Hebrews 3:7-19

Our text for this morning is Hebrews chapter 3 verses 7 through 19.

Hebrews 3:7–19

! Before I read them I want to remind you beloved that this is God's word to us.

He is written for his glory and for our good.

And as such we would all do well to listen to it in order to believe its promises and to obey its commands.

Hebrews chapter 3 verse 7 and following.

Hebrews 3:7

Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says,

Today if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion on the day of testing in the wilderness,

where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years.

Therefore, I was provoked with that generation and said,

They always go astray in their heart.

They have not known my ways.

As I swore in my wrath, they shall not enter my rest.

Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart,

leading you to fall away from the living God.

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.

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.

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 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.

The author of Hebrews begins this portion of this very pastoral letter,

a letter addressed to a group of Hellenistic Jewish Christians who had suffered greatly.

We get evidence of that throughout this letter.

And they were being tempted to forget the surpassing excellency of Jesus Christ

and to return to Judaism.

And he begins this with these words,

therefore, as the Holy Spirit says.

Here we have another in a series of therefores.

Chapter 2, verse 1, verse 14, verse 17, chapter 3, and verse 1.

Which means that the author of Hebrews is building a case.

He's elaborating and developing an idea.

And we must pay careful attention to these therefores.

In this text, the therefore refers generally to all that he has said

concerning Jesus' superiority to Moses,

that great and venerated figure of Jewish history.

And it refers specifically to the preceding phrase.

I'm going to get it out.

Found in verse 6, the last part.

Which says,

And we are his house if indeed we hold fast our confidence

and our boasting in our hope.

It's coming off that phrase.

Like, we are God's house.

We belong to him if we hold fast.

Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says.

This letter was written to address the temptation

that these beleaguered Christians were facing.

The temptation to leave the faith.

To not preserve to the end.

And he sets about this work of teaching them a startling truth.

It is possible to have every appearance of beginning well,

but to end very poorly.

It is possible to have every appearance of beginning well,

but to end very poorly.

This is so timely for the church today.

In an age of rampant, cheap grace gospel offers,

we need such a word.

So many caught up in what I like to call decisionism.

So many, I say with trembling, led astray

because they believe that they have the power to save themselves.

And they tie that to a solitary event in their lives.

In order to show this Hebrew audience and us this,

he does what every faithful pastor does.

He opens to them and explains the Scripture.

He appeals to God's authoritative word on the matter.

And we can know this is what he is laboring to do

because he says,

as the Holy Spirit says.

He knows about, he believes in the inspiration of Scripture.

And he does so, he quotes from Psalm 95.

So the text for his sermon in our text today is Psalm 95,

the last part of verse 7 through verse 11.

And he declares, right,

this is the authoritative word of God, right?

The Holy Spirit has spoken this.

It meant something back then.

It means something for the church that he's writing to.

And it means something for us today.

So in the last half of verse 7 of Hebrews chapter 3

Hebrews 3 · chapter mention

and through verse 11 of Hebrews chapter 3,

Hebrews 3 · chapter mention

he quotes from Psalm 95.

He's quoting from the Septuagint,

which is the Greek translation of the Old Testament.

This would have been their Bible in their day,

much like me quoting from the ESV.

Today, if you hear his voice,

do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion

on the day of testing in the wilderness

where your fathers put me to the test

and saw my works for 40 years.

Therefore, I was provoked with that generation

and said they always go astray in their heart.

They have not known my ways.

As I swore in my wrath,

they shall not enter my rest.

So our text's author,

for the sake of their souls and ours,

picks up from Psalm 95 the Exodus story

in order to instruct them and us

about the dangers of having every appearance

of beginning well,

but ending very poorly.

The Exodus story was always meant to serve us

in this way.

It is a type for the deliverance,

the ultimate deliverance,

of God's people, the church.

Recall that God has a people

under the bondage of slavery.

And in order to make his name known,

God delivers his people from that bondage

through a judgment that they are spared from

by the mark of a sacrificial lamb.

In 1 Corinthians 5 and verse 7,

Paul states,

Christ, our Passover lamb,

has been sacrificed.

Paul saw this great connection

between the Exodus story,

the great redemptive story

of the Old Testament,

and the deliverance that was theirs

and is ours in Christ.

God's people are then led out of Egypt

by Moses,

who the author of Hebrews has just told us

that Moses prefigured Christ.

In Hebrews 3, verse 5,

Hebrews 3:5

in the first part of 6,

he wrote,

Moses was faithful in all God's house

as a servant

to testify to the things

that were to be spoken later.

