Jesus is greater than Moses and Joshua

1My friends, God has chosen you to be his holy people. So think about Jesus, the one we call our apostle and high priest! 2Jesus was faithful to God, who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in serving all3.2 all: Some manuscripts do not have this word. God's people.3.2: Nu 12.7. 3But Jesus deserves more honour than Moses, just as the builder of a house deserves more honour than the house. 4Of course, every house is built by someone, and God is really the one who built everything.

5Moses was a faithful servant and told God's people what would be said in the future. 6But Christ is the Son in charge of God's people. And we are those people, if we keep on being brave and don't lose hope.

A rest for God's people

7It is just as the Holy Spirit says,3.7-11: Ps 95.7-11 (LXX).

“If you hear God's voice today,

8don't be stubborn!

Don't rebel like those people

who were tested

in the desert.

9-10For forty years your ancestors

tested God and saw

the things he did.

“Then God got tired of them

and said,

‘You people never

show good sense,

and you don't understand

what I want you to do.’

11God became angry

and told the people,

‘You will never enter

my place of rest!’ ”

12My friends, watch out! Don't let evil thoughts or doubts make any of you turn from the living God. 13You must encourage one another each day. And you must keep on while there is still a time that can be called “today”. If you don't, then sin may fool some of you and make you stubborn. 14We were sure about Christ when we first became his people. So let's hold tightly to our faith until the end. 15The Scriptures say,3.15: Ps 95.7,8 (LXX).

“If you hear his voice today,

don't be stubborn

like those who rebelled.”

16Who were those people that heard God's voice and rebelled? Weren't they the same ones that came out of Egypt with Moses?3.16-18: Nu 14.1-35. 17Who were the people that made God angry for forty years? Weren't they the ones that sinned and died in the desert? 18And who did God say would never enter his place of rest? Weren't they the ones that disobeyed him? 19We see that those people did not enter the place of rest because they did not have faith.