So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
They could not enter because of unbelief means the adult generation that came out of Egypt by Moses provoked God, were grieved with Him forty years, and fell in the wilderness so that all but the two who wholly followed Him died outside the promised rest. Their unbelief was disobedience and refusal to trust and obey, an evil heart departing from the living God that erred in heart and did not know His ways. It was against Christ Himself, who spoke to them in the cloud, fed them with manna and purposed to lead them to Canaan, yet they rejected Him and failed to recognize His light, power and miracles. The gospel was preached to them as well as to later believers, but hearing did not profit them because the word was not mixed with faith and was not received and practiced. The same warning stands Today for those who hear His voice, to harden not the heart, to exhort one another daily, and to hold confidence and hope firm to the end, for the promise of entering His rest is still left open and must be feared lest any come short of it through the same example of unbelief.
Israel's Failure in Wilderness
They were the people who came out of Egypt by Moses, the adult generation over twenty, who heard God's voice and provoked Him in the provocation in the wilderness. God was grieved with them forty years while they saw His works, because they sinned and tempted and proved Him, always erred in heart and did not know His ways. He swore in His wrath that those who believed not should not enter His rest, and their bodies fell as carcasses in the wilderness. All but two died there under that oath, and only the two who wholly followed Him entered, while their children who entered Canaan were warned not to follow their fathers' course. They might have known God's ways because truth was kept before them again and again, but they did not follow its teachings, separated and divorced themselves from God, and followed the wisdom of men not led by God and not under His direction.
Their unbelief was disobedience and refusal to trust and obey, an evil heart departing from the living God. It was always erring in heart and not knowing His ways, with sin and wandering hearts despite seeing God's works, and sin can deceive and harden the heart. It was expressed in murmuring, rebellion and hatred, in murmurings and jealousy provoking God's wrath, and in backsliding, apostasy, idolatry, obstinacy, sin, error of heart, selfishness and pride. They persisted in backsliding, provocation, sin and obstinate refusal of God's repeated warnings, separating from God despite truth kept before them again and again. Their unbelief kept them from receiving what God had promised and kept them out of the land for forty years, when God's promises were not at fault, and it alone kept them from entering at that time.
Their unbelief was against Christ Himself, who spoke to them through the pillar of cloud and whose words, if believed, would have led to a different history and a record of a very different character. Christ purposed to lead them from Egypt to Canaan, fed them with manna and protected them from harm through forty years of wilderness wandering. They heard Christ's word from the pillar of cloud but failed to receive it by faith and put it into practice. They rejected Him more than once, resisted His evidences of truth, failed to recognize His light, power and miracles, and were unmindful of what He had done, so they fell in the wilderness and He could not fulfil His purpose through them. Their unbelief was keeping childish ways and unovercome defects of character, failing to overcome wrong traits and carrying the defects of childhood into full stature instead of growing into full manhood and womanhood in Christ Jesus whose grace softens and subdues natural dispositions.
The gospel was preached to them as well as to later believers and to Christians, but hearing did not profit them because the word preached was not mixed with faith in those who heard it and was not received and practiced. Confidence must therefore be held firm, and believers must strive to enter God's rest. The promise of entering His rest is still left open, so there is cause to fear lest anyone should seem to come short of it, lest any fall after the same example of unbelief.
The long wandering was not God's good pleasure, purpose or desire; He would have brought them immediately and directly to the promised land if they had submitted and loved to be led by Him and had been willing to follow Him and to obey Him. Their backsliding and apostasy led them to perish in the wilderness through unbelief separating them from God, while others entered the promised land in their place. Their children at Jericho showed they could have possessed the city forty years earlier if they had trusted Him as their children did. The delay in the Advent movement likewise was not desired, for unbelief kept the people from doing the work God appointed and others were raised up to proclaim the message, delaying Christ's coming, but the delay gives sinners more time to hear the warning and find shelter in Christ.
