"Think About Jesus -- We are God's house."

Hebrews 3

Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

Jesus Is Greater Than Moses

So, my brothers and sisters, those chosen by God to be his holy people, think about Jesus. He is the one we believe God sent to save us and to be our high priest. ² God made him our high priest, and he was faithful to God just as Moses was. He did everything God wanted him to do in God’s house. ³ When someone builds a house, people will honor the builder more than the house. It is the same with Jesus. He should have more honor than Moses. ⁴ Every house is built by someone, but God built everything. ⁵ Moses was faithful as a servant in God’s whole house. He told people what God would say in the future. ⁶ But Christ is faithful in ruling God’s house as the Son. And we are God’s house, if we remain confident of the great hope we are glad to say we have.

I really do like this "Easy-to-Read Version." It's a very smooth translation. 

First order of business? "...think about Jesus." The writer of Hebrews is apparently making sure the reader know Jesus is more important than Moses; that Moses should be honored, yes, but that he should be honored less than Christ. Moses was a faithful house keeper, telling the tenants what God would say in the future. But Christ is a faithful, ruling, SON. But what is this house? 

"We are God's house." 

This is a major, "huge, ginormous" (as my 3 year old likes to say), transition in thinking. It's one thing for God to declare His own Son greater than Moses. But for centuries the people of God knew the place of God was a "building." First it was a tent. Then a tabernacle. But now it is the people themselves. The prophecies declared the "coming King of glory" but I imagine the eager generations imagined this new King residing in the places built by human hands, just as Yahweh had done for ages. But "oh no." God desires to live IN US! Is the idea easier for us to grasp than the original hearers of this message? Are we so different than the Hebrews? 


"We are God's house." The writer includes himself. And we should include ourselves as well. Do you see that your church "building" is not special? It does not contain God anymore than the next one. Nor does your living room, your land, or your joy bus. "We are God's house." Your "place of worship" does not make your worship more acceptable, lovely, or powerful. "We are God's house." With God dwelling within, where we go, God goes. We are the tent and the tabernacle, the new buildings for the Most High. Now we, like Moses, tell the people what God would say in the future... an what God is saying now. 

And what is God saying now? 

What is He saying to you? To your heart? To your mind? 

Be still and know that He is God. 

What does He speak from deep inside you? What does He move you to do? 

What does your conscience whisper to you? 

"Think about Jesus -- We are God's house."