Be Warned Heb 3:7-11
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7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice,
8 do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness,
9 where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years.
10 Therefore I was provoked with that generation, and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart; they have not known my ways.’
11 As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest.’ ”
Parenting is not easy. I’m first to admit that there are many times when I failed and I often ask for Jesus’ help. But there was a time when I think I did what I should have done.
There were a couple of weeks that our son was incredibly disobedient. It didn’t matter how we correct him; he would willfully disobey over and over. It got to the point that we were concerned, and we were thinking about what could be affecting him. But nothing we did seemed to help. So, one night I was done with his disobedience, and talk with him, with deep emotions for him and at the same time great disappointment and tears, I told him: “don’t you know that we love you and care for you, we give you so much, but in response you are despising us, rejecting and being disobedient to us. You need to stop being so disobedient, you need to show respect and love to us and to God.”
Through much prayer, he did get out of that phase. Because I love him, I had to give him a strong warning. Because God loves us, He also gives us a strong warning here in Hebrews. There are five warnings in the book of Hebrews. We studied the first one in chapter 2:1-4. The second warning is in chapter 3, verses 7 to the end of the chapter, verse 19.
For the last two weeks, we studied v1-6 of chapter 3. Now there is a quote that goes from v 7 to verse 11, and then there is a commentary on that quote from v 12 – 19. My initial intent was to cover the whole section v 7- 19. However, we will look at this section on two different Sundays. Today we will first study just the quote, there is so much here that we can learn, be reminded, and be warned.
Before the author quotes, he says:
7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice,
7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says…
It starts with the word “therefore”, indicating that the author is connecting the previous verses 1-6 with this section. In this context, we see that in v 6 the author gave us the command to fix our thoughts on Jesus because He is greater than Moses. If there were consequences for not listening to Moses, how much greater will be the consequences if we don’t pay attention to Jesus?
Therefore, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion. The connection between comparing Jesus to Moses and this quotation and commentary is to warn the listeners of this letter, so that they, and more importantly, we don’t act in unfaithfulness as the wilderness generation did.
Then v 7- 11 quote Psalm 95. However, before the author quotes, he gives an unusual statement: “as the Holy Spirit says”. A similar phrase was used two other times in the Hebrews letter when he is quoting Scripture. (Heb 9:8; 10:15). When the author quotes Scripture saying “as the Holy Spirit says” He is shouting a reminder that the Bible is God’s words. He is saying these words are not just words. These words are life-giving because they are from God. It is the Holy Spirit who inspired the human authors to write exactly what God intended and to preserve it for centuries and centuries.
2 Peter 1:20-21 knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. 21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
Heb 4:12-13 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
2 Timothy 3 16:17 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God.
All scripture is breathed out by God. Just pause to consider this… the author of Hebrews is writing Scripture as he is listening to God and then he quotes the Old Testament. The author is in awe of the fact that God spoke to the Israelites in the wilderness, then many years later through the Psalm, then to the first-century readers, and God continues to speak to us today through His word.
We are daily being transformed through our reading and studying of God’s word. The Holy Spirit speaks to us as we read His word. Because you do believe this and live out this reality I encourage you to continue steadfastly holding Scripture as the very words of God.
We often ask God to speak to us or wonder what He tells us. Well just as this NT author states when he quotes the OT… God says everything in Scripture. So as you do your daily readings, or maybe you are reading through a yearly reading plan if your attention is caught in one verse, but in your plan, you are supposed to read more, just stop and pay attention and reflect on the verse that caught your attention. It is better to pay attention and let the Holy Spirit speak to you through one verse than to read 10 chapters without knowing what you just read.
Here in Hebrews, the author gives us an example, he models to us how we should study. We need to do two kinds of reading of Scripture, fast and slow. The fast reading, we are reading big portions of Scripture to increase our overall knowledge of Scripture and to have a good grasp of the big picture. I see this by the amazing knowledge of the author of recalling different passages and knowing the context of the passages as well.
The slow reading is what we see as the author quotes a section. He is pausing to let the Holy Spirit speak through a familiar passage and apply it to his life then he was allowing God to use Scripture to direct his steps then God used it to also continue to direct our steps today.
When the author states “as the Holy Spirit says” he uses the verb say in the present and not the past tense, he could have said as the Holy Spirit said in psalm 95. But “says” is in the present tense. This indicates that the Holy Spirit spoke through Scripture to the original audience. Furthermore, it tells us that today the Holy Spirit speaks to God’s people when we read His word.
