“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” (Hebrews 3:10-12).
Apostasy always begins in the heart. Its taproot is dissatisfaction with God’s word.
In Moses’ generation, apostasy arose when taking God at His word was not sufficient. For them to grant God the obedience He required, they believed they deserved more than just God’s word. Something additional was necessary.
This is a fatal flaw and consistent characteristic of an evil heart.
The faith which God blesses is one which hears His word and acts promptly in accordance with it (Romans 10:17). This is the faith Abraham consistently strove to exercise. This is the faith Israel lacked. This is why Moses’ generation did not enter the land promised to father Abraham.
Redemption out of slavery is the beginning point of a life of faith. It is the place when the hearer of God’s word begins mixing God’s message with faith.
“Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God.”
