the righteous one (v.52). Indeed, Moses is a man who that Jewish Christians followed and recognized as an extremely important man; however the author of Hebrews makes it clear that Jesus is righteous one to follow.
The Jews of the Second Temple Period had a great deal of respect for Moses as the giver of the Law. This respect could go as far as to say that the Jews were in awe of him creating elaborate stories about him and who he was. They created a seemly unhealthy image of what he was like, while at the same time disregarding the sinfulness and shortcomings in his life. Exodus 3 and 4 are all about how Moses felt he was inadequate for the job God had assigned for him, at the end of Exodus 4 God wants to kill Moses for not circumcising his son, Numbers 20 depicts a very angry Moses who strikes a rock to give water to the Israelites. In the last account, God tells Moses he will not be the one to lead the people of Israel into the promised land.
This all shows that Moses was far from perfect. His sin nature got in the way of his duty to God just as we struggle with today. Long makes it clear that there is a difference between the man who gave the Law, that man being Moses and the one who designed and built the Law, who is Christ (44). There must be an understanding that the one who creates the Law is greater than the he creates – to put it in perspective a perfect person had to design a Law in which he would not be subject because of his freedom from the guilt of it (Jobes 93-94). The author of Hebrews explains why Christ is greater than Moses in many ways, but the most interesting to me is how he explains that under Moses there was a failure of the Israelites to follow God completely (Long, 46). We see how neither Moses, nor his successor, offer the perfect way to follow God and have a relationship with Him, but that perfect rest and relationship comes through Christ (Hebrews 4:8-11, Long 47).
I don’t think that the author was trying to undervalue so to say, what Moses brought to the table. He was the original covenant holder and did his job well, by being a masterful servant to the Lord. I believe that the author makes this distinction quite early in the book because of Moses’ importance in the old covenant. Moses gave the people of Israel the law and was a powerful figure in those times. Many people back then thought of Moses as being the coming king and that also may be another reason why the author purposely wrote it near the beginning of the book. I love the metaphor with the builder of the house. Jesus (God) is the builder of the house and Moses was the servant. (Long 45). I think this perfectly describes their importance in regards to their respective covenants; Jesus’ new covenant with God is of higher importance than the covenant of the old testament with Moses.
As we read through Hebrews, we read that Jesus and Moses are compared together. Jesus the one that paves the way for us to get to God. While Moses was a leader of the Israelites in the desert. They both share the same Attributes but at the same time are different as well. They both were very impactful leaders, leaders that followed after God’s heart. One thing that is different is that Jesus was God’s son, his perfect unblemished son. While Moses on the other hand was a sinful being like us. Hebrews was able to take and compare these impactful leaders together, but we need to remember that Jesus was perfect and as Jesus was to lead his leadership will be perfect, while Moses leadership still was great had its downfalls and failing times. We can just notice how Jesus was such a great and amazing leader while he was on earth.
Moses, according to the blog, was the most important figure in Jewish history. And not just in Jewish history, but the history of salvation.
In response to the first question posed at the end of the blog:
Through the narrative of the Old Testament books, one can begin to understand why Moses was such a celebrated character. God spoke with Moses from a within a fiery (but not burning) bush. He was chosen to lead the people out of slavery and into new land and the formation of their own nation.
The author of Hebrews uses this to demonstrate the supremacy of Jesus. The chapter opens asking the reader to, “consider Jesus” and explains that he was faithful to God as Moses was. It is a clever way to capture the reader’s attention and provide a space to compare and contrast. They already are highly devoted to Moses. Now it is being pointed out that there is someone even greater than Moses. As the characters of Jesus are revealed, more contrasting between Jesus and Moses occur. This works well because the reader already has Moses on a high pedestal. Using the example of Moses gives them a framework, a necessity for understanding the depth of the glory of Jesus.