Therefore, when we do our Bible reading before we read, we can confidently pray and ask the Holy Spirit to speak to us. Whether it be teaching, rebuking, correcting, or training us in righteousness. We can pray confidently because this is His will for us, to be transformed by His Spirit through His word.
So, with this “head spinning” though regarding the never-ending amazingness of God’s word let’s go back to v7 and the quotation from Psalm 95:7-11. Sidenote, this doesn’t happen often, but the quotation and the source have the same verse numbers 7-11, both in Heb 3 and Psalm 95. This number repetition doesn’t have any meaning, it is just interesting that the same numbers were appointed to the same words. However, we cannot infer anything about this because the verse numbers and chapter division are not inspired, they are helpful tools for us to easily locate the words of Scripture.
If we would put these two Scriptures side by side, Psalm 95 and Heb 3, we will notice some differences. There are three main differences between these texts.
First, Psalm 95:8 mentions Massah and Meribah, while in Heb 3:8 when it quotes instead says in the rebellion and during the time of testing. The reason for this difference is that the author in Heb is quoting not from an English translation, but a Greek translation of the Old Testament, the Septuagint. (sep-too-uh-jint) In this translation, the words Massah and Meribah are not transliterated but translated by their meaning as in the rebellion and time of testing. Why, did the Holy Spirit ordain this difference here? The words Massah and Meribah have no significance for us unless we are reading them in the context of Exodus 17, which describes the origin of these words. However, for us when we read Heb 3, what matters is that the Israelites were in rebellion, they were tested by God and a heart of stone was found. If God will bring you to the fire to test your heart, what is going to be found? A soft heart to the Lord, or a stone hard heart?
The second difference is a slight Greek alteration that changes the punctuation in v10, which changes the placement of the word “for forty years” with the previous phrase. This slight alteration changes the meaning of forty years as of a time of God’s wrath as it is written in Psalm 95 to a time when people witness God’s work of grace and blessing for forty years. The author of Hebrews is not careless or altering God’s word, because in Heb 3:17 the author mentions these forty years as a time of God’s anger. So, which is it, years of anger or seeing God’s work? It seems that the author saw these 40 years as both, a time of testing, with God’s blessings and anger being exhibited at the same time.
What is the Holy Spirit saying here in this change? That the more we are given the more we will have to give an account. Luke 12:48 “Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.”
We were given so much through Jesus, we have experienced His grace and mercy day by day. He answered so many prayer requests. He has been with us each step of the way. What will be the consequence if we don’t live accordingly? What will we deserve if we disregard Jesus each day?
The third and last change between Psalm 95 and the quote in Heb 3 is in v10, there is a change from this to that, before the word generation. This is also an intentional change because the author of Hebrews was contextualizing the Psalm to the hearers of the letter. Indicating the Holy Spirit spoke to that generation, but now He is speaking to this generation. He is speaking to you. What is your response when God corrects and rebukes you? How are we going to respond when God put us in our place and exalts Himself for His name’s sake?
Are you going to rebel? Are we going to harden our hearts? Or are we going to say You are the Lord, You do as You will, we are unworthy servants. The Lord has given and the Lord has taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord.
Therefore, these three differences between the texts are not unintentional or careless quotations, but it is an intentional quotation to the audience of this letter. Considering all these little things we might ask; would the readers even notice these small changes?
The answer is absolutely, yes. Because Psalm 95 was a Psalm that the Jews have heard over and over as they came to the synagogue services. It is well known in Judaism that this Psalm was used in the synagogues as a Psalm of a prelude. The words of this Psalm are what the Jews would first hear every Sabbath as they met together.
Looking at this quote we might say… that’s kind of a strange way to start a worship service… if we look at Psalm 95. Sidenote we will read Psalm 95 on 84 Sundays, or approximately 1.5 years from now, for our prayer time. Or if we turn to Psalm 95 now, we will see that the first part of the psalm is a call to worship… v1 Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!” v4 In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also.” from v1 to 7 of Psalm 95 calls us to worship God, then v7-11 gives the warning, of which was quoted here in Heb 3.
How does worship lead to the warning? How do praising and warning go hand in hand?
At first, it seems that praising God and worshipping Him is the opposite of receiving a warning from God.
What is the proper response to God’s warning? It is obedience and having a respectful fear of God.
We praise Him for who He is, and at the same time we are put in our place, that we need Him, we need His help to be obedient. And we have a respectful fear of God because of who He is.
Furthermore, Psalm 95 makes a reference to Exodus 17 when the Israelites quarreled with Moses because there was no water, Moses answer them saying: Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord? The people were in rebellion so much that they were ready to stone Moses. Then Moses called that place Massah and Meribah, which mean testing and quarreling.
