verse 12: "Keep on taking care, brethren, lest there should be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart, in falling away from the living God."
In our last study we learned that Christ is superior to Moses. We were commanded to get focused on Jesus. He is the center of all God's dealings with us.
We now come to another practical section as the writer begins to apply his admonitions to the recipients personally.
These recipients are of Jewish descent. They have come out of Judaism into the reality of Christ. Now, because of suffering, they are contemplating going back to a more comfortable position living under Judaism.
The first thing we need to note in this warning is that it is addressed to "brethren." We become brothers and sisters when we are born again by the Spirit into God's family. The author is still focusing on the family relationship as we have noted in many of the prior verses.
The command here is in the present tense and is reflected in our translation: "Keep on taking care, brethren." Be seeing to it brothers! See to it. Keep a watchful eye ever open."
We are most vulnerable when times are rough and losses keep accumulating. We bet our eyes off the Lord and start rendering wrong verdicts.
There are 4 very real possibilities for being blown away and facing lack of preparation. These 4 things are: (1) sin; (2) Satan; (3) suffering; and (4) Savior. Sin can creep in so deceptively and cause us to compromise in our commitment.
Satan is like a roaring lion walking about seeking whom he may devour. His fiery darts can catch us in a moment when our shield of faith is down. Suffering. Philippians 1:29: "For to you it has been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake" (NASB). Part of God's plan to make us more Christlike is the suffering we endure. The Savior has promised to come at any time and what a tragedy for Him to come and find us unprepared.
Revelation 22:12: "Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done" (NASB).
We must be faithful to keep our priorities intact, faithful to maintain and deepen the relationship with our Lord, and faithful to live as though this might be our last day upon the earth.
It is "in any one of you." It is very pointed. "...an evil, unbelieving heart is falling away from the living God." Israel missed so much. They were still His people but they were disciplined in the wilderness for 40 years.
In their unbelief they decided to turn and walk out - walk away from responsibilities for the relationship. They turned away from Moses. They wouldn't go in. They went astray in their hearts. "They didn't know My ways!"
Verse 13: "But keep on encouraging one another every day, as long as it is still called 'today,' lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin."
In verse 12 we have a present imperative telling us to "keep on taking care." Now here in verse 13 we have a present imperative: "keep on encouraging one another every day."
"Lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin."
Responding to the fatal attraction, it's like a fish. When the fish alters its course and takes the fly, he's hooked and fried.
Because the Christian life is a moment-by-moment experience, the challenge here is to be encouraging one another daily as long as it is still called today.
The 2 key words in the remaining part of verse 13 are: (1) "hardened" and (2) "deceitfulness." Sin is active. Man is passive. There is a constant exaggeration of the satisfaction that can be gained from sin. The "deceitfulness of sin" can be seen in the story of the prodigal son, in the story of Achan who stole the articles from Jericho and buried them in the floor of his tent, in the story of Ananias and Sapphira who lied about ta real estate deal. You can see it in the life of David as he
got involved in adultery and murder. You can see it in Elisha's servant Gehazi as he chases after Naaman's chariot to get some personal remuneration. The word "deceitfulness" has in it the thought "to trick" or "fraud."