In response to the second question, I find it hard to believe the Jewish people would easily let go of their devotion to Moses and their history. If there is any denigration arising from Hebrew’s comparisons, it seems it would be to reduce Jesus. Obviously, this is the opposite of the authors stated purpose. But I can’t help but wonder if it made at least some people relieved to think that Jesus wasn’t really a replacement of Moses but rather God in a human body. This could encourage Jews to cling tighter to Moses as their hero and move Jesus to the “God category” rather than as a new and better Moses.
Jesus is the ultimate and only sacrifice making him the greatest person and greatest creation ever.. Moses was great in his work which God noticed and knew that Moses was following in Christ. Moses was also a great man of Jesus Christ it was shown that he was great in the bible. Moses played a very important role in the Jewish Christian Literature it says in the blog,In this passage he looked like the top dog and was on a higher level then others. But at the end of the day Jesus is the best and he will forever be the top dog.
According to Jobes, “Moses is the greatest and most significant person in Israel’s history… and so it follows that the author of Hebrews needed also to explain Jesus’ relationship to Moses” (p. 94). Just as the author had to prove that Jesus was greater than the angels, he also had to prove the Jesus was greater than Moses. It is also interesting to point out that Moses was used to put in place the covenant of the Law, and upon Jesus’ death, the covenant of Grace begins. Both men are great in the positions that they were put in. However, it is not enough to simply point out that they are both great – it must be proved that Jesus is God, and so greater even then Moses. Hebrews 3:5 says, “now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant to testify to the things that were to be spoken later”. One of the ways that the author of Hebrew proves Jesus is greater is by stating that part of Moses job was to “bear witness as a prophet” to Jesus (Jobes 94).
I do not think that by claiming Jesus is superior to Moses that he is denigrating Moses at all. Throughout these verses, the author speaks to the great deeds that Moses did during his time. In verse 3, the author states “Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself.” Moses is likened to the house, while Jesus is the builder of the house. The house in and of itself is great, but the builder is even greater.
I feel I am quickly becoming repetitive in these blogs, but I appreciate the background on the history of Judaism you give in these posts. I was not fully aware of just how important (or sacred) a figure Moses would have been to those the writer was reaching. I was aware he was important, but not to the extent that some would have placed him as equal to God. With that in mind, it makes me wonder what the reaction was when the author began this argument? Was it easily accepted as truth, or was there doubt? I can imagine when you have your belief system for generations has been so entrenched in the understanding of Moses as “the greatest and most significant human person in Israel’s history” (Jobes, p. 94), it would be difficult to simply abandon and accept a new teaching? The author of Hebrews also understood the difficulties that some may find with this, and as a result did a great job of carefully explaining Jesus’ relationship to Moses. The illustration of the house and its builder was really a genius way to explain this, and show’s not only the author’s knowledge but a talent in teaching. I do not think he is intentionally denigrating Moses, for he is clearly emphasizing that Moses was faithful in his role (3:5), but Jesus was not only faithful but was an active participant in creation (3:3). It seems that this illustration is a clear explanation of Moses and Jesus, setting the listeners up for his continuing message on salvation through Jesus Christ and the new covenant which began with Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension.
Jobes, K.H. (2011). Letters to the Church. Zondervan.
In Hebrews 3 it talks about Jesus is greater than Moses. It says “For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house” Hebrews 3:4,5). Also, “Christ is God’s faithful Son, who is over God’s house, which means that Jesus is greater than Moses” (Jobes, pg. 236-237). I feel like our generation now still has different viewpoints on this but personally I know and believe that God is greater than any mountain, any battle. He is greater than everything. The fact that Jesus died on the cross to save us from our sins, amazes me every time I think about it. I get the visual image of someone getting put on a cross for others so that we can live, and those sins are forgiven. And us Christians did nothing to deserve that. Ephesians 2:10 gives a great example about Jesus. “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them”. Moses was a faithful, leader and when he died he was buried by God. They didn’t just have a random person bury Moses, they had the Lord of the Most High buried him. (Deuteronomy 34:5-6). I personally believe that Jesus is superior to Moses.
