Core Scripture
“And to whom did He swear [an oath] that they would not enter His rest, but to those who disobeyed [those who would not listen to His word]? So we see that they were not able to enter [into His rest—the promised land] because of unbelief and an unwillingness to trust in God.” — Hebrews 3:18-19
This is the final teaching in our Hardened Hearts series. It looks honestly at what unbelief costs us — the peace and rest God has always wanted to give us — and closes with the same invitation Hebrews opened with: today, if you hear His voice, don’t harden your heart. Choose to enter His rest.
Hebrews 3:18-19
Amplified Bible
And to whom did He swear [an oath] that they would not enter His rest, but to those who disobeyed [those who would not listen to His word]? 19 So we see that they were not able to enter [into His rest—the promised land] because of unbelief and an unwillingness to trust in God.
Hebrews 4:2-3
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For indeed we have had the good news [of salvation] preached to us, just as the Israelites also [when the good news of the promised land came to them]; but the message they heard did not benefit them, because it was not united with faith [in God] by those who heard. 3 For we who believe [that is, we who personally trust and confidently rely on God] enter that rest [so we have His inner peace now because we are confident in our salvation, and assured of His power], just as He has said,
“As I swore [an oath] in My wrath,
They shall not enter My rest,”
[this He said] although His works were completed from the foundation of the world [waiting for all who would believe].
We began this series on Hardened Hearts, based on Hebrews 3:7-19, relating to the Israelites in the wilderness. This week we will end this series doing the same. I would like you to take a good look at your life, take a look at your current walk with God and ask Him to show you, to reveal to you the times your walk resembled their walk versus the walk God is calling you to.
Were you like the Israelites when they rebelled and asked Aaron to build an idol for them because they worried that Moses was not coming back, because they were holding on to things they knew, worship they knew, and things they were comfortable with? Is that you right now? Are you holding on to old things, or things of the world, because that is what you know, and you are not quite ready to trust God to take you and teach you new things? Are you holding on to old ways, old beliefs, old thought processes, old teachings, because you know them, and they are comforting? Are you staying behind an invisible wall you built so that you don’t have to step out in faith or don’t really have to trust in God? Are there things you say you have faith in God for but have a backup plan for, so if they don’t come to pass, you have a way out? Are there areas in your life that you say you have surrendered to God, but not really? Do you believe in God? Do you believe in His Word?
We have honestly asked this question many times throughout the last year; it bears repeating. There can be many teachings we may have grown up with that we are more comfortable holding on to, ways of doing things that we are more comfortable doing, because, well, we have always done it that way, we have always learned that, we have… fill in that blank. Why do you think the Israelites had the golden calf created? They lived in a land where idols were made; these idols were visible and recognizable, and they had something to worship. They replaced those items, the tangible, visual items that represented the gods to Moses, as a representation of the Hebrew God, of the one who saved them. They didn’t quite understand the concept of worshiping and fearing a Lord they could not see. So when Moses didn’t come down in a timely manner, they needed something to represent God. The One who saved them:
Exodus 32:1&4
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The Golden Calf
Now when the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, they gathered together before Aaron and said to him, “Come, make us a god who will go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.”…4 And he took the gold from their hands, and fashioned it with an engraving tool and made it into a molten calf; and they said, “This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.”
Are there things, people, situations, places, items, in your life that are replacing God? That is taking His place, where you are placing your trust, your belief, your faith? How easy is it to place our faith in things where it does not belong? Faith in our jobs, faith in the money we earn, faith in our safety, faith in our homes, faith in the doctors, faith in church, faith in the leaders, faith in the school, faith in people, faith in our intellect, our knowledge… We sometimes place our faith in everything but God. And when we do that, how well does that work out? How well did that work out for the Israelites? Not very well at all. Yet, we repeatedly find ourselves doing that very same thing over and over again.
How often do we find ourselves complaining to God? Complaining that something isn’t quite right in our life, that everything is going wrong, even if it is a minor thing? How often do we even blame God for those things that are going wrong? How often do we blame God when prayers don’t turn out as we had planned, when people don’t do what they said they would, or don’t do what we believed they would? How often do we blame God for the horrible things that go on in and around the world? How often is God blamed for a lack of food, nutrition, necessary items, or money? The Israelites did this too when they asked if God brought them away from Egypt to die. They were so worried about starving to death, dying of thirst, and suffering from the elements of their environment that they didn’t notice the good that God was doing for them, the miracles that God was providing. How often are we blaming God for what is going on in our lives? And with that, how often are we faithless, unbelieving, and not willing to trust God? Storing up for yourselves what you can to help your future self?
