Examine Your Faith Against Obduracy

Hebrews 3:16-19, 4:1-2

Hebrews 3:16–19 NASB95

16 For who provoked Him when they had heard? Indeed, did not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses? 17 And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient? 19 So we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief.

Hebrews 4:1–2 NASB95

1 Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it. 2 For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard.

Overview, what is the writer teaching us?

The writer uses the wandering generation of the exodus as an example.

Example to us to warn us of obduracy

The definition of obduracy is, “The spiritual condition of persistent unresponsiveness to God and His Word, which can rise to the level of rejection and hostility. Apart from divinely granted repentance, this condition can harden to a permanent and unchanging state, leading to condemnation

We will be focusing on the danger of obduracy, how it we diagnose it, and heal from it by using the examples found in our passage.

Desert experience of Israel

Israel saw God’s divine deliverance from Egypt

10 plagues.

Parting of the Red Sea.

Even the fact that God delivered them from Egypt speaks of God’s infinite faithfulness.

God still remembered His covenant with Abraham.

After the promised 400 years, God came through.

Mount Sinai

God set them apart as His chosen people.

Israelites saw His glory descend on the mountain-top.

Moses, Aaron, and 70 elders went up the Mt. and dined with God.

Pillars

Pillars of fire by night.

Pillars of smoke by day.

Israel saw with their eyes, heard with their ears, felt on their skins the divine providence and the mighty powers of God.

40 days of spying Jericho

God still remembered that He promised to give the land of Canaan to Abraham and his descendants.

12 spies, including Joshua and Caleb were sent to Jericho.

Spies return and give report

10 out of 12 gives bad report saying it is impossible to conquer Jericho and they are doomed.

Joshua and Caleb gives good report saying God will deliver Jericho into their hands.

What was the result?

Because Israel decided they will believe the 10, not Joshua and Caleb, they were condemned to wander the desert for 40 years.

Numbers 14:1–5 NASB95

1 Then all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night. 2 All the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron; and the whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! 3 “Why is the Lord bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become plunder; would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?” 4 So they said to one another, “Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt.” 5 Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces in the presence of all the assembly of the congregation of the sons of Israel.

This is utterly crazy to think about. Consider all the things that they just witnessed from God…and their response is to go back to Egypt.

Lesson for us

We are in the same shoes!

Our biggest defense would be...

We never saw a large body of water split!

We never saw the 10 plagues! Or anything remotely similar in its intensity!

We never saw big pillars of fire or smoke!

But this defense does not work!

Because we actually have it better than those visible wonders!

We have the Holy Spirit bearing witness inside of us!

Because every moment of our lives, with every decision we make, we all “hear” the voice of Wisdom!

Exodus generation’s downfall

You see, the Exodus generation’s downfall was their unbelief.

Hebrews 3:19 NASB95

19 So we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief.

What did they NOT believe?

Their unbelief was the fact that God will bring them into the promised land.

It should not have mattered whether there were giants in Jericho.

Does not matter if the army Jericho seemed impossible to defeat.

This is true! Israel was indigenous people… a large group of slaves who have no military background!

But what should have mattered in that the almighty God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob was on their side!

Conquering Jericho was not going to be by Israel’s military prowess, or some luck.. but it was going to be done by God working through Israel and their faith.

What does it mean for us?

We face Jericho every day

Everyone’s Jericho is different.

Habitual sin

Weakness of will

Temptations of the world

Us overcoming all these things is not by our strength.. not by our strong willpower or anything we can do.

It is overcome by faith.

When we have faith that God can and will do it because He has promised…And with that faith, we take action by invading Jericho.

Imagine if Israel decided to believe Joshua and Caleb and was like, “Yea! God will give us the land!” but decided to chill and hangout where they were but never marched on the city of Jericho! That would be something else.

Application

Self-examination

Is your heart filled with hope, faith and confidence in God? Or are you unwavering to the voice of the Holy Spirit and is still considering your own ways in your own foolishness which you consider it wisdom?

Are you living a life that is led by the Holy Spirit? Or are you living a life that is focused on pursuing the desires of your flesh?

Are you living a life that places pursuit of God first and foremost? Or are you living a life that is conforming to the world and its temptations?

If your answer is yes, I am living a righteous life, great! Keep up the good fight for you will have sure victory!

However, if your answer is no, I’m living a life filled with obduracy… There is grace and mercy!

It is never too late to repent and turn to God!

Don’t tell yourself tomorrow. Today is the day of grace!