Rest for our souls.
Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years…” - Hebrews 3:7-9 ESV
The book of Hebrews never identifies the name of person through whom God recorded it, as most other books of the Bible do. What it does instead, is to make very clear who the true author of all Scripture is. Verse 7 of chapter 3 quotes Psalm 95:7-11 and credits the author, the Holy Spirit.
It is an unambiguous confirmation that Scripture is the work and the very words of God, who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We find this especially in the first chapter (Hebrews 1:5-8). This emphasises the core theme of the book of Hebrews, which is that God is speaking to us by His Son Jesus, and we must not ignore Him.
Today’s passage highlights a time when the people of Israel ignored God, even though they knew He was speaking to them. God freed the people of Israel from Pharaoh of Egypt, their cruel oppressor, and took them safely through the desert by powerful miracles, showed them the promised land and told them to take possession of it. Despite all that they had seen God do though, they chose not to believe Him. The people of Israel paid a terrible price for this disbelief. They wandered the desert for 40 years until only their children, and Joshua and Caleb got to enter God’s land.
But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, and did not let the people go. - Exodus 8:32 ESV
Ironically Scripture identifies the people’s problem as “hardening” their hearts. This is what cost Pharaoh, their enemy, his entire Kingdom. Even though he could clearly see God’s power through the plagues, Pharaoh hardened his heart against God. A hardened heart is a heart that stubbornly refuses to believe what God is saying, even when we know that He is speaking to us.
The minority of Israelites in Exodus believed God and entered the promised land. The minority of first century Israelites believed Jesus and entered into God’s promised rest. The majority, like Pharaoh, lost everything because of disbelief. Disbelief in God’s Word has the same consequences as outright rebellion against Him. Trusting what God says may place us in the minority, but it opens up His rest to us, now and for all eternity.
Prayer.
Dear Father God, please forgive our sinful doubt, and desire to be pulled along with the crowd. Keep us strong by Your Holy Spirit, and by the power of Your perfect Word. Deliver us into Your rest, in Jesus Name. Amen.
Worship.
My soul finds rest in God alone, my rock and my salvation
A fortress strong against my foes and I will not be shaken
Though lips may bless and hearts may curse
And lies like arrows pierce me
I'll fix my heart on righteousness, I'll look to Him who hears me
O praise Him, Hallelujah, my Delight and my Reward Everlasting, never failing, my Redeemer,
my God Find rest, my soul, in God alone amid the world's temptations
When evil seeks to take a hold I'll cling to my salvation
Though riches come and riches go, don't set your heart upon them
The fields of hope in which I sow are harvested in heaven
O praise Him, Hallelujah, my Delight and my Reward Everlasting, never failing, my Redeemer, my God
I'll set my gaze on God alone and trust in Him completely
With every day pour out my soul and He will prove His mercy
Though life is but a fleeting breath, a sigh too brief to measure
My King has crushed the curse of death and I am His forever
O praise Him, Hallelujah, my Delight and my Reward Everlasting, never failing,
my Redeemer, my God O praise Him, Hallelujah, my Delight and my Reward
Everlasting, never failing, my Redeemer, my God
Serving.
As people return to work, and find that what they were longing for may no longer there, we need to be light and encouragement to them. We can despair like the crowd, or we can find our rest in God, and share our joy and faith with them. That is where we will find rest for our souls, even if we’re in the minority.