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…
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