Exodus 16:19-20
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Moses said, “Let none of it be left [overnight] until [the next] morning.” 20 But they did not listen to Moses, and some left a supply of it until morning, and it bred worms and became foul and rotten; and Moses was angry with them.
How often have our faithless decisions turned into something foul, like the manna they tried to save? And how many times has depending only on ourselves made things worse instead of better?
I mean, even Moses struggled with this. Moses, who got to be in God’s presence, Moses, who got to see God, though not His face, Moses who got to hear God speak to him, still struggled with walking in disbelief, still struggled in walking in trust in God.
Numbers 20:9-12
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So Moses took the rod from before the Lord, just as He had commanded him; 10 and Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly before the rock. Moses said to them, “Listen now, you rebels; must we bring you water out of this rock?” 11 Then Moses raised his hand [in anger] and with his rod he struck the rock twice [instead of speaking to the rock as the Lord had commanded]. And the water poured out abundantly, and the congregation and their livestock drank [fresh water]. 12 But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you have not believed (trusted) Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, you therefore shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.”
Moses acted out of his own frustration toward God’s people when he struck the rock. How often do we act out of our own frustrations, our disappointments, our irritations?
How often do we strike out on our own because we’re not trusting God in that moment, not trusting His Word, not trusting Jesus?
Because Moses failed to trust God in that moment, he was not allowed to enter the land of milk and honey. How many of us can relate to Moses here? Having witnessed God work in our lives, yet failing to keep our focus on Him? Quickly losing the awe and wonder we once felt, and holding onto the annoyances, the shame, the dissatisfaction in our lives, and maybe even in the lives of others?
On the other hand, how often are we looking for God in our lives? Looking for His hand in what’s happening? Looking for His works and His saving grace?
The land that was once promised to the Israelites, the land an entire generation was not allowed to enter, was meant to be a place of peace. A place where they could live in rest with their one true God. Yet because of disbelief, because the problems around them seemed bigger than God, like the giants in the land, they were not able to receive that peace.
Numbers 13:32-33
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So they gave the Israelites a bad report about the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we went, in spying it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants. And all the people that we saw in it are men of great stature. 33 There we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak are part of the Nephilim); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.”
It is at times like this when we strive on our own, when we take matters into our own hands. Times when we walk in disbelief, walk in faithlessness, walk in distrust, and walk in doubt. Doubt that God can handle something. Doubt that God will handle it. Doubt that God loves you. Doubt that God cares about you. Doubt that you are important to Him. Because after all, the enemy is always ready to tell us how little God cares, how there are more important people in the world, people with bigger problems, bigger issues, bigger struggles, quick to remind us of how bad we are, how wrong we are, how unclean we are. This describes some of the lack of peace we have when we are walking in unbelief.
Unbelief kept Israel out of the promised land,
as stated in Scripture, the same Scripture we have been digging into for the last few weeks.
Hebrews 3:19
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
So we see that they were not able to enter [into His rest], because of their unwillingness to adhere to and trust in and rely on God [unbelief had shut them out].
A reminder of what happens when we listen to our fears, to our own minds, our own hearts, or our own will instead of surrendering all to God. A reminder of what happens when we believe we know more, we understand more, we see more, we think we can handle more than God can, and we trust our own perspective, our own ideas more. We believe our way is safer, our way is the right way, our way is the more secure way. When in reality we couldn’t be further from the truth! There is only one way. Only one way to receive peace, true peace. Only one way that doesn’t leave us feeling as though there is a void deep within us. Only one way that isn’t run through our wounds, our fears, or our disappointments. Only one way that prevents our hearts from hardening, our faith from weakening, and our trust from turning away from our one true God.
John 14:6
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Jesus said to him, “I am the [only] Way [to God] and the [real] Truth and the [real] Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
Acts 4:12
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And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among people by which we must be saved [for God has provided the world no alternative for salvation].”
