Wednesday: Harden Not Your Hearts
Read Hebrews 4:4-7 and Psalm 95:8-11. What warning is given there, both in Psalms and in Hebrews, and what should it say to us, today?
Image © Jim Work from GoodSalt.com
Hebrews 4:4-7 quotes both the creation account and Psalm 95:11 in the context of talking about the unfaithfulness of the Israelites and, hence, their failure to enter into the rest that God wanted for them.
Indeed, Psalm 95:8-11 connects Israel’s wilderness experience with God’s rest and includes the divine oath that faithless Israel would not enter into His rest, originally associated with the Promised Land.
Of course, Israel did enter the Promised Land. A new generation crossed the border and, with God’s help, took the strongholds of the land and settled there.
They did not, however, enter into God’s rest, the idea being that many did not experience the reality of salvation in Jesus because their lack of faith was manifested by flagrant disobedience. Even, though rest was associated with the land, it included more than just where the people lived.
Hebrews 4:6 suggests that those who had heard the divine promise of true rest did not enter because of disobedience. What’s the link between disobedience and not entering God’s rest?
“Today” expresses urgency. “Today” means that there is no more time to diddle around. “Today” requires a response and decision now.
Paul grabs hold of the word semeron, “today,” and really emphasizes how important it was in the context of rest. Psalm 95.7-8, meanwhile, is a warning and a plea to God’s people not to repeat the mistakes of their ancestors and fail to enter into the true rest that is found only in the salvation God offers us.
| What should it mean to us, now, when we hear the words “Today, if you will hear His voice: ‘do not harden your hearts’” (NKJV)? What is so important about the word today? After all, Psalms used it thousands of years ago. Nevertheless, why should it still be just as important for our “today” as it was for those who heard it thousands of years ago? |
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The problem with these lessons is that they split passages of scripture up in "day-sized" bits, rather than "concept-sized" bits. It makes it a bit hard to think up something new to say every day. Sometimes I just feel like saying, "Read what I wrote yesterday".
One of the problems that the Israelites had was that they been looked after pretty well. They had shade by day, and light by night. They only had to walk outside their tents to get their food. And when they got sick of that God sent them Quails. Then they stuffed themselves and got sick. They had had a couple of skirmishes with enemies but God had looked after them then too. They could be excused for thinking that they were the chosen race. But, it went to their head and they became stiff-necked and wanted their own way.
But are we any better? Seventh-day Adventists choose to call themselves "The Remnant". We are the "True inheritors of the Reformation" We have the pillars of faith. And we have grown from about 1 million members when I was a child, to currently more than 20 million. God must be blessing us!
It is easy to get a stiff neck when we hold our head up high. Here is a question we may need to think about. What would happen to our personal relationship with Jesus if God dismantled our church?
Good day, Maurice.
In answer to your last question at the end of your comment I'd say that relationship is the key word, within or without the church. Isnt it like in a marriage? For good or bad?
Greetings.
Good day, Bro Ashton,
Liked it a lot. Some SDA members even in my Church so attached with the building and cannot meet yet do to the pandemy and got discouraged already.
And your question is actual and I rephrase it.
Church building or Relationship with Jesus and to one another?
How loving is our God- he is just and fair and "not willing that any should perish". 2 Peter 3:9. He wants us to come to Him today and gives us every opportunity to accept His offer- daily.
Yesterday's tomorrow has become today and tomorrow will become another today. We need to make a daily choice to serve Him so we will enter His rest in that great day when there will be no more tomorrow.
Today's lesson talks about "unbelief" and "disobedience". What do these terms mean and how do they functionally happen? Let's dig a bit deeper to unpack these 2 inter-related concepts and hopefully deepen our awareness and experience...
