Always wait for the "chat" emoji on the page before browsing and tapping on the text. Tap on the hyperlink text for references.
Psalms 95:7-11:
For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand. Today, if ye will hear His voice:
“Harden not your heart as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness
when your fathers tempted Me, proved Me and saw My work.
Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said ‘It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known My ways.’
Unto them, I swore in My wrath, that they should not enter into My rest."
My friends, watch out! Don’t let evil thoughts or doubts make any of you turn from the living God. We must encourage one another each day. And we must keep on while there is still a time that can be called “today.” If you don’t, then sin may fool you and make you stubborn. We were sure about Christ when we first became his people (Romans 9:24-26). So let’s hold tightly to our faith until the end. The Scriptures say,
Today, if ye will hear His voice:
“Harden not your heart as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness."
Who were those people that heard God’s voice and rebelled? (Exodus 32:9-12) Weren’t they the same ones that came out of Egypt with Moses? Who were the people that made God angry for forty years? (1491 BC {add 40 years} to 1451 BC) Weren’t they the ones that sinned and died in the desert? And who did God say would never enter his place of rest? Weren’t they the ones that disobeyed him? We see that those people did not enter the place of rest because they did not have faith. (Numbers 14:29-31 cf. Exodus 12:37)
The promise to enter the place of rest is still good, and we must take care that none may miss out. (Romans 11:17-21) We have heard the message, just as they did. But they failed to believe what they heard, and the message did not do them any good. Only people who have faith will enter the place of rest. It is just as the Scriptures say,
"Unto them, I swore in My wrath, that they should not enter into My rest.”
God said this, even though everything has been ready from the time of creation. In fact, somewhere the Scriptures say that by the seventh day, God had finished his work, and so he rested. (sabbath rest) We also read that he later said, “You people will never enter my place of rest!” This means that the promise to enter is still good, because those who first heard about it disobeyed and did not enter. Much later God told David to make the promise again, written in Psalm 95:7-9 that was inserted towards the end of David's life (1015 BC); some 436 years later from the end of Exodus journey {see above date}, written just as it had already been said (Psalm 95:7-9),
Today, if ye will hear His voice: “Harden not your hearts."
If Joshua had really given the people rest (Joshua 1:1-5), after taking over from Moses, there would not be any need for God to talk about another day of rest. But God has promised us a Sabbath when we will rest, even though it has not yet come. (Revelation 21:1-5) On that day God’s people will rest from their work, just as God rested from his work.
We should do our best to enter that rest, so that none of us will disobey and miss going there, as they did. (1 Corinthians 15:50-54 cf, Revelation 20:6) What God has said isn’t only alive and active! It is sharper than any double-edged sword. His word can cut through our spirits and souls and through our joints and marrow, until it discovers the desires and thoughts of our hearts. Nothing is hidden from God! He sees through everything, and we will have to tell him the truth.
Note resource: The bible, Book of Hebrews chapter 3 & 4
For further reading, choose Can we Live the Christian Life? among the posts on display below. (tap... "See All")
Comments