When the author of Hebrews comparing Jesus to Moses in the beginning of chapter 3, it is possible that the Hebrews people almost idolize Moses as individuals God used in a mighty way. In chapter 3, Jesus is compared to Moses, and then in chapter 4, Jesus is compared to Joshua. In my opinion, Moses was a servant in the house of God. Jesus, however, is the Son to whom the house belongs and for whom it is built. Obviously, Jesus has the supremacy. Moses led the people of God our of Egypt toward the land of the promised Land, Canaan, which is symbolized the rest and peace God wants all of us to experience through faith in Jesus Christ. Moses led his people toward a symbol of God’s rest, but Jesus leads us into the reality of His rest, as the writer of Hebrews explains: “So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his” (Hebrews 4:9-10). In one of Moses’ final speeches, he gave this messianic prophecy: “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers – it is to him you shall listen” (Deut. 18:5). He, Jesus will be raised up by God, He will be like Moses. Jesus is like Moses in several ways. Jesus the prophet who fulfilled that prophecy. Jesus fulfills all the requirements for a prophet in title, word, and deed. He is the ultimate prophet in that he is the very word of God himself.
It is shocking to me that Moses was regarded as an equal to the holy ones or even God himself; but then it says so much about Jesus being even more so equal to and one with God because Jesus was greater than Moses. While Moses was a servant to God, Christ is the Son of God. The progression of Moses’ relation to Jesus within the first three verses of Hebrews 3 is so interesting – of first simply being compared to, then subordinate to, and then contrasted to.
The author of Hebrews does not denigrate the Law; the law was put in place for a specific reason for a specific time. I also think by Jesus coming and making the old law obsolete, it even further proves how highly regarded Moses and the Law was, being God’s most faithful servant in the time of the Old, he held the Law and testified of what is to come (3:5), and what was to come is Jesus. It is this comparison between Jesus and Moses as to why there is continuity but also discontinuity between the Gospel and the Sinai covenant (Jobes).
Moses was God’s most faithful servant and was regarded with high authority and respected, especially among early Jewish believers. So how much more so authority and hierarchy does Jesus have being the fulfillment of what Moses testified to – being the Son of the Builder of the House that Moses was a servant of (Heb 3:3).
I don’t think Hebrews says that Moses is equal to God himself, but that he is the highest ranking servant in God’s household; but Jesus is superior because he is the owner of entire household. So think of it this way: if Jesus is Bruce Wayne, the Moses is Alfred the Butler. Alfred might be the best servant ever, but he’s still less than the owner of stately Wayne Manor.
I can imagine that for the first generation of Christians who were previously Jews that sudden shift in the hero of their faith would have been challenging. Jobes mentions that these Christians had to struggle against not only the oppression of the world around them, but also the struggle of completely changing their approach to sin and atonement after years of making sacrifices for their own sins, they had to have faith and depend on the once and for all perfect sacrifice of Jesus without physically making sacrifices for each of their sins (Jobes, 2011). Their culture was changing drastically as a result of what Jesus had done. Moses had such an important role in their culture and former approach to following God that the person of Moses needed to be addressed to the people. The point that Hebrews makes about Moses is that he is like a servant in the home of which Jesus (God) was the builder and the home. The author does not put down Moses, after all he is still shown as a dedicated servant of the Lord and honored simply by that role that he gets to fulfill within God’s house. But the author does call the audience to consider that there is someone greater (Jesus) than Moses. While Moses was a great servant for the house of God, Jesus was the foundation of the house that represented God as well as the builder of the house in which Moses served (Jobes, 2011). This shows that Jesus was equal with God, was even greater than Moses, and was consequently worthy of following more than Moses. Yet, it kept the honor that Moses had for following the Lord intact. While Moses was one of the first words of God to the people through the ten commandments which God gave to him on Mount Sinai, Jesus represented God’s final and complete word. A new covenant “that would be written on hearts instead of on stone” (Jer. 31:31-34) (Jobes, 2011). By understanding where the Jews-turned-Christians were coming from the author of Hebrews was able to address a very important issue for believers in a way that they would understand.
