Let’s read through the book of Hebrews one verse at a time in 2023. Every day explore a single verse and its cross references. AI-generated text draws the passages together. RSS feed.
And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient?
The cross references for Hebrews 3:18 all have to do with disobedience and the consequences that come with it. In Numbers 14 and 20, God swears that those who have been disobedient will not enter the promised land. In Deuteronomy 1, the Israelites are warned against disobeying God, and in Psalm 106, the consequences of their disobedience are made clear. Hebrews 4 speaks of the need for faith in order to enter the promised land, and the consequences of not having faith. All of these cross references point to the idea that disobedience will lead to consequences, and that faith is necessary in order to receive the promises of God.
| Passage | How It’s Related (AI-Generated) |
|---|---|
| Numbers 14:23: shall see the land that I swore to give to their fathers. And none of those who despised me shall see it. | Both passages reference God's promise to give the Israelites a land of rest. Hebrews 3:18 asks the rhetorical question of who God swore this promise to, and Numbers 14:23 provides the answer that it was only to those who did not despise Him. Numbers 14:23 further clarifies that those who disobeyed God would not be able to enter into the promised land of rest. |
| Numbers 14:30: not one shall come into the land where I swore that I would make you dwell, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun. | Both passages refer to the same event, when God swore that the Israelites would not enter the Promised Land due to their disobedience. Hebrews 3:18 is a rhetorical question, asking to whom God swore that they would not enter, while Numbers 14:30 gives the answer, that only Caleb and Joshua would enter, while all the others in that generation would not. |
| Numbers 20:12: And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.” | Both passages relate to the disobedience of the Israelites and God's response to it. Hebrews 3:18 speaks of those who were disobedient and did not enter into rest. Numbers 20:12 speaks of how God punished Moses and Aaron for not believing in him and not upholding him as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, so they were not allowed to enter the promised land. |
| Deuteronomy 1:26-32: “Yet you would not go up, but rebelled against the command of the Lord your God. And you murmured in your tents and said, ‘Because the Lord hated us he has brought us out of the land of Egypt, to give us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us. Where are we going up? Our brothers have made our hearts melt, saying, “The people are greater and taller than we. The cities are great and fortified up to heaven. And besides, we have seen the sons of the Anakim there.”’ Then I said to you, ‘Do not be in dread or afraid of them. The Lord your God who goes before you will himself fight for you, just as he did for you in Egypt before your eyes, | Both passages refer to the Israelites' disobedience in the wilderness. Hebrews 3:18 alludes to Deuteronomy 1:26–32, which recounts the Israelites' refusal to enter the Promised Land due to fear of the Amorites and other inhabitants of Canaan. This incident serves as an example of the consequences of disobedience, as God had sworn that those who were disobedient would not enter his rest. |
| Deuteronomy 1:34-35: “And the Lord heard your words and was angered, and he swore, ‘Not one of these men of this evil generation shall see the good land that I swore to give to your fathers, | Both passages refer to God's promise to give the Promised Land to the Israelites. Hebrews 3:18 is referring to the Israelites who were disobedient and did not enter the Promised Land. Deuteronomy 1:34-35 is referring to the Israelites who were disobedient and God's promise not to let them enter the Promised Land. |
| Psalm 106:24-26: Then they despised the pleasant land, having no faith in his promise. They murmured in their tents, and did not obey the voice of the Lord. Therefore he raised his hand and swore to them that he would make them fall in the wilderness, | Both passages refer to the consequences of disobedience. In Hebrews 3:18, the author is referring to the Israelites in the wilderness who disobeyed God and were not allowed to enter the promised rest. Psalm 106:24-26 further explains that the Israelites did not have faith in the promise of the pleasant land and murmured against the Lord, so God swore to make them fall in the wilderness. |
| Hebrews 4:2: For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened. | Both passages refer to the same group of people who were disobedient and did not enter God's rest. Hebrews 3:18 speaks of how God swore that they would not enter his rest because of their disobedience. Hebrews 4:2 explains further that the good news was preached to them, but they did not benefit from it because they were not united by faith. |
| Hebrews 4:6: Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience, | Both passages discuss the theme of disobedience leading to a lack of rest. Hebrews 3:18 speaks of those who were disobedient and were not allowed to enter God's rest. Hebrews 4:6 explains that those who heard the good news but did not obey it were not able to enter the rest either. This demonstrates that obedience is necessary in order to receive the rest that God offers. |
Heavenly Father, we come to You in prayer today, humbly asking for Your mercy and grace. We thank You for Your Word and the truth it reveals about Your faithfulness and Your promises.
We confess that, like the Israelites of old, we too have been disobedient and have not trusted in You. We have not believed that You are holy and have not followed Your commands. We have murmured against You and have not had faith in Your promises.
Father, we ask that You would forgive us for our sins and open our hearts to trust in You. Help us to be obedient to Your Word and to be united in faith with those who listen.
We thank You that You have promised to make us dwell in the land You have given us. We ask that You would lead us into rest and peace in You. In Jesus' name, Amen.
This reading plan reads through a single verse each day, six days a week, paired with the most-popular cross references for the verse. AI-generated (and human-reviewed) text provides an opening thought and concluding prayer along with an explanation for how each cross reference relates to the verse. In 2023, this reading plan works through Hebrews one verse at a time. Every seventh day is a catchup day. Want more info? Try this blog post.
Unless otherwise indicated, all content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Contact me: openbibleinfo (at) gmail.com.