CHRISTIAN ETHOS IN ACTION – While it is said: Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” – Hebrews 3:15

 

CHRISTIAN ETHOS IN ACTION – “While it is said: “Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion”. – Hebrews 3:15.

The phrase “if you”, as it applies to you (and me) as a disciple of Jesus, appears one hundred twenty-four times in the English Standard Version (ESV) of the New Testament.

First, we will be confronted with various situations and circumstances from the Bible and, we will discover how we are to respond in these examples. Secondly, I have personalized (rephrased) our study verses for you to memorize. By this, we can bring the Gospel to life as we go and defeat sin along our way.

Today we, as Christians, are confronted with questions about how we should deal with matters such as:

“While it is said: “Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” – Hebrews 3:15.

IN CONTEXT

The verses which come just before and following Hebrews 3:15, our focus verse, give us the context of God’s instructions. Hence, Hebrews 3:1, says,

Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession: Jesus; verse 2, He was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was in all His house. Verse 3. For He has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, by just so much as the builder of the house has more honor than the house. Verse 4. For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God. Verse 5. Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later; verse 6, but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house—whose house we are, if we hold firmly to our confidence and the boast of our hope.

Verse 7. Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says,

“TODAY, IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE,

Verse 8. DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS, AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME,

AS ON THE DAY OF TRIAL IN THE WILDERNESS,

Verse 9. WHERE YOUR FATHERS PUT ME TO THE TEST,

AND SAW MY WORKS FOR FORTY YEARS.

Verse 10. “THEREFORE, I WAS ANGRY WITH THIS GENERATION,

AND SAID, ‘THEY ALWAYS GO ASTRAY IN THEIR HEART,

AND THEY DID NOT KNOW MY WAYS’;

Verse 11. AS I SWORE IN MY ANGER,

‘THEY CERTAINLY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST.’”

Verse 12. Take care, brothers and sisters, that there will not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. Verse 13. But encourage one another everyday, as long as it is still called “today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. Verse 14. For we have become partakers of Christ if we keep the beginning of our commitment firm until the end, verse 15, while it is said,

“TODAY, IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE,

DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS, AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME.” Verse 16. For who provoked Him when they had heard? Indeed, did not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses? Verse 17. And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose dead bodies fell in the wilderness? Verse 18. And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient? Verse 19. And so we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief.

REPHRASED and personalized to memorize:

While it is said: “Today, if I hear His voice, I will not harden my heart as in the rebellion”. – Hebrews 3:15.

(My Commentary):

God, by way of The Holy Spirit inspiring and working through His Apostle Paul, reminds us of our heavenly calling. He compares the supremacy of Jesus as the builder and architect of God’s House, the Church. And that we are to hold firmly to our confidence and the boast of our hope – Christ, Jesus!

Then He warns us that “IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE”, do not harden your heart as the Israelites did in the wilderness. God swore that neither they nor anyone who would follow their example of unbelief, because those kind “ALWAYS GO ASTRAY IN THEIR HEART, AND THEY DO NOT KNOW MY WAYS’, so neither ‘THEY (nor any who are unbelieving, rebellious and disobedient) SHALL ENTER HIS REST.’”

So, let’s say together, this is my testimony: “Today, if I hear His voice, I will not harden my heart as in the rebellion.” I will love, Him, follow Him, serve Him, and obey Him.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

NEXT:  (Coming Soon). “But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons.” – Hebrews 12:8.

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