Hebrews does not seem to appear to intentionally denigrate Moses or the Law, nor does he intend to mock the old covenant either. Hebrews 3:2-6 emphasizes that God appointed both Moses and Jesus to a certain role, and both roles were carried out as they were given (Jobes, 2011). Moses’ role was to be a faithful servant inside God’s house, whereas Jesus is God’s son, and therefore is over God’s house and then bears superiority over Moses (Jobes, 2011). The reason Hebrews brings this up is to better emphasize his point of Jesus as the Great High Priest. Moses was considered the most important person when it came to salvation in Jewish culture (Long, 2018). It is because of this that the author of Hebrews needed to mention Moses, in order to highlight the discontinuity of Moses’ covenant in comparison to Christ’s covenant. The laws that were given to Moses brought about a covenant that was key to finding salvation in the times before Christ, which was based on a sacrificial system and a priesthood (Jobes, 2011). However, God no longer needs this. Back then, animal sacrifice was important to atoning for one’s sins. The covenant made to mankind was written on stone slabs and was, “external to the human heart” and provided no long-lasting transformation or justification (Jobes, 2011). Now we no longer need to do such things because Jesus became the sufficient sacrifice needed to atone for everyone’s sins. Jesus became the High Priest who carried out an eternal sacrifice (himself) and now things are different. The Holy Spirit is writing this new covenant on human hearts, in those who accept Christ and we now are able to see an eternal process of salvation being produced (Jobes, 2011). This idea was probably very controversial and hard to understand for Jewish Christians, which is probably why the author of Hebrews felt it important to bring it up. The whole point of Hebrews is to express who Jesus is, and what it meant for him to be a Great High Priest so taking the time to indicate who Jesus is was valuable to the author of Hebrews’ point he was trying to make.
Jobes, K. H. (2011). Letters To The Church: A Survey of Hebrews and the General Epistles. Zondervan.
Hebrews addresses that Christ is superior to Moses. It is important to note that the old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. There had to be a new covenant because people were disobeying and not following the old one. The old one was not intended to last though. This is when God sent Christ to be the new covenant and the high priest. Professor Long states: “If Moses was faithful in God’s household in the previous age, how is Jesus be superior to him in the present age? First, Jesus is superior because he is the builder of the house.” (Long, 2018) Jews saw Moses as their role model. They thought very highly of him. Hebrews 3:2 shows how Jesus was faithful to his creator just like Moses was faithful to all of God’s houses. The way that Jesus is superior is by the one who appointed him and the roles that he filled. Moses was not necessarily a servant but someone who was faithful to the Lord. I do not think that the author of Hebrews denigrates the Law or Moses. Moses did a ton of good works that were fulfilling to God. Moses was important but he was not equal to God or Christ.
It is very interesting that the comparison of Jesus being superior to Moses comes right after the author discusses angels. But it is something that the readers would understand, they were mostly Jewish Christians who would have understood what Moses did and would have seen him as a great prophet. Jobes discusses in chapter 2 about how Moses is the greatest prophet to the Jews whose staff took them across the Red Sea and carried the tablets down the mountain. Moses is talked about as a servant of the house of the Lord, whereas Jesus is talked about as being the builder of the house. I believe that the author must have been clear in his intentions of comparing Jesus and Moses because it would have been very applicable and saying the Jesus was better than Moses because it would have been a very easy comparison for the audience to understand.
How does the author of Hebrews develop this Moses/Jesus typology? Does he intentionally denigrate Moses or the Law when he argues Jesus is superior?
