Exhort One Another Every Day

Hebrews 3:7–19 – Jesus Is Better
Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time – November 16th, 2025 (am)     

This text enlightens us uniquely to the true nature of our salvation, introducing a surprising conditional if (6b, 14), but then instructing us on how best to respond to that if. It occurs to me that this text, and ones like it which employ this if (e.g., Joh.8:31-32; Col.1:21-23; 1Co.15:1-2; 2Pe.1:8-10), are a good balance for all of Scripture’s testimony to the sovereignty of God in salvation. They supply language to express human responsibility meaningfully: by God’s sovereign appointment, through faith in His Son, we become His family, His house (6b), holy brothers [and sisters] who share in a heavenly calling (1). And we actually have a role, we play a part, in one another’s endurance (12-14) and, therefore, in one another’s heavenly inheritance. Wow!

This is so outside our common talk, our common conception of our salvation, that you may not even have processed what I just said. So, I’ll say it again. This passage could be heard to offer a balancing word regarding God’s sovereignty in salvation by expressing human responsibility in a way that we don’t easily perceive: through faith in Christ, we become God’s family, His house (6b), holy brothers [and sisters] who share in a heavenly calling (1) such that we, in accord with His sovereign purpose, actually play a part in one another’s endurance in the faith (12-14) and, therefore, in one another’s heavenly inheritance.

As you heard in this passage, the author goes all the way back into Israel’s experience in the wilderness, on their way from bondage in Egypt to the land of promise, to find an historical setting in which to anchor his instruction on how to understand and take good care of our salvation, but really of all our brothers [and sisters] who’re being saved. It’s mixed in with a sobering warning that sets the context for what we need to do to take good care of one another. But both the diligence we should display and the consequences that result when it doesn’t work will, I’m confident, startle us!

Let’s unpack this text under three headings.

Remembering Israel in the Wilderness – 7-11

7 Therefore, today’s passage draws implications from what went before just like last week’s did (1, Therefore), as the Holy Spirit (not the psalmist) says (quoting Psa.95), “Today (this is an important word in this text [3:7, 13, 15; 4:7 twice]; here it just refers to this present day), if you hear his voice, 8 do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, 9 where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years. Don’t make the same mistake Israel made in the wilderness. Learn from their example (cf. 1Co.10:6-11). 10 Therefore I was provoked with that generation and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart; they have not known my ways.’ 11 As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest.’” This is another big theme in this section, my rest—we’ll see that more next week, but we’ll say a small bit now about how important it is—and this is all from Psa.95.

This is an interesting use of the OT. The author is looking back at Israel’s history, primarily in two places: Exo.17, where they quarreled with Moses and grumbled against [him] because they were thirsty (Exo.17:2-3), and Num.14, where the twelve spies returned to Kadesh-Barnea and the people rebelled thinking they wouldn’t be able to conquer the land (Num.14:1-12). Num.14:26 And the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 27 “How long shall this wicked congregation grumble against me? … 28 Say to them, ‘As I live, declares the Lord, what you have said in my hearing I will do to you: 29 your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness, and of all your number, listed in the census from twenty years old and upward, who have grumbled against me, 30 not one shall come into the land where I swore that I would make you dwell, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun. … 34 According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land, forty days, a year for each day, you shall bear your iniquity forty years, and you shall know my displeasure.’”

The interesting part of how the OT is being used here, though, is that the author isn’t going back to these actual historic events. He’s going back to the poet’s reflection on them in Psa.95, perhaps 400 years later, long after Israel had entered the land. So, the psalmist is drawing present-day lessons from Israel’s history for his own generation, then the author of Heb. is using on Psa.95 to draw similar lessons for his congregation, now also ours, from Psa.95’s reflection on Num.14 and Exo.17!

Bottom line, Israel failed miserably in the wilderness between Egypt and their entry into God’s rest in the land. But they did enter the land. And Joshua reports that Jos.21:45 Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel hand failed; all came to pass. But the author of Heb. then reads the psalmist here as holding open the promise of entering [God’s] rest, saying it still stands, so we should fear lest any of [us] should seem to have failed to reach it (4:1). So, there’s a promise of rest that still stands even in the OT, though Israel had entered that land. And that rest remains available to new covenant believers according to the author of Heb. here. That’s pretty good news that he reveals through his quotation from Psa.95, a passage he draws on to ground his instruction on what we should do in order to hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope (6b).

Learning from Israel in the Wilderness – 12-15

So, let’s hear that instruction! 12 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. We need to press on in faith just like Israel was supposed to do in the wilderness; the if (6b) tells us that with clarity. So, we need to take care lest we cave in to evil and unbelief like they did. This is our next warning passage here in Heb. And the author tells us just how to do it. 13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. Look at that. He’s talking to the whole community, not just to the individuals within it. He’s calling the whole community to take care. And if we ask: How do we best take care? He answers: Take care of each other: exhort one another, every day, as long as [you’re able to keep doing so]!

Along with proclaiming the gospel in obedience to the great commission, I believe this is the most simple and direct word to the church about what our job is during these days of wandering through the wilderness between the time when we were freed from bondage to our sin to the day when we finally enter God’s rest. Take care of each other.

Then, to make sure we don’t miss it, the author ties off this thought by repeating both his if and the core of his instruction. 14 For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end, if we take care to fight off an evil, unbelieving heart, [that leads us] to fall away from the living God (12), having become hardened toward Him by the deceitfulness of sin (13). 15 As it is said, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts [like Israel did].” God sustains his people through the words that he has spoken to them and … the ministry of [exhortation] they … have to one another (Peterson 1329).

