Hebrews 3:7–15 (ESV) —
7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says,
“Today, if you hear his voice,
8 do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion,
on the day of testing in the wilderness,
9 where your fathers put me to the test
and saw my works for forty years.
10 Therefore I was provoked with that generation,
and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart;
they have not known my ways.’
11 As I swore in my wrath,
‘They shall not enter my rest.’ ”
12 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. 15 As it is said,
“Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”
NOTE: The author quotes from Ps 95:7b-11 which is a reference to Exo 17:1 where the people grumble about not having water. But the real rebellion occurs in Numbers 14 where the people in fear refuse to follow God into the promised land because of giants. They heard God's voice and refused to obey the command to take the land and died in the wilderness for their rebellion. The incidents around the water (Massah and Meribah) are similar, suggesting they still had not learned. In the water incidents, they required water "immediately" or their children, their animals, and themselves would die within 2-4 days.
I have always believed that the people had no doubt about God's tremendous power, especially at what they saw in Egypt. I still believe that the problem of that generation was a failure to believe God cared for them individually. They saw him moving a great number of people, but they did not see him in their own lives. They did not want to be pawns in some great venture. And so, they did not trust God. "They saw my works … they have not known my ways."
Today, that is still the missing definition of faith, believing God cares for me.
Hebrews 11:6 (ESV) — 6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
It is not enough to believe God exists, we must believe that he cares for us to truly exercise real faith -- he is a rewarder to those who seek him and he is pleased.
Do I see God as an awesome and all powerful entity? (Which he is) Or do I also see God as someone who understands me and cares for me even in very difficult circumstances? Faith makes a big difference.
“Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”
PONDER:
- How is my relationship with God -- do I see great works or do I know him such that I see his ways?
PRAYER: Father, when I first learned this, I was going through a very difficult time of life. I was not sure my children or my family would survive. Today, I see your hand as it worked in my life. And I still see it working today. I would never choose the path you took me through, but I understand your ways. And gratefully, I say, you saved my children and my family. Thank you.
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