Don’t Harden Your Heart
Notes
Transcript
Can you believe those Israelites?
They watched the 10 plagues with the finale of what is celebrated by the passover. They walked through the Red Sea and the Jordan. They were fed manna in the wilderness. When they asked for meat God provided them quail. When they were thirsty God caused water to gush forth from a rock. Their clothes and their shoes didn’t wear out for 40 years while wandering in the wilderness. Match that Nike!
Yet even with all of that, throughout the Old Testament we see them in one moment saying to Moses and to God, “We’ll do whatever you say!”
All the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.” And Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord.
And just a bit later in Exodus: Exodus 24:7
Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people. And they said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.”
Really? Many of us just completed a cover to cover read through of the entirety of the Bible. What did we read? Did the Israelites do whatever was spoken by the Lord?
Um…no.
I remember a golden calf. I remember them complaining constantly: we’re hungry you brought us out here to starve; we’re thirsty you brought us out here to die of thirst. I remember them wanting to go back to Egypt. I remember them not wanting to go into the promised land. I remember them once they were in the promised land not doing as the Lord commanded. I remember one disobedient act after another, after another, after another, and I think - “What’s wrong with you people! Can’t you see the Lord is with you?”
This is what the writer of Hebrews is warning us against.
The Israelites had their leader Moses, according to our writer, Heb 3:5
Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later,
Moses was no doubt a great leader. And as we go on to verse 6 we read: Heb 3:6
but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.
Ah, there it is! That little conjunction that negates whatever came before it, “but”. Hebrews 3:6 “but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son.
The writer of Hebrews reminds his readers of the hierarchy that he’s been painting through the book. First we had Jesus above the angels and even the word, and now over Moses. Moses was considered the greatest prophet in Israel, he was recognized as the author of the Genesis through most of Deuteronomy. The five foundational books of the Hebrew Bible and our Bibles are authored by Moses. and we read, “but Christ…”
Moses was a servant IN all God’s House, but Christ is faithful OVER God’s house as a son. And what is God’s house?
Hebrews 3:6 (ESV)
but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.
That’s a powerful challenge for all of us to hold fast to the One who is our confidence and boasting in our hope. Jesus is our confidence, and Jesus is our hope or at least that’s what we profess.
We then read this excerpt from Psalm 95, which the author of Hebrews quotes from frequently.
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.’ ”
I want us to look at this directly from the Psalm, Psalm 95.7
For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Today, if you hear his voice,
This is where the passage begins. We read, what is his house? It is us, and as the psalmist writes: He is our God, and we the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. and then begins the warning, “Today, if you hear his voice…” let’s read the rest.
do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness,
when your fathers put me to the test and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work.
For forty years I loathed that generation and said, “They are a people who go astray in their heart, and they have not known my ways.”
Therefore I swore in my wrath, “They shall not enter my rest.”
So what exactly happened? What is the author of the Psalm and of Hebrews referring to?
Back in Exodus 17, the people are thirsty, and they plead with Moses, “Give us a drink” and Moses asks, “why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?” They continued to complain, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?”
Moses is instructed to gather the people and take his staff and strike the rock for water to come out.
Back to Exodus 17:7
And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the quarreling of the people of Israel, and because they tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”
Then they are left to wander the desert for 40 years. Why 40 years? It was long enough for that entire generation to die out. They were not allowed to enter into God’s rest.
God’s rest: In Exodus, the promised land. In the present: that place of peace; in the future: Glory - heaven, new Jerusalem.
That last question haunted the Israelites throughout their journey, and it is what the author calls us to consider?
Exodus 17:7 (ESV)
“Is the Lord among us or not?”
It’s so easy to condemn, isn’t it? Well it is for me, I realize you all are far above such petty judgmental attitudes.
Over and over and over again, I watch them as I’m reading the text and see all that God is doing for them and yet they can’t seem to see it. Why? How come we can see it and they can’t?
Well, we see it because we’re outside the story.
We see it because it’s pointed out in God’s Word.
We see it because we see the promises God has made and then we watch and see their intent to follow God but…they don’t.
They get focused on themselves…again.
They forget God’s promises…again.
They determine to do it on their own…again.
Then they realize they’ve made a mistake…again.
They repent…again.
They commit to following God…again.
Those idiots. How could they not see. Oh wait, what was it Jesus said? Matthew 7:3
Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
Oh…um…er…well…
We have our list of excuses. Don’t we. What the author is telling us is we’re not giving reasons, they don’t excuse us, we’re hardening our hearts!
v. 12 reads: He 3:12
Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.
