1Therefore, brothers in the family of God, who share a heavenly calling, think of the Apostle and High Priest of the religion we profess, 2[ Lv.12.7. ] who was faithful to God who appointed him. Moses also was faithful in God's household; 3and Jesus, of whom I speak, has been deemed worthy of greater honour than Moses, as the founder of a house enjoys more honour than his household. 4For every house has its founder; and the founder of all is God. 5Moses, then, was faithful as a servitor in God's whole household; his task was to bear witness to the words that God would speak; 6but Christ is faithful as a son, set over his household. And we are that household of his, if only we are fearless and keep our hope high.
A Rest for the People of GodHb.3.7-4.13
7'TODAY', THEREFORE, as the Holy Spirit says -
'Today if you hear his voice, 8[ Ex.17.7, Lv.20.2. ] Do not grow stubborn as in those days of rebellion,
At that time of testing in the desert, 9Where your forefathers tried me and tested me,
And saw the things I did for forty years. 10And so, I was indignant with that generation
And I said. Their hearts are for ever astray,
They would not discern my ways; 11[ Lv.14.21-23. ] As I vowed in my anger, they shall never enter my rest.'
12See to it, brothers, that no one among you has the wicked, faithless heart of a deserter from the living God; 13but day by day, while that word 'Today' still sounds in your ears, encourage one another, so that no one of you is made stubborn by the wiles of sin. 14For we have become Christ's partners if only we keep our original confidence firm to the end. 15[ Ps.95.7-8. ] When Scripture says, 'Today if you hear his voice, do not grow stubborn as in those days of rebellion', 16who, I ask, were those who heard and rebelled? All those, surely, whom Moses had led out of Egypt. 17[ Lv.14.29. ] And with whom was God indignant for forty years? With those, surely, who had sinned, whose bodies lay where they fell in the desert. 18[ Lv.14.22-23. ] And to whom did he vow that they should not enter his rest, if not to those who had refused to believe? 19We perceive that it was unbelief which prevented their entering.