John 10:9
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I am the Door; anyone who enters through Me will be saved [and will live forever], and will go in and out [freely], and find pasture (spiritual security).
It is because of Jesus that we can have peace. It is because of Jesus that we can enter into the rest that God promised the Israelites. All it takes is belief. Belief in the One true God, belief in God the Father, belief in Jesus Christ, that He came to earth, died, resurrected, and rose to heaven, and belief in the Holy Spirit, that He dwells within you.
No, I am not saying that every mistake in the past, every time we strived on our own, every time we thought we knew better, every time we doubted, every time we walked in frustration and reacted to disappointment, we are no longer allowed to receive that peace or enter that rest.
That couldn’t be farther from the truth. If that were the case, we would be making our mistakes bigger than God. We would be saying the death of Jesus was not enough to cover our failures, not enough to cleanse us, not enough to keep us near to Him. We can have peace. We can have rest. Jesus provides that.
John 14:27
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Peace I leave with you; My [perfect] peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid. [Let My perfect peace calm you in every circumstance and give you courage and strength for every challenge.]
John 16:33
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I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace. In the world you have tribulation and distress and suffering, but be courageous [be confident, be undaunted, be filled with joy]; I have overcome the world.” [My conquest is accomplished, My victory abiding.]
Our disbelief, our striving, our rebellion, all of it leads to the loss of that peace. Think about your own lives for a minute. Think about times when you walked away from God, times when you felt you could only rely on yourself, times when you doubted, times when you blamed God, times when you lacked faith. Did you feel peace? Did you feel rest? Or do you remember chaos? Unease? Torment? Doubt that spread into every part of your life?
The peace that is mentioned in John 14 and 16 is a peace that fulfills, a peace that leads to rest. There is no rest in doubt. There is no rest in striving.
And what about now? We all face moments of doubt. We all feel unsure. The enemy attacks our minds. Storms rise around us. Circumstances shake us. But aren’t we blessed that all we have to do is cry out to Jesus and ask for help? Help with belief, help with doubt, help with frustration, shame, disappointment, chaos, or whatever battle we find ourselves in.
When we look to God, when we allow Him to speak, when we allow Him to calm our hearts, He brings peace. Once we feel that peace, it is amazing, and it is only a glimpse of the eternal rest we will enter in heaven. Remember, we can cry out because we believe. We have faith. We trust and believe His Word. We know and firmly believe that the Holy Spirit dwells within us.
Hebrews 4:1-3
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The Believer’s Rest
Therefore, while the promise of entering His rest still remains and is freely offered today, let us fear, in case any one of you may seem to come short of reaching it or think he has come too late. 2 For indeed we have had the good news [of salvation] preached to us, just as the Israelites also [when the good news of the promised land came to them]; but the message they heard did not benefit them, because it was not united with faith [in God] by those who heard. 3 For we who believe [that is, we who personally trust and confidently rely on God] enter that rest [so we have His inner peace now because we are confident in our salvation, and assured of His power], just as He has said,
“As I swore [an oath] in My wrath,
They shall not enter My rest,”
[this He said] although His works were completed from the foundation of the world [waiting for all who would believe].
We have indeed received the good news of salvation, the good news that benefited us, the good news that Jesus Christ saves! The good news that He saved you! This isn’t just for a few special people. God wanted and still wants the whole world to be saved.
John 3:16
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“For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life.
1 John 2:2
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And He [that same Jesus] is the propitiation for our sins [the atoning sacrifice that holds back the wrath of God that would otherwise be directed at us because of our sinful nature—our worldliness, our lifestyle]; and not for ours alone, but also for [the sins of all believers throughout] the whole world.
God is compassionate towards all people, extending his mercy on all mankind.
Psalm 145:9
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The Lord is good to all,
And His tender mercies are over all His works [the entirety of things created].
2 Peter 3:9
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The Lord does not delay [as though He were unable to act] and is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is [extraordinarily] patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.
Ezekiel 18:32
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For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies,” says the Lord God. “Therefore, repent and live!”
God calls us to repent, and He also calls us to live. So do just that! If anything in this series has convicted you, repent. Allow Jesus Christ into your heart. Allow Him to work in you and through you. Allow the Holy Spirit to speak, lead, and guide you. Ask for help with any unbelief so it does not become a calcified spot in your heart. Ask Him to give you a soft, flexible, and pliable heart for God.
