The
writer of Hebrews exhorted his readers with this phrase, “Today
if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the
provocation”,
and in chapter three and verse sixteen of Hebrews we see how people
“when they had heard, did provoke”
where we read:
For some,
when they had heard, did provoke:
howbeit
not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.
The
verse begins, “For some, when they
had heard, did provoke:” The
writer began with the words, “For
some”
which means “because, even, indeed, no doubt, seeing then and
therefore certain ones”, “when they
had heard”
which refers to “when the people had been endowed with the faculty
of hearing, attended to and considered” “did
provoke”
or “exasperated and roused to indignation”. The idea was there
were more than some people who “heard”
the words of God and “exasperated” Him anyway.
The
verse continues, “howbeit not all
that came out of Egypt by Moses.” The
writer added, “howbeit”
which means “but, nay, nevertheless, notwithstanding, with
exception and objection” “not all
that came”
or “not each, every, the whole and everyone who exited, escaped,
spread forth and emanated” “out of”
which
refers to “away from” “Egypt”
which means
“double straits” and was “a
country occupying the northeast angle of Africa ”
“by Moses”
or “drawing out” and was “the legislator of the Jewish people
and in a certain sense the founder of the Jewish religion”. There
was only two people in Israel who came out of Egypt who entered into
the promise land – Joshua and Caleb.
When
we consider these words in Hebrews, we see how the rebellion against
God was widespread in Israel while they were in the wilderness. Very
few, only two, were true believers in what God had promised, and
Joshua and Caleb were allowed entrance into the promise land. The
Lord Jesus desires for people to “hear”
Him and not
“provoke”.
He offers salvation to all who will believe in His sacrifice on the
cross to pay for their sins. Those who believe will live forever with
Him, those who do not will have “provoked”
God Almighty with results that last forever.
Next
time we see
the writer share how God was “grieved”
“with them that had sinned”,
so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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