An Example to Persevere

 

Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years. Therefore I was provoked with that generation, and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart; they have not known my ways.’ As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest.’” Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 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. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. As it is said, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief. (Hebrews 3:7–19 ESV).

 

As we continue through Hebrews, the writer’s main approach is with a very serious warning of the way God worked in the past. God has always been consistent. This is seen clearly in the way He dealt with Israel after they came out of Egypt and then in spite of all that power and mercy on their behalf, they responded to God with grumbling and unbelief. The result was that he gave them up to die in the wilderness and swore that they would not enter God's rest in the promised land.

 

A refresher may be helpful here. The people of Israel are used as an example for the original readers at this point. Remember, they had been treated with great mercy as God brought them out of Egypt by signs and wonders. And these people had seen signs and wonders (cf. Hebrews 2:4). The Holy Spirit had been at work in their midst, and they had participated in his power (cf. Hebrews 6:4). They had tasted the powers of the age to come (cf. Hebrews 6:5). And for a short while they were very happy and seemingly confident in God. But it didn't last. And that is why this example is so important to the writer of Hebrews. He wants the professing Christians to last, to persevere. Because that's the only way they will prove they are truly God's house and truly share in Christ's salvation. So, he says look at Israel and don't be like them.

 

Then he continues with the warning to his readers (v. 8). The warning is clear and severe: do not harden your hearts as when they provoked me [or perhaps better, "as in the embitterment", as in the day of trial in the wilderness (v. 9), where your fathers tried me by testing me, and saw my works for forty years. And it gets worse: "They always go astray in their heart; and they did not know my ways; as I swore in my wrath, 'They shall not enter my rest.'" (v. 11).

 

The story of Israel should be an example for the professing church. Do not treat the grace of God with contempt, presuming to receive the benefits of grace without the responsibilities. Simply put, do not treat Jesus as a mere ticket to heaven. He calls us to life and the works of that life. We are indeed chosen for the continued spread of His Gospel!