Letter to the Hebrews Volume 26

 A Warning against Unfaithfulness & Unbelief Part 3

Hebrews 3:16-17 For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. But with whom was He grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?  KJV Note: CEV=Contemporary English Version

The tragic reality of the entire Hebrew Nation (God's own chosen people) is that some who were delivered from the enslavement and captivity of the Nation of Egypt did not believe that Jehovah really was the only God, that is, God all by Himself. Instead of being thankful and grateful for their freedom, many of them murmured and complained and even questioned whether Moses should be leader (the man that God chose to lead the people out of Egypt). Therefore, we find these next words from the writer of Hebrews as a further warning to those Hebrews then and to us now and to everyone in every era and generation, "For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses." (Hebrews 3:16) (KJV). One of the most bald-faced, bodacious, and brazen acts of rebellion against the authority of Moses came from men named Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, here is the result of their rebellion as it is written, "Then Moses warned the people, Get away from the tents of these sinful men! Don't touch anything that belongs to them or you'll be wiped out. So everyone moved away from those tents, except Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and their families. Moses said to the crowd, The LORD has chosen me and told me to do these things—it wasn't my idea. And here's how you will know: If these men die a natural death, it means the LORD hasn't chosen me. But suppose the LORD does something that has never been done before. For example, what if a huge crack appears in the ground, and these men and their families fall into it and are buried alive, together with everything they own? Then you will know they have turned their backs on the LORD! As soon as Moses said this, the ground under the men opened up and swallowed them alive, together with their families and everything they owned. Then the ground closed back up, and they were gone. The rest of the Israelites heard their screams, so they ran off, shouting, We don't want that to happen to us!"  (Numbers 16:26-34) (CEV). 

The little English phrase 'did provoke' is translated by the Greek word parapikrainō (used this one time only in the entire New Testament) meaning to embitter alongside, that is, (figuratively) to exasperate: - provoke. Here is what Dr. John Gill had to say of this verse, "Not only Moses, to speak unadvisedly with his lips; but they provoked Jehovah Himself, and the Angel of His presence, and His Holy Spirit, by their idolatry, ingratitude, and unbelief: and the aggravation of their sin is, that they did it when they had heard the Gospel, and while they were hearing it; which shows that the Gospel may be heard to no advantage; as when it is heard in a careless and indifferent manner; when it makes no impression, takes no place, and has no root; when the world and the things of it are the great concern of the mind, while hearing it; when it is not attended with the power and Spirit of God; when it is not received in love, nor mixed with faith, nor put in practice: and hence the Gospel heard, comes to be an aggravation of men's condemnation: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses; that is, they did not all provoke, but some did; which is another aggravation of their sin; they were just come out of Egyptian bondage; brought out of it by the Lord, with the mighty and outstretched arm of His power; and yet they provoked Him: and this was done by Moses; by the hand of Moses, as the Syriac version renders it; by his means, by him as an instrument; and yet they provoked him: but however all did not, yet these were but few; it seems only Caleb and Joshua, out of six hundred thousand; God will have a few to serve Him in the worst of times." 

The writer continues the point to the Hebrew converts at the time of this letter being more specific with the actual state or condition of things during the exodus from the land of Egypt with these next words, "But with whom was He grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?" (Hebrews 3:17) (KJV). We can determine from these words that God's judgement against those Hebrews was sure, systematic, and severe. The sureness of His judgement against them came about because of their ingraditude and their distrust of His goodness to them and His power to keep and protect them. The systematic process of His judgement against them was the 40 year wilderness trek itself, because their journey to the land of Canaan from  Egypt would have been only a short time period, if they had not murmured and complained and questioned God's authority through His servant Moses. The severity of His judgement upon them was their carcases, that is, the dead bodies of every Hebrew above the age of 20 years that came out of Egypt during the exodus, as it is written, "The LORD told Moses and Aaron to give this message to the people of Israel: You sinful people have complained against me too many times! Now I swear by My own life that I will give you exactly what you wanted. You will die right here in the desert, and your dead bodies will cover the ground. You have insulted Me, and none of you men who are over twenty years old will enter the land that I solemnly promised to give you as your own—only Caleb and Joshua will go in. You were worried that your own children would be captured. But I, the LORD, will let them enter the land you have rejected. You will die here in the desert! Your children will wander around in this desert forty years, suffering because of your sins, until all of you are dead. I will cruelly punish you every day for the next forty years—one year for each day that the land was explored. You sinful people who ganged up against Me will die here in the desert. Ten of the men sent to explore the land had brought back bad news and had made the people complain against the LORD. So He sent a deadly disease that killed those men, but He let Joshua and Caleb live." (Numbers 14:26-38) (CEV). 

