Hebrews 3:7-13 | How to Make God Angry

Intro: You wouldn’t like me when I am angry.

Recap first 6 verses.

Harden Your Heart Towards God.

Hebrews 3:7 ESV

7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice,

Holy Spirit says - we don’t know the author Hebrews, so fitting. This is ultimately always true. Every word of the Bible was inspired by the Holy Spirit.

Today, if you hear his voice - Today, in Hebrews Day, in David’s Day, In Moses’ day or in our day? YES!

Good news. same advice for today. How do we hear his voice? Primarily through his Word. You can’t say God isn’t speaking when your Bible is closed. We sometime get mystical about it. …maybe more of a discussion here.

Hebrews 3:8 ESV

8 do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness,

harden your hearts - idea of reinforcing defence. literally to make fat. like chelesteral. Illustration: eating bad will prevent you from living the way your want to.

as in the rebellion - what rebellion?

day of testing in the wilderness - That could be several places actually, but thankfully we know exactly what time he was talking about.

Psalm 95:8 ESV

8 do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness,

Meriba or Massah - Exodus 17:1-3.

Massah - means the place of testing. Name of the location. It was a such a testing that they named the place that. HAHA - we don’t talk about Bruno.

TELL STORY HERE!

Exodus 17:1–3 ESV

1 All the congregation of the people of Israel moved on from the wilderness of Sin by stages, according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?” 3 But the people thirsted there for water, and the people grumbled against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?”

We look at Israelites and think we could never do that to God, but when we refuse to obey God and his plan for our life we are no different than the Israelite.

Hebrews 3:9 ESV

9 where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years.

fathers put me to the test - They highly esteemed their fathers. “ do not test the Lord your God.” God can test us, because he is God and second because his testing draws us closer to him. Whereas we can’t test him because he already proven himself.

When they felt like God was testing them, they were actually testing God.

While God was testing them, will you trust me. They were putting God to the test as well.

saw my works for forty years - He is using them as a an example to make sure they avoid the problem.

haha we always say we want to see God working, this isn;t usually what is meant by that.

You can either trust God or test God, you can’t do both.

We frequently put God to the test…God if you love me, then......

The trick is to keep trusting even while being tested.

Always testing your spouse …maybe funny illustration. Do you really love me?

Turn Away From God.

Hebrews 3:10 ESV

10 Therefore I was provoked with that generation, and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart; they have not known my ways.’

Provoked - God wasn’t up in heaen already angry. The bible

They always - good distraction. Actually accurate.

In their heart - that is where rebellion starts isn’t it. in the heart. that then leads to action.

Hebrews 3:11 ESV

11 As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest.’ ”

swore in my wrath - (

rest - they would not enter the promise land. This is going to be a huge topic over the next month.

Hebrews 3:12 ESV

12 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.

Take care - literally. Watch out. Soldier reference of keeping watch over each other.

brothers -

lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart - Don’t listen to your heart!

leading you to fall away from the living God. -

Falling away is the same sin as the Israelite not believing God was going to provide for them. After he led them out of the red sea and 10 plagues!

Hebrews 3:13 ESV

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.

Your heart will determine your direction.