In my opinion, I don’t believe the author of Hebrews denigrates Moses at all. Jesus and Moses are two different people who were appointed by the same person which is God, and in Hebrews it is said in verse two that Moses was faithful in all God’s house, and then it says that Jesus has greater honor because Jesus built an aspect of God’s house and it talks about in Hebrews that the builder is always greater than the house itself. In terms of a real life scenario, let’s say you see a million dollar mansion, people usually aren’t going to ask who is in the house first, they are going to usually ask who built the house, because then people think that the builder of the house has a gift far more than the people living in the house. This is the case in this scenario because of the fact that Jesus helped build God’s house, and Jesus was the Son of the builder of all things. So in this Moses was not bashed or denigrated in this passage, just comparing someone like Jesus who was appointed by God after Moses was faithful in everything he did. In the book we are reading he talks about the building of the Tabernacle, and he says “The Son not only sits down, but he sits down NEXT to God at his right hand on the throne in heaven” (Jobes Page 169) and this does in fact prove that even though Moses was faithful in all of God’s houses, Jesus was helping build them.
To my post-Jesus gentile brain the thought of Jesus being higher than Moses is so very obvious, that I have to remind myself of all the historical Jewish backstory. I had never realized that Moses was such a big deal, most likely because I had never taken the time to think about it. If you asked me who the most famous character in the Old Testament was I would have probably responded with Adam, David, or Abraham. The idea that Moses was the most significant person for the OT salvation was something that has never occurred to me, although as pointed out by Long, 2022, “Moses was the most faithful servant of the previous age…” (p.45). He was the servant that brought forth the redemptive system that restored Israel’s relationship with God, and was fundamental in law and old covenant. This does shed light on why Moses was regarded in such high esteem. I think the author of Hebrews then does a great job in bringing forth the parallel of Jesus and Moses, but also putting Jesus in the higher, truer, and better light. The idea that Christ is a better Moses, just as he was the better Adam, is reflected in Hebrews 3:5, “Now just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were spoken later, but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son” (ESV Study Bible).
References
ESV Study Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2008. Print.
Moses is the first deliverer of Israel, and Jesus becomes the last deliverer and the superior servant, as He is closer to God than any servant and is relied on through more roles given to Him. The Jewish-Christians are more familiar with Moses, as he is in the Pentateuch—the only books of the Bible provided to them for which they read religiously or know about extensively—, thus it is easier to describe Jesus by comparing the two from their servant/deliverer roles to God and the people of Israel.
By the logic of how Jesus is God—or, at least, the son of God through which Jesus is accompanied by the relation to the authority of the people—, Moses is now considered to be the servant of Jesus, as well as God, by extension (Jobes, 2020). Moses was made great but he was also completely human, rendering him to cowardice and conditioned faithfulness. “Moses said to the Lord, ‘Pardon your servant, Lord. I have been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue’” (Exodus 4:10-13). Jesus was born great, conceived of a virgin, and delivered in a manger, pointed out by a star and worshiped by wisemen and shepherds. “For a child has been born for us; a son has been given to us. And the dominion will be on his shoulder, and his name is called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6-7). They both, however, are born in a time of the genocide of Israelite infants, one through the order from Pharaoh, and the other from Herod.
The author of Hebrews knows there is a connection between the two and investigates the differences of Moses and Jesus to provide the Israelites with the knowledge of how they are similar, yet different. For instance, Moses is a servant who is faithful and remains faithful, but Jesus is a faithful Son. It is not that the author of Hebrews wants to denigrate Moses; he or she just wants the readers of the letter to be aware of the role Moses and Jesus both played, including how Moses should not be held above Jesus, regardless of how Jesus ends up becoming the so-called “Second-Moses.” The reason for the relative “copying” of Moses is because Jesus is the Final and most important deliverer, entrusted with a various amount of roles to the people of Israel and, ultimately, uniting the people of Israel with other nations through His body and blood. Moses may have parted the Red Sea, but Jesus forever parted the curtain of the Holy of Holies—a feat that makes Him by role alone more superior to Moses. However, this does not mean Moses did not excel in his part; it just means he serves God. He serves the one who paid the price for all.
Though the book of Hebrews does not get into the comparisons of Moses and Jesus I would like, the author does open the curtain so to speak on the discussion, imparting generations of enlightening thought that is to be considered.
