Hebrews 3:7-19

Hello everyone, here's what is coming this Thursday...

This section in Hebrews has been aptly named; Do Not Harden Your Hearts. Looking through this section we see that the author is challenging those listening (and reading)to listen to God's voice when they hear it - don't harden your heart by disobeying what God has told you.

We had a great study in our care group about this passage and topic and had some great, stimulating, encouraging and exhortational conversations. Let me speak in parenthesis by adding that if you don't currently belong to any fellowship group, care group, study group - however you want to label it - you really should get into one.

Back to the passage - the object lesson the author used was to remind the people of what God did when the Israelites rebelled in the desert. Their act of defiance? Not obeying the commands of God. Their discipline? Not being able to enter the promised land, called His rest. We made a great connection between their disobedience of the law and our disobedience to Jesus. Jesus did say,

"If you love me then you will keep my commandments" - John 14:15

And since none of us keep Jesus' commands perfectly we too are liable for discipline. But where God's discipline should move against His chosen, we receive grace and mercy. Just as the Israelites did in the desert. Cross reference this with what is recorded in the book of Nehemiah 9:16-21. What an awesome example of the grace of God despite their lack of trust and obedience! What acts of grace God shows to us who also disobey and lack the trust to move forward in what we know God is telling us to live out!

Here are some questions that we worked through and I hope they are of some benefit to you as well.

What happens when someone continually hardens their heart towards God and His commands?
How does this hardening affect someones living out of the Gospel?
Does a hardening of the heart pre-suppose a heart that was soft towards God?
Does this passage only apply towards Christians? Towards Non-Christians?
Is it contagious?
If we are exhorted to listen (the opposite of hardening) what might that look like?

To offer some food for thought here are four things we should consider when it comes to listening to God's commands, remembering that listening is closely associated with hearing and doing...

a) Listen with Obedience
b) Listen with Appreciation
c) Listen with Dependency
d) Listen with Confidence (expectancy)

See you Thursday!