Hebrews 4:7
Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
After so long a time God still limits a certain day, and that day is today, meaning right now rather than after a long stretch of tomorrows. Today is the time to hear His voice and keep the heart soft instead of hardening it.
The warning looks back to Israel in the wilderness, who had been taught God's truth yet grieved Him by disobedience and by refusing to submit to Him and trust His leading. Many turned from God to human wisdom and refused to follow what they had been taught, and therefore failed to enter His rest because of unbelief. Their long wandering was not His desire, for He would have brought them promptly and directly into the promised land.
Because of that unbelief He warned and swore that the unbelieving generation would not enter His rest, except for the two who wholly followed Him. Entry into His rest therefore depends on responding faithfully to Him. To harden the heart is that same unbelief: closing the heart against Him when He speaks, refusing His warnings, and turning away from Him.
To hear His voice is to listen and obey at once without delay or postponement, to repent and be changed by Him and to reform immediately. Refusing or postponing obedience is dangerous because the invitation may not come again. Yet Christ will graciously accept even imperfect people if they respond now.
The same warning speaks still today to undecided souls, calling them to listen and obey at once without closing their hearts. It speaks also to God's people standing on the very borders of the heavenly Canaan with increasing light and abundant privileges and opportunities. The rest is entered only by faithfully accepting and appreciating the light and advancing onward and upward to purity and holiness, taking a high and noble stand in self-denial and self-sacrifice. Advancement must be proportionate to what is given, since where much is given much is required.
For families, hearing today means now is the time to obey, with parents accountable to train and educate children properly so their lives are not superficial or selfishly indulgent but have solid character as He intends. It means practicing and teaching self-denial and living the Christian life. It means keeping self and children unspotted from the world, washing robes of character white in the blood of the Lamb, overcoming pride, passion, and spiritual slothfulness, and awaking to determined effort for symmetry of character.
While waiting and watching for the Lord's appearing in a world in darkness, hearing today means going to work in His vineyard for Him and for souls instead of remaining idle waiting to be set to work. It means showing wisdom and keeping supplied with the oil of grace so as to burn and shine, faithfully improving entrusted talents until they greatly increase and becoming channels of light to the world. This is urgent because time for work is diminishing while the work accumulates and souls are deciding for evil or good. Deadness and formality cripple the energies of the church and dim its brightness, and those who do not advance retrograde and fail of the rest though standing at its borders. The waiting, longing soul is assured that He purposes to bring light out of darkness, joy out of sorrow, and rest out of weariness.