Totts : If you read more of the specific scripture in Hebrews, it will make more sense. Hebrews 3:7-15: "Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: “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, tried Me, And saw My works forty years. Therefore I was angry with that generation, And said, ‘They always go astray in their heart, And they have not known My ways.’ So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest.’”
Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, while it is said: “Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion."This scripture here is referring to the nation of Israel that, after everything that God has done for them, still did not trust God. I mean God supernaturally freed them from slavery in Egypt (Exodus). He parted the waters at the Red Sea to give them safe passage and delivered them from the pursuing Egyptians. Provided them with food in the desert. He did many miracles right in front of their eyes and when they came to the brink of the promised land, they sent in spies to investigate, but they came back with a negative and evil report, putting fear into their own people's hearts, saying that the people looked too strong and that they will never be able to take the land. After everything that God has done for them, they still did not believe the promises of the Almighty God. So, a journey that was supposed to take 11 days, took 40 years of wandering in the desert, solely because of their unbelief. They hardened their hearts against God, time and time again. This applies to our lives today as well. If God through His Spirit truly reveals something to you and talks to your heart and gives you a promise, do not shut Him out, being stubborn and willfully disobeying Him. God does not need you to do His will, but He WANTS to use you for His purpose and His purpose for you is far above and more amazing that what you can dream of. If you shut you heart to Him, God WILL fulfill His purpose in another way, because He IS God. He can do what He wants. The more you harden your heart towards God by not listening to His voice, like the Israelites in the wilderness, the further you will drift from Him and the longer it will take for you to reach the awesome purpose God has for you. It is important to note that it is because of YOUR disobedience and YOUR own will. God will never force His will upon you, but He will always pursue you because He loves you. It is your choice to listen or not. James 4:6 says, "...'God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.'" Totts : If you read more of the specific scripture in Hebrews, it will make more sense. Hebrews 3:7-15: "Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: “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, tried Me, And saw My works forty years. Therefore I was angry with that generation, And said, ‘They always go astray in their heart, And they have not known My ways.’ So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest.’”
Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, while it is said: “Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion."
This scripture here is referring to the nation of Israel that, after everything that God has done for them, still did not trust God. I mean God supernaturally freed them from slavery in Egypt (Exodus). He parted the waters at the Red Sea to give them safe passage and delivered them from the pursuing Egyptians. Provided them with food in the desert. He did many miracles right in front of their eyes and when they came to the brink of the promised land, they sent in spies to investigate, but they came back with a negative and evil report, putting fear into their own people's hearts, saying that the people looked too strong and that they will never be able to take the land. After everything that God has done for them, they still did not believe the promises of the Almighty God. So, a journey that was supposed to take 11 days, took 40 years of wandering in the desert, solely because of their unbelief. They hardened their hearts against God, time and time again.
This applies to our lives today as well. If God through His Spirit truly reveals something to you and talks to your heart and gives you a promise, do not shut Him out, being stubborn and willfully disobeying Him. God does not need you to do His will, but He WANTS to use you for His purpose and His purpose for you is far above and more amazing that what you can dream of. If you shut you heart to Him, God WILL fulfill His purpose in another way, because He IS God. He can do what He wants. The more you harden your heart towards God by not listening to His voice, like the Israelites in the wilderness, the further you will drift from Him and the longer it will take for you to reach the awesome purpose God has for you. It is important to note that it is because of YOUR disobedience and YOUR own will. God will never force His will upon you, but He will always pursue you because He loves you. It is your choice to listen or not. James 4:6 says, "...'God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.'"
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