Repentance is more than saying “I’m sorry”. It is grieving what we did, turning away from it and turning toward Jesus to live the life He died to give us. It is choosing to be changed, choosing to belong to him, choosing a life that glorifies Him. It is becoming sensitive to the Holy Spirit and relying on Him instead of ourselves. Allow God to work on your heart until it becomes soft and tender again. A heart that is receptive to Him, responsive to Him, and aligned with Him instead of our earthly desires. Allow Him to give you rest. Allow Him to fill the void you tried to fill with earthly things. When He fills that space, we are restored. We receive His peace and His rest, well as much as we can receive this side of heaven.
And in all of this, surrender. Surrender every day. Surrender multiple times a day if you have to.
Romans 12:1
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Dedicated Service
Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies [dedicating all of yourselves, set apart] as a living sacrifice, holy and well-pleasing to God, which is your rational (logical, intelligent) act of worship.
Galatians 2:20
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I have been crucified with Christ [that is, in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body I live by faith [by adhering to, relying on, and completely trusting] in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
Psalm 37:5
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Commit your way to the Lord;
Trust in Him also and He will do it.
Remember, we are works in progress. Do not allow Satan to bring condemnation and convince you to stay there. Allow the Holy Spirit to bring conviction, conviction that leads to change, transformation, and renewal. Jesus will always take us back. He took David back every time David messed up and repented. And He instructs Peter to forgive seventy times seven. He forgives more than we remember.
Matthew 18:21-22
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Forgiveness
Then Peter came to Him and asked, “Lord, how many times will my brother sin against me and I forgive him and let it go? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus answered him, “I say to you, not up to seven times, but seventy times seven.
Psalm 103:12
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As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
We didn’t have to be perfect to draw close to Him to begin with. He never expected that. If He did, Jesus would not have died while we were still sinners.
Romans 5:8
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But God clearly shows and proves His own love for us, by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
So turn to God. His arms are open wide for you. Go to Him and allow Him to transform you and to transform your heart.
Ephesians 2:4-5
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But God, being [so very] rich in mercy, because of His great and wonderful love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were [spiritually] dead and separated from Him because of our sins, He made us [spiritually] alive together with Christ (for by His grace—His undeserved favor and mercy—you have been saved from God’s judgment).
Hebrews 4:6-13
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Therefore, since the promise remains for some to enter His rest, and those who formerly had the good news preached to them failed to [grasp it and did not] enter because of [their unbelief evidenced by] disobedience, 7 He again sets a definite day, [a new] “Today,” [providing another opportunity to enter that rest by] saying through David after so long a time, just as has been said before [in the words already quoted],
“Today if you hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts.”
8 [This mention of a rest was not a reference to their entering into Canaan.] For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not speak about another day [of opportunity] after that. 9 So there remains a [full and complete] Sabbath rest for the people of God. 10 For the one who has once entered His rest has also rested from [the weariness and pain of] his [human] labors, just as God rested from [those labors uniquely] His own. 11 Let us therefore make every effort to enter that rest [of God, to know and experience it for ourselves], so that no one will fall by following the same example of disobedience [as those who died in the wilderness]. 12 For the word of God is living and active and full of power [making it operative, energizing, and effective]. It is sharper than any two-edged [a]sword, penetrating as far as the division of the soul and spirit [the completeness of a person], and of both joints and marrow [the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and judging the very thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And not a creature exists that is concealed from His sight, but all things are open and exposed, and revealed to the eyes of Him with whom we have to give account.
“Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.”
This is God speaking to us. This is His invitation, His warning, and His promise.
His rest is still open. His mercy is still reaching. His peace is still available.
So today, right now, choose to enter His rest.
Reflection Questions
- Is there something in your life you’re holding onto simply because it’s familiar, even if God is calling you toward something new?
- Do you have a “backup plan” for something you say you’re trusting God for?
- What has quietly taken God’s place as what you’re relying on — your job, your finances, your own understanding?
- Have you found yourself blaming God when things go wrong, instead of trusting Him in the middle of it?
- Pray: “Lord, I choose to enter Your rest today. Forgive my unbelief, and give me a heart that fully trusts You.”
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