I like how this blog post talked about the importance of Moses in the Second Temple period, during this time Moses held a huge role in salvation history. The part of the blog that I thought was very interesting was the argument of lesser-to-greater. In this Phillip Long emphasized Jesus’ superiority over Moses. Jesus is portrayed as the Son of the Building, this is significant as it shows the reader a divine status, one that goes way beyond Moses. Moses is a devoted servant; he is not the divine status that we know. There is a theme in Hebrews, the theme being where angels are servants, but Jesus is the Son of God. This means that even though Moses was a great and devoted servant. Jesus holds a unique and superior position over Moses. We need more people in our world to be like Moses, Moses is the perfect example of how we are supposed to live our lives as Christians. I thought that this post did a great job of highlighting servanthood, leadership, and divine heirship.
For many modern people, it is strange that the author of Hebrews decides to first discuss Jesus being greater than the angels, then moving to Moses, seemingly posing him as a more significant figure. It seems obvious that if Jesus was superior to the angels, he would be superior to a human being such as Moses. However, for the first-century Jew, Moses was the most important person in salvation history, with Sirach 45:1-2 equates him with the ‘holy ones’, who are divine beings (Long, 44). Thus, in this way, being superior to Moses is more significant than superiority over heavenly beings.
The manner in which the author of Hebrews argues for the superiority of Jesus is intriguing, as it follows an interpretative method foreign to modern exegesis. He utilizes Numbers 12:6-8 & 1 Chronicles 17:14, with the former mentioning the faithful of God being in His house and the latter speaking of the throne of God being established forever in His house. This use of Scripture seems somewhat out of place, as neither of these passages is used in a distinctive context from the original authorial intent, rather focusing on the similarities between keywords and grammatical markers. This style of interpretation is known as Midrash, which was utilized by Jewish groups such as the Pharisees, or at least primitive models that contributed to its fuller development (Long, 44). This model was also used by Paul and Jesus, along with the speeches in Acts 2-3, 7, and 13, finding connections between texts that led to new and surprising interpretations.
Understanding this model allows us to better see the argument made in Hebrews 3:1-6, as he argues that while Moses is faithful in God’s house, Jesus has more glory because He is the builder (Heb 3:2-3). Another reason is that Moses is presented as a servant of the house, while Jesus is considered a son of God, being an heir to the administration (Heb 3:5-6). It is through these arguments, among others, that the author of Hebrews produces to justify His assertion that Jesus is superior to the angels and Moses, thus being worthy of obedience and retaining faith, not falling away because of suffering and persecution. It is this overarching theme of perseverance that motivates the author as if Jesus is superior to Moses, it is unacceptable to return to previous beliefs within Judaism, necessitating that one should keep faith and have courage, knowing that Jesus is their ‘boast of hope’ (Heb 3:6).
As you stated in the post, It’s easy for me to understand that Jesus is superior to Moses, especially after talking about Jesus being superior to the angels. However, when thinking of this in a view as a Jewish Christian during that time I can see how it would be hard for anyone to be comparable to Moses. We can see Jobes argue this point when she says, “Christ is God’s faithful Son, who is over God’s house, which means that Jesus is greater than Moses” (Jobes, 236). This quote from Jobes sheds light on the idea of God and Jesus being the rulers of the house and Moses just being a servant in it. You also point out in the post that Moses is not a slave which is important to point out. He wants to be there and he is a faithful servant. I also don’t think that the Jews would have liked hearing that the person they looked up to the most was a slave so it was very important for the author of Hebrews to make that clear. We also got to see Moses point out in his teachings that Jesus would be coming to take over when he said, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers – it is to him you shall listen” (Deut. 18:5).
