24/07/16 Hebrews 3:12-19 “Beware of an evil heart of unbelief against God”
We continue today with that rest which God had withheld from a generation of Hebrews in the wilderness because they rebelliously tested and tried God even after all His works for them. And the Hebrews who read this epistle were likewise walking through a wilderness, where the need to trust God’s faithful provision was not any less than it was back in the days of Moses. If Christians, then they were still strangers and pilgrims in the alien territory of the world.
1 Chronicles 29:15 – For we [are] strangers before thee, and
sojourners, as [were] all our fathers: our days on the earth [are] as
a shadow, and [there is] none abiding.
Hebrews 11:13 – These all died in faith, not having received the
promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of {them}, and
embraced {them}, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the
earth.
Hebrews 3:12 – Take heed,
brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing
from the living God.
Remember that the writer is mainly talking to the
Christians (believers) among the Hebrews (who were the Jews who lived in and
around the Palestine area).
Take heed – can mean physically “to see;
discern; of the bodily eye” but can also mean metaphorically “to discern
mentally; observe; perceive; discover; understand”, that is, “to see mentally”.
Here it is mental discernment that is required.
As the saying goes, we learn one thing from history
which is that we do not learn from history. The writer is warning the readers
to take note mentally of, that is, understand, what happened to the Hebrews in
the wilderness, that they should not fall into the same “evil heart of
unbelief” today (see Vs 13). We also see that departing from the living God is closely
connected to having an evil heart of unbelief.
departing – aphistemi (to depart from
someone; fall away; become faithless; shun; flee from; to withdraw one’s self
from). Here it probably relates to a “falling away”.
Cambridge Bible – “in departing”
Lit., “in the apostatising from”. In that one
word—Apostasy—the moral peril of his Hebrew readers was evidently summed up. To
apostatise after believing is more dangerous than not
to have believed at all.
Note that “fall away” in the following, while a
different Greek word, has similar meaning (in that they fall away after having
known some of the truth and life to start with):
Hebrews 6:6 – If they shall fall away, to
renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of
God afresh, and put {him} to an open shame.
And again Peter warns of the danger of turning away from
righteousness once they have known about it.
2 Peter 2:21 – For it had
been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after
they have known {it}, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
Note similar teachings such as “let {them} slip” in the
following:
Hebrews 2:1 – Therefore we ought to give the more
earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let
{them} slip.
unbelief – apistia (unbelief; unfaithfulness; faithless; weakness or
want of faith) apistia
is derived from “apistos”
denoting the opposite of pistos
= faith.
Hebrews 3:2 declares Jesus Christ faithful; here the
opposite is declared of those who fall away from the living God.
Ellicott’s Commentary – The Greek word apistia
stands in direct contrast to “faithful” (pistos), Hebrews 3:2, and combines the ideas of
“unbelief” and “faithlessness.”
More and more, as we study Hebrews, we’re seeing a
consistent message to avoid “falling away”. Rather we’re to hold fast to such things
as our confidence, hope and belief/faith in Christ, with some passages noting
that this should be steadfast, to the end.
And this verse overall is clearly saying “Take heed!”
“Be on your guard!” “Beware!” Watch out that you do not depart from the living
God because of an evil heart of unbelief (lack of faith). Note Hebrews
11:6 – But without faith {it is} impossible to please {him}:
for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and {that} he is a rewarder
of them that diligently seek him.
Hebrews 3:13 – But exhort one another daily, while
it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of
sin.
exhort – admonish, exhort, encourage.
daily – kata
hekastos hemera
(in/during each/every day) That is, the idea of exhorting (or admonishing) each
other constantly, especially while we still have the time to do so. As the
saying goes, we don’t know what we have until it’s gone! Don’t wait until the
day or time for exhorting is over, but do it now while you can. Sin has a habit
of creeping up on us, catching us unawares, and before we know it, we’ve been
somewhat ensnared by that sin which could have been avoided if only we’d spent
time exhorting one another against such sin, and being exhorted in return.
In the next verse, and further on in Hebrews, we are
again exhorted to hold fast to the beginning of our confidence and the
confession of our hope, along with exhorting one another to stir up love and
good works, those things which stand opposed to the deceitfulness of sin. Note the
following from Ch.10.