But Christ is faithful

over God's house

as a son.

Moses was the type.

Christ is the anti-type.

He's the fulfillment

of what Moses was meant to picture

as one leading his people

out of bondage to sin.

The Israelites are met

with the obstacle

of the Red Sea

not long after their departure

from Egypt,

being pursued

by the fickle-minded Pharaoh

when God delivers them

through the parting

of the water

and judges the Egyptians

by its reunion.

They were led miraculously

by pillars of cloud

and fire.

They were provided for

miraculously, right,

food from heaven

and water from rocks.

In all of their unfaithfulness,

God was faithful.

And what the author of Hebrews

is doing is showing

those who claim

to follow Jesus Christ

what their unfaithfulness

ultimately cost the Egyptians

or the Israelites

and warning us

not to do the same.

The Apostle Paul

does this very thing.

He picks up again

the Exodus story

in 1 Corinthians 10

1 Corinthians 10:1–6

verses 1-6

where he wrote,

For I do not want you

to be unaware, brothers,

that our fathers

were all under the cloud

and all passed through the sea

and all were baptized

into Moses

in the cloud

and in the sea

and all ate

the same spiritual food

and all drank

the same spiritual drink

for they drank

from the spiritual rock

that followed them

and the rock

was Christ.

We don't have time

this morning

to unpack all of that

but it is cool.

Verse 5,

Nevertheless,

with most of them

God was not pleased

for they were overthrown

in the wilderness.

Now,

verse 6,

these things took place

as examples

for us

that we might not

desire evil

as they did.

They're given to us

as an example

that we would pick them up

and see

how it is

that we're

to remain faithful

to the way

of Christ.

So join me,

if you will,

for a moment.

Please mark

Hebrews chapter 3

Hebrews 3 · chapter mention

but join me

in Psalm 95.

I want to draw

your attention

just for a moment

to verses 7 and 8.

Amen.

Let me remind you

that in Hebrews chapter 3

Hebrews 3 · chapter mention

as he's citing

the Septuagint

and he says

today if you hear his voice

do not harden your hearts

as in the rebellion

on the day of testing

in the wilderness.

I want you to see

the difference

here in Psalm 95

last half of verse 7

and verse 8.

Today if you hear

his voice

do not harden your hearts

as at Meribah

as on the day

at Massah

in the wilderness.

Their locations

in Psalm 95

isn't that interesting?

But

the Hebrew words

Meribah

and Massah

mean

to quarrel

or to rebel.

That's Meribah

and Massah

means

testing.

So he's picking up

the event

what was happening

what was going on

what was the intention

of the Israelite people

as they were

rebelling against God

and putting God

to the test.

Now

you can leave

Psalm 95

we'll look at it

a little bit more

in Hebrews chapter 3

Hebrews 3 · chapter mention

but turn with me

in the middle

to Exodus chapter 17

Exodus 17 · chapter mention

and let's look at the place

where this actually happens.

I want to remind you

that we're not

first century

Hellenistic Jews

so we have to do

a little more work

than he had to do

he could simply just

quote Psalm 95

and they knew exactly

what he was talking about.

