Enemies of Faith – Doubt and Unbelief
Faith unlocks the storehouse of God but doubt unbelief locks it - are we stuck in doubt and unbelief - not walking in the land of Canaan and promise, where the Spirit of God, in all His blessing, falls and ignites? We have a great many wilderness Christians in our churches - the wilderness is a place of death; a place of unrest; a place of aimlessness; and a place of dissatisfaction. They have never entered into Gods promises because they must enter by faith. Are we unbelieving believers? This sermon addresses the enemy of faith – doubt and unbelief
Faith Comes by Hearing God’s Voice
Romans 10:17 so then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Hebrews 3:7-19 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.’ “Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called "Today," lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, while it is said: "Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion." For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
The Book of Hebrews was written to believers who were in a faith crisis – it was written to warn them of the dangers of unbelief and doubt and to encourage them in their faith. In this passage we see God speaking – faith comes by hearing – but not just hearing – hearing what God has to say and according to the scripture God is speaking!
The Father, Son and Holy Spirit Speaks
As the Holy Spirit says –– this passage draws attention to its Author the Holy Spirit - it links up with - Hebrews 1:1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, and Hebrews 2:3 how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord - In the former it is God, the Father, who "spoke." In Hebrews 2:3, it is the Son - here in Hebrews 3:7 the Speaker is the Spirit; thus, by linking together these three passages we hear all the Persons of the Godhead.
How does God speak? – through various means – reading the word – hearing the word – the inner voice – the prophetic word – the word of circumstances and situations – but all is based upon the inspired written word of God the Bible - As the Holy Spirit says - the tense of the verb used here; it is not "the Holy Spirit said," but "says:" it is an ever-present, continuing living message to God’s people in each succeeding generation. "Whatever was given by inspiration from the Holy Ghost, and is recorded in the Scripture is for the use of the Church today” "he that has an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches" Revelation chapters 2 and 3
When does God speak? Today - "Today" signifies the present time, and it includes a continuance of it. It is not to be limited to twenty-four hours; instead, this term covers a present interval which consists of many days or years. Hebrews 3:13 says exhort one another daily, while it is called Today. In Hebrews 13:8 it says Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever.
What does God speak? His voice - The "voice" of God is the declaration of His will, which demands our obedience. His will is made known in His Word, which is a living Word, by which the voice of God is now uttered.
The Response to His Voice
If you will hear To "hear" God’s voice signifies, to diligently ponder, to readily receive, and to heed or obey it. Hearing then implies an action that follows the hearing.
Hear and obey or hear and excuse
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 begins the quotation from: Psalm 95:7-11 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.’
Notice where they strayed - In their minds? No, in their hearts - God’s Word is addressed to the heart the center of our being out of which are the issues of life Pro. 4:23 - There may be conviction of the conscience, the assent of the intellect, the admiration of understanding, but unless the heart is moved there is no response. Here hardening of the heart is attributed to the person it is due to - neglect in not taking notice of the ways and means where God calls us to faith and obedience - forgetfulness and rejection of Gods word and works – a holding onto worldly pleasures preferring them to obedience
An unbelieving heart is an untrusting heart - Pr 4:23 Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life - Deut. 8:1-3 "Every commandment which I command you today you must be careful to observe, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land of which the LORD swore to your fathers. And you shall remember that the LORD your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD.
Ten times Israel tested God as a result of unbelief - When the Egyptians were marching after them - Ex 14:11 - At the bitter waters of Marah - Ex 15:24 - In wilderness of Sin when they complained about their lack of good food - Ex 16:2 - At Rephidim (Meribah, Massah) when they were thirsty - Ex 17:2, 3 - When they made a calf - Ex 32:1 - When they became like those who complain of adversity - Nu 11:1 - When they had "greedy desires" at Taberah - Nu 11:4 - When they complained about Moses after he married the Cushite woman - Nu 12:1 - After the spies brought back their report - Nu 14:2 - When they were thirsty and Moses failed to regard the Lord as holy - Nu 20:1-13
Ten in biblical numerology refers to testing and tribulation – notice that in these contexts it was man testing God not God testing man – this is a sin of rebellion
“Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, in the day of trial in the wilderness, where your fathers tested Me, tried Me,” - the reference here is to what is recorded in the early verses of Exodus 17 – the congregation of Israel journeyed to Rephidim, where there was "no water for the people to drink." Instead of them counting on Jehovah to supply their need, as He had at Marah (Exo. 15:25) and in the wilderness of Sin - they murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?" Though Moses cried unto the Lord, and the Lord graciously responded by bringing water out of the rock for them, yet God was greatly displeased, in verse 7 we are told, "And he called the name of the place Massah (Temptation) and Meribah (Strife), because of the children of Israel and because they tempted the Lord, saying, Is the Lord among us, or not".
