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Hebrews 3:7-11
Hebrews 3:7 begins with the word “Therefore” and sends us to review the preceding verse, Hebrews 3:6 (NKJV) which states, “but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.” Therefore, “if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end” (Hebrews 3:6b), Today, picking us in Hebrews 3:7, as the author begins a new declaration in light of holding fast to confidence and rejoicing of the hope in Christ firmly to the end, if you will hear His voice (Hebrews 3:7b; which is a quote from Psalm 95:7); if eyes and ears are opened to receiving the guidance of Almighty God, then a message is coming, and is here, that needs to be acknowledged. The attitude of what is about to be proclaimed comes from the beginning of the Psalm being quoted. In Psalm 95, NIV the first six verses are of giving praise to God as follows;
“Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD;
let us shout aloud to the Rock of our
salvation.
Let us come before him with thanksgiving
and extol him with music and song.
For the LORD is the great God,
the great King above all gods.
In his hand are the depths of the earth,
and the mountain peaks belong to him.
The sea is his, for he made it,
and his hands formed the dry land.
Come, let us bow down in worship,
let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;”
In coming to God with this attitude of praise and worship, holding fast to the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end (Hebrews 3:6), the author of Hebrews declares that one should not harden his/her heart to God as did the Israelites in the wilderness that, because of their hardened hearts toward God were prevented from entering into the promised land. These people continually tested God and their hearts were not right with God (Psalm 95:7-11). Today (Hebrews 3:7) this is a direct comparison to hardening one’s heart to Jesus, which the author of Hebrews is giving instruction to not follow as did the Israelites in the wilderness to an end that left them away from God’s blessing of entering into the promised land.
This is an invitation to open one’s eyes and ears to God and open one’s heart to the saving power of Jesus.
Jesus proclaims in Matthew 13:14-15 (ESV) as He quotes from Isaiah 6:9-10,
“Hearing you will hear and shall not
understand,
And seeing you will see and not
perceive;
For the hearts of this people have
grown dull.
Their ears are hard of hearing,
And their eyes they have closed,
Lest they should see with their eyes
and hear with their ears,
Lest they should understand with their
hearts and turn,
So that I should heal them.”
Many people today have closed their eyes and ears to God and their hearts to the healing power of Jesus. But hope is not lost because as the author of Hebrews states in Hebrews 3:7 (NKJV), “Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says:
‘Today, if you will hear His voice,’
If you will open your heart to Jesus and open your eyes and ears to God, He will save you from the sin of this world that keeps so many people bound and astray from Him. In Jesus there is a confidence and a rejoicing of hope that we all can hold fast to until the end – Today!
Dear LORD,
The penalty for the rebellion of Israel as we read about in the book of Deuteronomy is that same penalty as for us today if we harden our hearts to You and the gift You have given us in Your Son Jesus, the Savior of the world. Please use this ministry and the testimony of all those in Christ to share Your love and salvation in Christ Jesus with all those around us that they too would be compelled to open their eyes, ears, and hearts to a new life in Christ and be healed and enter into Your rest. In Jesus name I pray, amen.