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A Warning Against Unbelief

The Holy Spirit says,

“Listen to his voice today.
    If you hear it, don’t be stubborn.
You were stubborn when you opposed me.
    You did that when you were tested in the desert.
There your people of long ago tested me.
    Yet for 40 years they saw what I did.
10 That is why I was angry with them.
    I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray.
    They have not known my ways.’
11 So when I was angry, I made a promise.
    I said, ‘They will never enjoy the rest I planned for them.’ ” (Psalm 95:7–11)

12 Brothers and sisters, make sure that none of you has a sinful heart. Do not let an unbelieving heart turn you away from the living God. 13 But build one another up every day. Do it as long as there is still time. Then none of you will become stubborn. You won’t be fooled by sin’s tricks. 14 We belong to Christ if we hold tightly to the faith we had at first. But we must hold it tightly until the end. 15 It has just been said,

“Listen to his voice today.
    If you hear it, don’t be stubborn.
    You were stubborn when you opposed me.” (Psalm 95:7,8)

16 Who were those who heard and refused to obey? Weren’t they all the people Moses led out of Egypt? 17 Who was God angry with for 40 years? Wasn’t it with those who sinned? They died in the desert. 18 God promised that those people would never enjoy the rest he planned for them. God gave his word when he made that promise. Didn’t he make that promise to those who didn’t obey? 19 So we see that they weren’t able to enter. That’s because they didn’t believe.

God’s People Enter His Sabbath Rest

God’s promise of enjoying his rest still stands. So be careful that none of you fails to receive it. The good news was announced to our people of long ago. It has also been preached to us. The message they heard didn’t have any value for them. That’s because they didn’t share the faith of those who obeyed. Now we who have believed enjoy that rest. God said,

“When I was angry, I made a promise.
    I said, ‘They will never enjoy the rest I planned for them.’ ” (Psalm 95:11)

Ever since God created the world, his works have been finished. Somewhere he spoke about the seventh day. He said, “On the seventh day God rested from all his works.” (Genesis 2:2) In the part of Scripture I talked about earlier God spoke. He said, “They will never enjoy the rest I planned for them.” (Psalm 95:11)

It is still true that some people will enjoy this rest. But those who had the good news announced to them earlier didn’t go in. That’s because they didn’t obey. So God again chose a certain day. He named it Today. He did this when he spoke through David a long time later. Here is what was written in the Scripture already given.

“Listen to his voice today.
    If you hear it, don’t be stubborn.” (Psalm 95:7,8)

Suppose Joshua had given them rest. If he had, God would not have spoken later about another day. So there is still a Sabbath rest for God’s people. 10 God rested from his work. Those who enjoy God’s rest also rest from their works. 11 So let us make every effort to enjoy that rest. Then no one will die by disobeying as they did.

Warning Against Unbelief

So, as the Holy Spirit says:(A)

“Today, if you hear his voice,
    do not harden your hearts(B)
as you did in the rebellion,
    during the time of testing in the wilderness,
where your ancestors tested and tried me,
    though for forty years they saw what I did.(C)
10 That is why I was angry with that generation;
    I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray,
    and they have not known my ways.’
11 So I declared on oath in my anger,(D)
    ‘They shall never enter my rest.’ (E)[a](F)

12 See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.(G) 13 But encourage one another daily,(H) as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.(I) 14 We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold(J) our original conviction firmly to the very end.(K) 15 As has just been said:

“Today, if you hear his voice,
    do not harden your hearts
    as you did in the rebellion.”[b](L)

16 Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt?(M) 17 And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies perished in the wilderness?(N) 18 And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest(O) if not to those who disobeyed?(P) 19 So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.(Q)

A Sabbath-Rest for the People of God

Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it.(R) For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed.[c](S) Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said,

“So I declared on oath in my anger,
    ‘They shall never enter my rest.’”[d](T)

And yet his works have been finished since the creation of the world. For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: “On the seventh day God rested from all his works.”[e](U) And again in the passage above he says, “They shall never enter my rest.”(V)

Therefore since it still remains for some to enter that rest, and since those who formerly had the good news proclaimed to them did not go in because of their disobedience,(W) God again set a certain day, calling it “Today.” This he did when a long time later he spoke through David, as in the passage already quoted:

“Today, if you hear his voice,
    do not harden your hearts.”[f](X)

For if Joshua had given them rest,(Y) God would not have spoken(Z) later about another day. There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; 10 for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works,[g](AA) just as God did from his.(AB) 11 Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.(AC)

Footnotes

  1. Hebrews 3:11 Psalm 95:7-11
  2. Hebrews 3:15 Psalm 95:7,8
  3. Hebrews 4:2 Some manuscripts because those who heard did not combine it with faith
  4. Hebrews 4:3 Psalm 95:11; also in verse 5
  5. Hebrews 4:4 Gen. 2:2
  6. Hebrews 4:7 Psalm 95:7,8
  7. Hebrews 4:10 Or labor