Friday, October 12, 2007

Hebrews 3

Hebrews 3: 1-19

The point to ponder as you're reading this chapter is this: When you think of the way that Israel wandered do you ever say to yourself, "I would never have acted like that."

Is that really true?

Pray to God to show your weakness to you and ask for his help to correct your weakness.This chapter begins with a metaphor.

Moses is compared to a servant in the house.

God is the builder of the house.

Jesus, as God's son, takes better care of the house than a servant would.

We hear the Holy Spirit talk in this chapter. The Holy Spirit warns the Hebrews not to harden their hearts like they did in the rebellion when they were being tested in the desert.

So the Holy Spirit reminds the Hebrews that this is why he was angry with their ancestors.

In verses 10-11, he says: That is why I was angry with that generation, and I said, 'Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.' I declared on oath in my anger, 'They shall never enter my rest.'"

A series of rhetorical questions begins at verse 16 and continues through the end of the chapter: Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the desert? And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? So we see that they were not able to either, because of their unbelief.

This chapter defines rebellion as disobedience. As unbelief.

The children of Israel were rebellious. Even though they had hoofed it out of Egypt enjoying the umbrella of God's protection, Satan was wandering among them too. Can't you just see the evil one whispering in their ears? Redefining what he wanted the Israelites to think when they pondered what God had said to them through Moses.

Whether they were bored or tired or just in the mood to grumble, they did the one single thing that would get really tick God off. They made an idol and they worshiped this idol. And somehow, out there in the dry heat of the desert, they figured out how to make wine. Wine tastings led to debauchery. Adulteries followed. Probably murders too. Crimes of passion are easily wrapped around adultery.

They disobeyed God and this made him very angry.

And no matter how hard he ministered to them and preached to them, Moses couldn't stop the Israelites when they plunged themselves into some serious sinning.

So Moses didn't get to go to the promised land. He could only see it from afar.

Now the Hebrew people are getting another warning. It seems that they are on the brink of being disobedient. Rebellious. Sinful.

This chapter gives the Hebrews a stern talking to. A serious heads up.

We also need to look into our own hearts. We need to make sure that we don't become complacent in our faith. We need to make sure that we don't become fair game for the Big Liar who comes whispering when we are at the low points in our lives; when it's very easy to feel like God has abandoned us.

God does not abandon us. He is faithful to us every day of our lives up until the very moment when he welcomes us back home -- to him. Until we reach the other side of heaven's shores. But if we get bored. If we get mad at God because things didn't go the way we thought they should -- not the way God had in mind -- then we put on our shades and prance off with the slithering Big Liar! Then follow puny little alibis like when we say "I was so mad at God!"And you say that like you're proud of it!

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