Additionally, the historical account of the events behind Psalm 95 is Numbers 14. The Israelites after hearing the report of the spies, rebel again as they approach the promised land. Number 14 is the pinnacle of their rebellion because they want to appoint a new leader and go back to Egypt, then Moses, Aaron, Joshua, and Caleb fell on their faces before the congregation pleading with them to not rebel against God.
What is their response? In their hardness of heart, the whole congregation picks up stones to kill Moses, Aaron, Joshua, and Caleb. If God had not intervened those that were faithful to God would have been killed. They had hardened their hearts and God promised that none of those who rebelled would enter the promised land.
Isn’t it amazing, I don’t know if you pick up on a theme that seems to repeat here. Rocks and stones repeat quite a bit in these stories. Psalm 95 1 refers to God as the rock of our salvation, v4 the heights of the mountains are His; v8 do not harden your hearts. Then in Exodus 17, Moses hit the rock, and out of the rock comes water; before that the people in their hearts of stone wanted to kill Moses with rocks.
When rocks or stones were associated with men it was bad and evil, hardened hearts, pick up stones to kill. But God is the rock of our salvation. He as the rock was hit for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities, out of Him came water, life so we could live. So that He could remove the heart of stone and give us a heart of flesh, that is tender and soft.
All of this is the background of this quotation from Psalm 95. The quote starts with the word “today”. This word is very important, and the author of Hebrews will repeat it several times in this section of Scripture. But when it was used in Psalm 95 it refers to the time of the psalmist, which was several hundred years after the events in Numbers 14. But the author of Hebrews is intending this word to refer to the time of the audience he was giving the warning. And it stands to even today, reminding us of the urgency of the warning.
Then it says “if you hear his voice” the conditional clause “if” is indicating if the hearers of the letter are willing to listen to God’s voice. This whole section in chapter 3 is a warning about the danger of disobeying God.
At this point, you are probably thinking, it took him this long to go through one verse, how much longer until we are done studying this quote? Don’t worry studying the next few verses won’t take as long.
8 do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness,
8 do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness
V8 gives the command, today if you are willing to listen to God’s voice do not harden your hearts. We might ask: how does one harden their own heart? The context of the quote makes it clear that hardening our own hearts is repetitive willful disobedience to God. As the Israelites did in the wilderness, “as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness. Here is the reference to Exod 17 when the people quarrel and test God when they had no water.
This rebellion is further described in v9
9 where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years.
9 where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years.
Here we see that this rebellion was for the whole time that the Israelites were in the wilderness, and they repetitively willfully disobey God’s commands again and again and they did not trust in Him or in what God has said. Even though they saw all the amazing works that God displayed to them.
The consequence of such rebellion is God’s just judgment on keeping them from entering the promised land.
10 Therefore I was provoked with that generation, and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart; they have not known my ways.’
11 As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest.’ ”
10 Therefore I was provoked with that generation, and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart; they have not known my ways.’ 11 As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest.’ ”
When it says they always, it gives the idea of constantly or continually. They were going astray for t 40 years of wilderness. They willfully refused to do what God told them to do, so they did not know God’s ways.
Then in His wrath, God declared an oath, they shall not enter my rest.
This quote gives a strong warning reminding us that repetitive willful disobedience, that is hardening one’s heart towards God will result in an absolute certain punishment from God, of which there is no return.
It reminds us that God’s patience is great. But there is one day coming when it will be over and there will be no more chance to repent.
2 Peter 3:9-10 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.
If you have not turned your life to Christ, don’t wait until tomorrow. Tomorrow is not guaranteed, repent today, while there is still time. Today is your chance to have your sin paid on the cross and be covered by the blood of Jesus. If you don’t repent and trust in Jesus, you will pay for your sins for eternity.
What if you already have turned your life to Christ and have been following Him for years? do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.
Don’t expect this world to get better, it is not going to. It is a fallen world. In this world, we will have tribulation.
It doesn’t take an expert to see that the opposition to Christianity is increasing. Don’t be surprised at the direction the world is going. It is going to get worse, then much worse, then Christ will come.
When things will get difficult you might be tempted to think that God does not love us. That’s not true, He does and because He loves us, He is going to use sufferings and trials to refine us. It is only through fire that the dross comes up. When we face any difficulty, we see more clearly the impurities in our hearts. We will be tempted to want the good old days back or to try to ignore the dross. When we see the impurity of our hearts, we need to recognize that we need our savior to come and scoop it up and remove it from us and make us more and more pure.
Whether we come to Jesus for the first time, or for the hundredth time to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. It is the blood of Jesus that covers us and cleanses us.