When we see something repeated over and over in scripture, it might be a beneficial thing for us to sit up and take notice as to what point is trying to be made. I mean, really.... 

 Three times, there in Hebrews 3-4, there is a passage quoted for us to hear as in a warning for some reason. The quote is taken from Ps. 95 and it is the Holy Spirit that is bringing it to our attention in Heb. 3:7-8, 15, & 4:7 – 

 “Today, IF...you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, in the day of trial in the wilderness, where your fathers tested Me and tried Me...” 

 The author here is pointing back to a very well documented event that took place not long after God delivered His people from the bondage they were held in under Pharaoh’s power back in Egypt. 

 This ‘rebellion’ that took place is also mentioned by Paul there in 1 Cor. 10:4-11 listing a number of ways in which the wrath of God came upon them for various acts of disobedience. And get this: Paul makes it quite clear why this generation of people who ‘fell in the wilderness’ (Heb. 3:17), making God quite angry, are mentioned so much: ... 

 “These things became our examples, to the intent that we should not...” (1 Cor. 10:6) and he goes on to cite several examples to show how serious God was about what He said. You should spend a moment to read vs. 6-10 there. 

 Then underline vs. 11 (if you have not already) and read it aloud: “Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.” 

 So the next time you hear a preacher suggest we pay little mind to writings in the OT or not take all that ‘old history’ too seriously, you might ask them why Paul said we would do well to study this based on his words there in Corinthians. 

 Now, back to Hebrews 3-4, where the authorship of this book is questionable, as to whether Paul wrote it or if someone else did. (But that is irrelevant here). 3:7 begins with “Therefore as the Holy Spirit says...” and we are again ,being reminded of that time when their fathers tested God there during their ‘trial in the wilderness’. (8). We are told how this generation of people ‘always went astray in their heart’...and have not known His ways.” (10) 

 Then God made a point to say...”So I swore in My wrath, They shall not enter My rest.” (11) 

 Now why do you think this is all being brought up for us to read, hear, study, and take to heart? 

 Let’s continue on...as we are told to “Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you (brethren), and evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God.” (12) 

 Do you think it is possible for ‘brethren’ to actually ‘depart from the living God’? Could this be perhaps what Paul was referring to regarding a great ‘falling away’ from the faith there in 2 Thess. 2:3? And who was it that we read in John 6:66 that “went back and walked with Jesus no more”; was it just random folks in the crowd who had their fill of bread and fish...or was it ‘disciples’? 

 I know it can be hard at times for many of us to process this idea that a ‘real believer’ in Jesus could do that...actually turn and walk away; but they did...and still do. And if you think it could not happen to you...you better think again lest pride get the best of you. (1 Cor. 10:12). 

 It might be a good idea for us to have a better understanding as to how that might even be possible so let’s read on there in Heb. 3:13...”but exhort one another daily....while it is called “today,”, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” Now you might consider drawing an arrow/line back from that line to verse 8 where the Holy Spirit is wanting to warn us about not hardening our hearts. 

 How do we do that? Through the deceitfulness of what? Sin, it says there? Sin, and the practice of sin is what hardens our hearts. And it’s important to note from what we read there that there are two components at work here when we sin...the ‘hardening of our heart’ along with ‘deceitfulness’. Do you know what it means to be deceived? Do you think deceived people know they are deceived? Do we not read over and over and over in the NT to ‘be not deceived’ or ‘let no one deceive you!’ ? 

 And can you clearly and simply define what ‘sin’ actually is? Please refrain from that same old song we’ve been conditioned to recite with a pseudo-humble tone as to how ‘sin is missing the mark’ and how we ‘all fall short and fail God multiple times a day’, before singing the praises of His unfathomable mercy and grace”. 

 If we are ‘failing God multiple times a day’ by continuing to practice sin, then we have a big problem because it is quite clear we are not abiding in Christ based on what we read in 1 John 3:6, 9. IF, we are following in or ‘walking in His Spirit’, we are no longer fulfilling the lusts of the sinful flesh nature (Gal. 5:16) which is how sin manifest itself in us...when we give in to that old sinful nature. 