Here again is what Dr. John Gill had to say of this verse, "Not merely by committing personal iniquities, and particular provocations, which all men are guilty of, but by committing public sins; they sinned as a body of men; they joined together in the commission of sin; every sin is grieving to God, because it is contrary to His nature, is an act of enmity to Him, is a transgression of His righteous law, and a contempt of His authority; but especially public sins, or the sins of a multitude, and when they are persisted in, which was the case of the Israelites; they sinned against Him during the forty years they were in the wilderness; and so long was He grieved with them: the Alexandrian copy reads, 'with them that believed not'; which points out the particular sin these men were guilty of, and which was so grieving to God, and suits well with the Apostle's design: whose carcasses fell in the wilderness? and so never entered into the land of Canaan. They died in the wilderness; and they did not die common and natural deaths, at least not all of them; their deaths were by way of punishment; in a way of wrath; in a judicial way: the Syriac version renders it, 'their bones fell in the wilderness'; they lay scattered and unburied, and exposed to view, as an example of divine vengeance." Note: "The United States of America has sinned publically against the Lord God, Jehovah, Elohim, Adonai, Jesus Christ for over 40 years now (since the legalization of killing babies in the womb) 'Roe vs Wade' and perhaps we are fast approaching the limit of His long-suffering/patience and His wrath against this Nation may be soon coming unless the killing of innocent babies is stopped. He has plans for each one of those lives, if you didn't know."

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...

Sincerely in Christ,

Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…

Letter to the Hebrews Volume 25

 A Warning against Unfaithfulness & Unbelief Part 2

Hebrews 3:14-15 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; While it is said, Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. KJV

To believe in Christ and to be 'in Christ' are to different things all together. Even the enimies of Jesus Christ believe in who He is, however, there is nothing to go with that belief that causes any desire within them to want to please Him. The Word of God tells us with these words how mere intellectual belief about Jesus Christ makes you, well it is written, "Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble." (James 2:19) (KJV). The devils/demons believe and tremble in fear of God/Jesus, however, they are deceived, doomed, and damned for now and for all eternity. The writer of Hebrews is here trying to warn those Hebrew converts then and all converts to Christ now and of every era and generation (as we saw that Paul did with the Corinthian Church in the last study/commentary Volume 24 2 Corinthians 13:5) to examine themselves to know that they are 'in Christ' as the writer exclaims with these words, "For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;" (Hebrews 3:14) (KJV). The English word 'partakers' is translated by the Greek word metochos which means participant, that is, (as noun) a sharer; by implication an associate: - fellow, partaker, partner. In other words, those of us who are 'in Christ' can at any time surrender ourselves to Him through His Spirit and His Word and then be a partner with Him and what He desires to accomplish in the earth realm. Also being 'in Christ' and being a partaker with Him, then we have the benefits of what He has been made for us, that is, as it is written, "But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:" (1 Corinthians 1:30) (KJV). 

The writer of Hebrews here lays a condition to this partnership/participation with our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ and that is that they and we 'hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end', which simply correlates, compliments, and corresponds to what he warned them/us against in verses 12 & 13. At the very beginning of our reception of Jesus Christ we were appalled at (struck with fear, dread, and danger), agitated by (deeply disturbed and emotionally troubled), and against (opposed to) our sin, but they/we can yield to and give in to our sin and allow ourselves to be deceived by its temporary pleasures (Hebrews 11:25) and then become stubborn and emotionally hardened and ignore the conviction of God the Holy Spirit and remove ourselves from the conviction of the Word of God by refusing to read and study it daily. "Jonathan Edwards once said that the sure proof of election is that one holds out to the end." Here also is what Matthew Henry had to say of this verse, "Here observe, (1.) The saints' privilege: they are made partakers of Christ, that is, of the Spirit, nature, graces, righteousness, and life of Christ; they are interested in all that is Christ's, in all that He is, in all that He has done, or can do. (2.) The condition on which they hold that privilege, namely, their perseverance in the bold and open profession and practice of Christ and Christianity unto the end. Not but they shall persevere, being kept by the mighty power of God through faith to salvation, but to be pressed thus to it is one means by which Christ helps His people to persevere. This tends to make them watchful and diligent, and so keeps them from apostasy. Here observe, [1.] The same spirit with which Christians set out in the ways of God they should maintain and evidence to the end. Those who begin seriously, and with lively affections and holy resolutions and humble reliance, should go on in the same spirit. But, [2.] There are a great many who in the beginning of their profession show a great deal of courage and confidence, but do not hold them fast to the end. [3.] Perseverance in faith is the best evidence of the sincerity of our faith." 