Warning Against Unbelief Today
The same warning stands Today for all who hear His voice, harden not the heart as in the provocation in the wilderness. Take heed against an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God, lest any be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. Believers must exhort one another daily while it is called Today, and hold the beginning of confidence and the rejoicing of hope firm and steadfast unto the end. Only so are they Christ's house and made partakers of Christ, for those who reject God's way and harden their hearts risk repeating Israel's failure to enter because of unbelief. They must not repeat that course of separating from God to follow the wisdom of men not led by God, persisting in backsliding, provocation, sin, error of heart, idolatry and obstinacy after truth was kept before them again and again, lest they likewise fail to enter rest.
The promise of entering His rest is still left open, so there is cause to fear lest anyone should seem to come short of it. Believers must heed God's voice Today, remain steadfast in faith and daily consecration, encourage one another so sin does not deceive and harden them or undermine faith, and hold confidence in Christ firm to the end. They must labor and strive to enter that rest lest any fall after the same example of unbelief, for hearing God's word did not profit Israel because it was not received and mixed with faith. This holding fast is under the searching power of the Word of God, which is quick and powerful and a discerner of thoughts and intents with all things naked before Him. It is through Jesus the Son of God, the great High Priest passed into the heavens, who can be touched with the feeling of infirmities having been tempted in all points as humans are yet without sin, so that mercy and grace to help in time of need may be obtained by coming boldly to the throne of grace.
Unbelief separates from God and kept Israel out of Canaan and God's rest for forty years, while God's promises were not at fault. Through backsliding and apostasy expressed in murmuring, rebellion, hatred, obstinacy and idolatry and obstinate refusal of repeated warnings, they perished in the wilderness and others entered the promised land in their place. The same lesson applies to the Advent movement, for refusal to do the work God appointed separated His people from Him and others were raised up to proclaim the message, and unbelief in doing that appointed work delayed Christ's coming. God did not desire Israel's long wilderness wandering, just as He did not desire the delay, but the delay gives sinners more time to hear the warning and find shelter in Christ. Self-sufficiency, self-importance and spiritual pride separate from God, and what could have been the greatest blessing becomes a stumbling block, turning away from light and the message of mercy leaves responsibilities unfulfilled and hides the things that would bring peace.
The verse warns professed Sabbath-keepers and modern Israel that persisting in Israel's evil habits and sin and failing to endure God's test of character will make them fall short of everlasting life and the heavenly Canaan. Cherishing unbelief forfeits the rich blessings of peace and rest and joy God has for those who cooperate with Him by keeping their souls in the love of God. Through careless inattention to the counsels of the Word, self-seeking, self-indulgence, self-esteem and impatience, connection with heaven is lost and Satan comes in as counsellor and brings captivity. When appetite masters reason and conscience, as when the Hebrews coveted what God withheld and perished for not believing and obeying, modern Christians so ruled are not walking in God's favor and may likewise stand outside it. Unbelief turns backward to Egypt when God bids go forward, and persistent resistance to warnings and refusal to repent leaves people to the results of their own course of resisting the Spirit.
Deliverance requires trusting in God alone and not receiving help from those who do not serve Him. It requires walking forward by faith, pressing on without being governed by circumstances, ever cherishing the grace of God through Christ as the only way of approaching God, a hard lesson every child of God must learn as a positive necessity. It requires faith in Christ that works as never before, watching for souls as those who must give account and cooperating with Christ in saving souls, rather than retreating in unbelief or piercing Christ daily by dishonoring Him, refusing His will, keeping childish ways and unovercome defects instead of growing into full manhood and womanhood in Christ. It comes by soberly and meekly receiving, using, practicing, trusting and appropriating the Word when believed, which makes perfect in Christ who is righteousness and gives a precious experience wise unto salvation. It comes by holding fast profession under that searching Word and by coming boldly to the throne of grace through Jesus the sympathetic High Priest tempted yet without sin to obtain mercy and grace to help in time of need.
