"Friends, Listen to God Today"(Hebrews 3:12-19)

 Hebrews 3:12-19

In Hebrews 3:12-19, the author reminds us to urge one another continually and ourselves to stay to close to God and check our hearts to make sure they are not evil. We need to be careful that sin is not entering our lives and controlling us so that we are separated from God. Not only that we need to do this now. The author makes an effort to put emphasis on “today”. This is for the audience to see that today means right now and the present.

¹²Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. ¹³But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

Later in Hebrews the author again will tell the audience that we need to continue to meet even though our circumstances may be dissuading us from gathering.

²⁴And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, ²⁵not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (Hebrews 10:24-25)

There are three situations which we will look at in which believers are tempted to stop meeting one another.

1.      Persecuted Church – a letter exchange between Governor Pliny the Younger and Emperor Trajan give modern readers a glimpse of the persecution around 111 AD. Christians could be interrogated, tortured, and even executed for their beliefs; however, Christians could be pardoned if they worshiped the Roman state sponsored gods. Like our time today, you can be a Christian and avoid persecution, so long as you worship the gods of today.

2.      Troubled times – Personal hardships may put believers in a state of mind when they start to doubt that God is with them. Church splits, congregational in fighting, pastoral scandals, and leadership failures may also push members away or discourage them from meeting. Finally, the acts of God like the current pandemic or natural disasters can prevent congregations from meeting.

3.      Apathy – Perhaps the most disturbing and devastating attack on Christians is apathy towards their own spiritual state or the needs of others, especially brothers and sisters in Christ.

The author goes into the importance of listening for God’s and responding in obedience to God and summarizes Psalm 95:7-11. 

Hebrews 3:15

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

The rebellion that Psalm 95 is referring to is the same place of rebellion in Exodus 17:7

 

7For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.

Today, if you hear his voice, 8 do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness,

The author points out that willful disobedience to God and unbelief will prevent you from entering heaven similar to what happened to the Israelites lead out of Egypt, but who never entered and lived in the promised land because of their hardened hearts.

18And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? 19So we see that were unable to enter because of unbelief.

The author makes his point that we as believers need to keep meeting, keep getting right with God as well as encouraging other believers to keep doing these actions as well. The consequences of not doing this will result in us not being with Jesus now and in the future. We have gone this far with our walk with Christ. Let us keep walking with Christ today.

"Be Faithful to the End"(Hebrews 3:12-19)

 Be Faithful to the End

Hebrews 3:12-19

Hebrews is an epistle. We do not know who wrote the epistle, but we do know it was written for Jewish Christians between 50 and 100 AD. Some of the audience had actually seen and heard Jesus while he was on earth while others had only heard of Jesus in sermons. At this time, Christians were being persecuted by Roman empire and many Christians may have been questioning their choices to remain faithful because of the suffering from persecution. Therefore the letter was written for encouragement

The main themes of Hebrews is Jesus' supremacy and warnings against apostacy. Christians who were questioning their faith may have been looking for comfort or salvation in something other than Jesus. In Hebrews 3:12 there is a strong warning to check our hearts.

Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.

Hebrews 3:12 ESV

There is an evil that rejects God through unbelief. This is a willful unbelief that keeps us from salvation. In fact, it is our unbelief that will lead us to walk away and reject God.

For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

Romans 1:20 ESV

We are all called to encourage each other and keep each other in check. Just like pastors or shepherds, as a congregation, we have a responsibility to care for our fellow believers, too. We also need to do this today, right now.

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.

Hebrews 3:13 ESV

We also need to be aware of sin and how dangerous it is. Christians must understand that the devil wants us to fall away from God in sin. Jesus even tells us that just because we call Him Lord, it does not mean He will recognize us.

And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

Matthew 7:23 ESV

This passage is directed towards believers. It is quoted from Psalm 95 vs 7-8. Although the Israelites believed that God existed, they doubted that God was trustworthy. As Christians, we know God exists, but do we truly trust God? 

For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. As it is said, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”

Hebrews 3:14‭-‬15 ESV

For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness,

Psalm 95:7‭-‬8 ESV

We are reminded not to make the mistake of not trusting God. We are to put our faith in God. What will happen if we do not put our faith in God.

For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? 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.

Hebrews 3:16‭-‬19 ESV

The result would be that we would not enter Heaven and rest in God.

The epistle's message still carries truth from the ages. Let us encourage one another and examine our hearts so that we may increase our faith in God in all aspects of our lives.