Jews reading

Hebrews 3

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Hebrews 3

No rest for the sinner

Jesus Is Boss of This House

1We’re a spiritual family called by God and devoted to him. Because of this, we need to take Jesus seriously. He came to us like an apostle, with a message from God. And he works on our behalf like a high priest, who represents us before God. 2Jesus did everything God asked him to do, just as Moses did when God put him in charge of all his people.

3Jesus deserves even more respect than Moses, just as a builder deserves more praise than the house he built. 4There’s a builder for every house built. But God made the builders. He made everything else too. 5Moses was a servant. He did everything God asked him to do for the people. Moses taught ideas that others would dust off and talk about many years later. 6But Jesus was the Son. Not only did he do everything God asked him to do for the people, but he’s the boss, head of the spiritual household. We’re living under his roof, and we need to believe that with hope and confidence.

Rebels Against God

7Do what the Holy Spirit says.

“If you hear my voice,
8don’t stubbornly ignore it
like you did when you turned against God in the badlands.
9That’s where your ancestors tested my resolve
in spite of witnessing 40 years of my miracles.
10I became angry with this generation.
I said, ‘They always leave me.
They don’t even know me.’
11So I made a promise,
‘They’ll not rest in peace at my house.’” [1]

You Got to Believe

12Dear family, be on the lookout for anyone among you who’s a terrible human being. That includes any unbeliever who has the bad habit of saying no to the living God. 13Encourage each other. Do it as much as the day is long. Do it so sin won’t trick people into turning against me and getting stubborn about it. 14We believe in the Messiah. If we can hang on to that confidence all the way to the end, we’ll share in everything with him. 15Remember what God told you:

“If you hear my voice,
don’t stubbornly ignore it
like you did when you turned against God.” [2]

16So, who was it who heard but didn’t listen? It was everyone Moses led out of Egypt, right? 17Who was God angry with for 40 years? It was the sinful people who ended up dying in the badlands, right? 18And who did God promise would never find a resting place in his house? It was the people who didn’t obey him, right? 19They didn’t believe. So, they never made it to where they were going. [3]

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