Dear Family,
Today is Tuesday, April 27, 2021. Today is Day 31; and, it is Day 3 of Week 5 in our Counting toward Pentecost.
Does it astonish us that this group of ancient Israelites could chide (reproach, scold, rebuke, blame) Moses and tempt God after all they had recently seen and experienced? Indeed, they were still experiencing the “cloud” and the “fire” and the “bread from heaven” on a daily basis. Yet, they did not see. It seems they were “blind.” They did not “see” or understand God at all. Why?
Although there are many reasons attached to this kind of “blindness” mentioned in the Bible, God gives us one certain reason for the blindness of the Israelites of the wilderness experiences in Psalms. The answer is that they had hard hearts.
Psalm 95:7-9 (7) For He is our God; and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand. Today if ye will hear His voice, (8) Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: (9) When your fathers tempted Me, proved Me, and saw My work.
Ancient Israel did not have the “heart” to submit to God.
Deuteronomy 5:29 O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear Me, and keep all My commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!
Today, God wants us to consider the state of our hearts, also. The heart is where we store up our impressions and our feelings about what matters to us. We cannot allow ourselves o harden our hearts. God repeats an exhortation about our hearts 3 times in the book of Hebrews.
Hebrews 3:8, 15 (8) Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: (15) While it is said: Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.
Hebrews 4:7 Again, He limiteth a certain day, saying in David, Today, after so long a time; as it is said; today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts.
It would be wise to consider what the Bible says about how a hard heart is developed. Hebrews 3 gives one answer, and 2 Thessalonians backs up the same thought.
Hebrews 3:13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called Today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
2 Thessalonians 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
These two scriptural witnesses give us some idea of the process: first sin deceives us, leading us to not love truth, then, our hearts grow hard. It’s a simple process God’s enemy uses over and over on mankind. However, realizing this process, we can circumvent it in the future. The antidote is receiving the love of the truth of God. No matter what the circumstances are and no matter what we think, feel, or want to hold onto, we are to LOVE THE TRUTH OF GOD. Loving God’s truth will protect our hearts.
May God bless us richly to zealously love Him and His TRUTH.
Ben Faulkner, Pastor
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