July 6 - Don't Harden Your Hearts

July 6 - Hebrews 3:7-19 - Don't Harden Your Hearts

If there was one dark period in Israel's history, one that they would be constantly warned about, it was that day at the border of Canaan. Spies went in and reported that the land was lush, flowing with milk and honey. But, many that went in came back with bad reports (Numbers 3:26-33). The entire community grumbled, stating that they would have preferred to die in Egypt, or even in the desert. Why would the Lord bring them to this land only to have them die by the sword.

They were so willing to believe the lies and not the Lord, that He became furious with them. They were doomed to spend 40 years in the desert. (Numbers 14:1-45) The men of that generation never saw the Promised Land.

Psalm 95 is quoted several times in this passage and in Hebrews 3:13, the use of the word 'Today' refers back to the beginning of the quote in Hebrews 3:7. It means something like 'while you still have an opportunity.'

We have the opportunity daily to encourage each other. It becomes apparent as you read the rest of this chapter (Hebrews 3:12-19) that the importance of this takes on eternal significance.

Sinful, unbelieving hearts led to the Israelites wandering the desert for 40 years. This disobedience on their parts prohibited them from entering the Promised Land, AND God's eternal rest. I can't imagine anything worse than evoking God's anger. But, unbelief is a disobedience that God can't handle from us. He simply asks us to believe.

If someone is having difficulty believing, we are to encourage them daily. Not just on a random basis, but daily. God's desire is that no one is hardened by sin's deceitfulness. It is not just about us, folks, it is about our responsibility to care for each other, to encourage each other. We have got to move past our selfish, self-centered, personal agendas to bring people before the throne of God with confidence.