The writer of Hebrews now reiterates or restates or repeats the warning he just wrote to them in verse 12, here he makes a reference to the words of the Psalmist in Psalms 95:7-8 with these words, "While it is said, Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation." (Hebrews 3:15) (KJV). The warning to them then and to us now is clear, for those Hebrews in the wilderness march who were renegades and rebelled, and revolted all were destroyed except only two men Caleb and Joshua, as it is written, "And the LORD'S anger was kindled the same time, and he sware, saying, Surely none of the men that came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob; because they have not wholly followed me: Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite, and Joshua the son of Nun: for they have wholly followed the LORD. And the LORD'S anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation, that had done evil in the sight of the LORD, was consumed." (Numbers 32:10-13) (KJV). Here again is what Matthew Henry had to say of this verse, "What was recited before from that scripture belonged not only to former ages, but to you now, and to all who shall come after you; that you take heed you fall not into the same sins, lest you fall under the same condemnation.' The Apostle tells them that though some who had heard the voice of God did provoke Him, yet all did not so. Observe, (1.) Though the majority of hearers provoked God by unbelief, yet some there were who believed the report. (2.) Though the hearing of the word be the ordinary means of salvation, yet, if it be not hearkened to, it will expose men more to the anger of God. (3.) God will have a remnant that shall be obedient to His voice, and He will take care of such and make mention of them with honour. (4.) If these should fall in a common calamity, yet they shall partake of eternal salvation, while disobedient hearers perish for ever."   

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...

Sincerely in Christ,

Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…

Letter to the Hebrews Volume 24

 A Warning against Unfaithfulness & Unbelief Part 1

Hebrews 3:12-13 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. KJV

The writer of Hebrews now warns those Hebrew converts then (and this warning is for every professing Christian now and in every era and generation) to make sure of your calling and election by declaring these words to them and to us now and in every era and generation, "Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God." (Hebrews 3:12) (KJV). This is a warning to them then and to us now to beware, that is, to be on one's guard; be cautious or wary about; be alert to having an evil heart of 'unbelief' and this English word is translated by the Greek word apistia meaning faithlessness, that is, (negatively) disbelief (want of Christian faith), or (positively) unfaithfulness (disobedience): - unbelief. Also the evil heart of unbelief will result in departing from the living God. The little English phrase 'in departing' is translated by the Greek word aphistēmi which means to remove, that is, (actively) instigate to revolt; usually (reflexively) to desist, desert, etc.: - depart, draw (fall) away, refrain, withdraw self. There is no sin that the Blood of Jesus Christ cannot wash and cleanse, but the heart that resists, refuses, and rejects believing TRUTH by figuratively closing the door to their heart is one our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ will not (not that He cannot, for He is God and can do anything) kick down or kick in, for He desires willing entry into the human heart not a forceable takeover because forced love is no love at all, as it is written, "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me." (Revelation 3:19-20) (KJV). 

The Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian Church at a time when they were living in conflict, chaos, and confusion in order that he might by the instructions in his letter set things in order (Titus 1:5). At the very end of his second letter written to them, Paul exhorted them to make sure of their own salvation by declasring these words to them, "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?" (2 Corinthians 13:5) (KJV). Here is what Matthew Henry had to say of this verse, "He gives the Hebrews a proper caution; the word is, Take heed, blepete - look to it. 'Look about you; be upon your guard against enemies both within and without; be circumspect. You see what kept many of your forefathers out of Canaan, and made their carcasses fall in the wilderness; take heed lest you fall into the same sin and snare and dreadful sentence. For you see Christ is Head of the Church, a much greater person than Moses, and your contempt of Him must be a greater sin than their contempt of Moses; and so you are in danger of falling under a severer sentence than they.' Observe, The ruin of others should be a warning to us to take heed of the rock they split upon. Israel's fall should for ever be a warning to all who come after them; for all these things happened to them for ensamples (1 Corinthians 10:11), and should be remembered by us. Take heed; all who would get safely to heaven must look about them. He enforces the admonition with an affectionate compellation: 'Brethren, not only in the flesh, but in the Lord; brethren whom I love, and for whose welfare I labour and long.' And here he enlarges upon the matter of the admonition: Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God. Here observe, (1.) A heart of unbelief is an evil heart. Unbelief is a great sin, it vitiates the heart of man. (2.) An evil heart of unbelief is at the bottom of all our sinful departures from God; it is a leading step to apostasy; if once we allow ourselves to distrust God, we may soon desert Him. (3.) Christian brethren have need to be cautioned against apostasy. Let those that think they stand take heed lest they fall." 