I think it’s important to note that even though the New Testament is essentially the new covenant and the fulfillment of the Old Testament, that’s doesn’t mean the Old Testament in its entirety is null and void. If that were the case Christians would only need would be the New Testament. I don’t think the author of Hebrews means to place Moses as unimportant, because Moses was a critical character in the Old Testament, and still is in the New Testament because of his pivotal leadership in the history of Gods people. But Jesus can be nothing but superior because, he is the literal “Son of God” and was perfect. Moses made many mistakes, especially before entering the promised land, but Jesus could make no mistakes. Because Jesus was superior in every aspect of his fulfillment, it just makes Moses look lower in his servitude. Moses also was solely a servant to God and needed guidance, whereas Jesus even referred to as a servant was much more than that and was unique in his purpose. Both though were “deliverers” during their tenure, Moses delivered the Israelites, but Jesus delivered all of humanity. It’s also understandable when believers in Judaism who see Moses as critically important degraded to an inferior version of Jesus Christ.
Throughout Hebrews 3:1-6, the author draws comparisons between Moses and Jesus, highlighting Jesus’ superiority. The typology between Moses and Jesus is achieved in the end not through denigration of Moses but through the praise of Jesus as pertaining to God’s plan for salvation. The author establishes Moses’ significance as a faithful servant in God’s house, speaking on the Israelites’ journey through the wilderness and the founding of the Law. However, it is also made apparent that while Moses was faithful, Jesus is even more worthy of glory and praise as he is the builder of the house itself (Heb 3: 3). I found this particular section of the excerpt especially interesting and a quite fitting selection of allegory as Jesus was literally a carpenter as well. Jesus being the builder of the metaphorical house, of course gives him greater authority than Moses. This is in no way denigrating to Moses either, it is simply just an endorsement of Christ from the writer of Hebrews. The passage continues to speak on the faithfulness of Moses, another praise on his behalf (3: 5). However, Jesus is once again praised above Moses as Jesus is the Son through which God has revealed salvation. This passage is an endorsement of the authority of Jesus over the law more broadly speaking.
Even though the author draws parallels between Jesus and Moses in Hebrews 3:1-6, the typology does not intend to downplay Moses or the Law. Rather, the author wants to emphasize the transitory nature, if you may, of the Old Covenant (Moses and the Law) to the New Covenant. For example, verses 3-6 use a metaphor of a house to compare Moses a servant in God’s house, with Jesus being God’s Son therefore builder of the house (Long, 45). This emphasizes the supremacy of the New Covenant over the Old Covenant and the superiority of Jesus. The emphasis is on the transformative nature of Christ’s role, showing how Jesus is not merely a continuation of the Old Covenant but the fulfillment and perfection of God’s plan. I like how Jobes explains how Jesus did not enter the temple with animal blood but with His blood (Jobes, 97). The book goes on to contrast how priests regularly gave these sacrifices and weren’t allowed to sit down but Jesus’ sacrifice is the last one and after this sacrifice was given (His death on the cross for our sin) He sat down; this is where the completion and perfection come from (99). So yes, God chose and favored Moses to lead the Israelites and he directly communicated with Him, but Jesus IS God, without sin, and whose sacrifice was for everyone, not just one nation or people group.
This is very interesting, the writer moving from the angels to Moses plays a significant role in the text. As stated, Jesus is superior to Moses and the Angels, but why do we separate the two? Moses was a servant of God, as stated in Hebrews 3:5 it states that “Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house,” bearing witness to what would be spoken by God in the future”. This is important to note because the angels were servants of God like Moses was, making them different from each other. Also with Jesus’s covenant being superior to the one Moses made we ask the question “why is it?”. With Moses being faithful in all of God’s household that he created we see that Jesus is still superior in that matter. Many of us wonder why this is or how this could be with all that Moses has done, but there is reasoning behind this. In the book “letters to the church” by Jobes, it states that “The son not only sits down, but he sits down next to God with his right hand on the throne in Heaven”. This shows us that Jesus was there the whole time throughout the construction of the houses.