we may need to be

prompted a bit

I know I needed

to actually go find

the place this happened

my mind did not go

Exodus 17

first seven verses

listen to what happened

Exodus 17

beginning in verse 1

all the congregation

all the congregation

of the people

of Israel

moved on

from the wilderness

of sin

by stages

according to the commandment

of the Lord

and camped

at Rephidim

but there was

no water

for the people

to drink

now this is not

long

after they've

crossed the Red Sea

it has not

taken much

time

for this people

to not have their

apparent need

met

watch what happens

therefore

the people

quarreled

with Moses

and said

give us water

to drink

and Moses

said to them

why do you

quarrel with me

why do you

test

the Lord

see those two words

but the people

thirsted there

for water

and the people

grumbled against

Moses and said

why did you

bring us up

out of Egypt

to kill us

and our children

and our livestock

with thirst

so Moses

cried to the

Lord

what shall I

do with this

people

they are almost

ready to stone

me

and the Lord

said to Moses

pass on

before the people

taking with you

some of the

elders of Israel

and take in your

hand the staff

with which you

struck the Nile

and go

behold I will

stand before you

there on the

rock at Horeb

and you shall

strike the rock

and water

shall come out

of it

and the people

will drink

and Moses

did so

in the sight

of the elders

of Israel

and he called

the name of the

place

Massah

and Meribah

testing

and rebellion

because of the

quarreling

of the people

of Israel

and because they

tested the Lord

by saying

is the Lord

among us

or not

okay

so this is

the event

that the writer

of Hebrews

is pulling

upon

right

but this was

not the only

time

that the people

quarreled

in fact there's

quite a history

of quarreling

we find out in

Numbers chapter 14

Numbers 14 · chapter mention

God says there were

ten times

they put him

to the test

and as you read

through that narrative

you'll see that cycle

again and again

and again

of them not

believing that God

would do what God

had said

he would do

in preserving

them

as a people

but to bookend

this

I want you now

to turn with me

to Numbers chapter 20

Numbers 20 · chapter mention

and then I promise

we'll go back

to Hebrews 3

and stay

now we know

that because of

Israel's unfaithfulness

right

they were set

to wander

in the wilderness

and they did so

for 40 years

a journey

from Egypt

to the land

of Canaan

could feasibly

have been done

in two weeks

and they spent

40 years

wandering around

as a people

in the desert

this comes

this event

in Numbers chapter 20

Numbers 20 · chapter mention

right

very close

to the end

of that

wandering

and again

a similar

event

starting in

verse 2

now there was

no water

for the congregation

and they

assembled themselves

together

against Moses

and against Aaron

and the people

quarreled with Moses

and said

would that we

had perished

when our brothers

perished before the Lord

why have you

brought the assembly

of the Lord

into this wilderness

that we should

die here

both we

and our cattle

and why have you

made us come up

out of Egypt

to bring us

to this evil place

it is no place

for grain

or figs

or vines

or pomegranates

and there is

no water

to drink

then Moses

and Aaron

went from the

presence of the

assembly

to the entrance

of the tent

of meeting

and fell

on their faces

and the glory

of the Lord

appeared to them

and the Lord

spoke to Moses

saying

take the staff

and assemble

the congregation

you and Aaron

your brother

and tell the rock

before their eyes

to yield

its water

so you shall

bring water

out of the rock

for them

and give drink

to the congregation

and their cattle

so a very similar

event

they have no water

they are grumbling

about water

Moses goes and

pleads for them

to have water

and God

gives him

instructions

but they are

different this time

did you notice

the difference

the first time

he was told

to take a staff

and strike the rock

when he strikes

the rock

the rock

I'm presuming

breaks open

and water

comes flowing

out

abundant water

for this mass

of people

this time

he's told

to do

something

different

verse 8

says

tell the rock

before your eyes

to yield

its water

right

say to the rock

give me your water

and it

will happen

it's important

that we pay attention

to God's

good instruction

for us

verse 9

and Moses

took the staff

from before the Lord

as he commanded him

then Moses and Aaron

gathered the assembly

together before the rock

and he said to them

hear now you rebels

!

shall we bring water

for you

out of this rock?

