Jesus Our High Priest

1Therefore, [a]holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, [thoughtfully and attentively] consider the Apostle and High Priest whom we confessed [as ours when we accepted Him as Savior], namely, [b]Jesus; 2He was faithful to Him who appointed Him [Apostle and High Priest], as Moses also was faithful in all God’s house. 3Yet Jesus has been considered worthy of much greater glory and honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has more honor than the house. 4For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God. 5Now Moses was faithful in [the administration of] all God’s house, [but only] as a ministering servant, [his ministry serving] as a testimony of the things which were to be spoken afterward [the revelation to come in Christ]; 6but Christ is faithful as a Son over His [Father’s] house. And we are His house if we hold fast our confidence and sense of triumph in our hope [in Christ].

7Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says,

“TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE,

8DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS AS [your fathers did] IN THE REBELLION [of Israel at [c]Meribah],

ON THE DAY OF TESTING IN THE WILDERNESS,

9WHERE YOUR FATHERS TRIED ME BY TESTING [My forbearance and tolerance],

AND SAW MY WORKS FOR FORTY YEARS

[And found I stood their test].

10“THEREFORE I WAS ANGERED WITH THIS GENERATION,

AND I SAID, ‘THEY ALWAYS GO ASTRAY IN THEIR HEART,

AND THEY DID NOT KNOW MY WAYS [nor become progressively better and more intimately acquainted with them]’;

11SO I SWORE [an oath] IN MY WRATH,

‘THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST [the promised land].’”

The Peril of Unbelief

12Take care, brothers and sisters, that there not be in any one of you a wicked, unbelieving [d]heart [which refuses to trust and rely on the Lord, a heart] that turns away from the living God. 13But continually encourage one another every day, as long as it is called “Today” [and there is an opportunity], so that none of you will be hardened [into settled rebellion] by the deceitfulness of sin [its cleverness, delusive glamour, and sophistication]. 14For we [believers] have become partakers of Christ [sharing in all that the Messiah has for us], if only we hold firm our newborn confidence [which originally led us to Him] until the end, 15while it is said,

“TODAY [while there is still opportunity] IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE,

DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEART, AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME [in the rebellion in the desert at Meribah].” 16For who were they who heard and yet provoked Him [with rebellious acts]? Was it not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses? 17And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose dead bodies were scattered in the desert? 18And to whom did He swear [an oath] that they would not enter His rest, but to those who disobeyed [those who would not listen to His word]? 19So we see that they were not able to enter [into His rest--the promised land] because of unbelief and an unwillingness to trust in God.

[a] 1 See note 2:11.
[b] 1 In the Greek text the name of Jesus is placed last for emphasis.
[c] 8 See Ex 17:1-7.
[d] 12 “Heart” includes the entire human personality--mind, will, and emotions. The core of one’s being where there is no pretense.