College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
Hebrews 3:7-11
B.
Warnings and exhortations with respect to pilgrimage. Hebrews 3:7-19
1.
Israel's pilgrimage: Hebrews 3:7-11
Text
Hebrews 3:7 Wherefore, even as the Holy Spirit saith,
Today if ye shall hear His voice,
Hebrews 3:8 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation,
Like as in the day of the trial in the wilderness,
Hebrews 3:9 Where your fathers tried Me by proving Me,
And saw My works forty years.
Hebrews 3:10 Wherefore I was displeased with this generation,
And said, They do always err in their heart:
But they did not know My ways;
Hebrews 3:11 As I sware in My wrath,
They shall not enter into My rest.
Paraphrase
Hebrews 3:7 Since the Son is the Father's faithful Apostle or Lawgiver in His church, I, by commission from Him, say to you, as said the Holy Ghost to the Jews by David, To-day when ye shall hear God's voice by His Son, commanding you to enter into the rest of heaven.
Hebrews 3:8 Be not faithless and obstinate as your fathers were in the bitter provocation at Kadesh, where they refused to go into Canaan, in the day of temptation in the wilderness.
Hebrews 3:9 Where your fathers, from the time of their departure out of Egypt until they arrived at Canaan, tempted Me by their disobedience, and proved Me by insolently demanding proofs of My faithfulness and power, notwithstanding they saw my miracles forty years. See Deuteronomy 9:7.
Hebrews 3:10 Wherefore I was exceedingly displeased with that generation which I had brought out of Egypt, and said, They always err, not from ignorance, but from perverseness of disposition; and they have utterly disliked My method of dealing with them.
Hebrews 3:11 So, to punish them for their unbelief, I sware in My wrath, they shall not enter into My rest in Canaan.
Comment
Wherefore even as the Holy Spirit saith
This is a quotation from Psalms 95:7.
a.
He attributes these words to the Holy Spirit, thus establishing the inspiration of the scriptures.
b.
Men who question the inspiration of the Bible have hundreds of such verses of which to dispose.
Harden not your hearts
This suggests immediate action in favor of God, not against Him.
a.
This subject is emphasized all through the New Testament:
1.
John 9:4: while it is day.
2.
Acts 22:16: Now why tamest thou?
3.
Romans 13:11: awake out of sleep.
4.
Acts 16:33: same hour
Man is able to receive the word, but has the choice of hardening his heart.
as in the day of provocation
There were two reasons why the Jews needed to be reminded:
a.
They were foolishly inflated on account of the glory of their race:
1.
They needed to be reminded of their own sinfulness.
2.
Their feeling of superiority blinded them to the reality of their condition.
b.
They needed to know that falling away was dangerous.
To what does the provocation refer?
a.
Two possibilities:
1.
Numbers, Chapter s thirteen and fourteen: Spies bring back a report: We are as grasshoppers. (Numbers 13:33)
And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron and the whole congregation said unto them, Would that we had died in the land of Egypt or would that we had died in the wilderness. (Numbers 14:2)
2.
Exodus 17 may be referred to:
a)
Here the Israelites cried against Moses and complained. (See Numbers 17:1-7)
b)
Moses gave the places names. (Numbers 17:7)
1.
Massahprovingtempting.
2.
Meribahchidingstrife.
b.
We do not know to which of the two places David referred.
Like as in the day of the trial in the wilderness
The term wilderness refers to any waste land, and this was the type of country in which the Jews traveled. They were led through the wilderness because:
a.
It was less likely to lead to war.
b.
It gave God a chance to prove His power and love.
where your fathers tried Me by proving Me
God brought them giftswater, manna and quails for food, the cloud and the pillar of fire for guidance and protectionyet they asked, Where is His power?
It increased their guilt, when in spite of so many evidences of His power they made so little progress.
Trying by proving illustrated:
a.
NewellA boy says, Father has forbidden me to do this and says I will be punished. I do not believe it. I will do what he said not to do and see if he will.
b.