This argument is fascinating. Before reading this, I had never heard of people who would argue that Moses is higher than Jesus. Now that I have listened to a lecture on it read this blog and have done other outside research I can see it by going from the perspective of other people. I can definitely see this is a very easy decision to make for Jews. We know that Jews don’t believe that Jesus was the son of God and so to the Jews, Jesus is just another man. So it would make sense that Moses who was the ultimate servant in the Old Testament would be above Jesus in the New Testament if he was just a man. The problem is that he wasn’t just a man. As a Christian, I know for a fact that Jesus was just not just another man to walk the earth. Jesus came as the son of God and as the son of Man. Jesus is much greater than anyone else. This is a message that is carried throughout prophecies in the Old Testament, but through the entire New Testament. It says in Philippians 2:9-11, “9Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” I think the house illustration is an illustration that works very well and makes a lot of sense. Saying Moses is below Jesus is not at all discrediting to Moses and his work. It is just the fact that the new law and the work of Jesus are much greater than anyone else. Jesus was fully man, but he was fully God which allowed him to experience what we experience, but also allowed him to overcome the weight of all of our sins and ultimately beat death so that we can live with him in eternal glory when our father calls us home.
It is true that Moses is very comparative to Jesus, but it is not only Moses that no one will be like Jesus. There is none like Jesus, and no one is higher than Jesus. Since Jews did not believe Jesus that he was the son of God before and in this generation as well, They believed that he was a great servant of God, and they listened to whatever he said, and he followed him. Moses was a great leader for the Jews, but he could not lead them to the promised land. God helped him, and God was Moses guidance, but he did not obey God so he could enter the promised land. God was always with Jesus, and Jesus obeyed God until he died. He did not have any pride, and he did not fall into temptations. He finished what God had planned for him and us. Because he was righteous, we could all have a great relationship with God once again. He could lead us to God, and his death on the cross proved how much he loved and cared for us.
Jews did not care about Jesus when he was on earth; they thought he was lower than Abraham, Moses, and other God’s servants. He did not want to take Jesus words so seriously, and some saw him as just a teacher or normal person. In John 8:58, it says, “Very truly, I tell you.” Jesus answered, “Before Abraham was born, I am!” Jesus was not like any of those God’s servants, and it proved that he was God, and Abraham, Moses, and others were just the children of Jesus. The New Testament is the prophecies fulfillment of the Old Testament, and the Jewish people did not believe it. I don’t know why they did not believe it until today; they chose to ignore it or not believe it. I believe that Jesus is our Lord, and he is the greatest of all time.
To Hebrews’ intended audience, Moses was the last superior human that had been recorded in the scriptures. Moses was one of the only men in history to personally interact with God. He was brushed with God’s glory and encountered the presence of the Lord. It was through Moses that Israel received the 10 commandments. Although there were other amazing people though which God worked, Moses was a key person in Israelite history. Many people of that time believed in a reincarnation of Moses. So when Jesus was announced as a great prophet, the people thought of Moses; Moses’ second coming so to speak. This is why it is so significant that Jesus is raised to a place that is higher than Moses. Being God himself made flesh, Jesus was human but he was also the creator. To say that Moses is greater than Jesus is to give a servant of a house credit for the construction of the house. Jesus was present in the beginning as referenced in John 1:1, the Word (capital W).
I think there’s something to say about the parallels in scripture between old testament characters and Jesus. The Jews were God’s chosen people and Moses was extremely significant in their story and was in fact jew himself. It would make sense that Jewish people would see Moses as more significant than Jesus Christ himself. You highlighted in your post that “Matthew’s gospel is designed to highlight Jesus as a new Moses who goes up on the mountain and gives the people the Law”. Reading this makes me think that the Jews might’ve seen Jesus as a fake Moses, or accuse him of trying to copy Moses, therefore making him less significant to them. I think the Jews in a lot of ways might have worshiped Moses which would make Jesus even more insulting to them, I don’t know, just a thought. Of course, however, Jesus is God and he is superior because of his incapability to sin, even through temptation and and Hebrews makes it a point to to show that Jesus was in creation with God. I think the author intentionally denigrates Moses and goes out of their way to show Jesus’ superiority.