Hebrews 3:17
But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?
God was grieved forty years with the generation He brought out of Egypt under Moses, who sinned after hearing Him and whose bodies fell in the wilderness, with only two of the adults over twenty remaining faithful to enter the promised land. Their sin was unbelief, for after seeing His works they tempted and proved Him, hardened their hearts, always erred in heart and did not know His ways. The One so grieved was Christ Himself before coming as a man, enshrouded in the pillar of cloud, feeding them with manna, protecting them and giving evidences of truth and miracles, yet rejected when they followed the wisdom of men. Because of that unbelief they could not enter His rest, for hearing without faith made the message unprofitable, and the same unbelief still forfeits the peace and rest God has for His people. Their fate stands as a warning and example for the last days not to harden the heart when hearing His voice, but to hold confidence firm unto the end, exhort one another daily, trust and obey, and go forward lest any fail of the heavenly Canaan through departing from the living God.
Israel's Wilderness Judgment
God was grieved forty years with the generation brought out of Egypt under Moses, who sinned after hearing Him, and whose bodies fell in the wilderness. Of the adults who left Egypt all perished in the wilderness except the two who wholly followed Him. Only two of those over twenty when they left Egypt were faithful enough to enter the promised land, and nearly all who left Egypt died rather than entering Canaan.
The long wandering was extended and was not His desire or purpose. He would have led them directly and sooner into the land if they had submitted to Him and trusted His leading, and if they had loved to be led by Him. They with their children could have possessed Canaan, including Jericho, forty years earlier if they had trusted God as their children did.
Their sin was unbelief after seeing His works, when they tempted and proved Him, provoked Him, hardened their hearts as in the provocation and day of temptation, always erred in heart and did not know His ways. They did not trust His voice and promises, and through an evil heart of unbelief departing from the living God were hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. They could have known His ways because the truth was kept before them again and again, but they did not follow its teachings. Their failure to hear and practise His word with faith made the message unprofitable to them.
That unbelief showed itself in persistent rebellion, wicked murmuring, complaining, depression, jealousy, and fault-finding. Readiness to find fault with Moses, whom God had appointed to lead them to Canaan, was rebellion against God Himself. It also showed itself in turning to idolatry and departing from obedience. It also showed itself in letting appetite and indulgence rule, bringing guilt upon themselves under His judgment and displeasure.
The One so grieved was Christ Himself before coming as a man, speaking the words of God enshrouded in the pillar of cloud and represented by it. He purposed to lead them from slavery in Egypt to Canaan through Moses as visible leader receiving instruction directly from God. He fed them with manna, protected them from harm, kept the truth before them again and again, and gave evidences of truth, light, power, and miracles. Yet they separated to follow the wisdom of men not under His direction, rejected Him by resisting His evidences and being unmindful of His miracles. He gave positive evidence that He ruled in heaven by punishing rebellion again and again with death.
Warning Against Unbelief Today
Because of unbelief they could not enter His rest, were barred from the promised land, and were sworn against entering it, for hearing without faith made the message unprofitable, and unbelief still forfeits the peace, rest, and joy God has for His people. After seeing His works they tempted and proved Him, provoked Him, hardened their hearts as in the provocation and day of temptation, always erred in heart and did not know His ways. They could have known His ways because truth was kept before them again and again, but they did not follow its teachings and separated to follow the wisdom of men not under His direction. Their sin was an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God, hardening through the deceitfulness of sin when His voice is not heard today.
The verse warns those who have received light not to turn away through unbelief but to take heed, and to hold fast confidence and rejoicing of hope firm and steadfast unto the end as His house and as partakers of Christ, over which Christ is Son and Moses was faithful servant. Believers must exhort one another daily while it is called Today lest any be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin, must not harden the heart when hearing His voice as in the provocation, and must hold the beginning of confidence steadfast unto the end. Unbelief and sin can harden the heart and keep people from entering God's rest, so confidence must be held firm and His voice heeded.
Their fate makes them an example for God's people in the last days, warning that those who continue in sin may likewise fail to enter the heavenly Canaan and everlasting life. Professed Sabbathkeepers and all who would obey must not forget Him, turn to idolatry, turn back toward Egypt in unbelief, or depart from obedience, but must separate from worldly idolatry, trust and obey God, and go forward in His service. Their readiness to find fault with Moses, whom God had appointed to lead them to Canaan, was rebellion against God Himself, so calm consideration whether there is just cause must come before rebelling. Many will fall short of the kingdom because they do not endure God's test of character.
The same spirit of unbelief and murmuring now endangers believers, gives a checkered history, and withholds precious blessings hanging over them that God would have them receive and appreciate. Their lack of faith in God's words, spoken by Christ and represented by the pillar of cloud, led to sin and a disastrous wilderness history ending with their bodies falling there, whereas faith would have led to a wholly different history and record. Faith in the promises, walking forward by faith and pressing on without being governed by circumstances, would have given a record of a very different character, and every child of God must learn this lesson of faith, ever cherishing the grace of God through Christ as the only way of approaching God. Freedom comes when the Word is used, practiced, trusted, believed soberly and meekly, received and appropriated, making believers perfect in Him who is their righteousness and wise unto salvation with a precious experience.
The warning applies to concrete tests, for God tests people on appetite and self-control, and those ruled by appetite as Israel was are not walking in His favor. Israel's defeat through appetite and indulgence is an example of Satan's power to lead into sin and of guilt brought under God's judgment and displeasure. It calls one on forbidden ground with crooked management in business God did not appoint, not making straight paths for his feet, to repent and be converted, humble the heart before God, make straight paths, stand on a different platform, and come out and be separate, lest he be shut out of rest and judged with the world when all that can be shaken is shaken in the perils of the last days. God required His people to trust in Him alone rather than seek help from those who do not serve Him, for He would have led them into the land sooner if they had submitted and trusted His leading. Not cherishing unbelief or careless inattention to the counsels of the Word breaks connection with heaven and brings captivity to Satan, and though God bears long and repeatedly calls the backsliding to repent, continued resistance to the Spirit and persistence in impenitence leaves them to the consequences of their course, as children were warned not to repeat their fathers' obstinacy, unbelief, and idolatry.
Because Christ humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross, God highly exalted Him in a marvelous work for us, so believers must not allow themselves in murmuring, complaining, and depression, which are the unbelief that grieved God. Christ Himself was the One grieved, who before coming as man purposed to lead them from Egypt to Canaan, fed them with manna, protected them from harm, and gave evidences of truth, light, power, and miracles, yet they rejected Him by resisting His evidences and being unmindful of His miracles. They sinned and fell and never entered the land so He could not fulfil His purpose through them, because they never left childhood ways and failed to overcome wrong traits, bringing defects of childhood into the full stature of manhood and womanhood. So it is today when men and women daily pierce and dishonor Him by refusing His will and continually crucify Him afresh, and only by having natural dispositions softened and subdued by His grace to become men and women in Christ Jesus will they stop.