Don’t Be Like The Israelites
“Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called ‘today,’ that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. As it is said, ‘Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.’ For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief,” (Hebrews 3:12-19).
In the books of Numbers, the Israelites make it so close to the promised land. First, however, they must spy out the land. “Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan and said to them, ‘Go up into the Negeb and go up into the hill country, and see what the land is, and whether the people who dwell in it are strong or weak, whether they are few or many, and whether the land that they dwell in is good or bad, and whether the cities that they dwell in are camps or strongholds, and whether the land is rich or poor, and whether there are trees in it or not. Be of good courage and bring some of the fruit of the land,”’ (Numbers 13:17-20).
The story is well known. Twelve spies are sent out, ten come back with a negative report. Despite two men having faith that they can possess the promised land; the Israelites doubt God’s power and rebel against going into the promised land.
The warning that is given by the writer of Hebrews is to not follow the same downward path as the Israelites. The Israelites were so close to the promised land but sinned fell short. Likewise, we, as Christians, are close to the promised land. “Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account,” (Hebrews 3:11-13). Perhaps the most encouraging part of this passage is the reminder that it isn’t too late to strive for that rest. Like the Israelites, many of us have been doubtful and wandered off in rebellion. However, God’s word remains living and active and there is time right now to come back to Him. That window is closing, the time is coming, we must not be caught unfaithful like the Israelites.
Don’t Be Like the Israelites!
