After a reminder to encourage others, and to remain in Jesus Christ, the author of Hebrews goes back to the history of the Israelite (i.e., Hebrew) people, with a reminder about what happened to those who chose to resist and rebel against God.
As has just been said:
“Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts
as you did in the rebellion.”Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies perished in the wilderness? And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.
Hebrews 3:15-19 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/heb.3.15-19.NIV
Remember who those people were who didn’t get to enter the Promised Land after being freed from Egypt? What kept them out of God’s rest, causing them to die in the wilderness? Why was God angry with them? They disobeyed and they didn’t believe. Now, I suspect that these two behaviors are related: If you don’t believe that God is the only all-powerful and loving God that we – or anyone else – can follow, and that He promises rest for the obedient, you’re probably not going to obey.
A commentary says, “Hebrews is an attempt to persuade its recipients…” [Girdwood & Verkruyse, p.17, emphasis in original]. The message of salvation is so important that it’s worth the author of Hebrews reinforcing this point even more: Pay attention to salvation through Jesus. Don’t ignore His message, as it is repeated by those who learned it from Him.
I understand that we might become numb to marketers trying to get us to pay attention, but this message of salvation stands outside any worldly things that we might be trying to remember to do. So, with this article (which happens to be shorter than most on this site), let’s be more focused and remember what is most important: listen to God’s voice, let Him lead you, and pay attention to the salvation that He has offered to humankind.
From Sunday School lesson prepared for January 18, 2026
References:
- Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
- The College Press NIV Commentary – Hebrews, by Jim Girdwood and Peter Verkruyse. © 1997 College Press Publishing Co.
Those Who Sin Differently 