Difficulties and trials of the way test us, this testing reveals the state of our hearts a crisis neither makes nor mars a person but it does manifest their real selves - while all is smooth sailing we appear to be getting along nicely - When the storm breaks, it is not so much that we fail under it, as that our habitual lack of leaning upon God, of daily walking in dependency upon Him, is made evident. Circumstances do not change us, but they do expose us. The reason Israel murmured at Meribah was because there was no water; they were occupied with their circumstances, they were walking by sight. The crisis they then faced only served to make manifest the state of their hearts, namely, an "evil heart of unbelief." Had their trust been in Jehovah, they would at once have turned to Him, spread their need before Him, and counted on Him to supply it. "What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works?" (James 2:14).
“When your fathers tempted Me, proved Me and saw My works forty years” God showed them wonder signs: did they trust and follow in faith? And if Israel was not faithful to Moses, and their unbelief brought ruin upon them, how much more guilty shall we be, and how much greater our danger, if we are not faithful to the Lord Jesus - Israel’s sins in the wilderness are here pictured under two terms: they "tempted" and "proved" God - to tempt one is to try or prove whether he be such as he is declared to be, or whether he can or will do such and such a thing. By tempting God Israel found out by experience that He was indeed the God He had made Himself known to be. In this passage the tempting of God is set down as a sin which provoked Him, and so is to be taken in its worst sense. Instead of believing His declaration Israel acted in unbelief.
"And saw My works forty years" This is the inexcusableness of Israel’s sin. It was not that God was a Stranger to them; again and again He had shown Himself strong on their behalf. The "works" of God mentioned here are the many and great wonders which He did from the time that He first took them up in Egypt until the end of the wilderness journey. Some of them were works of mercy - in delivering them from enemies and dangers, and in providing for them - others were works of judgment - the plagues upon the Egyptians, their destruction at the Red Sea - others were manifestations of Himself, by the Cloud which led them by day and by night, the awesome proofs of His presence on Sinai, and the Shekinah glory which filled the tabernacle. These were not "works" done in bygone ages, or in far-distant places, of which they had only heard; but were actually performed before them, upon them, which they "saw." What clearer evidence could they have of God’s providence and power? Yet they tempted Him! The clearest evidences God grants to us have no effect upon unbelieving and obdurate hearts.
The generation that came out of Egypt doubted God, and because of their doubt they never entered the land of Canaan - they sang the song of Moses Exod 15:1 “I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea!” - “God has delivered us how great He is!” They believed Him to come out of Egypt but they didn’t believe Him enough to enter into Canaan - after Sinai, an eleven-day journey could have brought them into the Promised Land. But they had to send spies in to search out the land. God had said He would take care of them, but they didn’t believe God. God yielded to their wishes and let them send in spies. Although the spies did see the wonderful land, they were most impressed by the giants, and they saw themselves as grasshoppers. They didn’t see God. Except Caleb and Joshua who insisted that God could handle the giants if they trusted Him. They spent forty years on a journey that should have taken a few days. What was the reason? Unbelief
In Numbers 13 we learn lessons that are applicable to us today - representatives from each of the twelve tribes of Israel were selected to spy out the land of the twelve who went out...10 came back with a majority report - 2 came back with a minority report - there is a lesson here it is that the majority is not always right – from this incident we find out -
Doubt looks through mans eyes - Doubt always sees the obstacles - Doubt speaks a bad report - Faith sees with the eyes of God - Faith always sees the victory - Faith speaks a good report - Doubt leads to discontentment, rebellion and fear - Faith produces a positive attitude and peace - Faith glimpses the future - Why did the spies fall prey to the "grasshopper complex? - Negative thinking - exaggerating the situation - their desire to return to Egypt
Rest in Scripture “They shall not enter into my rest”
The rest of salvation - Matthew 11:28 when He said in effect, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” - that is, I’ll lift the burden of sin from you.” you don’t have to do anything so that God will forgive you; Christ has already done it when He died for you. All you have to do is believe and receive Christ.
The rest of redemption - no longer slaves in Egypt - they came out by blood - they came out by power God delivered them.
The rest of obedience - Matt. 11:29 “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls”
We are now joined to a living Christ, and that is the only way we will enjoy Canaan - Canaan is not heaven it is the rest that believers are to have as they live on earth the only way to enter is to study and believe the Word of God. Romans 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
The Result of Unbelief and Doubt
The generation of Israel who came out of Egypt were cited to the Hebrew believers as a warning not to repeat their sin.
They could not enter in because of unbelief - we do not recognize and I am sure they did not recognize that doubting God’s Word is a serious sin - because it leads to other sins. For these Israelites in the wilderness it led to calf worship; it led to fornication, and it led to an absolute denial and rejection of God, as they turned their backs upon Him and even wanted to go back to Egypt
Matthew 13:58 Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.
The Antidote for Unbelief and Doubt
Exhort one another daily, while it is called – Today – Exhort means to call near, i.e. invite, invoke by imploration, beseech, call for, pray – we have a responsibility to spur one another on in the faith – just as Caleb and Joshua attempted to do with the Israelites –we must obey Today because we will find that:
Immediate obedience is easier - Another opportunity may never come - The desire to obey may fade - Time spent in sin is a waste - Problems may arise to make obedience difficult if not impossible.
