Do Not Harden Your Hearts

(Hebrews 3:15-19 – Do Not Harden Your Hearts)

Their is a dire warning in these words. Do not harden your hearts is an important message for all who come to Christ. The opportunity to be hard of heart today is even greater than in the past.

There are many scriptures that mention or allude to this matter. Many of these warn us about what will happen and the consequences of a hard heart. This scripture today is just such an example.

But it is one thing to be warned saying, do not harden your hearts. It is another thing to understand what the issues are and what we can do about it. So, today, let us explore these matters.

The Bible verse about do not harden your hearts

Before examining the issues, let us look at the bible verse about do not harden your hearts. In some versions of the Bible it is translated also as “Harden not your hearts.” Either way, this is what it says.

15 while it is said, “Today, when you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” 16 Who were they that heard and yet were rebellious? Was it not all those who left Egypt under the leadership of Moses? 17 And with whom was he provoked forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom did he swear that they should never enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? 19 So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief. (Hebrews 3:15-19)

There are a number of interesting points contained in this verse. There are warnings, examples, and consequences.

When should we not harden our hearts?

The first verse in this scripture gives us a time frame.

Do not harden your hearts…Today. Today is the only time we get to live in. We don’t live in the past, and we can’t live in the future. What happened in the past cannot be changed, and what will happen in the future will be determined by our actions and decisions today.

So, today is the key time frame, not just for this issue, but in every part of our lives.

Thus, it is important that you do not harden your hearts today as that will affect your future.

Do not harden your hearts: An Example

In this scripture we see an example of when Israel hardened their hearts against God.

As Moses led the people out of Egypt, the people rebelled against Moses and against God. They were rebellious in many ways over the next forty years as they wandered the deserts until God brought them into the Promised Land under the guidance of Joshua.

The people rebelled by making the golden calf idol. They rebelled by seeking meat when God gave them manna from heaven. And there were the rebellions against the leadership of Moses by Dathan and others.

Rebellion occurs when we harden our hearts against God. When you see rebellion in people, it is because they have hardened their hearts.

What is the effect of a hardened heart?

The first thing to understand is that it is not a physical hardening of the heart. This is a spiritual hardening that we are concerned about.

A hard heart refuses to accept instruction. They are disobedient and seek their own ways and their own desires, rather than the will of God.

A hard heart is proud and arrogant. They cannot be taught because they believe they know it all. As such, they do not listen and close their ears to the truth. Often too those who are hard of heart not only reject God, but they arrogantly and loudly oppose Him. Some even commit acts of violence against God and His people.

The Lord does not want people to be like this. That is why we are instructed saying, “Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” God does not want a rebellious people, always putting Him to the test. He wants people who listen, learn, trust, obey, and have faith in Him and in Jesus Christ.

Do not harden your hearts: The Consequences

I mentioned that it is important that you do not harden your hearts today. It is because what you do today affects what will happen in the future.

Consider the consequences for the people of Israel when they hardened their hearts.

When they built the golden calf, God was angry. Moses came down off the mountain with the Ten Commandments, written on tablets of stone, and he broke them and smashed the tablets because he was so angry. God was so angry that He desired to destroy all of the people and make a new nation from the descendants of Moses. Had Moses not interceded and argued against the plan of the Lord, this may well have happened. (See Exodus 32:1-14)

Then there was the debacle over the people desiring meat rather than the manna. This manna was given by God, so it must have been perfectly balanced from a diet perspective. It would have had all of the nutrients and vitamins necessary for the people to grow healthy and strong.

But the people complained about the gift of God and desired meat. So, God sent massive flocks of quail. But as they were eating it, the Lord was angry because they had rejected Him, and a great plague spread amongst the people. (See Numbers 11:31-35)

Do not harden your hearts: A Christian Analogy

Then there was the time that they people complained against Moses and the Lord God for bringing them up out of Egypt. God sent fiery serpents amongst the people and many people dies from their bites. It was not until God instructed Moses to set up a bronze effigy of the serpents on a tall pole in the middle of the camp that people got relief.(See Numbers 21:4-9)

This particular issue has parallels with Christ too. The people in Israel were instructed to simply look up at the bronze serpent if they were bitten, and they would not die. And yet if anyone remained hard of heart, refusing to do as God instructed, they died. In the same way we are called to look up to Jesus who was also nailed up for our salvation. Those who look up to Him are saved, while the hard of heart do not look to Him and will die.

The Ultimate Consequence and Root Cause

These are all consequences and why we are told, “Do not harden your hearts.”

But the ultimate consequence is the loss of our eternal life and salvation. Those who are hard of heart have no place in God’s kingdom.

You may wonder why. It is because the root cause of a hard heart is a lack of faith and disobedience against the Lord.

Faith is the key to salvation and life. The scripture I am looking at today shows us that those who are hard of heart become that way due to disobedience and a lack of faith. You cannot be faithful when you are disobedient.

18 And to whom did he swear that they should never enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? 19 So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief. (Hebrews 3:18-19)

God’s rest, spoken of here, is His eternal rest after everything has been completed. When all is done and the devil is defeated, and all causes of sin are removed, then God will rest in a new heavens and a new earth with those who were NOT hardened in heart. They will live with Him.

But the hard of heart will not enter His rest. They will go into the lake of fire with the devil and his demons.

Learn from their mistakes. Do not harden your hearts as they did and suffered the consequences.

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