 Everything about our old, carnal, sinful nature is in rebellion to God...is hostile to God and will not submit to the law of God. {Rom. 8:7-8}. And breaking the law of God is exactly what sin is- (1 John 3:4) 

 Even John warns us about not being deceived as he continues on saying “He who sins is of the devil.” (3:8). Now what are we going to do with that? Cut it out?...black it out with a Sharpie? Find some thick commentary to use a bunch of words in attempt to explain why God did not really mean what He said there? (Gen. 3:1). What was Paul worried about that he warns us of there in 2 Cor. 11:2-4? 

 If we are continuing to practice sin, make no mistake about it, a subtle and dangerous ‘poison of deception’ is working its way through your heart to harden it...almost like all that ‘bad cholesterol’ does which is guilty of ‘hardening our arteries’. (Hmmm...isn’t that something interesting to ponder?) 

 Back to Hebrews 3:16-19. Again, we are told how angry God was with these people over those forty years as they continued to sin and rebel in the wilderness. We are told their ‘corpses fell in the wilderness’, as in were killed, destroyed, left to rot and it was made clear...They would not enter this place of rest God had prepared for them. And please make note how the author here links this idea of ‘unbelief’ to ‘disobedience’. Did they not enter for lack of faith, or simply because they did not obey? Why could it not be both? Maybe ‘faith’ and ‘obedience’ go hand in hand? We all love John 3:16 and just tell people all they have to do is ‘believe’ in order to be ‘saved’. Yet, Hebrews 5:9 says Christ is the author of eternal salvation to all who ‘obey Him’. 

 Oh, and there in Hebrews 4:7, we read for the third time...”Today, if you will hear His voice...do not harden your hearts’. John 10:27 has in the past year, become one of those ‘hidden verses’ that comes to mind frequently...”My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” 

 So let’s explore for a moment here, all this talk about what happened in the ‘wilderness’ and what didn’t happen. If you will recall, after their great escape from the Egypt and the dramatic passing through the Red Sea, God led them in to the “wilderness”. This is where the story goes south quickly. The wilderness was not an ‘end destination’, rather a place they were going to pass through on their way to the Promised Land...this land of rest and blessing. You should be familiar with this by now. And just for the record, you might underline Hebrews 4:1 and make note of how we are told to ‘fear’...”lest any of us come short” to entering this place God wants us to enter. He didn’t say ‘reverential awe’; he said we better ‘fear’. (2 Cor. 7:1 is good also) 

 Do you know what the purpose of this ‘wilderness experience’ was for? Take a look at Deut. 8:1-2 with special attention given to vs. 2. Then, jot down next to that passage – 1 Thess. 2:4; Prov. 17:3, and James 1:3. You may as well look them up and read while you are at it ;-) 

 So in yesterday’s post, I talked about a ‘powerless’ church that is good at having a ‘form of godliness’. ( 2 Tim. 3:1-5). I also talked about how Jesus came to perfect us in His Love as we are conformed to His image and likeness (Rom. 8:29) so that we could be effective ambassadors for Him in this world today. We are, after all, told that if we are abiding in Him, we will ‘walk as He walked’. And even Jesus said the works they saw Him do, we would do also. (John 14:12) I also wanted to emphasize how this is not about wanting to go out and ‘do signs and wonders’. But it has everything to do with setting captives free. The problem is, the most of us have yet to be ‘set free ourselves’ given our open admission as to how we ‘fail God every day by sinning’ and we already know that ‘whoever commits sin is a slave to sin’. (John 8:34) 

 Can I just suggest a possible ‘reason’ or theory as to why the church at large has been powerless, or certainly lacked the power that Jesus promised and poured out on that early church? {Acts 1:8; Acts 2). I mean, after all, one of our most often repeated quotes is “There’s a reason for everything” as we shrug and scratch our heads when prayers go unanswered...again and again. We failed the 'test'. (2 Cor. 13:5)

 And I only point you again, to Jesus in the word...where we read that immediately after His baptism by John in the Jordan River....that He was led or driven into the wilderness...to be...tested. We are told there in Luke 4:1 that He was indeed ‘filled with the Holy Spirit’, but it is not until vs. 14...and after He ‘passed the test’ that He returned in the ‘power of the Spirit’. 

 Join me tomorrow?