unbelief in Hebrews 3
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Vitaliy and I got to discussing this passage, and I have a question. Is the unbelief of the israelites the unbelief that God was their Savior—meaning that He was coming to save them from Egypt and lead them into the Promised Land … ?
I always assumed this unbelief here was just random expressions of unbelief—that God wouldn’t feed them in the desert, wouldn’t protect them from the egyptians, would let them die from lack of water, wouldn’t enable them to defeat the pagans in the Land… . but really, that all seems to come down to the bottom line that they didn’t really believe God was coming to save them, that He was their Savior… . Like they later didn’t believe that Jesus was their Savior …
ever thought about this?
I always assumed this unbelief here was just random expressions of unbelief—that God wouldn’t feed them in the desert, wouldn’t protect them from the egyptians, would let them die from lack of water, wouldn’t enable them to defeat the pagans in the Land… . but really, that all seems to come down to the bottom line that they didn’t really believe God was coming to save them, that He was their Savior… . Like they later didn’t believe that Jesus was their Savior …
ever thought about this?
- 1 view
Anne,
I think I’d be pretty close to that view… I seem to recall that in the context it says they always “erred in their hearts” and did not know God’s “ways.” When I read Exodus-Numbers, what seems most consistent is the unbelief that
a. God is good and can be trusted
b. God will keep His promises
Since His promises included taking them to a land He had for them, and establishing a covenant with them, etc., they were doubting that would “save” them in a way, yes… because this was included in what He had said.
If we’re looking for common ground with them (as writer of Hebrews is doing there), one strong commonality is that God has spoken to us and we find deliverance in believing what He has said. And we provoke (and insult) Him by not believing.
I think I’d be pretty close to that view… I seem to recall that in the context it says they always “erred in their hearts” and did not know God’s “ways.” When I read Exodus-Numbers, what seems most consistent is the unbelief that
a. God is good and can be trusted
b. God will keep His promises
Since His promises included taking them to a land He had for them, and establishing a covenant with them, etc., they were doubting that would “save” them in a way, yes… because this was included in what He had said.
If we’re looking for common ground with them (as writer of Hebrews is doing there), one strong commonality is that God has spoken to us and we find deliverance in believing what He has said. And we provoke (and insult) Him by not believing.
Views expressed are always my own and not my employer's, my church's, my family's, my neighbors', or my pets'. The house plants have authorized me to speak for them, however, and they always agree with me.
I would say that their hearts were hard, and they really didn’t LIKE God. They could not deny His existence, but they did not trust His Goodness or faithfulness. They could not really deny His power, but they had little choice but to “believe” in the sense of acknowledge. Romans 8:7 comes to mind:
If you think about it, here were a “victim mentality” people who had been slaves and used to having everything prescribed for them. They preferred their harsh ROUTINE in Egypt to the challenges and unknown of the new life God was calling them to.
They needed regenerate hearts, yet most of them were not so blessed.
The writer to the Hebrews makes a number of Midrashim (a Midrash is a Rabbinic-style Jewish sermon that seeks to distill a principle from an OT text, and then apply the principle, adding illustrations) from Numbers, including the Hebrews 6 passage. The idea is to study the OT text alluded to and look at the principle (rather than allegorize it). The principle is that unbelief is deadly, and yet it is common in the community of faith.
the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.The old saying is, “A man convinced against his will Is unconvinced still.” That, I think, summarizes it.
If you think about it, here were a “victim mentality” people who had been slaves and used to having everything prescribed for them. They preferred their harsh ROUTINE in Egypt to the challenges and unknown of the new life God was calling them to.
They needed regenerate hearts, yet most of them were not so blessed.
The writer to the Hebrews makes a number of Midrashim (a Midrash is a Rabbinic-style Jewish sermon that seeks to distill a principle from an OT text, and then apply the principle, adding illustrations) from Numbers, including the Hebrews 6 passage. The idea is to study the OT text alluded to and look at the principle (rather than allegorize it). The principle is that unbelief is deadly, and yet it is common in the community of faith.
"The Midrash Detective"
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