Hebrews 3:7-11

Historical Context: Exodus 15-17

The author of Hebrews quotes from Psalm 95, which references Exodus 15 through 17, to set the stage for the second warning passage in Hebrews 3:14–4:8. These chapters provide a foundation, highlighting the superiority of Jesus Christ over Moses and exhorting believers to hold fast their profession of faith.

The Book of Hebrews emphasizes Jesus' superiority: He is a better sacrifice, a better high priest, and the better apostle than Moses. This encourages professing believers—some authentic, some not—to endure to the end, as Jesus said, "He who endures to the end will be saved."

The example is the Israelites who left Egypt through God's intervention but wandered in the wilderness for 40 years due to their failures.

Then Moses and the sons of Israel sang this song to the Lord, saying, "I will sing to the Lord, for He is highly exalted; the horse and its rider He has hurled into the sea." (Exodus 15:1)

This song follows the Red Sea crossing, where God destroyed the greatest military power of the time, the Egyptian army. They had every reason to praise and trust God.

Yet in the Wilderness of Shur (Exodus 15:22-25), they reached Marah, where the water was bitter. They grumbled against Moses: "What shall we drink?" God tested them there.

At Elim (Exodus 15:27), there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees—abundance—but they soon moved on. In Exodus 16, in the Wilderness of Sin, they grumbled again over lack of food, saying, "Would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt!" God provided quail and manna.

In Exodus 17, facing no water again despite prior provision, they tested God at Massah and Meribah—names meaning "testing" and "trial."

Psalm 95 and the Day of Testing

Psalm 95 begins with joyful praise, contrasting sharply with the Israelites' response:

Oh come, let us sing for joy to the Lord, let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. (Psalm 95:1-2)

For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand. (Psalm 95:7a)

Then the warning:

Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, "Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as when they provoked Me, as on the day of trial in the wilderness, where your fathers tried Me by testing Me, and saw My works for forty years. Therefore I was angry with this generation, and said, 'They always go astray in their heart, and they did not know My ways'; as I swore in My wrath, 'They shall not enter My rest.'" (Hebrews 3:7-11)

Exodus 15-17 starts with praise like Psalm 95 but reveals grumbling. God tested Israel's authenticity, but they tested Him despite seeing His works—from the plagues, signs through Moses, the Red Sea, to daily provision. Just a month out of Egypt, after Elim's abundance, they doubted: "Is the Lord among us?"

This mirrors Esau selling his birthright for one meal (Hebrews 12) and Jesus' temptation after 40 days without food. Their hearts strayed, prioritizing carnal appetites over God.

Authentic Faith: Sheep of His Hand

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one. (John 10:27-30)

True believers are the sheep of His hand, enduring trials. The Israelites were outwardly God's people but failed the heart test. Pharaoh hardened his heart first; they mimicked him, enslaved to desires rather than submitting to Yahweh.

The gospel was preached to them, but it did not unite with faith in their hearts (Hebrews 4:2). God's Word discerns "the thoughts and intentions of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12).

Entering God's Rest

In Psalm 95's Greek translation, God swears: "I swore in My wrath, if they shall enter My rest"—meaning it is utterly impossible for them. This oath parallels God's swearing Jesus is priest forever (Hebrews 7) and promises to Abraham's true descendants by faith (Hebrews 6).

Their treasure was self—hunger, thirst—not God. "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:21). The good man brings forth good from his heart's treasure; the evil man, evil (Luke 6:45).

Salvation is confessing with the mouth and believing in the heart. Trials reveal true desires. At Elim, no testing, easy faith. But in trial—like rocky soil in the parable of the sower—they fell away.

Are you satisfied in Jesus Christ? Where is your treasure? Trials test authenticity. True faith endures, pouring into gospel pursuits: godliness, holiness, repentance, trust in Christ.

Easy to enjoy body life blessings—worship highs, benevolence—but hard to endure testing. If desires are elsewhere, believe the gospel. A promise remains: enter His rest by faith. For true converts, it is a costly but eternal commitment.