Click here to open the Video Devotional
Hebrews 3:16-19
The author of Hebrews is crying out to his hearers in a proclamation for hope. He puts his focus on the Israelites that wandered in the wilderness for forty years and did not believe in God. For their unbelief they would not be allowed to enter God’s rest in the promised land. The key phrase/sentence in this passage is Hebrews 3:18 which states (NKJV), “And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey?” This disobedience is defined in the previous verse as sin, and the penalty for sin is death (Romans 6:23). But the victory and driving force of the authors intentions for his hearers is to not be like those mentioned in this passage but to be warned by their actions; to take heed, to beware lest one fall to the same fate as those who do not believe in the LORD God Almighty. The verdict is found in verse 19 giving the reason why they could not enter the promised land/God’s rest: unbelief.
This is a call to put your faith in God that His promise of entering His rest may be yours through Christ Jesus.
God called His chosen people Israel out of the bondage of captivity in Egypt to be His example to the world in believing in Him to deliver them into His rest/the promised land. The only requirement was that they believe/put their faith in Him as the one and only true God of heaven. But few believed and were granted entrance into God’s rest/the promised land. Jesus stated in Matthew 7:13 (NIV), “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”
After an introduction to the letter/book of Hebrews that consists of the first two chapters, we find in Hebrews 3:1a who the author of Hebrews is addressing, (ESV) “Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling,”. It is to those who believe. John 1:11-13 announces this call to those who will believe, (HCSB), “He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him. But to all who did receive Him, He gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God.”
The warning is given through the Old Testament Scriptures of what not to do so that through it our eyes may be opened to what we should do; and that is to believe in the one God sent to save us from the ways of this world, that by believing in Him we would be saved and enter into His rest in the promised land of eternal life in heaven – in Christ.
Dear LORD,
The author of Hebrews shows us the importance of studying the Old Testament Scriptures in that we might learn and see You leading Your chosen people to life eternal through believing in You. But in this we also can learn and see of the great many people who did not believe in You and suffered the fate of not entering the promised land into Your rest. You gave the Law to show man that he cannot purely keep it, and You sent our Savior Jesus to be the fulfillment of the Law so that all who believe in Him may have eternal life in Your rest in the promised land of heaven. Please help us to take heed of these things and believe – in Christ! In Jesus name I pray, amen.