Unbelief and the Wrath of God

Hebrews 3:7-19

A Rest for the People of God

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.’”

12 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 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. 14 For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. 15 As it is said,

“Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”

16 For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses?17 And with whom was he provoked 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 unable to enter because of unbelief.

This passage follows a challenge to everyone who believes - that we should hold fast to the hope that we have in Christ Jesus.  He rules faithfully over God's kingdom (Hebrews 3:6).  The act of "holding fast" to our confidence in Christ and our hope of eternal redemption is evidence of our faith, and faith is at the foundation of every believer in Christ.  

This portion of Hebrews chapter three begins by restating the scripture from Psalm 95:7-11.  As a side note, notice that the passage gives credit to the Holy Spirit who spoke these words.  The word of God is written by God Himself who, through His Holy Spirit, inspired the hand of man to put ink to paper.   The identity of the man who penned Hebrews is unknown, but the author of the words is the Spirit of God.  If ever you are unsure whether you have heard God's voice, test to see if the words spoken to your are rooted in scripture.  The Holy Spirit's job is to remind you of what God has already said.  His word is complete, accurate and beneficial to guide you in all of life.  God's Spirit will always guide us consistently by God Word and according to His unchanging attributes. 

Today, right now, is the time to respond to God who is calling us to believe upon Christ.  Believing is a largely misunderstood term among those who would call themselves "Christian."  As we look through Hebrews 3:7-19, we will grasp the depth of what it means to believe. 

The nation of Israel was led out of captivity in Egypt by their appointed deliverer, Moses.   However, they did not trust God in their exodus ("the rebellion".)  God spoke to them but they did not trust Him.  They did not have faith that God would do as He had promised which was to provide for them in their exile and establish them in the promised land.  Their unbelief led them to seek their own gods, essentially putting trust in themselves.  Finally, God condemned them to remain outside of the promised land forever (except for Joshua, Caleb and the second generation exiles who did not doubt God's faithfulness.)  

What is a hardened heart?  God describes behavior of the exiles as "always going astray in their hearts" and "they have not known my ways."  Imagine having a child who, over the span of 40 years, continually says to you, "You aren't my real Mom or Dad.  I don't believe that you really gave birth to me.  I just don't trust what you have claimed to be my relationship to you!"  That child would eventually break your heart and stir up a degree of contempt and anger.  Certainly, after 40 years, you would dismiss the child to believe whatever he has chosen to believe because he has become completely convinced with his own lie.  After such a span of time, the child refused to see your love, true character or faithful nurture over the deception in his hard heart.  The consequence of the child's behavior is wrath.  You would have every right to disown the child.  "If he will not believe that he is our son, then he will not inherit our possessions when we die."  This is exactly the consequence that the unbelieving Jews faced.  They  witnessed all the mighty works of God as they left the land of their captors, yet they refused to believe God to the point of obedience.  They were hard hearted.  God withheld the promised land that He had set aside for their earthly inheritance.

Hebrews 3:12 begins with an exhortation to all who believe in Christ.  "Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God."  It is serious business to be deceived by sin, to choose sin instead of trusting in God.  Walking in disobedience is a continual choice to sin rather than holding fast to Christ who delivers us from slavery to sin.  Verse 13 gives us one key to obedience - the church.  All who believe in Christ are the church, and we must encourage one another to remain steadfast in our hope and in our actions.  If you are a new Christian, you must join a church full of true believers who can teach you the fundamentals of faith in Christ and how to surrender to the Holy Spirit who conquers sin.  Notice however, that this challenge is not just for the new believer, but for all.  "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." (vs. 13)  We are all weak and vulnerable when we turn our gaze from Christ, when we cease to set our mind on the Spirit even for one day.  And so the body of Christ is established that we can remind each other of our hope and resist the life of sin.  This is how true, Spirit led believers can walk in faith, firm to the end - through the unity of the body of Christ.

God is challenging everyone who calls himself a Christian in the final passage of Hebrews 3.  He asks us this question:

 "Who were those who heard and yet rebelled?  Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses?"  

The very people who were not allowed to enter the promised land were the people who followed their deliverer out of Egypt!  What?  They followed Moses!  They trusted God just enough to be rescued!  Is God unjust to take them out of captivity and then condemn them to die?  No!  God is justified in His wrath as He stated in 3:17, 

"And with whom was he provoked for forty years?  Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness?"

The Jews trusted God enough to do what was necessary to be saved, but they did not do enough to show their belief in God.  They continued to disobeyHim and sin against Him.  

"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." 

So God is speaking to us, today.  If you hear His voice, do not harden your heart like the exiled Jews did in their rebellion.  Those who were disobedient were actually unbelieving.  To believe is to obey.  If you truly believe that Christ's sacrifice has saved you from the wrath of God, you will respond to God with an obedient heart.  I was recently reminded of a sermon illustration that Charles Spurgeon used to describe the new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:16-21.)  Briefly explained here:  a pig naturally eats it's slop of garbage food and enjoys it.  But if the pig were to be changed into a man, he would spit out the slop because it would disgust him.  So should we, when deciding to believe in Christ's sacrifice, be changed in such a way that the sins we once committed would disgust us.  When we sin, our response should be that of a broken heart with great remorse followed by a desire for forgiveness and restoration.  If the sin you commit no longer disgusts you, then you have a problem.  The problem is unbelief.  The consequence of unbelief is to remain outside of the inheritance that was meant for you.  This is why "Today" is so very important to all of us.  There is time to believe, to obey, while we still draw breath and Christ has not yet returned!

God will not always strive with His disobedient children, holding his anger back.  There will be a judgement day when He will release His anger against all who practice unbelief.  I will conclude this passage in Hebrews with a portion of Psalm 103.  Notice two things:  vs. 9 - God is striving with us (pleading and waiting for us to believe), and vs. 11 - His lovingkindness to those who fear Him is as high as the heavens are above the earth!

Psalm 103:6-18

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

6 The Lord performs [a]righteous deeds
And judgments for all who are oppressed.
7 He made known His ways to Moses,
His acts to the sons of Israel.
8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.
9 He will not always strive with us,
Nor will He keep His anger forever.
10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
So great is His lovingkindness toward those who [b]fear Him.
12 As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
13 Just as a father has compassion on his children,
So the Lord has compassion on those who [c]fear Him.
14 For He Himself knows [d]our frame;
He is mindful that we are but dust.

15 As for man, his days are like grass;
As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
16 When the wind has passed over it, it is no more,
And its place acknowledges it no longer.
17 But the lovingkindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who [e]fear Him,
And His [f]righteousness to children’s children,
18 To those who keep His covenant
And remember His precepts to do them.

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 103:6 Or deeds of vindication
2. Psalm 103:11 Or revere
3. Psalm 103:13 Or revere
4. Psalm 103:14 I.e. what we are made of
5. Psalm 103:17 Or revere
6. Psalm 103:17 I.e. faithfulness to His gracious promises