Now let’s look at verses 7 to 13 in chapter three.
7 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, Today if ye will hear his voice, 8 harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: 9 when your fathers tempted me. Proved me, and saw my works forty years. 10 Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do always err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. 11 So I swear in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.) 12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. 13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called Today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
An awesome warning. The First Century Jewish Christians were tempted to fall back into the old way of sacrifices and festivals, thinking it is easier to just kill a lamb once a year to cover their sins than to live a sinless life to begin with. Some Christians, so called, believe a similar doctrine that they can live in sin and enjoy the righteousness of Christ. As Saint Paul wrote in Romans, God forbid!
The preacher reminds us of the plight of the rebellious Jews in the desert of Sinai. They were always trying God’s patience. After God brought them out of Egypt miraculously, fed them with the very manna of heaven, gave them water from a Rock, and made them victorious in every battle, they still wanted to turn back because “there are giants in the land.” So God forbade them to enter the Land of Canaan that He gave to their heirs.
What that means to us is that we must quit trying God’s patience in our own lives and live up to the standard Jesus set for us, or we will also be excluded from the Promised Land of Heaven. You can’t expect God, Who told us how to live, to reward us for ignoring the things He said. What kind of god do you think He is? He is not some idol you set on the altar of your home, demand gifts in return for some sacrifice, and put it away again. God is the Creator and the First Cause, the Proto-Urge, of all that exists. He is existence Himself (the Tetragramathon or Unpronounceable Name of God could best be translated into modern English as Existence).
The preacher warns his audience, and us, to be aware of our motivations and not be deceived by the enticements of sin. We must be vigilant in our own hearts, to ensure we do not backslide into the habits of sin that lead us away from God and into death. We also must encourage each other to keep the faith, as a part of our love for each other. Examine your own heart. Is there any doubt, any unbelief that can lead you away from the path of Christ’s purpose? Root it out, and encourage your fellows to do likewise.
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