The writer of Hebrews now desires to see these Hebrew converts not fall into unfaithfulness and unbelief, but instead wants to see them encourage one another to be faithful to our Lord Jesus Christ and so does he declare so with these next words, "But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin." (Hebrews 3:13) (KJV). The writer calls them to be earnestly reminding one another to be faithful to Christ Jesus our Lord and to be praying for one another to receive the grace needed from the Throne of Grace to keep them and us faithful indeed, as it is written by this same writer of Hebrews in the very next Chapter, "For we have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the Throne of Grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:15-16) (KJV). The little English phrase 'be hardened' is translated by the Greek word sklērunō which means to indurate, that is, (figuratively) render stubborn: - harden. The English word 'deceitfulness' is translated by the Greek word apatē which means delusion. In other words, the writer of Hebrews is here warning them/us against unfaithfulness and unbelief which are the parents of stubbornness and delusion resulting in continuous sinful rebellion to the Will of God which is the Word of God. Here again is what Matthew Henry had to say of this verse, "He subjoins good counsel to the caution, and advises them to that which would be a remedy against this evil heart of unbelief - that they should exhort one another daily, while it is called today, Hebrews 3:13. Observe, (1.) We should be doing all the good we can to one another while we are together, which will be but a short and uncertain time. (2.) Since tomorrow is none of ours, we must make the best improvement of today. (3.) If Christians do not exhort one another daily, they will be in danger of being hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. Note, [1.] There is a great deal of deceitfulness in sin; it appears fair, but is filthy; it appears pleasant, but is pernicious; it promises much, but performs nothing. [2.] The deceitfulness of sin is of a hardening nature to the soul; one sin allowed prepares for another; every act of sin confirms the habit; sinning against conscience is the way to sear the conscience; and therefore it should be the great concern of every one to exhort himself and others to beware of sin."

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...

Sincerely in Christ,

Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…

Letter to the Hebrews Volume 23

 Do not Rebel Against the Voice of God/Word of God Part 2

Hebrews 3:10-11 Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.  KJV

It seems a little bit irreverent to think of God the Father being in anyway vulnerable to what we consider or look upon as weak, however, to grieve is not to be weak but to show great love and conpassion for someone being injured or hurt or even being killed because of their poor or bad choices. For the Scriptures declare to us going all the way back to the very beginning of the Bible how man's rebellion against the Will and Word of God grieved Him greatly, as it is written here, "And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart." (Genesis 6:5-6) (KJV). Fast forward to the time of the writing of this letter to the Hebrew converts to Christ, we find the same Lord God expressing the same emotion of grief for those Israelites who escaped the bondage of slavery by His Mighty and Powerful Hand, yet they were not grateful or thankful for God the Father's deliverance of them from Egypt, as it is recounted by the writer of Hebrews here with these words for the then Hebrew converts as well as for we converts today and all converts to Christ of every era and generation, "Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways." (Hebrews 3:10) (KJV). 

The English word 'grieved' is translated by the Greek word prosochthizō̄ meaning (to be vexed with something irksome); to feel indignant at: - be grieved with. The little English phrase 'they do alway' is translated by the Greek word aei is from an obsolete primary noun (apparently meaning continued duration); 'ever'; by qualification regularly; by implication earnestly: - always, ever. The English word 'err' is translated by the Greek word planaō meaning to (properly cause to) roam (from safety, truth, or virtue): - go astray, deceive, err, seduce, wander, be out of the way. The little English phrase 'in their heart' is translated by the Greek word kardia meaning (figuratively) the thoughts or feelings (mind). In other words, those Hebrew/Israelite wilderness wanderers vexed and irked the Lord God because of their continued rebellion against His Voice/His Word which was (for them) their place of safety. Their minds were bent upon having their own way and not trusting the Lord God to provide for them, to protect them always, and to keep His promises to them for their good. It was their own stubborn will and their evil passions that caused them to incure the wrath of God because they kept walking or living contrary to His Word to them. Free will means you get to make your own choices, but it also means you get to live with the consequences of those choices. For every time God the Father says, 'Thou shall not', He simply means don't hurt, injure, or even cause yourself an early death and whenever He says, 'Thou shall', He means help yourself to happiness, health, and honesty. 

