KBM Rebellion Against God

Today we are continuing our series of lesson on Impact 3:16 with a look at the marvelous book of Hebrews. The Hebrew letter was written to the Hebrew Christians who were struggling with the persecution they were facing. We see such examples of this in Acts 8:1-4 though this letter was written much later. The reality of this persecution was that many of the Hebrew Christians were considering “giving up on Christ” and “going back to Judaism.” The book of Hebrews is a master piece on why Christ and his law is superior to the Old Law. In Hebrews 3 we find him discussing how Christ is superior to Moses (Hebrews 3:3) and that those that followed him were a people with a hard and unbelieving heart as seen in their rebellions against God. The Hebrew writer begs these Christians not to be like them in Hebrews 3:12.

Hebrews 3:12 NKJV

12 Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God;

That brings us to our text so let’s read Hebrews 3:16-19.

Hebrews 3:16–19 NKJV

16 For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? 17 Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? 19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

A hard heart like a “millstone” (Job 41:24) or “diamond” (Zechariah 7:12) is that is full of deceit (Jeremiah 17:9).

It is not a heart that is “pure” (1 Timothy 1:5), which is “faithful” (Nehemiah 9:8), and therefore “glad” (Proverbs 15:13).

A hard heart, like that of the rebellious Israelites is darkened because of ignorance Ephesians 4:18.

Ephesians 4:18 NKJV

18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart;

That darkened understanding leads to a heart of unbelief in the God of the bible Mark 16:14.

Mark 16:14 NKJV

14 Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.

And when our hearts are hardened by the darkness of ignorance and unbelief it will anger and grieve our God Mark 3:5.

Mark 3:5 NKJV

5 And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.

This heart of rebellion that is hard from being darkened by ignorance, shaped by unbelief, that has angered and grieved God will be one’s destruction Romans 2:5.

Romans 2:5 NKJV

5 But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,

Let us all, make certain everyday, we are not hardening our heart which leads to rebellion against God. Do not be one of those that has “treasured up wrath” for yourself from God but rather one that will be found by God as a “good and faithful servant.”