Daily Devotions
Hebrews
They could not enter in because of unbelief
Text: Hebrews 3:19
THE PRICE OF SIN
Sin appears in many forms. The deadliness of sin must never be underestimated. The following text bears this out.
“And to whom did He swear that they would not enter
Into His rest, but to those who did not obey?
So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.”
Hebrews 3:18-19
1. And to whom did He swear?
a) The judgment of God was reinforced by the fact that it was stated as an “oath”.
b) The use of the word “swear” underscores the seriousness of sinning against God.
2. That they would not enter into His rest
a) The land of Canaan would indeed be “rest” for the children of Israel.
b) They had worked hard as slaves in Egypt and given both freedom and a homeland would be “rest” indeed.
c) But the generation led by Moses would not enjoy the “rest” that God had promised.
3. To those who did not obey
a) Frequently the children of Israel disobeyed.
b) They set aside God and His commandments and walked the path of disobedience instead.
c) The penalty of wandering in the wilderness for forty years was correct and righteous.
d) The mercy of God must be appreciated in the midst of meting out this judgment.
i) God continued to provide and protect.
ii) He would bring the next generation into Canaan under the leadership of Joshua.
THE DEADLINESS OF UNBELIEF
What caused all these sin-problems to come up? The effective word is “unbelief”! This word is the opposite of the word “belief” or “faith”.