Hebrews 3:4 - Printer Friendly

ESV: (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.)

NIV: For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything.

NASB: For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.

CSB: Now every house is built by someone, but the one who built everything is God.

NLT: For every house has a builder, but the one who built everything is God.

KJV: For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God.

NKJV: For every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God.

This verse supports the general idea of Hebrews 3:3. Namely, that Jesus is superior to Moses in the same sense that a builder is superior to the house he constructs. In addition, this verse gives a crystal-clear indication that Jesus Christ is, in fact, God. Hebrews 1:2 makes a similar reference, calling Jesus the One through whom God created the world.

The author of Hebrews is explaining how the person and mission of Jesus are both far superior to those of Moses. This is not to diminish Moses at all. Rather, the point is that those who see Moses as a worthy example ought to feel even more inclined to follow Jesus. In the context of this letter, written to persecuted Jewish Christians, this is especially important. Those who cave in to persecution and return to Judaism instead of holding to their faith will suffer a loss of inheritance, as described later.

Hebrews 3:1–6 explains how Moses, while a powerful and faithful servant of God, is not the ultimate example for us to follow. Jesus is not a servant, but the Son of God. He is not the created thing, He is the Creator. He did not come to predict God's plan, He came to fulfill it. For these reasons, the Jewish Christians reading this letter should have every confidence in following Christ. This passage ends with a condition: that believers ''hold fast.'' This is not a reference to losing salvation; however, it does introduce the warning beginning in verse 7, which discusses what happens when a believer fails to trust in God.

Hebrews chapter 3 uses a reference to Israel's wandering in the desert from the story of the Exodus. In this incident, the nation of Israel came to the border of the Promised Land and then lost confidence in God. Rather than trusting Him, most of the people gave up hope. As a result, only a tiny remnant of the nation was allowed to enter into Canaan. This chapter explains that Jesus Christ is superior to Moses and all of Moses' accomplishments. Christians, therefore, need to encourage each other to fully trust in God, in order to see fulfillment of His promises.

In chapters 1 and 2, the author of Hebrews showed that Jesus was not an angel. In fact, Jesus' role as Messiah required Him to be fully human. Starting in chapter 3, the author will explain how Jesus is also superior to various Old Testament characters such as Moses. This will help to set the stage for later references to Christ's superiority. Part of the warning in this chapter extends into chapter 4. Namely, that Christians who doubt God's promises risk missing out on the victories He has in store for us.

The book of Hebrews is meant to challenge, encourage, and empower Christian believers. According to this letter, Jesus Christ is superior to all other prophets and all other claims to truth. Since God has given us Christ, we ought to listen to what He says and not move backwards. The consequences of ignoring God are dire. Hebrews is important for drawing on many portions of the Old Testament in making a case that Christ is the ultimate and perfect expression of God's plan for mankind. This book presents some tough ideas about the Christian faith, a fact the author makes specific note of.

Accessed 5/4/2024 12:44:29 AM