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Psalms 95:8
Verse
Context
Do Not Harden Your Hearts
7For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, the sheep under His care. Today, if you hear His voice, 8do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, in the day at Massah in the wilderness, 9where your fathers tested and tried Me, though they had seen My work.
Sermons
St. Benedict of Nursia
Charles Finney
K.P. Yohannan
David WilkersonSummary
Commentary
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
- Tyndale
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
warning against neglect; and this is sustained by citing the melancholy fate of their rebellious ancestors, whose provoking insolence is described by quoting the language of God's complaint (Num 14:11) of their conduct at Meribah and Massah, names given (Exo 17:7) to commemorate their strife and contention with Him (Psa 78:18, Psa 78:41).
John Gill Bible Commentary
Harden not your hearts,.... Against Christ, against his Gospel, against all the light and evidence of it. There is a natural hardness of the heart, owing to the corruption of nature; and an habitual hardness, acquired by a constant continuance and long custom in sinning; and there is a judicial hardness, which God gives men up unto. There is a hardness of heart, which sometimes attends God's own people, through the deceitfulness of sin gaining upon them; of which, when sensible, they complain, and do well to guard against. Respect seems to be had here to the hardness of heart in the Jews in the times of Christ and his apostles, which the Holy Ghost foresaw, and here dehorts from; who, notwithstanding the clear evidence of Jesus being the Messiah, from prophecy, from miracles, from doctrines, from the gifts of the Spirit, &c. yet hardened their hearts against him, rebelled against light, and would not receive, but reject him: as in the provocation; or "as at Meribah" (h); a place so called from the contention and striving of the people of Israel with the Lord and his servants; and when they provoked not only the meek man Moses to speak unadvisedly with his lips; but also the Lord himself by their murmurings, Exo 17:7 though this may respect their provocations in general in the wilderness; for they often provoked him by their unbelief, ingratitude, and idolatry; see Deu 9:8, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness; or "as in the day of Massah" (i); the time when they tempted him at Massah, so called from their tempting him by distrusting his power and presence among them, by disobeying his commands, and limiting the Holy One of Israel to time and means of deliverance; see Exo 17:7 and this being in the wilderness was an aggravation of their sin; they being just brought out of Egypt, and having had such a wonderful appearance of God for them, there and at the Red sea; and besides being in a place where their whole dependence must be upon God, where they could have nothing but what they had from him immediately, it was egregious folly as well as wickedness to provoke and tempt him. (h) "sicut Meribah", Montanus; "sicut in Meriba", Musculus, Tigurine version, Gejerus, Michaelis, so Ainsworth. (i) "sicut die Massah", Montanus, Musculus, Tigurine version; "secundum diem Massah", Gejerus, Michaelis, so Ainsworth.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
95:8-11 If people want to enter into the Lord’s rest, they need to respond immediately (see Heb 3:7–4:11). 95:8 To harden your hearts means to be stubborn and resist the Lord’s grace (see Num 20:2-13; see also Matt 13:3-23; John 12:37-43; Eph 4:17-32; Heb 3:6-19; 4:6-11).
Psalms 95:8
Do Not Harden Your Hearts
7For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, the sheep under His care. Today, if you hear His voice, 8do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, in the day at Massah in the wilderness, 9where your fathers tested and tried Me, though they had seen My work.
- Scripture
- Sermons
- Commentary
Let Us Arise, Then, at Last
By St. Benedict of Nursia0PSA 95:8St. Benedict of Nursia urges believers to awaken from spiritual slumber and heed the divine call to rise up and listen to God's voice. He emphasizes the importance of not hardening our hearts but being attentive to the teachings of the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit. The message is to embrace the fear of the Lord, run towards the light of life found in Jesus Christ, and avoid being overtaken by the darkness of death.
Hardness of Heart
By Charles Finney0Hardness of HeartSpiritual BlindnessPSA 95:8PRO 28:14ISA 6:10JER 17:9MAT 13:15MRK 6:52MRK 8:17MRK 16:14EPH 4:18HEB 3:13Charles Finney addresses the 'Hardness of Heart' in his sermon, emphasizing how the disciples, despite witnessing miracles, failed to understand due to their hardened hearts. He explains that hardness of heart is a voluntary state of mind, influenced by selfishness, which blinds individuals to truth and affects their feelings and judgments. Finney illustrates this with examples from scripture and personal observations, showing that a hard heart leads to misunderstanding, delusion, and a lack of genuine faith. He urges listeners to self-examine and recognize the state of their hearts, as true revival and understanding come from a softened heart open to God's truth.