That's all, He is not an angry, hateful, and vengeful God trying to stop human beings from fun and joy, He knows the wages of sin is death, therefore, He is trying to lead sinners into the way of life through our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ for now and for eternity (this is the rest to be found for every sinner on the earth). None of the shiny trinkets or gadgets will give the rest the devil promises that they will, none. Here is what Adam Clarke had to say of this verse, "God represents Himself as the Father of this great Jewish family, for whose comfort and support He had made every necessary provision, and to whom He had given every proof of tenderness and Fatherly affection; and because, they disobeyed Him, and walked ill that way in which they could not but be miserable, therefore He represents Himself as grieved and exceedingly displeased with them. Their affections are set on earthly things, and they do not acknowledge My ways to be right - holy, just, and good. They are radically evil; and they are evil, continually. They have every proof, of My power and goodness, and lay nothing to heart. They might have been saved, but they would not. God was grieved on this account. Now, can we suppose that it would have grieved Him if, by a decree of His own, He had rendered their salvation impossible?" The only conclusion for such people as these Hebrews/Israelites who were rebellious renegades in the wilderness was as declared with these words by the Holy Spirit through the writer of Hebrews, "So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest." (Hebrews 3:11) (KJV). God the Father excluded this continuous rebellious generation from the promised land and allowed them all to die as wanderers in a wilderness land without a home, yet He allowed their children to enter into the promise land just as we saw from the last study/commentary Volume 22. 

The English word 'rest' used here is translated by the Greek word katapausis meaning reposing down, that is, (by Hebraism) abode: - rest. There was no homeland for that generation because of their continual ignoring the power and goodness of God to them and for them. The Lord God associated His oath of excluding them from the land flowing with milk and honey with their disobedience. Here is what Albert Barnes had to say of this verse, "God is often represented in the Scriptures as 'swearing' - and usually as swearing by Himself, or by His own existence. Of course this in figurative, and denotes a strong affirmation, or a settled and determined purpose. An oath with us implies the strongest affirmation, or the expression of the most settled and determined purpose of mind. The meaning here is, that so refractory and perverse had they showed themselves, that He solemnly resolved that they should never enter into the land of Canaan. It is called 'My rest' here, meaning that it was such rest as God had provided, or such as He enjoyed. The particular 'rest' referred to here was that of the land of Canaan, but which was undoubtedly regarded as emblematic of the 'rest' in heaven. Into that rest God solemnly said they should never enter. They had been rebellious. All the means of reclaiming them had failed. God had warned and entreated them; He had caused His mercies to pass before them, and had visited them with judgments in vain; and He now declares that for all their rebellion they should be excluded from the promised land. God speaks here in the manner of human beings. Men are affected with feelings of indignation in such circumstances, and God makes use of such language as expresses such feelings. But we are to understand it in a manner consistent with His character, and we are not to suppose that He is affected with the same emotions which agitate the bosoms of people. The meaning is, that He formed and expressed a deliberate and solemn purpose that they should never enter into the promised land. Whether this 'rest' refers here to heaven, and whether the meaning is that God would exclude them from that blessed world, will be more appropriately considered in the next chapter. The particular idea is, that they were to be excluded from the promised land, and that they should fall in the wilderness. No one can doubt, also, that their conduct had been such as to show that the great body of them were unfit to enter into heaven."

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...

Sincerely in Christ,

Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…

Letter to the Hebrews Volume 22

Do not Rebel Against the Voice of God/Word of God Part 1


Hebrews 3:7-9 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear His voice, Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted Me, proved Me, and saw My works forty years. KJV