They could not enter because of unbelief means the adult generation that came out of Egypt by Moses provoked God, were grieved with Him forty years, and fell in the wilderness so that all but the two who wholly followed Him died outside the promised rest. Their unbelief was disobedience and refusal to trust and obey, an evil heart departing from the living God that erred in heart and did not know His ways. It was against Christ Himself, who spoke to them in the cloud, fed them with manna and purposed to lead them to Canaan, yet they rejected Him and failed to recognize His light, power and miracles. The gospel was preached to them as well as to later believers, but hearing did not profit them because the word was not mixed with faith and was not received and practiced. The same warning stands Today for those who hear His voice, to harden not the heart, to exhort one another daily, and to hold confidence and hope firm to the end, for the promise of entering His rest is still left open and must be feared lest any come short of it through the same example of unbelief.
Israel's Failure in Wilderness
They were the people who came out of Egypt by Moses, the adult generation over twenty, who heard God's voice and provoked Him in the provocation in the wilderness. God was grieved with them forty years while they saw His works, because they sinned and tempted and proved Him, always erred in heart and did not know His ways. He swore in His wrath that those who believed not should not enter His rest, and their bodies fell as carcasses in the wilderness. All but two died there under that oath, and only the two who wholly followed Him entered, while their children who entered Canaan were warned not to follow their fathers' course. They might have known God's ways because truth was kept before them again and again, but they did not follow its teachings, separated and divorced themselves from God, and followed the wisdom of men not led by God and not under His direction.
Their unbelief was disobedience and refusal to trust and obey, an evil heart departing from the living God. It was always erring in heart and not knowing His ways, with sin and wandering hearts despite seeing God's works, and sin can deceive and harden the heart. It was expressed in murmuring, rebellion and hatred, in murmurings and jealousy provoking God's wrath, and in backsliding, apostasy, idolatry, obstinacy, sin, error of heart, selfishness and pride. They persisted in backsliding, provocation, sin and obstinate refusal of God's repeated warnings, separating from God despite truth kept before them again and again. Their unbelief kept them from receiving what God had promised and kept them out of the land for forty years, when God's promises were not at fault, and it alone kept them from entering at that time.
Their unbelief was against Christ Himself, who spoke to them through the pillar of cloud and whose words, if believed, would have led to a different history and a record of a very different character. Christ purposed to lead them from Egypt to Canaan, fed them with manna and protected them from harm through forty years of wilderness wandering. They heard Christ's word from the pillar of cloud but failed to receive it by faith and put it into practice. They rejected Him more than once, resisted His evidences of truth, failed to recognize His light, power and miracles, and were unmindful of what He had done, so they fell in the wilderness and He could not fulfil His purpose through them. Their unbelief was keeping childish ways and unovercome defects of character, failing to overcome wrong traits and carrying the defects of childhood into full stature instead of growing into full manhood and womanhood in Christ Jesus whose grace softens and subdues natural dispositions.
The gospel was preached to them as well as to later believers and to Christians, but hearing did not profit them because the word preached was not mixed with faith in those who heard it and was not received and practiced. Confidence must therefore be held firm, and believers must strive to enter God's rest. The promise of entering His rest is still left open, so there is cause to fear lest anyone should seem to come short of it, lest any fall after the same example of unbelief.
The long wandering was not God's good pleasure, purpose or desire; He would have brought them immediately and directly to the promised land if they had submitted and loved to be led by Him and had been willing to follow Him and to obey Him. Their backsliding and apostasy led them to perish in the wilderness through unbelief separating them from God, while others entered the promised land in their place. Their children at Jericho showed they could have possessed the city forty years earlier if they had trusted Him as their children did. The delay in the Advent movement likewise was not desired, for unbelief kept the people from doing the work God appointed and others were raised up to proclaim the message, delaying Christ's coming, but the delay gives sinners more time to hear the warning and find shelter in Christ.
