Surpassing Moses

Hebrews next demonstrates the superiority of the sonly word by comparing it to Moses. Implicit in its argument is the priority of the “word spoken in the Son” over the Mosaic legislation, and at this point in the letter, the comparison is most appropriate.

In the letter’s opening paragraph, it compares the “word spoken in” Jesus to the earlier revelations given “in the prophets.” Although Moses is the chief representative of this illustrious group, he is also more honored than all the others.

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The Greater Lawgiver

In Matthew’s gospel, the life and deeds of Jesus echo key events in the history of Israel, not that he reenacts them, but instead, he brings what God began in the past to fruition in the kingdom of God. The Nazarene is the Greater Lawgiver foreshadowed in the story of Israel’s exodus from Egypt.

This is not done simply for literary effect. By presenting parallels between Moses and Jesus, Matthew sets the stage for the teachings of the “Coming One,” especially in his so-called ‘Sermon on the Mount’.

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