Absolutely everything you think, feel and do is guided by what you believe - as per your mind's mental-map/worldview that I have previously mentioned. And all of this happens by default at a subconscious level unless you happen to engage your conscious mind. So, while we use the term "unbelief", what is actually happening is that you instead believe something else is more true. We first see this taking place in Genesis 3 where Eve believes that what The Serpent was proposing was more real and true than what God had outlined (Genesis 3:6 compared with Genesis 2:16,17). This led Eve to do what seemed right in her own eyes rather than trusting that what God had said was the absolute and ultimate truth - a trend that continued down through humanity as per the Israelites experience (Judges 21:25; Proverbs 16:25).
What is disobedience? Disobedience functionally means to be out of harmony with something - while obedience means to be in harmony with something. Again, with reference to Adam and Eve, prior to Genesis 3 they lived in absolute harmony with what was necessary for abundant life: (a) ongoing connection with God, the source of the breath of life and (b) living in harmony with the 'mechanisms' (ie principles/'natural' laws) that promote abundant life. However, in Genesis 3, Eve and subsequently Adam instead embraced the Serpent's false view of how reality operates. Thus, Eve and Adam re-aligned themselves to be in harmony with the suggestions of The Serpent which therefore correspondingly meant they were now out of harmony with what God had informed them in regard to the truth of how life can only exist/operate.
Putting these together, we see that Israel was unable to enter the rest from slavery and bondage via abundant life in God because they believed something other than God to be more true and seemingly appealing. And their thoughts, feelings and actions accordingly followed those beliefs. Therefore, because their beliefs were out of harmony with how the reality of the Kingdom of God necessarily operates, their thoughts, feelings and behaviours were also out of harmony. Thus, they could not enter the abundant life that can only viably exist within ways of the Kingdom of God.
So, God is not saying "because you didn't do things my way, therefore I am not letting you have rest". Rather, it is our 'choice' (made either actively or passively) to either be in harmony with the only way that is capable of producing rest or to be out of harmony with that way that decides whether we enter that rest or not. Israel chose repeatedly to be out of harmony despite God's many attempts to encourage them otherwise. And every repeated choice to do what seemed right in their own eyes unfortunately hardened their heart (whatever thought or action you repeat necessarily grows stronger).
Thank you for your comment. It made total sense to me and gave me a perspective I had not considered before. I will surely be thinking on this all day!
Thank you Phil. That was helpful. The Israelites did not enter God’s rest (Promise Land) because they did not trust Him and the reality He placed before them; that they would be conquerors and would find rest. They saw their own reality, roadblocks and peoples they could not defeat. I pray I’ll see the rest beyond the battles ahead that will surely come.
Yes, thank you Phil and Maurice for your words of wisdom. You both have given me true words of encouragement today.
And Yes, the Israelites definitely “chose” to be “out of harmony” with God. They were eyewitnesses to the powers of God, and as Maurice said “they been looked after pretty well”, all of their needs were met during their 40 years in the wilderness.
As I read yesterday’s and today’s lesson, I think that they have other two problems, that we as God’s people have today. The two problems, as I see it, does line up in the same manner as you stated here. In my opinion, their (our) problems comes down to Desire and Trust. Now that you have explained to us the concept of being “out of harmony with God”, I’m adding to that, to say that their Desires were out of harmony with God as well. Jesus said in Matthew 6:33, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you”. However, we want to seek our desires first. It’s like a kid that wants (desires) to eat a big bowl of cereal at 10:00pm, when the parents know that eating sugary foods that late at night will prevent the child from getting a restful night sleep. The kid’s desires are out of harmony with what his parents know is best for the kid.
Even though God was the provider for their every need, the children of the wilderness still were not satisfied. They actually complained to Moses about their Desire to have “the flesh pots of Egypt “, see Exodus 16:3. They continued to complain about what they did not have, instead of being grateful and content with what God provided for them. And by the way, the “flesh pots” may have tasted better than manna, but God knew the type of food they needed to sustain them on their long walks in the wilderness. Manna was a sweet cake that was lighter on the stomach, and had just the right amount of sugar to give them the energy needed to make those long journeys on foot. Eating from the flesh pots would have been like walking after eating a big T-bone steak. How far would they had been able to walk after eating that?