Hebrews 10:23-25 – 23 Let us
hold fast the profession of {our} faith without wavering; (for he {is} faithful
that promised;) 24 And let us consider one another to provoke
unto love and to good works: 25 Not forsaking the assembling
of ourselves together, as the manner of some {is}; but exhorting {one another}:
and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
That is, if we exhort one another constantly, we should
also be able to demonstrate love and good works as evidence of such, and be
able to hold fast to our confidence and hope until the end.
hardened – skleruno (to make hard; harden; to render or to become
obstinate or stubborn) Where we get “sclerosis” from (= stiffening or hardening
of body tissues). Thus hardening has the idea of taking away the flexibility of
something, so the hardening of our hearts would mean the removal of our
flexibility to change. As such, we would become set in our ways and possibly
unable to change for the better again, all through the deceitfulness of sin.
Note carefully that sin is always deceitful. It never delivers what it
promises; instead of life and abundance, it delivers death and lack.
Hebrews 3:14 – For we are made partakers of Christ,
if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast
unto the end;
partakers of Christ – sharers in the work and life of
Christ (including being joint-heirs with Him, if we indeed suffer with
Him – Romans 8:17). Note the conditional “if” above. We may be partakers of
Christ if we hold fast to the end, and in Hebrews 3:6 we may be Christ’s
“house” if we hold fast to the end.
Note that here is that requirement again. In Hebrews 3:6
we are exhorted to hold fast “the confidence (assurance) and the rejoicing of the
hope firm to the end.” Here we are exhorted to “hold
the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end.” Clearly there are
conditions to being a part of the house and inheritance of Christ, and those
conditions just as clearly specify holding fast to the end. Note that
“confidence” here has a different meaning to that used in Hebrews 3:6.
confidence – hypostasis (foundation; firm; substance; real being; substantial
nature of a person or thing; steadfastness; confidence; firm trust; assurance)
This word is used in Hebrews 3 times: Hebrews 1:3 – “the
express image of His person”; Hebrews 3:14 – “if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end”; Hebrews
11:1 – “Now faith is the substance of
things hoped for”.
It has the idea of that upon which everything else rests
or is dependent upon.
This is not works, yet it does involve a letting
go of the world, that is, denying ourselves, taking up our crosses and following
Jesus, in order to be His at the end.
This is not works-based salvation, yet we are
told consistently to persevere to the end. Our works cannot save us – we are
justified by faith, not by works ….
Galatians 2:16 – Knowing that a man is not justified
by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have
believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ,
and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be
justified.
…… but we must yet hold fast until the end.
So in order to be consistent with Scripture we must
first assume as a doctrinal truth that we are not justified by works! Even
when James 2:24 says that we are justified by works, the context clearly shows
that it is not us that are justified here, but our faith. The works we do are
our justification (that is, our demonstration) of our faith.
Jesus said that if we love Him, we would obey Him.
John 14:15 – If ye love
Me, keep My commandments.
We are neither saved nor justified by works, yet we are
to work out our salvation in trembling and fear.
Philippians 2:12-13 – 12 Wherefore,
my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much
more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13
For it is God which worketh in you both to
will and to do of [his] good pleasure.
Thus it is not works we do that save us, nor is it works
that we do that keep us in God’s hand. Rather it appears to be a decision to
deny ourselves and take up our crosses daily, without which we are not deemed worthy
(Matthew 10:38), nor can we be Jesus’ disciples (Luke 14:27). And, just as the
decision to be saved is not a work, our decision to deny ourselves (that is,
the pleasures of the world), and take up our cross of suffering, is neither a
work, but a decision of our free will which sets our direction. For after we
have decided to deny ourselves and take up our crosses daily to follow Jesus,
it is God who does the works in us according to His will and good pleasure. And
unless we forsake all that we have, we cannot be His disciple! (Luke
14:33)
Tozer – The new cross encourages a new and
entirely different evangelistic approach. The evangelist does not demand
abnegation of the old life before a new life can be received. He preaches not
contrasts but similarities. He seeks to key into public interest by showing
that Christianity makes no unpleasant demands; rather, it offers the same thing
the world does, only on a higher level. Whatever the sin-mad world happens to
be clamouring after at the moment is cleverly shown to be the very thing the
gospel offers, only the religious product is better. (Page 23) ….