and Moses

lifted up his hand

and struck the rock

with his staff

twice

and water

came out

abundantly

and the congregation

drank

and their livestock

now

God in his kindness

gave them water

anyway

notice that

he gave them water

anyway

and we are very quick

to say

well the result

is good

right

the water

came

the means

don't really

matter

God doesn't feel

that way at all

about it

God has a much

different perspective

in fact I think

most people

read this text

and go

fantastic

Moses obeyed

and it happened

again

but then God

does a very

curious thing

verse 12

and the Lord

said to Moses

and Aaron

because you

did not believe

in me

they disobeyed

what he had

told them

to do

to uphold

me as holy

in the eyes

of the people

of Israel

therefore you

shall not

bring this

assembly

into the land

that I have

given them

these

are the waters

of Merivah

there it is

again

rebellion

where the people

of Israel

quarreled

with the Lord

and through

them

he showed

himself

holy

this was a judgment

that was passed

on that generation

you recall that

none of that

generation

got to see

the promised land

none of them

got to enter

into the rest

of Canaan

so the author

of Hebrews

is warning

them

and us

in this way

the last half

of verse 7

of Hebrews 3

today

today

if you hear

his voice

do not harden

your hearts

as in the

rebellion

on the day

of testing

in the wilderness

and again

in verse 15

and I believe

repeated

for emphasis

as it is said

today

if you hear

his voice

do not

harden

your hearts

as in

the rebellion

do not be

like the Israelites

that faithful

faithless

excuse me

faithless

generation

learn your lesson

from post

exodus

Israel

this is the plea

of the author

of Hebrews

there were those

who had

every appearance

of beginning

well

but ended

very poorly

they did not

enter God's

rest

do not

be counted

among them

don't merely

say

you're a follower

of Christ

be

a follower

of Christ

and in verses

12

and 13

and 14

the author

of Hebrews

gives three

exhortations

to help

us

number one

protect

your heart

number two

press one

another

toward holiness

and number

three

persevere

to the end

number one

protect your

heart

verse 12

says take

care brothers

lest there be

in any of you

an evil

unbelieving

heart

leading you

to fall

away

from the

living

God

he's saying

to us

this morning

be very

careful

be vigilant

Sin is deceitful

our hearts

are fickle

pay attention

to what's

going on

in you

trace the

contours

of your

affections

what do

you love

the world

or the

ways of

Christ

they stand

in opposition

to one

another

to fall

away

means

to

willingly

apostatize

it means

to turn

away

from the

faith you

once

proclaimed

this kind

of turning

away

bears

a

huge

penalty

to reject

Moses

meant

not

entering

into

the

promised

land

to

reject

Christ

means

not

gaining

the

blessings

of

eternal

life

but

rather

eternal

death

this is a

grander

thing

a greater

thing

an

eternal

thing

that the

writer of

Hebrews

is talking

about

he's using

the temporal

example

of the

Exodus

story

to teach

us this

and we can

know this

because Moses

didn't enter

Canaan

but when

Jesus was

transfigured

who did he

meet with

on the

mountain

Moses

Moses

was there

right

Moses

was found

in

Christ

right

Moses

was taken

off to

glory

but he

didn't enter

that

earthly rest

of the

land

of Canaan

and that's

to show us

something

greater

about our

eternal

rest

take care

watch

over

your heart

be sure

that you

are

in

Christ

the author

of Hebrews

wrote in

Hebrews

Hebrews 10 · chapter mention

chapter 10

and verse

31

it is a

fearful

thing

to fall

into the

hands

of the

living

God

apart from

the righteousness

of Jesus

it is a

scary thing

to be judged

to be condemned

by God

almighty

right

we need

the righteousness

of Christ

to carry us

through

that judgment

right

that we

would be

found

complete

and whole

set apart

in him

that we

would stand

before God

and then

live with him

forever

in Mark

Mark 4 · chapter mention

chapter 4

and Matthew

13

and Luke

8

Jesus

tells the

parable

of the

sower

and this

is so

instructive

for us

in our

day

there's a

sower

who goes

about

sowing

about the

word

right

the gospel

of Jesus

Christ

and we

know

that that

word

falls

on various

types

of ground

that word

is sown

along

the path

and it's

snatched

away

by birds

and we

find out

in Jesus'

