The Hardness of Your Heart
Hebrews 3:7-12
Part 2
Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, (Hebrews 3:7)
Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: (Hebrews 3:8)
When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. (Hebrews 3:9)
Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. (Hebrews 3:10)
So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.) (Hebrews 3:11)
Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. (Hebrews 3:12)
What did we learn at Marah? We learned that God is able to provide the waters of life in His grace. Israel, because of their murmuring, was not worthy to receive the waters of Marah, but Moses interceded for them, and the Lord poured out His grace in the living tree that Moses had cast into the water to make them sweet. Even in their unbelief God spread forth His grace and gave them the sweetened waters of the cross that they may drink; for all grace must come through the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. Whether in the Old Testament or the New Testament, grace is sealed by the death of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary, and it is announced to all by His resurrection.
The children of Israel had seen one more miracle of God, Jehovah had reached down out of heaven once again and blessed them with the sweetness of Christ. But now after being refreshed they must move on; they had the cloud by day and the fire by night to lead them. They had their advocate, Moses, to intercede for them. What a wonderful picture of the divine Spirit of God leading the Christian through this dark and evil world. And the Lord Jesus standing on the right hand of God interceding for us as a Priest forever after the order of Melchisedec (Melchizedek). Hear, O Israel, gather your people together, gather your children and your loved ones, gather all your spoil out of Egypt; it is time to move to your next lesson in life.
Elim
We journey now to Elim, and before we approach Elim, we will consider the meaning of the name. Elim means majestic one, or mighty one. If you divide Elim, you have ‘El’ then you have ‘im’ — if we consider ‘El’ it is the preface of the name ‘’elohiym’ and is the single name for the triune Godhead. Elohiym ( ‘elohiym) is the plural of ‘el’ in Elim; and we have plurality with ‘im’ such as seraphim (which is the plural of seraph) or cherubim (which is the plural for cherub). Embracing this majestic name, we see the purpose of God leading the children of Israel to a place of blessing. As we approach Elim, we see seventy (70) palm trees, and twelve (12) wells of fountains. Here is a place of a huge oasis, and Jehovah is going to bless Israel as she approaches Elim.
Palm Trees
In Exodus 15:27 it is the first time that the palm tree is mentioned. The palm tree is a symbol of peace and here at Elim they would be under the peace of God and in the presence of living waters. These wells must have been artisan wells with waters flowing out of them like fountains. And they removed from Marah, and came unto Elim: and in Elim were twelve fountains of water, and threescore and ten palm trees; and they pitched there. (Numbers 33:9) And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters. (Exodus 15:27) The seventy palm trees are symbolic in God’s government with Israel; later Moses will pick seventy (70) elders to govern the twelve (12) tribes of Israel. These palm trees grew to a height of seventy (70) or eighty feet, and they could be seen from a distance on the desert floor. In the middle of the wilderness God leads them into a place of rest that they may rest in Him. The twelve (12) wells or fountains also speak of the twelve tribes of Israel under the government of God. At this point they were under divine guidance and Jehovah was their guide, their Sovereign, and their King. The last mention of the ‘palm(s)’ is in Revelation 7:9,10.
After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; (Revelation 7:9)
And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. (Revelation 7:10)
In Revelation, Chapter 7 we see a great multitude of people which no man could number. They are standing before the throne of God with palms in their hands, they are worshiping their God, the God of their salvation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb who was slain before the foundation of the world. These before us came out of the great tribulation and they shall dwell and worship the Lamb forever. They have been brought into the presence of God by God’s grace, and because of their belief in the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world. When we consider the first advent of the Lord Jesus Christ, we can connect it with both Elim and the great multitudes in the Book of Revelation, Chapter 7.
And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. (Matthew 21:8)
And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. (Matthew 21:9)
On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, (John 12:12)
Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord. (John 12:13)
As the King of Israel entered into Jerusalem the Lord Jesus was there as the Light of the world. He had come to deliver His people and to reign over them in grace and mercy, and they would not receive Him, but there was those who the Spirit of God moved to announce His entry and, once again, we have the palm trees mentioned as these branches were laid before Him, and they said, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. Let’s think of all He was to them. He had come as the Living water, as that fountain of life as in the wilderness. He had come as the Prince of peace, the symbol of the palm. He had come to give His people rest in a good place, a kingdom of everlasting joy, and they would not! . . . back to Elim.
The children of Israel were led into a place of peace. God’s grace surrounded them, and He was there to heal them as a people. If they would follow after Him, if they would obey His word, they would be blessed of Him. This entire oasis, the seventy (70) palm trees, and the twelve (12) fountains of living water were symbols of what He was about to do for them. These blessings were conditional, they must believe in the true God of heaven and earth, the one God, and the one Savior. This grace that He was pouring on them was out of His love.
