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No.26.
Moses, a servant; Christ, a Son
(3: 2 - 6).
pp. 187 - 190
It is evident that the apostle is pursuing his theme, namely, the superiority of Christ,
the Son, above angels and all other intermediaries, but the reader may not realize that, in
the mind of any familiar with the LXX, the word apostello, as used in Exodus, links
angels and Moses together:
"The LORD God of your fathers . . . . . hath sent me unto you" (Exod. 3: 15).
This verb is used in verses 10 and 14 also. After the Exodus from Egypt and while
Israel were in the wilderness, God said:
"Behold, I send (apostello) an Angel before thee . . . . . if thou shalt indeed obey his
voice" (Exod. 23: 20-22).
Of all the names that were revered by Israel, none were more held in honour than
Moses and Abraham. Paul, who had intimate acquaintance with the traditional beliefs of
his fathers, knew that any attempt by any teacher to dethrone Moses from the place given
to him would be resisted, and any doctrine thus introduced would be doomed to failure.
We need not turn to the writings of the Rabbis for this, for we read:
"Thou art his disciple; but we are Moses' disciples."
"We know that God spake unto Moses: as for this fellow, we know not from whence
he is" (John 9: 28, 29).
"We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God . . . . .
we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall
change the customs which Moses delivered us" (Acts 6: 11, 14).
To which we add, from Hebrews itself:
"He that despised Moses' law died without mercy" (Heb. 10: 28).
"Moses was faithful in all his house" (Heb. 3: 2). This is the testimony of
Numb. 12: 7 "My servant Moses . . . . . is faithful in all Mine house". The apostle now
introduces a comparison that places Christ far above Moses:
"For this man was counted worthy of MORE GLORY than Moses" (Heb. 3: 3).
We have but to turn to II Cor. 3: 6-11 to have the apostle's own comment on this
comparison.