Encouragement - 2 Series

Being an Encourager

Hebrews 3:7–13

September 21, 2025

Have you ever noticed the times when scripture quotes scripture? It’s really unique and another indication the Word is alive and active. It’s a powerful reminder that the writers have already had their hearts and spirits touched by the power of God’s Word through the Holy Spirit.

It can also be beautiful and powerful because, in a crazy sense, when we read a passage and think - - - I’ve seen this before.

Where was it? Then we search and find it. It’s great because we’ve been in the Word and recognize it. God’s Word is resonating within us.

It’s powerful because we see God at work. It’s a continuum of His plans and actions coming alive right before us. We see what happened in the OT is still a powerful force in the NT.

Don’t we do that with Jesus? We see so many verses / prophecies in the OT which points us toward Jesus, and that gives us hope. It comforts us because we see God’s promises and purpose at work

We’re in our second week of looking at encouragement. What is it? What does the word even represent? We’re going to get there today and then look at biblical examples in the coming weeks.

So, where am I going with this talk about scripture quoting scripture? Great question!!

Sometimes the only way to understand Scripture is through a wider and deeper Holy Spirit inspired reading of Scripture. I want you to notice how the Bible does this.

We’re in Hebrews 3. And we’re going to see some fun things in today’s scripture. As we talk about encouragement, we’re learning it’s not just a pat on the back and walk away, thinking we’ve been an encourager.

That’s not the biblical message at work. There’s a much deeper context for us to grasp.

We’re in Hebrews 3:12-13. But if we back up a few verses in Hebrews 3, we see scripture quoting scripture.

The writer is quoting scripture from Psalm 95, which is recounting the events of Exodus 17. In a sense it’s scripture quoting scripture quoting scripture.

Exodus 17 to Psalm 95 to Hebrews 3

When we see this . . . it’s God telling us something He really wants us to grasp! It’s important for us to come to a full understanding. That’s why I’m taking the time to go back over this.

If you know Psalm 95, you quickly recognize these verses. If you have a Bible, turn to Hebrews 3, beginning in verse 7.

You can even look at Psalm 95, beginning in verse 7, since these passages are very similar. We read - - - -

7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear His voice,

8 do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion (Meribah), on the day of testing in the wilderness (Massah),

9 where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years.

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.’”

That’s a pretty brutal statement from God. They shall not enter my rest. WHY? Because the people had hardened their hearts.

The writer of Hebrews is remembering Psalm 95, which recounts events in Exodus 17. It’s the story of the people being faced with a lack of water while they were in the wilderness at a place called Meribah (which by the way — means quarreling).

Rather than leaning into the God who had provided for them every step of the way, they began to bitterly quarrel among themselves and angrily grumbled against their leaders.

It was a defining moment, a place where their faith was tested and failed. It turned out to be the place where their hearts continued to be hardened.

Now, in light of this context, in light of these harden hearted, yet God delivered people, look at our main text again - - - -

12 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.

13 But encourage one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

Over the course of our lives, all of us have been through difficult trials. Unjust treatment, unforeseen losses, tragic deaths, life-stealing diseases, betrayals, relationship failures, and all types of pain and suffering.

These events can create wilderness seasons that can go on for long periods of time.

These are the places where we slowly and often imperceptibly lose faith in God. We generally wouldn’t identify it that way, but we begin to shrink back from real trust in God.