And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days. (Leviticus 23:40)
The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. (Psalm 92:12)
Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. (Psalm 92:13)
They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing; (Psalm 92:14)
To shew that the LORD is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him. (Psalm 92:15)
The palm tree is connected with the spiritual growth of the nation of Israel. In the temporal sense the blessings of Elim were to show Jehovah’s faithfulness to Israel, and in return He desired their belief and trust in Him. In the dispensation of grace, those of us who live in the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ (His Body) must be aware of these lessons and testings that Jehovah metered out to Israel. Under the blanket of grace, we have a great salvation in Jesus Christ. He desires to lead us through this wilderness, this evil world that we dwell in, He wants to draw our hearts to His blessings that we might be blessed of Him. He is ready to provide all spiritual blessings in Himself. He is prepared in this oasis of grace to reveal His glory by His Spirit into our hearts and souls.
In the first mention of the palm tree, we have an earthly people being blessed of Jehovah and desiring that they would believe in Him. In the last mention of the palm, we have the great multitude worshiping in the temple of God and the Almighty is dwelling among them. This is a great scene after the great tribulation. It is a heavenly scene with all heavenly blessings. It is a scene of complete deliverance in the blood of the Lamb, and they shall dwell with Him forever. Would be that Israel had laid hold of the grace of God in Exodus 15:27. Elim could have been their oasis of continued blessings if they had only committed themselves to Jehovah at this point; however, we know the history of His people. Even in the first advent of the Lord Jesus Christ they would not receive their King. Israel has suffered a long history of unbelief; yet Jehovah continues to shower His grace upon them, even today. Hear, O Israel, the Lord your God is one God.
The Twelve Wells
Let us now consider the twelve (12) wells or fountains. We turn again to Revelation 7:4. And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. (Revelation 7:4) These are the hundred and forty-four thousand (144,000) who are sealed by God to be a witness for Him during the tribulation period. They are chosen out of the twelve (12) tribes of Israel that are listed in Revelation, Chapter 7, twelve thousand (12,000) out of each tribe. Their lives would be a trial of faith in some of the worst times that man has ever experienced on planet earth. The restraints on evil will be removed, and many of them will be hunted and slaughtered by the hands of ungodly societies of this world. We have already seen the atrocities against the children of Israel during the 2nd World War. The evil heart of man will strike again, and this time (during the great tribulation) will try to annihilate all of Israel. It will only be the divine mercy and grace of Jehovah that will come in His Person as the Lord of lords, and King of kings to deliver them. The Lord Jesus will become to them a well of water of life.
Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. (John 4:5)
Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour. (John 4:6)
But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. (John 4:14)
The connection of the twelve (12) wells or fountains at Elim represent all twelve (12) tribes of Israel. In the Gospel of John, we are introduced to the woman of Sychar, but notice where we are — the location. This well is in a parcel of land that was given to Joseph by Jacob; thus, encompassing the twelve (12) tribes of Israel. The Spirit of God is revealing to us His eternal care and preservation of Israel. The Lord of glory comes to this exact well and notice that He sits upon it as a King over Israel and over the nations. It is from this well of His inner Being that He will supply the world, in grace, and living waters.
Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. (John 4:10)
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23) Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (Romans 5:12)
Looking at Israel in this oasis at Elim we see no altar, no worship, no thankfulness, but we see only God’s grace to them. Egypt had such a grip on their hearts that they could not let go of the leeks and garlics, the flesh pots, and the bread of Egypt. Their eyes looked back instead of looking forward in the grace of God. It is so sad that without faith they could not please God because of their unbelief. The cloud now begins to move them into a Wilderness of Sin where there are no wells, and no water. They are leaving the place of grace and good and plenty for a place of barrenness.
Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? (Isaiah 53:1)
For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. (Isaiah 53:2)
He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. (Isaiah 53:3)
Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. (Isaiah 53:4)
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5)
We must see the beauties of God in the work of His redemption for us. The world sees no beauty in Him. They have rejected Him in unbelief. Their individual sin in the Wilderness of Sin has blinded them. Israel leaves Elim to wander into spiritual darkness, and their murmuring became louder and louder. As they traveled, they murmured against Moses and against the Lord. Moses and Aaron listened to their cries night and day against Jehovah. This is the bitterness of unbelief, even though God had showed them grace they could not receive this because of unbelief.
Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. (Ephesians 4:19) Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:. (Hebrews 3:8) The Holy Spirit reveals to us through the Word of God that there is a point when man is no longer sensitive to the call of God. He becomes a murmurer and murmurs against all that is of God. He murmurs against Jesus Christ in his blaspheme. He murmurs against the God of Abraham by denying His promises. He murmurs against the law for it constrains his evil heart. He becomes a man that is past feeling, and the Holy Spirit gives him up. The modern religious world will not accept this, they apply salvation to souls that know not the Lord Jesus Christ. These who profess Christ rationalize their own lies in contradiction to the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. The world, the flesh, and the devil work tirelessly to deceive Adam’s race. The world would have man wandering in the wilderness of sin his whole life, and when death strikes watch him descend into the lake of fire. This is not a pretty picture, it is not meant to be, it is man on his own and condemned, or man in Jesus Christ and salvation through His finished work on the cross of Calvary. Amen.
Join us for the next message on the hardness of your heart, Part 3 – The Wilderness of Sin.
© Copyright 2016, Michael Haigh
Article may be used, but not for gain. Freely ye have received, freely give.
All Scripture references are from the King James Bible. (KJB)