The old cross is a symbol of death. It stands for the
abrupt, violent end of a human
being. The man in Roman times who took up his cross and
started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends. He was not
coming back. He was going out to have it ended. The cross made no compromise,
modified nothing, spared nothing; it slew all of the man, completely and for
good. It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim. It struck cruel and
hard, and when it had finished its work, the man was no more. (Page 23) ……
Always remember: you can not
carry a cross in company. Though a man were surrounded by a vast crowd, his
cross is his alone and his carrying of it marks him as a man apart. Society has
turned against him; otherwise he would have no cross. No one is a friend to the
man with a cross. “They all forsook him, and fled.” (Page 95)
(Man – The Dwelling Place of God; Pages 23 & 95)
When we have fully surrendered to God’s supreme
authority, we no longer have life of our own, but it is Christ’s life in us
which sustains and keeps us, and also directs us. It is no longer we who are in
control, but Christ who is God. To be crucified with Christ means to hand over
an enduring power of attorney to Christ. It’s no longer our lives that we are
living, but Christ living His life in us. We are now a living sacrifice (Romans
12:1), our all is on the altar; we have handed all authority over our lives to
sovereign God.
Galatians 2:20 – I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not
I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now
live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave
himself for me.
This is the real denying of ourselves, the surrender of
our own lives and all our personal dreams of achievement, with the life in us
now completely dependent upon the life of the Lord Jesus Christ, with whom we
are hid in God (Colossians 3:3). This is when we cannot be lost, because we no
longer live our lives but are forever hid in God with Christ. As a wise pastor
said to me many years ago, “What we keep control of ourselves, we can lose, but
what we hand over to God we cannot lose.” Unfortunately, the world can appear
so attractive, so tempting, that many refuse to let go, fearing that a life
with Christ will cause too much loss of the world in their lives. But, until
they do let go of the world, there is always the risk of their desire for the
world overruling their desire for Christ.
When we are saved, God desires a relationship with us
for eternity. However, a relationship requires commitment from us as well. We
call upon the name of the Lord, and God saves us as per His promise. All too
often we want to be saved for the benefits it brings us. But how often
do we emphasise the benefit to God when we are saved? Note briefly the
experience of Isaiah in his vision of God on the throne (Isaiah 6). Note
Isaiah’s concern for the effect his sin would have upon a holy God. And also
note the parable of the pharisee and the tax collector (= publican, which
actually means one who collects taxes). Observe the response of the tax
collector (Luke 18:9-14): he was in anguish because of the effect his sin had
upon a holy God such that he desired God to be merciful to (propitiate) him.
God denied the life of His own Son Jesus to bring the gift of salvation to us.
All God asks of us is that we deny ourselves in return and take on instead the risen
life of His Son Jesus, for all eternity, to be crucified with Christ (Galatians
2:20), and to rise again to newness of life in Christ (Romans 6:4-6).
Hebrews 3:15 – While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts,
as in the provocation.
We covered this reasonably thoroughly last message (Hebrews 3:8). However, the simple message is that it is always the right time (“today”) to hear God’s voice of instruction. It is the Holy Spirit who leads into all truth, who says that this message is for today, that is, now (Hebrews 3:7). So do not let your hearts become hardened (skleruno – stubborn; obstinate) as happened with the Hebrews in the wilderness.
hear – hear something; be able to hear; consider
what has been said; understand what has been said; comprehend. Thus, while it
can be a physical ability to hear, in this case it clearly includes an
understanding or comprehension of what has been said. It’s not just hearing,
but learning from it as well.
Psalm 25:5 – Lead me in thy truth, and teach me:
for thou [art] the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.
Hebrews 3:16 – For some, when they had heard, did
provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.
howbeit – 573 out of 637 occurrences in KJV are
translated as “but”. However, “howbeit” would be correct.
some – 104 out of 448 occurrences in KJV are
translated as “certain” and can mean “certain one/s”.
Thus: For certain ones when they heard (the word/voice
of God) did provoke (God): howbeit (but) not all (of them) that came out of
Egypt by (with) Moses (were rebellious).
Some commentaries suggest that it is in the form of a
double question. Barnes writes – According
to this, it would be a question, and would mean, "But who were they who
when they had heard did provoke? Were they not all indeed who came out of Egypt
under Moses? And with whom was He angry for 40 years? Was it not with those who
sinned, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness?"
