How blessed is the man who fears always,
but he who hardens
his heart will fall into calamity.

Proverbs 28:14

Today, I hope to wrap up this very shortened discourse about the calamity of hardening one’s heart and the blessing of one who clings to God and His promises. Hebrews chapter four helps us. This chapter is all about the Believer’s Rest! The writer of Hebrews uses both the OT Promised Land of Canaan and the Sabbath rest instituted by God at Creation to illustrate the Believer’s Rest in Christ which will be fully realized in heaven with our Lord Jesus! Chapter four, again, references what I am calling the, ‘first-generation Hebrews’ who were led out of slavery by Moses. The writer of Hebrews quotes from several OT Scriptures but mainly our Psalm 95. 

These ‘first-generation Hebrews’ did not just wake up one morning with a hard heart that was a complete surprise to them. No! For many years, they resisted and complained to Moses and ultimately to God. For all their supposed mourning over their rebellion and sin, they were actually more upset about the consequences of their sin actions rather than the condition of their sinful hearts. This adult generation of Hebrews repeatedly refused to hear God’s Voice, refused to believe His promises and finally, their hearts so hardened, they refused to enter into His rest; Canaan; the Promised Land.

Moses and Aaron begged and reasoned with them. Caleb and Joshua tore their clothes and poured ashes over themselves begging their kindred tribes to hear God’s Voice and receive His promises. But to no avail. Because of God’s perfect holiness and this generation’s rejection of Him as their God, He pronounced His judgement; extra years of wondering in the wilderness and death without His rest coming about within those years of wondering for each member of that entire generation. Their children and grandchildren would enter The Promised Land, but they would not. 

[NOTE: It took the spies of Israel 40 days to scope out the land of Canaan and because 10 of the 12 spies came back with a negative report and poured more cement into the already hardening hearts of that generation, the judgement would be 1 year of wondering for each of the 40 days it took these 10 men to entrench their own hearts in hardness; 40 years. Only Caleb and Joshua believed God out of that whole generation!]

Hebrews 4:1-2

Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it. For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard.

The Hebrew writer uses the refusal of the ‘first-generation Hebrews’ to believe God and their eternal consequences of that choice as a foreshadowing of the eternal judgement waiting for those who reject the Gospel and Jesus’ payment for their sinful heart condition.

Hebrews 4:13-14

And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God let us hold fast our confession.

Praise God for the gift of His Son, Jesus! And praise God for His Words given to us in the Bible! I leave this 31 Days of searching for Heart Matters with this reminder!

For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Hebrews 4:12