Warning Against Unbelief Today
The same warning stands Today for all who hear His voice, harden not the heart as in the provocation in the wilderness. Take heed against an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God, lest any be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. Believers must exhort one another daily while it is called Today, and hold the beginning of confidence and the rejoicing of hope firm and steadfast unto the end. Only so are they Christ's house and made partakers of Christ, for those who reject God's way and harden their hearts risk repeating Israel's failure to enter because of unbelief. They must not repeat that course of separating from God to follow the wisdom of men not led by God, persisting in backsliding, provocation, sin, error of heart, idolatry and obstinacy after truth was kept before them again and again, lest they likewise fail to enter rest.
The promise of entering His rest is still left open, so there is cause to fear lest anyone should seem to come short of it. Believers must heed God's voice Today, remain steadfast in faith and daily consecration, encourage one another so sin does not deceive and harden them or undermine faith, and hold confidence in Christ firm to the end. They must labor and strive to enter that rest lest any fall after the same example of unbelief, for hearing God's word did not profit Israel because it was not received and mixed with faith. This holding fast is under the searching power of the Word of God, which is quick and powerful and a discerner of thoughts and intents with all things naked before Him. It is through Jesus the Son of God, the great High Priest passed into the heavens, who can be touched with the feeling of infirmities having been tempted in all points as humans are yet without sin, so that mercy and grace to help in time of need may be obtained by coming boldly to the throne of grace.
Unbelief separates from God and kept Israel out of Canaan and God's rest for forty years, while God's promises were not at fault. Through backsliding and apostasy expressed in murmuring, rebellion, hatred, obstinacy and idolatry and obstinate refusal of repeated warnings, they perished in the wilderness and others entered the promised land in their place. The same lesson applies to the Advent movement, for refusal to do the work God appointed separated His people from Him and others were raised up to proclaim the message, and unbelief in doing that appointed work delayed Christ's coming. God did not desire Israel's long wilderness wandering, just as He did not desire the delay, but the delay gives sinners more time to hear the warning and find shelter in Christ. Self-sufficiency, self-importance and spiritual pride separate from God, and what could have been the greatest blessing becomes a stumbling block, turning away from light and the message of mercy leaves responsibilities unfulfilled and hides the things that would bring peace.
The verse warns professed Sabbath-keepers and modern Israel that persisting in Israel's evil habits and sin and failing to endure God's test of character will make them fall short of everlasting life and the heavenly Canaan. Cherishing unbelief forfeits the rich blessings of peace and rest and joy God has for those who cooperate with Him by keeping their souls in the love of God. Through careless inattention to the counsels of the Word, self-seeking, self-indulgence, self-esteem and impatience, connection with heaven is lost and Satan comes in as counsellor and brings captivity. When appetite masters reason and conscience, as when the Hebrews coveted what God withheld and perished for not believing and obeying, modern Christians so ruled are not walking in God's favor and may likewise stand outside it. Unbelief turns backward to Egypt when God bids go forward, and persistent resistance to warnings and refusal to repent leaves people to the results of their own course of resisting the Spirit.
Deliverance requires trusting in God alone and not receiving help from those who do not serve Him. It requires walking forward by faith, pressing on without being governed by circumstances, ever cherishing the grace of God through Christ as the only way of approaching God, a hard lesson every child of God must learn as a positive necessity. It requires faith in Christ that works as never before, watching for souls as those who must give account and cooperating with Christ in saving souls, rather than retreating in unbelief or piercing Christ daily by dishonoring Him, refusing His will, keeping childish ways and unovercome defects instead of growing into full manhood and womanhood in Christ. It comes by soberly and meekly receiving, using, practicing, trusting and appropriating the Word when believed, which makes perfect in Christ who is righteousness and gives a precious experience wise unto salvation. It comes by holding fast profession under that searching Word and by coming boldly to the throne of grace through Jesus the sympathetic High Priest tempted yet without sin to obtain mercy and grace to help in time of need.