How Should We Respond to God in This Process?
By K.P. Yohannan0Heart ConditionHumility2CH 7:14PSA 95:8PRO 4:23ISA 57:15MAT 5:5ROM 12:3EPH 5:21HEB 3:15JAS 4:61PE 5:5K.P. Yohannan emphasizes the importance of responding to God's voice and the choice we have to either soften or harden our hearts in the face of life's challenges. He warns that while we may start with tender hearts, we can gradually become hardened, often without realizing it, and that God uses circumstances to bring us back to Him. The sermon highlights the need for diligence in keeping our hearts soft and warns against pride and self-importance, reminding us that all we have is by God's grace. Yohannan encourages humility and submission to one another as essential responses to God's work in our lives.
Hardness of Heart
By David Wilkerson0Hardness of HeartSpiritual ReceptivityPSA 95:8PRO 29:1ISA 6:10EZK 36:26MAT 13:15ROM 2:52CO 6:2HEB 3:15JAS 1:22REV 3:20David Wilkerson addresses the peril of a hardened heart, emphasizing that repeated rejection of God's warnings leads to an incurable state. He explains that hardness of heart is characterized by a refusal to obey God's Word and an immunity to the Holy Spirit's convictions. Wilkerson contrasts this with the transformative power of the gospel, illustrating how even the hardest of hearts can be softened when exposed to the truth. He warns that those who frequently hear reproof yet remain unresponsive are at the greatest risk of spiritual destruction. Ultimately, he highlights the importance of heeding God's messages to avoid the tragic fate of being beyond remedy.
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
- Tyndale
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
warning against neglect; and this is sustained by citing the melancholy fate of their rebellious ancestors, whose provoking insolence is described by quoting the language of God's complaint (Num 14:11) of their conduct at Meribah and Massah, names given (Exo 17:7) to commemorate their strife and contention with Him (Psa 78:18, Psa 78:41).
John Gill Bible Commentary
Harden not your hearts,.... Against Christ, against his Gospel, against all the light and evidence of it. There is a natural hardness of the heart, owing to the corruption of nature; and an habitual hardness, acquired by a constant continuance and long custom in sinning; and there is a judicial hardness, which God gives men up unto. There is a hardness of heart, which sometimes attends God's own people, through the deceitfulness of sin gaining upon them; of which, when sensible, they complain, and do well to guard against. Respect seems to be had here to the hardness of heart in the Jews in the times of Christ and his apostles, which the Holy Ghost foresaw, and here dehorts from; who, notwithstanding the clear evidence of Jesus being the Messiah, from prophecy, from miracles, from doctrines, from the gifts of the Spirit, &c. yet hardened their hearts against him, rebelled against light, and would not receive, but reject him: as in the provocation; or "as at Meribah" (h); a place so called from the contention and striving of the people of Israel with the Lord and his servants; and when they provoked not only the meek man Moses to speak unadvisedly with his lips; but also the Lord himself by their murmurings, Exo 17:7 though this may respect their provocations in general in the wilderness; for they often provoked him by their unbelief, ingratitude, and idolatry; see Deu 9:8, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness; or "as in the day of Massah" (i); the time when they tempted him at Massah, so called from their tempting him by distrusting his power and presence among them, by disobeying his commands, and limiting the Holy One of Israel to time and means of deliverance; see Exo 17:7 and this being in the wilderness was an aggravation of their sin; they being just brought out of Egypt, and having had such a wonderful appearance of God for them, there and at the Red sea; and besides being in a place where their whole dependence must be upon God, where they could have nothing but what they had from him immediately, it was egregious folly as well as wickedness to provoke and tempt him. (h) "sicut Meribah", Montanus; "sicut in Meriba", Musculus, Tigurine version, Gejerus, Michaelis, so Ainsworth. (i) "sicut die Massah", Montanus, Musculus, Tigurine version; "secundum diem Massah", Gejerus, Michaelis, so Ainsworth.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
95:8-11 If people want to enter into the Lord’s rest, they need to respond immediately (see Heb 3:7–4:11). 95:8 To harden your hearts means to be stubborn and resist the Lord’s grace (see Num 20:2-13; see also Matt 13:3-23; John 12:37-43; Eph 4:17-32; Heb 3:6-19; 4:6-11).