April 16
“Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: ‘Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, in the day of trial in the wilderness, where your fathers tested Me, tried Me, and saw My works forty years. Therefore I was angry with that generation, and said, “They always go astray in their heart, and they have not known My ways.” So I swore in My wrath, “They shall not enter my rest,”’” Hebrews 3:7-11.
During Holy Week we direct our attention to so many heart-touching scenes that center around the events at Calvary. It makes one wonder how there can be so many people who are just passing by and who ignore the importance of the great event that took place on the first Good Friday almost two thousand years ago. Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the Son of Man, was nailed to a cross at Calvary, outside the city walls of Jerusalem. That event has a significance for all people of all times, and not only for this life but for the life after death!
There are so many people who procrastinate; they put off until tomorrow what should be given attention today! In our workaday world, indeed, there are things that can be put off until a later time with little or no harm being done. There are other things, however, in whatever position or profession one is involved, that need to be given attention today!
Spiritually, the call of God is, “Today!” The author of the Epistle to the Hebrews, whoever he was, was moved by the Holy Spirit to emphasize the importance of God’s call, “Today!”
He is quoting the words of the psalmist: “Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand. Today, if you will hear His voice: do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, as in the day of trial in the wilderness, when your fathers tested Me; they tried Me, though they saw My work. For forty years I was grieved with that generation, and said, ‘It is a people who go astray in their hearts, and they do not know My ways.’ So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest.’” Psalm 95:6-11.
We are taken back to two incidents recorded in the Old Testament, one in Exodus 17:1-7 and one in Numbers 20:1-13. In both instances, the people were in the wilderness without water, and they complained against Moses and against God. “The people contended with Moses and spoke, saying: ‘If only we had died when our brethren died before the Lord! Why have you brought up the assembly of the Lord into this wilderness, that we and our animals should die here? And why have you made us come up out of Egypt, to bring us to this evil place? It is not a place of grain or figs or vines or pomegranates; nor is there any water to drink,’” Numbers 20:3-5. In each instance, the Lord miraculously provided water for the complaining people and their animals.
However, it did not take long and the people were complaining again. They hardened their hearts and complained about God and His dealings with His chosen people. Finally, God made a vow: “They shall not enter My rest.” Many of them would never see or set foot in the promised land of Canaan.
In the words of the apostle, there is a word of warning as well as a word of pleading: “Today, not tomorrow, today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts!” Today, the Savior stands at the door of your heart and knocks. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me,” Revelation 3:20. Today, God knocks, and invites, “Believe on the Lord Jesus who suffered and died on Calvary’s cross and shed His blood to wash away the sins of all!” Today, hear God’s voice! Hear it today, before it is too late!
“Today Thy gate is open,
And all who enter in
Shall find a Father’s welcome
And pardon for their sin.
The past shall be forgotten,
A present joy be giv’n;
A future grace be promised,
A glorious crown in heav’n.” Amen.