Startled by Israel in the Wilderness – 16-19

So, what startles us about Israel’s experience? It’s what we learn to be true of ourselves through their experience, with the help of the author of Heb. He’s answering the question: 16 … who were those who heard [God’s voice] (15) and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? Yes. 17 And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness, everyone from twenty years old and upward? (Num.14:29) Again, yes. 18 And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? And was this not this same crowd, all those who left Egypt led by Moses (16), except Caleb… and Joshua… (Num.14:30) and all the children under the age of twenty? Yes.

19 So, what’s the point? The point is: we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief. Those who were delivered from Egypt [fell] away from God in the wilderness with evil, unbelieving hearts (12), having been hardened by the deceitfulness of sin (13), so they didn’t enter His rest in the land. Now, we’re being warned not to repeat their experience. The clear implication is that we can be delivered out of something without being delivered into something, just like them. We can be delivered out of bondage without being delivered into rest. That’s startling! So, what makes the difference? Belief. Or, stated here in the negative, unbelief (19).

The idea seems to be that we can appreciate the gospel, sidle up next to it, maybe even take hold of little parts of it and put them to good use. As we hang out with those who genuinely believe, the gospel can improve our quality of life. It can save us from experiencing much of the evil and bondage that could otherwise have ensnared us in this life. We can experience all this but still not be entitled to enter God’s rest or receive His heavenly calling (1).

Don’t you find that somewhat startling? The author is going to get even more specific than this as we continue on in this letter. But this is as far as we’ll go today. And lest you wonder whether we’re misunderstanding what he’s saying here, we read warnings like this in other passages as well(e.g., Joh.8:31-32; Col.1:21-23; 1Co.15:1-2; 2Pe.1:8-10). Paul wrote similarly: Col.1:21 … [Y]ou, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard…. And Peter, after listing characteristics of those who’ve become partakers of the divine nature (2Pe.1:4), he wrote: 2Pe.1:10 Therefore, brothers [and sisters], be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. But Jesus’ words may be the most familiar, even as they’re likely the most chilling. Mat.7:21 Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?” 23 And then will I declare to them, “I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.” These are people who got close enough to the gospel and the church for it to make a genuine difference in their lives, but they never savingly believed. It’s hard not to find this startling.

Conclusion

So, what do we do about this? We 12 [t]ake care…, lest there be in any of [us] an evil, unbelieving heart, leading [us] to fall away from the living God. Using the language of repentance, we might say: Turn away from sin, don’t turn away from God. But here, we’re also starting to see the genuine benefit to each of us of our spiritual family here in the church. Don’t just seek to take care of yourself. 13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. Take care of one another! This is part of the responsibility God has given us to steward well the great salvation (2:3) He’s provided. Pay close attention to one another. And don’t challenge silly little things that just annoy you. Be on the lookout with them for the serious stuff: any evidence of a hardened heart or willful disobedience, seeds of evil unbelief that might first show up as grumbling or complaining or quarreling (Exo.17; Num.14). Take care, and love one another enough to exhort one another, every day if necessary. That’s a responsibility God has given to His people. 13 For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.

Let’s now remember together what Jesus did to provide us with such a great salvation (2:3).

__________________ 

Resources

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Arnold, Clinton E., gen. ed. 2002. Zondervan Illustrated Bible Background Commentary. Vol. 4, Hebrews to Revelation. Hebrews, by George H. Guthrie, 2-82. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Barclay, William. 1976. The Daily Study Bible Series. The Letter to the Hebrews, Revised Edition. Louisville: Westminster John Knox.

Beale, G. K., & D. A. Carson, eds. 2007. Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament. Hebrews, by George H. Guthrie, 919-995. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic.

Bruce, F. F. 1990. New International Commentary on the New Testament. Hebrews. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.

Calvin, John. 1553. Commentary on the Epistle of Paul to the Hebrews, trans. by, John Owen. Logos.

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Clendenen, Ray E., gen. ed., David S. Dockery, NT ed. 2010. The New American Commentary. Vol. 35, Hebrews, by David L. Allen. Nashville: Broadman & Holman.

Dever, Mark. 2005. The Message of the New Testament. Ch. 19, The Message of Hebrews: Sticking with the Best, 413-425. Wheaton: Crossway.

Fee, Gordon D., gen. ed. 1990. The New International Commentary on the New Testament. The Epistle to the Hebrews, Revised Edition, by F. F. Bruce. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.

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Guthrie, George. 1998. The NIV Application Commentary. Hebrews. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Hubbard, David A., & Glenn W. Barker, gen. eds. Ralph P. Martin, NT ed. 1991. Word Biblical Commentary. Vols. 47a, Hebrews 1-8; Vol.47b, Hebrews 9-13, by William L. Lane. Dallas: Word.

Hughes, Philip Edgcumbe. 1979. A Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.

Longman III, Tremper, & David E. Garland, eds. 2006. Revised Expositor’s Bible Commentary. Vol. 13, Hebrews-Revelation. Hebrews, by R. T. France, 17-195. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Morris, Leon, gen. ed. 1983. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries. Vol. 15, Hebrews, by Donald Guthrie. Downers Grove: InterVarsity.

NEXT SUNDAY: We Who Have Believed Enter that Rest, Hebrews 4:1–10