The action of Israel was a trying thing upon the patience of God; yet it also proved that He meant every word spoken.
and saw My works forty years
Not once or for a short timebut for forty years.
History of their waywardness:
a.
First, in the wilderness of sinwhen they murmured for bread and God gave them manna. Exodus 16:4.
b.
Secondthey murmured because of lack of water. Exodus 17:2-9. This place is called Massah and Meribah.
c.
ThirdDuring the third year after their departure from Egypt, they provoked God at Sinai by making the golden calf. Exodus 32:10.
d.
FourthAt Taberah (Numbers 11:3) they murmured for want of flesh, and were smitten with a plague, Numbers 11:33. Many were buried here. Numbers 11:34.
e.
KadeshCaleb and Joshua as spies are rejected.
1.
Numbers 14:30: God says all shall die but Caleb and Joshua.
2.
Deuteronomy 1:34-35: God ordered them to turn into the wilderness, where they wandered 38 years. Deuteronomy 2:14.
f.
Wilderness near Mt. Hor. Numbers 21:4-5. No bread or water. God sent serpents, and finally a brazen serpent was erected to save them.
3.
Newell says it refers to the eleven-day journey from Horeb by way of Mt. Sinai unto Kadesh Barnea that because of unfaithfulness took forty years.
Wherefore I was displeased with this generation
Generation means race, or men of one age.
Here was God, their Father, grieved at their refusal to follow His leading.
and said, They do always err in their heart
Err means to wander, go astray.
Their consistent errors must have brought the longsuffering Father to the breaking point.
but they did know My ways
They were as ignorant of God as they were of the paths of the desert.
They seemed senseless, unable to understand the ways of God.
a.
This was not an excuse, but an accusation.
b.
This condition did not save them, but destroyed them.
as I sware in my wrath
Sware refers to what God spoke.
Numbers 14:30-35: God here stated they shall not enter, because they listened to the report of the ten spies.
Wrath refers to His condemnation;
a.
God has a right to be wrathful.
1.
A lack of anger is a weakness.
2.
Tolerance is to be desired above intolerance, but it can also become a vice rather than a virtue.
b.
God has wrath when His longsuffering comes to an end.
c.
It is not good for man to reap and not sow.
1.
It is not good for man to sow wickedness, and not reap the same.
2.
God has made a consistent world for us.
d.
God used them as an example unto us.
1.
1 Corinthians 10:11-12: happened by way of example.
They shall not enter into My rest
Numbers 14:20 is the place where God reached this decision.
The generation that showed a lack of faith was not given the privilege to enter Canaan.
Study Questions
412.
Where is the quotation from the Holy Spirit found?
413.
Does this establish the inspiration of the scriptures?
414.
Who can harden or soften hearts in this verse?
415.
Can you name other scriptures that place the responsibility upon man? cf. Romans 13:11.
416.
What day of provocation is referred to, Pharaoh's or Israel'S?
417.
Is it a certain time, or the whole exodus?
418.
Name some instances of provocation. cf. Numbers 13:32; Exodus 17:1-7.
419.
Could it be at Massah and Meribah alone?
420.
What is meant by trial in the wilderness?
421.
What is a wilderness in the scriptures?
422.
Why did the Israelites go into the wilderness?
423.
Who are the fathers referred to here?
424.
How did they try God?
425.
What is meant by try?
426.
What did the trial prove concerning God?
427.
How long did they try God?
428.
What is meant by works?
429.
Tell of the Israelites-' provocation of God that brought about works of God.
430.
What is meant by generation?
431.
What did God declare concerning that generation?
432.
What is meant by err?
433.
Where was the seat of their trouble?
434.
Why didn-'t they know God's ways?
435.
Is ignorance a sufficient excuse for disobedience?
436.
What is meant by swear?
437.
What is the wrath of Godanger, or condemnation?
438.
Is wrath a good quality or a bad one?
439.
Would it be good for man if God were a weakling?
440.
Would it be good for man not to reap what he sows?
441.
Where and when did this swearing take place? cf. Numbers 14:23.