The writer of Hebrews now desires to urge the Hebrew converts to Christ (as well as everyone of us converts to Christ) to be faithful to Him just as He was faithful to God the Father and to us. These next 5 verses here are taken from the Old Testament Scriptures in Psalm 95:7-11. The writer desires to see the Hebrew converts take heed or follow the advice of the words of the Psalmist seeing that they and we are the house of God by virtue of being 'in Christ', so he begins his exhortation with these words first, "Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear His voice," (Hebrews 3:7) (KJV). The writer here is declaring the words of the Psalmist to be the very Word of God when he writes 'as the Holy Ghost saith', not as the Psalmist says, but the third (3) Person of the Trinity, that is, the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost (as it is written), "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:" (Matthew 28:18-19) (KJV), for this is the One True God manifested in three (3) Persons, blessed Trinity. Note: "Do not try and understand it just trust and believe it." Today, meaning what ever time in human history, for with God 1 day is as 1,000 years, as it is written, "But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." (2 Peter 3:8) (KJV). The writer of Hebrews was writing these words for the Hebrew converts back then about 2,000 years ago, however, the Holy Spirit (who inspired the Psalmist and the writer of Hebrews) was writing these words for every sinner of every future day in human history and He was writing that the hearing should be obedient responding to the call of God by way of the grace of God. Hear is what Matthew Henry said of this verse, "What he counsels them to do - to give a speedy and present attention to the call of Christ. 'Hear His voice, assent to, approve of, and consider, what God in Christ speaks unto you; apply it to yourselves with suitable affections and endeavours, and set about it this very day, for tomorrow it may be too late.'"


Next the writer warns the Hebrew converts against rebelling against the Voice of God/Word of God sighting the example of the children of Israel in the wilderness with these words, "Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:" (Hebrews 3:8) (KJV). The Israelites whom God had delivered out of bondage/slavery (literally as a people being kept in captivity for 400 years) by or through Moses began to murmur and complain against God, "And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the LORD, and pitched in Rephidim: and there was no water for the people to drink. Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the LORD? And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst? And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me. And the LORD said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go. Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not?"  (Exodus 17:1-7) (KJV).


The English word 'harden' is translated by the Greek word sklērunō meaning to indurate, that is, (figuratively) render stubborn: - harden. Instead of showing great reverence and gratefulness to the Lord, they grumbled when it appeared they had no water in sight. This (mind you) is after they saw the Lord God Almighty part, peal, and pave a highway right down the middle of the Red Sea (a wall of water on each side standing straight up and still as if they were walking through a canyon with a mountain on each side of them) for them to walk through to the other side (escaping the Egyptian army that was coming to kill them all), yet they were afraid that God could not provide water for them wherever and whenever they needed it. The English word 'provocation' is translated by the Greek word parapikrasmos meaning irritation. Simply put God the Father was annoyed, aggravated, and agitated by the lack of respect for His Power and the lack of gratefulness for His deliverence. Here is what John Wesley said of this verse, "When Israel provoked Me by their strife and murmurings. In the day of temptation - When at the same time they tempted Me, by distrusting My power and goodness." The writer of Hebrews goes on to expound on the facts of their rebellion with these words, "When your fathers tempted Me, proved Me, and saw My works forty years." (Hebrews 3:9) (KJV). Not only during their exodus from Egypt did the then Israelites see the manifested power and goodness of the Lord God to them, they witnessed His loving grace and miraculous power throughout their 40 years in the wilderness, yet they kept on tempting and testing God with their disobedience and rebellion. They kept on tempting and trying God to see how far they could go before He would smite them with some form of chastening.


The very fact of their wandering in the wilderness for 40 years was their ultimate chastisement, as it written, "And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me. Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the LORD, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you: Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me, Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun. But your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have despised. But as for you, your carcases, they shall fall in this wilderness. And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcases be wasted in the wilderness. After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise. I the LORD have said, I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die. And the men, which Moses sent to search the land, who returned, and made all the congregation to murmur against him, by bringing up a slander upon the land, Even those men that did bring up the evil report upon the land, died by the plague before the LORD. But Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of the men that went to search the land, lived still." (Numbers 14:26-38) (KJV). Here is what Albert Barnes had to say of this verse, "'As if they would have made an experiment how much it was possible for me to bear.' - Doddridge. The meaning is: 'they put my patience to a thorough trial.' That is, my miracles, or my interpositions in their behalf. They saw the wonders at the Red Sea, the descent on Mount Sinai, the supply of manna, etc., and yet while seeing those works they rebelled. Even while sinners look on the doings of God, and are surrounded by the proofs of His power and goodness, they rebel, and provoke Him to anger. Men sin when God is filling their houses with plenty; when He opens His hand daily to supply their wants; when they behold the manifestations of His goodness on the sea and on the land; and even in the midst of all the blessings of redemption, they provoke Him to wrath. The whole time during which they were passing from Egypt to the promised land. This may mean either that they saw His works forty years, or that they tempted Him forty years. The sense is not materially affected whichever interpretation is preferred."


If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.


Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…