Tag: Hebrews 3
Watch out for unbelief!
Scripture reading for October 16: Hebrews 3
“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 written, “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 with 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.” Hebrews 3:12-19
God had the prophets and apostles write down the story of His redemption and work to bring His people into full salvation and an inheritance. The story of God’s people being delivered by Moses from slavery in Egypt was recorded by Moses and retold by the psalmist in Psalm 95 and by Paul as examples for us. (1 Corinthians 10:6-12) Their journey from Egypt to the promised land should have taken a short time, but His people would not listen to God’s direction and instruction. They suffered from the sin of ‘unbelief.’ It is not that they did not hear, but that they chose to ignore and suppress God’s Word. This brought consequences that cost them their lives and a delay in obtaining what God had promised. It took forty years for the older generation to die in the wilderness. What they had feared came upon them!
Now the writer of Hebrews exhorted Jewish believers in Jesus to watch out for the evil and sin of unbelief in their own lives. “Today” was the only day promised to us and we must use the present to live by faith and trust in God’s Word. We must not complain or rebel against God’s Word. We must watch over each other and encourage one another to stand firm. If this sin of unbelief takes root, it causes hard hearts and affects others who are believers. The end result is failure to enter into God’s promised rest of eternal life in His presence. It can lead to eternal separation from God.
Have you ever heard God speak to you concerning something in your life needing attention? Are you the type of person who readily obeys or do you procrastinate? Do you have strong believers or pastoral guides that give you strong encouragement and warning when needed?
Prayer: Father God, thank You for the Scripture and the stories You recorded as examples for us. They are a source of encouragement to me. Thank you for your church and those who watch over me daily and give me the full counsel of Your Word. Use me daily to watch over my family and Your people. Amen.
Daily encouragement needed!
Scripture reading for October 17th: Hebrews 3
Key Scriptures for over-comers: Hebrews 3:12-14 “See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first.”
The pressures of sin, our flesh and fallen angels can sometimes drag believers back into the world and away from trusting in Christ. Our heart is the ground that must be defended and kept soft to receive truth and encouragement. Believers need to be careful of sin’s deceitfulness and a hardening of our hearts and turning away from God. Encouragement by other believers should be occurring on a daily basis. One day Jesus Christ will appear and only those who are standing firm will be ready to go with Him!
Observations for over-comers: Over-comers watch over each other and encourage each other to stand firm and confident in their faith. “Above all else, guard you heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” (Proverbs 4:23)
Jesus: Greater than Moses!
Scripture reading for October 16th: Hebrews 3
“Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest whom we confess. He was faithful to the One who appointed Him, just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house. Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself.. . . But Christ is faithful as a Son over God’s house. And we are His house, if we hold on to our courage and hope of which we boast.” (Hebrews 3:1-6)
The writer addressed the ‘holy brothers’ as ones who shared in a calling to the heavenly kingdom of Jesus Christ. He encouraged them to fix their thinking on Jesus who was sent (Apostle is a “sent one”) by God the Father. Jesus is now seated at God’s right hand as our High Priest. He has offered His own blood as the final sacrifice for all sins and now is able and willing to intercede for us.
Jesus is greater than Moses because Jesus is God’s Firstborn Son. Moses was only a man who faithfully served God to bring God’s people out of slavery and was faithful to receive God’s law and give it to them. Jesus was the final Word from God. A Son who was the ‘radiance of His Glory’ and ‘exact representation of His Being‘. (Hebrews 1:3) He is the builder of God’s household as He offers all men salvation through faith in His sacrifice of His body and blood. He is able to deliver all men from slavery to sin and make them members of God’s family (house). “We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly to the end the confidence we had at first.” (Hebrews 3:6,14)