If you’ve been following along with the scripture readings, you’ll know that we’ve been reading from the book of Hebrews. While the authorship of Hebrews has been debated, it’s message and intent are clear. Written to the children of Israel, Hebrews seeks to explain the link between the new and old covenant.
by James Jacques Joseph Tissot c. 1896-1902
This book spends a lot of time reflecting upon the history of Israel and the law given through Moses. Not only does it seek to highlight how the old law pointed to Jesus. It also illustrates the inadequacy of the old law and how Jesus was the ultimate fulfillment of the law. In fact, the author takes quite a bit of time to show how Jesus is superior to not only Moses but Abraham as well.
Because his primary audience is Jewish, he has a wealth of history to use to illustrate what he is trying to tell them. In Hebrews 3:7-11 he highlights the unbelief and disobedience of the Israelites, after they had been delivered from Egypt, and God’s response to them. This is a story that every Jew would be instantly familiar with, but in typical fashion, the author doesn’t leave it there. He uses this well-known, emotional story as a warning. He tells his readers, “See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.” This is a plea to the people to not fall prey to the same danger that took their ancestors. You hear in these words the urgency of remaining diligent and alert that we might not meet the same fate.
It’s important to note that he is not telling the people that they have sinful hearts. This isn’t a call to repentance as much as it is a warning of apostasy. Also, the author makes no distinction between a sinful heart and an unbelieving heart. In fact, instead of saying, “a sinful, unbelieving heart,” some translations read, “a sinful heart of unbelief.” It’s clear that, to the author, a sinful heart and an unbelieving heart are one in the same. Sinfulness may lead to unbelief or unbelief may lead to sinfulness, but both go hand in hand.
This concept of unbelief, while we typically associate it with non-believers, is not reserved solely for those that reject Christ. The author’s word for unbelief brings with it the idea of lacking in trust or confidence. This was the state of the Israelites in the desert. There was no doubt that they worshiped the God of Moses. They had worshiped him from their youth, and if they had returned to Egypt, there’s no doubt that they would have continued to worship him. However, their lack of trust and lack of confidence in God was shown throughout their lives. It was because of their sinful, unbelieving hearts, their lack of trust in God, that God wrath was against them.
Doubt such as this is like a weed. It starts off small and unnoticed. While you didn’t choose to plant it in your garden, if left unchecked, if carelessly permitted to grow it will overtake the whole garden and push out all the good fruit you had planned. Likewise, while we may not choose to doubt, if left unchecked, our lack of trust in God, our unbelief, will begin to corrupt the whole person.
Am I saying that it’s bad to have doubts? Certainly not. I’ve had my doubts as I’m sure you’ve had your own from time to time. Much like with weeds, you may not choose for it to show up, but once it’s there, it’s your choice what to do about it. If you continue to focus on it and feed it, that weed will grow quickly. If you ignore it and try to pretend it doesn’t exist, that weed of doubt will still continue to grow. If you are going to rid yourself of that weed you must confront it. It may come back again, and if it does you must deal with it again.
We talked about this the last time we looked at the book of Hebrews. Hebrews 10:25-26 says, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” I got some grief when I spoke about the sabbath because I said that it was okay to skip church to go to the lake. What we must understand is the reason behind gathering together. While it’s okay to go to the lake to relax and take a sabbath rest, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing.” The reason we meet together is so that we can encourage one another, and the reason we encourage one another is so that we don’t have sinful, unbelieving hearts.
The worst thing that any Christian can do is to isolate themselves from the body of Christ. I’ve had friends that have battled with depression. They’ve said that when they’ve felt that way they only wanted to go hide in a room. However, they knew that hiding would start a downward spiral that they wouldn’t be able to get themselves out of. In situations like that the best thing for them was to talk to somebody about the problem. Likewise, a Christian that is struggling with doubts and an unbelieving heart needs the encouragement of the body of Christ.
This isn’t limited to coming to church on Sunday morning. The author says, “Encourage each other daily, as long as it is called ‘Today.’” Meeting together and encouraging one another should be a daily occurrence. It is vital that we are encouraging each other in Christ daily. Whether at church, a restaurant, or the store, we encourage one another so that none might develop a sinful, unbelieving heart. As we gather together day after day and week after week, let us remember the importance of not only meeting together but encouraging one another as well.