And Pulpit Commentary writes – “For who, when they heard, provoked?
Nay, did not all those who came out of Egypt by Moses.” That both these clauses are interrogative, and not as
taken in the A.V., is now the prevalent view. The (reason) for thus
understanding them (is) the analogy of the two following verses, both of which
are interrogative, and in the first of which a question is similarly answered
by putting another….
But these two explanations appear to be incorrect. It
seems to me that the wording in the above verse appears to be correct, that
while many people provoked God in the wilderness, not all did so. The word
“some”, when read as “certain ones” can easily indicate that certain of the
people, yet not all, were involved. It is also not necessarily a small number;
in this case it would represent most of the people, yet not all of them.
For instance, those who fell were those who had been
numbered among them for war, and didn’t include women and children, and it only
included those who were male and over 20 years old. It also didn’t appear to
have included any of the tribe of Levi, as these weren’t numbered among those
who were able to go to war. And Joshua and Caleb were not included!
Numbers 14:29-30 – 29 Your
carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you,
according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have
murmured against me, 30 Doubtless ye shall not come into the
land, [concerning] which I sware to make you
dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and
Joshua the son of Nun.
Numbers 2:33 – But the Levites were not numbered
among the children of Israel; as the Lord commanded Moses.
The tribe of Levi
was numbered for the purpose of service for God, but not with the rest of
Israel.
Numbers 3:15 – Number the children of Levi after the house of their fathers, by their
families: every male from a month old and upward shalt thou number them.
The message is clear: those who heard and understood
God’s voice to them in the wilderness, and then rebelled, provoking God to
anger, might have been many but not every single one who came out of Egypt with
Moses was guilty of this sin. This meaning then leads into the next verse.
Hebrews 3:17 – But with whom was he grieved forty
years? [was it] not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in
the wilderness?
Wasn’t God’s anger (for forty years) against those who
sinned, and consequently the corpses of those who sinned fell in the
wilderness? Why would God be angry with those who did not harden their hearts?
The answer to the Hebrews reading this epistle is that they were to “Take heed,
brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing
from the living God.” (Vs 12)
The penalty fits the crime; the soul that sins shall
die.
Ezekiel 18:20 – The soul that sinneth,
it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall
the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous
shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.
Hebrews 3:18 – And to whom sware
he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?
And wasn’t it to those disobedient ones that God swore
would not enter His land of rest: Canaan? It wasn’t to the obedient ones that
God swore not to give them His rest, but to the disobedient. Both Joshua and
Caleb entered into the promised land of Canaan; both of these were obedient to
God. The penalty is always for those who disobey, while blessing (in this case,
God’s “rest”) is always promised for obedience. In other words, there were
consequences for the sin of those rebellious ones who provoked God to anger in
the wilderness. Thus this verse is stating an obvious conclusion: see next
verse.
Hebrews 3:19 – So we see that they could not enter
in because of unbelief.
So it was a natural consequence of
their sin in provoking God to anger that they should suffer not being permitted
to enter into their land of rest. And here it specifies their sin (rebellion)
as unbelief (unfaithfulness; faithlessness). Sin always has consequences!
Thus the warning to the Hebrews
reading this letter was to beware of what happened to the Hebrews in Moses’
day. That is, 12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be
in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. 13
But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of
you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
Today far too many churches have
already departed from the living God by not taking note of the seriousness of
His word to us. Too many alleged “teachers of the Law”, like the pharisees they
emulate, twist and alter the words and meanings of Scripture to fit in with
whatever desires of the world they wish to justify as being acceptable to God.
Every heresy can be traced back to a selfish desire to rewrite the Bible so
that it supports their desired life-style, even those who might claim, in their
arrogant pride, that they are the custodians of the purity of the Scripture
(sola scriptura), with such heresy requiring that so many verses be altered,
and/or taken out of context, with a consequent lacking of consistency with the
rest of Scripture. For those who cry “sola scriptura”, let them indeed take the
purity of the Scriptures alone as their standpoint. And if they are truly
honest, they will admit that not one of us can claim to know all things this
side of glory, and that their beliefs, as for ours, constantly require the
testing of all things against the rock-solid truths of the Bible that cannot
change, and will not change, no matter how much they, or we, argue to the
contrary!
“Thy Word is truth!” (John 17:17)
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