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.
again he appoints a certain day, “Today,” saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.”
The cross references for Hebrews 4:7 all point to the idea of responding to God's call and not hardening one's heart against Him. The references are drawn from both the Old and New Testaments, showing how the idea of responding to God's call is a consistent theme throughout Scripture. The references also emphasize the importance of being attentive to God's voice, as well as the consequences of not doing so. In this way, the cross references provide a fuller understanding of the verse in Hebrews 4:7, and serve to reinforce its message.
| Passage | How It’s Related (AI-Generated) |
|---|---|
| 2 Samuel 23:1-2: Now these are the last words of David: The oracle of David, the son of Jesse, the oracle of the man who was raised on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, the sweet psalmist of Israel: “The Spirit of the Lord speaks by me; his word is on my tongue. | Both passages refer to the words of David. In Hebrews 4:7, the author quotes David's words from Psalm 95. In 2 Samuel 23:1-2, David speaks of the Spirit of the Lord speaking through him. These words exhort the hearers to listen to the Lord and not harden their hearts. |
| Psalm 95:7: For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Today, if you hear his voice, | Both passages refer to the importance of listening to God's voice. In Hebrews 4:7, the author encourages us to not harden our hearts when we hear God's voice. This is echoed in Psalm 95:7, in which the psalmist reminds us that God is our shepherd and we are the sheep of his hand. Therefore, we should listen to his voice and not harden our hearts. |
| Luke 20:42: For David himself says in the Book of Psalms, “‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, | Both passages refer to the same person: King David. Hebrews 4:7 is a reference to a passage from the Psalms in which David encourages his listeners to listen to the Lord's voice. Luke 20:42 is a reference to a passage from Psalms in which David speaks of the Lord and his anointed one, who is believed to be Jesus. Both passages demonstrate how David's words can be interpreted as prophetic, referring to Jesus as the Lord's anointed one. |
| Acts 2:31: he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. | Both passages refer to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Hebrews 4:7 speaks of the need to listen to God's voice, and how if we do, we should not harden our hearts. Acts 2:31 speaks of how Jesus was not abandoned to Hades and his flesh did not see corruption, which is a direct reference to his resurrection. |
| Acts 28:25: And disagreeing among themselves, they departed after Paul had made one statement: “The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your fathers through Isaiah the prophet: | Both passages emphasize the importance of listening to the voice of God. Hebrews 4:7 is a reference to Psalm 95, a call to not harden one's heart against God's voice. Acts 28:25 is a reference to Isaiah 6, where the prophet Isaiah hears the voice of God and is commissioned to be a prophet. Both passages emphasize the importance of listening to the voice of God, for it is through God's word that we are called to serve Him. |
| Hebrews 3:7-8: Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, | Both passages refer to the same event: the rebellion of the Israelites in the wilderness when God tested them. Hebrews 4:7 refers to this event by quoting the psalmist David, who wrote about it in Psalm 95. Hebrews 3:7-8 references the same event by citing the Holy Spirit, who spoke of it in the Old Testament. Both passages warn against hardening one's heart against God's voice. |
| Hebrews 3:15: As it is said, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” | Both passages refer to the same Scripture from Psalm 95:7-8, which warns listeners to not harden their hearts against God. Hebrews 4:7 applies this Scripture to a certain day, which is a reference to the day of salvation. Hebrews 3:15 further emphasizes the importance of listening to God's voice and not hardening one's heart against Him, as was done in the rebellion of the Israelites in the wilderness. |
Heavenly Father,
We thank You for Your Word and the many ways You speak to us through it. We thank You for the example of David, whose heart was after Yours and who faithfully followed Your will. We thank You for the promise of a Savior, Jesus, who came to redeem us and bring us back to You.
We pray for the grace to not harden our hearts as in the rebellion, but to be attentive to Your voice today. Help us to hear Your voice and to respond promptly to Your call. Help us to remain steadfast in our faith and to not be swayed by the distractions of this world.
We pray in the name of Jesus, 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.