They also coveted to have what the nations around them had, because as you said “they believed something other than God to be more true and seemingly appealing”. They did not Trust that God knows what was best for them (and us), in order to survive in the wilderness, and to “enter into His rest”.
This Sabbath lesson, and the entire quarterly, is not doing a very good job of telling us what it actually means to “enter into His rest” or to “rest in Christ “. It has given us a lot of wisdom nuggets, food for thought, or as Maurice said, the lesson is giving us the ‘ “day-sized" bits, rather than "concept-sized" bits’. In my opinion, “entering into His rest” is a complex concept, that combines the gift of Sabbath rest, our Trust relationship with the Lord, and our willingness to align our desires up with God’s will. This is what Isaiah 58:13,14, that you will receive a blessing from the Lord, when your desires are in harmony with God’s laws.
We have the same problems that they had, our unwillingness to a) bring our desires in harmony with God’s word (or laws), and b) to fully Trust in Him (the Lord), who is still our provider and sustainer. So many of God’s people still think that “if I only had more money, then I would do this and that for the Lord” or “if God would only do this, then I would…”. He has already provided us with everything we need. The Lord is still saying of the His people today, as in Isaiah 5:4, “ What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it?” Or in our modern language, “what else could I have done to satisfied these My people that I have not already done?” Unfortunately, many of us will not be in complete harmony with God’s will, no matter what He does for us. That’s why Jesus Himself said in Matthew 22:14, “many are called, but few are chosen.” (This is the sanctification process, if we are willing to “enter into His rest”. He’s still working on me too.)
Gods blessings to you all.
Today is all we've got! Today is what matters! Today, any of us can die! Today is what has been given us by present! It is a gift! What we do with this gift now, and the sum of every moment and opportunity we have been given by Grace, may have future consequences! "Today,...Do not harden your hearts..." Every single moment of life is a given choice, free for us to decide which direction we would want to go! What are we choosing now? May you and me choose to "serve the Lord"!
"Why should [God's telling us not to harden our hearts] still be just as important for our 'today' as it was for those who heard it thousands of years ago?" We are stubborn people, and sometimes we still need to be told what not to do after millennia. We haven't gotten rid of our tendency to harden our hearts to God's Word.
I am fairly sure that everyone can attest to that God works to change the heart of man, its intent; enabling it to be loving and kind toward our fellow man, to be inclined toward carrying one another's burden, and so fulfill the law of Christ - Gal.6:2KJV.
Psalm 95:8-11 clearly relates to the 'heart condition' of rebellion the children of Israel suffered under, testing God's long-suffering Mercy and Grace, "they tried Me, though they saw my work."
The Father's heart is grieved with that generation and even contemplates their exclusion from His Rest; to deny them the reward reserved for those who trust Him - "It is a people who go astray in their hearts, and they do not KNOW my ways."
Isa.55:1-8KJV - v.8"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD." Can man ever know God's ways? I don't think so - not as God knows. Though God gives us the clear, practical application of the spirit of His Ways - seek the kingdom of God first; seek Him while He may be found, call upon Him while His is near; eat from the Bread of Life and drink from its Well; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man [or, the man of iniquity] forsake his thoughts; let him return unto the LORD, and He will have mercy upon him; return to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. And for our time, 'Love God with all your heart and mind!'
'Today' to me means 'every time I hear His voice' I will listen intently. He speaks to my heart, and my renewed mind can easily understand Him - they are synchronized.
The effect of hardening one's heart can be compared with plaque building up in the arteries; it builds up gradually into a blockage which prevents the blood (God's voice) from reaching the heart, causing the heart to be starved of blood - God's voice of loving guidance by His Spirit.
Phil, you made a good description and gave a good summary of today’s lesson. Thanks.