explanation

of the

parable

that this

is Satan

taking it

away

it's those

who hear

the gospel

of Jesus

Christ

and never

respond

in faith

there's

word

sown

in rocky

soil

and because

it's

shallow

it yields

quickly

right

the greenery

pops forward

right

starts well

but when

the sun

of tribulation

comes out

it scorches

them

when life

gets hard

it withers

up

and it

dies

in Mark

Mark 4 · chapter mention

chapter 4

in verse 17

Mark records

Jesus saying

that it

immediately

they fall

away

same phrase

found in

Hebrews

they fall

away

some of that

word is sown

among

thorns

and we

learn that

those

thorns

are the

cares

of the

world

the desire

for riches

and those

thorns

choke out

the word

and it

never

brings

forth

fruit

and some

of that

word

is sown

among

good soil

and seed

sown

in good

soil

bears fruit

bears the

fruit of

righteousness

and beloved

what the

author of

Hebrews

is saying

to the

original

audience

and to

us

this

morning

is let's

be careful

having been

people who

started off

well

who claim

to be

Christ

followers

I would

presume

that at

least most

of you

this morning

would say

that you're

a follower

of Jesus

you're not

the word

sown

along the

path

I pray

that you're

the word

sown

among good

soil

bearing the

fruit of

righteousness

he's saying

be careful

that you're

not

rocky

soil

or thorny

soil

that you

don't

end

poorly

and this

is the

trouble of

our day

is what

we simply

do

as we

go about

asking the

trees

what kind

of tree

they are

what kind

of tree

are you

can you

imagine

an orchard

farmer

I didn't

start that

sentence off

well

a fruit

farmer

in his

orchard

what kind

of tree

are you

I am

a peach

tree

what kind

of tree

are you

I am

an apple

tree

you know

the tree

by its

fruit

and we

know that

the trees

that don't

bear fruit

are cut

down and

thrown into

the fire

right

they're not

good trees

they're not

good for

the production

of fruit

and so

they're

cut down

and other

trees are

planted

in their

place

we

ought

not

let

there

be

a

self

proclamation

that's

not

evidenced

by

fruit

bearing

second

peter

chapter

one

verse

ten

apostle

peter

wrote

therefore

brothers

be

all

the

more

diligent

to

confirm

your

calling

and

election

right

be

diligent

set

yourself

to

the

work

of

confirming

your

calling

and

your

election

be

assured

how

for if

you

practice

these

qualities

you

will

never

fall

fall

same

language

being used

there

once again

and he

has just

listed

off

a bunch

of

qualities

that

should

be

possessed

by the

Christian

not in

perfection

but in

growing

degrees

of

glory

protect

your

heart

ask

the

question

the

good

and

honest

question

am

I

in

Christ

has

he

changed

me

do

I

say

I

follow

Jesus

because

it's

the

comfortable

and easy

thing

to do

in

this

culture

or

do

I

really

treasure

him

above

everything

else

have

I

really

forsaken

the

world

in

order

to

follow

him

have

I

really

denied

myself

taken

up

my

cross

that

I

might

gain

Christ

it's

a

serious

question

it's

a

question

that

must

be

asked

for

the

sake

of

your

heart

secondly

he

exhorts

us

to

press

one

another

towards

holiness

verse 13

but

exhort

one

another

every

day

as long

as it

is

called

today

the

church

exists

for

your

good

that

you

would

be

affirmed

that

you

would

have

assurance

of

your

salvation

we

talk

about

this

kind

of

thing

trying

to

help

those

who

may

think

they're

in

Christ

and

are

not

it's

always

a

fear

of

mine

that

we

beat

down

the

broken

hearted

in

the

process

we

beat

down

a

person

this

morning

that

is

struggling

with

their

sin

maybe

in

Christ

trapping

sin

and

they're

trying

to

shake

it

loose

and

they're

working

at it

and

it's

just

not

happening

and

they

contend

to

go

maybe

I'm

just

not

a

Christian

maybe

God

has

not

saved

my

soul

brothers

and

sisters

this

is

why

you

need

a

church

you

need

the

church

to

tell

you

when

you're

living

in

sin

that

you

do

not

see

because

sin

is

deceitful

our

text

tells

us

you

also

need

the

church

to

say

to

you

brother

sister

I

know

you're

feeling

particularly

ashamed

at this

moment

but

you

are

in

Christ

we

have

seen

good

fruit

and

we've

seen

it

in

abundance

we

spend

that

kind

of

time

together

we

work

together

in

that

way

that

we

might

finish

well

to

the

glory

of

God

we

need

one

another

to

do

this

if

you

are

trying

to

live

the

Christian

life

on

your

own

I

fear

for

you

because

of

this

reason

author

of

Hebrews

says

later

in

chapter

10

verse

24

and

25

and

let

us

consider

how

to

stir

up

one

another

to

love

and

good

works

not

neglecting

to

meet

together

as

the

habit

of

some

but

encouraging

one

another

and

all

the

more

as

you

see

the

day

drawing

near

the

finish

you

see

what

he's

saying

he's

picking

up

this

idea

all

the

way

back

from

chapter

three

the

finish

it's

coming

you

see

it

coming

so

be

sure

to

finish

well

be

sure

to

be

found

in

Christ

having

your

affections

changed

by

him

we're

supposed

to

help

each

other

in

that

process

thirdly

persevere

to

the

end

verse

14

for

we

have

come

to

share

in

Christ

this

is

true

of

us

we've

come

to

share

in

Christ

if

indeed

we

hold

our

original

confidence

firm

to the

end

we

we

always

have

to be

so

very

careful

at

this

point

because

we

are

never

saying

that

we

work

to

earn

our

salvation

ever

are we

saying

that

salvation

is

fully a

work

of God

on our

behalf

he

changes

us

because

of

the

work

of

Christ

if

we're

saved

by

works

it's

Christ

works

and not

our

own

but

being

found

in

him

we've

been

given

a

new

nature

and

that

new

nature

is

evidenced

by

our

working

it

simply

proclaims

!

who

we

are

so

we

have

to

be

so

careful

about

this

but

this

is

exactly

what

he's

saying

to

us

here

we've

come

to

share

in

Christ

if

indeed

we

hold

our

original

confidence