Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Quote

Evangelical Biblical Theological Commentary

The superiority of Jesus the Son to Moses the servant is not a theological abstraction.

The previous text concluded with a call to stand firm until the end.

Now the author continues in this vein, proceeding to warn his readers in a long section extending from 3:7–4:13, beginning with a fairly long citation from Ps 95:7–11.

The warning takes center stage: they must not harden their hearts as the wilderness generation did.

The Israelites tested the Lord and resisted him, even though they saw his gracious and saving work for 40 years.

As a result, God poured his anger out on them and swore that they would not enter his rest, which is the land of promise.

Scripture

Outline

Hebrews 1-2 - Jesus is Greater Than the Angels

Hebrews 1:1-4 - God has Spoken

Hebrews 1:5-14 - The Son is Superior to the Angels

Hebrews 2:1-4 - A Warning

Hebrews 2:5-9 - Lowliness to Crowning Glory

Hebrews 2:10-18 - Jesus has Delivered His Brothers

Hebrews 3:1-4:13 - Jesus is a Greater Rest

Hebrews 3:1-6 - Jesus is Worthy of More Glory Than Moses

Hebrews 3:7-19 - Disobedience After the Exodus

Hebrews 3:7-11 - Recalling Psalm 95

Hebrews 3:12-15 - Call to Persevere

Hebrews 3:16-19 - The Exodus Generation Disobeys

Purpose of Book

Christ, who has accomplished salvation through His atoning sacrifice, is greater than all things; therefore, persevere in true faith and encourage others to do likewise

Main Point

Do not harden your hearts to rebellion like the Exodus generation

Hebrews 3:7-11 - Recalling Psalm 95

Psalm 95 Background

Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament

Psalm 95 divides into two distinct movements, the first a celebratory song of thanksgiving (95:1–7b), the second a prophetic word of exhortation to the psalmist’s community (95:7c–11).

ESV Expository Commentary

Psalm 95 opens (Ps.

95:1–7c) as a call to worship the Lord who is the source of salvation, the great God, the creator of everything, the shepherd of his people—descriptions that Hebrews applies to Jesus the Son (Heb.

2:10; 1:8, 10; 13:20).

Then the psalm shifts suddenly from praise to a sobering warning against hardness of heart, drawn from the travesty of Israelite unbelief in the wilderness after the exodus (Ps.

95:7d–11).

Hebrews follows the Septuagint

Expositor’s Bible Commentary

Echoing Exodus 17:7, the Hebrew names Meribah and Massah (which appear in v. 8 of the psalm) are translated in the LXX not as proper names but as “rebellion” and “testing,” so that the specific echo is lost.

By using these names, the psalmist had linked the climactic rebellion of Numbers 14 with the original act of defiance in Exodus 17, but our author’s use of the LXX, where that echo does not occur, has the effect of focusing attention only on the incident of Numbers 14, with its disastrous consequence in the loss of the “rest” in Canaan.

Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says,

Therefore,

This whole section elaborates on Hebrews 3:6 - Holding fast to our confession unlike the Exodus generation of Israelites

Scripture spoken by the Holy Spirit

Why are we spending time to do this?

We believe the Word of God is inspired by God Himself.

Reformed Systematic Theology by Joel Beeke

The Word of God reveals the glory of God for the worship of God.

Oh, what an indescribable gift God has given to us in his Word!

We have the very words of God, the truth of God, the light of God, the glory of God, and the name of God.

With this Word, God opens eyes blinded by ignorance, opens ears stopped up by unbelief, breaks the chains of sin, frees the prisoners of Satan, makes the lame to walk in his paths, and raises to life those who were dead in trespasses and sins.

The Lord becomes our strength and our song; he is our salvation.

With the Word in our hearts and in our mouths, bearing fruit in our lives, we are set free to fulfill the purpose for which God created us: to glorify God and to enjoy him forever.

“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness,

Today, if you hear his voice

New American Commentary

This phrase indicates three things: (1) the Holy Spirit speaks in Scripture; (2) the Holy Spirit spoke through Scripture to the author’s original audience; and (3) the Holy Spirit speaks to God’s people today through this text when they read these words.

Right now, this present moment, immediately listen to the voice of God and become obedient

Harden your hearts

Hardening one’s heart through willful rebellion

Your - PLURAL

Day of testing in the wilderness

Reference to Exodus 17:1-7 & Numbers 14

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

Your - PLURAL

Test

Israel to God

God to Israel

My works

10 plagues in Egypt

Red Sea

Providing water, manna, and quail

The 40 years in the wilderness can be characterized as disobedience

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.’”

Provoked

Always go astray in their heart

This was not a one time occurrence

Rest

They shall not enter my rest

ESV Expository Commentary

The oath that the Lord swore in his anger, “They shall not enter my rest,” is expressed grammatically as a conditional clause in Hebrew and Greek, “If they shall enter my rest,” with the consequence implied: “may I myself be accursed and destroyed.”

In other words, the force of oaths sworn by “the living God” (3:12) is to put his own life on the line: if those rebels gained access to his land, the Lord would himself willingly undergo a violent death.

The author’s warning here is the same for Psalm 95 - Do not harden your hearts like the Exodus generation!

Hebrews 3:12-15 - Call to Persevere

New American Commentary

The final paragraph of this chapter (3:12–19) comprises the author’s application of the quotation to his readers.

It is primarily hortatory in nature.

The situation of the original readers (3:12–14) is compared to that of the wilderness generation (3:15–19).

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

Care - Command

Be alert

Urgent warning

Brothers

Family ties to one another as a result of the work of Jesus

Lest there be

Do

Any of you

New International Greek Testament Commentary

The warning is addressed to the community as a whole.