WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An international Sunday school lesson commentary
For Sunday October 9, 2016
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THE BUILDER OF THE HOUSE
(We can be a part of GOD’s household if we choose to)
Hebrews 3:1-6 & Matthew 7:24-29
The builder
of the house is always greater than the house itself. In Hebrews chapter three,
the author of GOD turns his focus to proving that JESUS is greater than GOD’s
great servant Moses, who led the Israelites out of Egypt, during the great
exodus. It is a call for faithfulness among the chosen people of GOD, as the
writer now addresses his readers as “holy brothers” who share in the Heavenly
calling.
Here in this
passage, the author is obviously thinking of the privilege of their own high
calling of being able to participate in the future dominion of CHRIST JESUS in
HIS coming earthly “Millennial Kingdom”. In this passage, Moses is praised for
his faithfulness as an honored servant, who was himself, high above the status
of a slave. But here he points out that JESUS too, was a faithful servant of
HIS FATHER GOD, and was far superior to Moses in every respect.
In relationship
to GOD’s household, Moses was never more than a member of the family. However,
JESUS is the architect, or builder of the family of GOD. HE deserves far more
glory than Moses, just as a person who builds a house deserves more praise than
the house itself.
As far as roles
in the house of GOD are concerned Moses was an important servant, however,
JESUS is the SON and HEIR of the OWNER of the house, GOD. And even in
relationship to ministry, Moses himself spoke of what would happen in the
future, when he prophesied in Deuteronomy 18:15, to his fellow Israelites, that,
“The LORD will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your fellow
Israelites, and you must listen to that PROPHET”.
In every way
imaginable, JESUS was superior to Moses, who himself was a towering figure in
Jewish history, and in fact, is one of the greater human beings in the annals
of Scripture, who has ever lived. However, JESUS, the MAN WHO built the house
of GOD on earth, and on a solid rock, I might add, is by far superior to Moses,
who was only a servant in the house of GOD, just as many are, and will be in
the future.
When we as Christians
begin to lay down our foundation of faith, on which we will build our legacy
for the future of our children, we will do good to follow JESUS’ examples,
teachings, and lifestyle to the letter, if we are to truly succeed in
overcoming this world as JESUS did.
In Matthew
chapter 7, verses 24-29, JESUS concludes HIS, now famous, “Sermon on the Mount”
with this warning for us to build our spiritual foundations on “the most high
Faith”. There we see JESUS demanding two things. First, HE demands that we “listen”
(hear), because the first step to living a Christian life calls for us to give
JESUS a chance to be heard.
Secondly, JESUS
demands that we “do”. Knowledge does not become relevant until it is put into
action. Knowledge must become action, while theory must become practice, and
then, theology can become life. There is little point in going to see an expert
if we are not prepared to act upon his advice. Millions of people go to church
every weekend to listen to the teachings of JESUS, and some, as a result, have
very good knowledge of what HE says about life. However, time and time again,
we walk out of the doors of the church, and we fail to put that knowledge into
action. If we are in any sense, to become followers of CHRIST, we must learn to,
first “hear”, and then “do”.
There is only one
word that sums up “hearing and doing”, in both, the English and the Greek. In the
Greek that word is “hupokoe” (hoop-ak-o-ay), and it means “to listen
attentively, and to heed or conform to command or authority”. In the English,
that word is “obedience”.
It is JESUS’
claim that obedience to HIM is the only “true foundation”. “I AM the Way, the
Truth, and the Life” is what HE said to “a doubting Thomas” in John 14:6. In the
final analysis, all man ever really seeks is life, for he never seeks knowledge
just for knowledge sake, but rather, for what that knowledge can do to make his
life more worth living. It is JESUS’ contention that, life through HIM is the
only life worth living. No one goes to the FATHER in Heaven, but by JESUS. HE
alone, is the way to GOD. In HIM, we see exactly what GOD is like, and only HE
can usher us into GOD’s OWN glorious presence, without fear, without guilt,
and, without shame.
A Sunday school lesson by,
Larry D. Alexander
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