For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard.
Hebrews 4:2
Hearing the truth of God’s Word is not enough to save, transform, or redeem our lives. It is essential that we unite what we hear in the Bible with faith; saving, living, and active faith. This was not true for the people of Israel and it is their story that serves as a reminder to us that, if we want to see the power of God at work in our lives, we must believe what He says.
The writer of Hebrews announces , “the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard.” The “they” being mentioned in this passage is the people of Israel. For us to see what was happening with these people, we need to go back to the end of Hebrews 3 and look at the last several verses. Consider the description of the people of Israel given to us in this passage:
For who provoked Him when they had heard? Indeed, did not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief.
Hebrews 3:16-19
We will look at what was going on at this time in human history a little later but for now, suffice it to say, God had promised these people land in which they could go and thrive. It was a place that God had already promised to give to them, a point that cannot be overstated. God’s promises are always true and sure and we can completely rely on them. But an entire generation missed out on those promises simply because they yielded to unbelief. Here is a list of the reality that was brought about by this lack of faith:
- They provoked God
- God was angry with them
- Their unbelief was sin in the eyes of God
- They died in the wilderness
- God swore that they would not enter His rest
- They were disobedient
- They were not able to enter because of their unbelief
Unbelief, in the eyes of God, is no small matter. Unbelief on the part of the people of Israel meant that they provoked God, they sinned against God, which led to their disobedience. As a result, they perished in the wilderness simply because they refused to receive the wonderful promises that God had prepared and designed just for them. We, too, miss out on all that God has for us when we walk in unbelief. It really is no small matter. The difference between life and death is rooted in the issue of whether or not we are going to believe God.
God’s response to their unbelief was twofold: He was angry with them and He swore that the present, unbelieving generation would not inherit the blessings that He had prepared for them. His promise would remain but it would be for the next generation, a generation ready to walk in faith and receive His blessings.
This passage is so crucial in that it allows us to see that the promises of God must be received by us. God does not do the “believing” for us. He desires a relationship with us and all relationships are based on two parties that each have autonomy. It is much like marriage, in which the husband and wife become one yet remain two separate individuals, each with their own desires, goals, and dreams (the reason why we should be equally yoked in marriage.) God’s promises must be received and in order for us to do that, we must exercise faith in what He has said.
An entire generation of Israel missed out on the promises of God simply because they refused to receive them. It doesn’t have to be that way for us. God will save anyone who comes to the end of themselves and completely surrenders their lives to the Person of Jesus Christ. This is done in prayer and it is dome in faith!
Are you walking in faith in Jesus Christ and enjoying all of the wonderful promises found in scripture for those who will simply trust in Him?
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