The Hebrew-background believers, to whom this letter was written, revered Moses as the 'giver of the Law'. However important his role in their national history, and it was great, Moses merely paved the way for Jesus, like a palace courtier preparing people to meet the king. And so, these verses compare and contrast the characters and ministries of Moses and Jesus.
It was a challenge for the Hebrew-background believers to recognise that Jesus, and not Moses, was God's ultimate revelation to the world. It is easy to sentimentalise the past and think that the wilderness experience under Moses' leadership was wonderful: it was not. The people were rebellious and hard-hearted. Instead of trusting God and His servant, they complained and resented their salvation, despite all that God had done for them (Exodus 16:2-3).
When circumstances get hard, some people trust God more; others stop trusting Him and trust themselves. Those who trust God are soft hearted to His voice and His leading. Those who trust themselves become hard hearted: grumbling and blaming Him as they either despair or design their own salvation. Today's verses point back to the Israelites wilderness experience. God was being kind in saving them from slavery but they complained bitterly about having to trust God for daily provision and daily guidance.
It is dangerous to harden your heart. Like a path which is well trodden, so repeated sinful attitudes produce a spiritual hardness in which God's Word cannot grow and be fruitful (Luke 8:5). The writer contrasted the exodus from Egypt with the wilderness wanderings. Initially, God's people were glad to be set free from slavery; they willingly followed Moses.
The 'rest', which was promised to those who left Egypt in the exodus, was to settle in the Promised Land (Joshua 1:13). Then they would have rest from the cruel slavery of Egypt, rest from their struggles in the wilderness and rest from their enemies who opposed God's purpose for them. At every point there was conflict, but rest was promised for those who obeyed God because they believed His Word.
God took His people out of Egypt to give them His peace and 'rest' from their enemies (Deuteronomy 12:10). But the 600,000 men aged 20 and over (Exodus 12:37) never arrived: they perished in the wilderness because they did not trust God or believe His Word (Numbers 14:30).
Some people habitually delay taking action. For reasons of busyness or fear, unbelief or pride, some good is never done, some commands are never obeyed and some people never continue to trust in Jesus. The Israelites' wilderness journey is an example, to us all, of how we should not respond to God's Word (1 Corinthians 10:6).
The theme of 'entering God's rest' is important: it recurs 14 times between Hebrews 3:11 and 4:11. 'Rest' is the 'sabbath' principle of ceasing to work because it has been completed – as God did after creation (Genesis 2:2).
The Lord calls us to keep on following Him, persevering through the difficulties until we meet Him face to face (Hebrews 4:11). However weak we may be, God does not modify His Word to accommodate our sin, but He keeps on referring us back to His Word – the embodied Word of God, Jesus, and His spoken Word of God; and all of the written Word of God. God never contradicts Himself and always keeps His promises.
Jesus is our Great High Priest. The picture is of the Old Testament priest who was selected each year to offer the annual sacrifice to atone for the sins of the nation: He then went alone through the heavy curtain into the most holy place to meet with God (Leviticus 16:1-34). Jesus is both the sacrifice and also the Great High Priest.