Do you hear that?
We judge the Israelites for turning away because the promises of God were so obvious to them…right? They had Moses. They had seen such miracles, and yet…
Pull out mirror
Well, take a look in the mirror. We have God’s Words - we have his promises and yet…
Is our judgment of the Israelites not simply the pot calling the kettle black? God had made them promises. God has makes us promises. God made them promises through Moses. God makes us promises through Jesus Christ. The Israelites had the choice to believe God’s promises or not; and we have the choice to believe God’s promises or not.
Yet just like the Israelites had consequences; there is a consequence for us as well.
In closing our Scripture for today: He 3:16-17
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.
It’s easy to sit in judgment over the Israelites, and we find ourselves in the same boat. So rather than allowing evil or unbelief into our heart taking us away from God the author admonishes us: Heb 3:12
Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.
“hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” Sin is a liar. Consumerism tells us that if we just have enough stuff we’ll be happy. Advertising tells us if we just drink this product we’ll be surrounded by happy beautiful people; if we use this product all of our life will be easier. Our culture tells us if you just have lots of money you’ll be happy. Money wrinkles, things decay - it’s time we throw away our idols. It’s time we strip away those titles we strive for that we think will make us happy, but in the end are just another piece of paper.
Is there anything you’re putting ahead of God? This was the question of the Israelites.
Years ago I was leading a children’s sermon at another church. I had about 15 children gathered around as we went through Jesus teaching to Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind and all your strength, quoting from Deuteronomy 6. We talked about what it meant to love the Lord with all of your heart. Then we talked about all your soul. Then all your mind. Then all your strength. A little boy raised his hand, “But…Pastor Murph, if I love him with my all I don’t have anything left.” From the mouths of babes.
I want to close with these words from the writer: He 3:13
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.
When is it call today? Right now, right? What about tomorrow, when we come to tomorrow what will we call it? Today! And the next, and the next.
To exhort is to strongly encourage. Why should we exhort one another? So that none of us may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. Sin is a liar plain and simple.
You and I, if we profess to have a faith, holding to our original confidence share in Christ.
Who have you exhorted today? Who have you encouraged today?
We refer to Mission Woods Church as a growing place. Growing closer to God; to one another; to our community.
Mission Woods Church
A Growing Place: Growing closer to God; to one another; to our community.
When you are growing in Christ, digging into God’s Word, actively participating in worship. When you’re growing in Christ: actively participating in leadership, in fellowship. When you’re growing in Christ, actively serving in our community, reaching out to neighbors
When you’re growing in Christ, it not only impacts others, it impact you! If your mindset is focused simply upon this world you’re vision is incredibly nearsighted. If you’re kingdom minded your perspective is far wider. Your focus has panned out to include your neighbor, your community, the person sitting next to you in church and across the aisle, it includes the people that agree with you and those that don’t.
The question from Ex 17:7 rings out for all of:
Exodus 17:7 (ESV)
“Is the Lord among us or not?”
I believe He is! And so I encourage you that He is. Whatever your’e going through, God is there. Whatever your struggles, God knows them. What ever you need help in, He’s right there waiting for us to simply ask. We read it throughout Scripture. From Joshua 1:9 we read God’s promise to be there:
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
What’s more, from the Great Commission, Matthew 28:20
Matthew 28:20 (ESV)
“ I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
We cannot allow our hearts to be hardened by this world. Don’t allow yourself to become jaded by what you read, hear, or see in the media. Focus on the One who was, and is, and is to come. This is Jesus who sits on the throne.
Our call is to exhort one another. To exhort is to strongly encourage! Who have you exhorted today?
I want to exhort you to exhort someone today, while you’re hear. Develop the habit of exhortation. Press people forward in their faith, and by doing so, your faith is going to grow as well.
I’ll close with this. Look around you. Seriously, look around you. Do you see everyone in this room. Imagine that you had to compete with every person here for what you needed. It would be you against how many? Kind of gets you feeling like, it’ll never happen.
Now, look around you again. Imagine every person here doing everything in their power to see that you had what you needed. Now instead of feeling overwhelmed by the odds against you, you feel the surge of those pressing you on, encouraging you, exhorting you.
The author of Hebrews will come back to this theme later in Hebrews 10:24-25
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
Let’s stir one another up! Let’s light it up! Let that fire spread! It will not only change each one of us, it will change this church. It will not only change this church, it will change this community. It will not only change this community, it will change our world! That’s Pentecost. That’s the church.
To God be the glory! Amen. Let me pray for you.
Don’t Harden Your Heart
Don’t Harden Your Heart