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.
do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness,
The cross references for Hebrews 3:8 illustrate the danger of hardening one's heart against God's will. They demonstrate how people throughout history have refused to listen to God and have been punished for their stubbornness. They also show how God's people must remain vigilant and humble in order to avoid the same fate. Finally, the references point to the need for community support in order to stay on the right path and not be deceived by sin.
| Passage | How It’s Related (AI-Generated) |
|---|---|
| Exodus 8:15: But when Pharaoh saw that there was a respite, he hardened his heart and would not listen to them, as the Lord had said. | Both passages refer to hardening of hearts against the Lord. Hebrews 3:8 warns the reader not to harden their hearts. Exodus 8:15 refers to Pharaoh's hardening of his heart in response to the respite the Lord had given him, demonstrating Pharaoh's stubbornness and refusal to repent. |
| Exodus 17:7: And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the quarreling of the people of Israel, and because they tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?” | Both passages refer to the Israelites’ testing of God in the wilderness. In Hebrews 3:8, the writer calls on the readers to not be like the Israelites, who hardened their hearts in rebellion when God tested them. In Exodus 17:7, the writer recounts the story of the Israelites' testing of God, where they asked if God was among them, and God responded by giving them water from a rock. |
| Psalm 78:56: Yet they tested and rebelled against the Most High God and did not keep his testimonies, | Both passages refer to the Israelites' rebellion against God in the wilderness. Hebrews 3:8 warns against repeating the same mistake by not hardening our hearts against God. Psalm 78:56 recounts the story of how the Israelites tested and rebelled against the Most High God, despite the fact that He had been faithful to them. |
| Proverbs 28:14: Blessed is the one who fears the Lord always, but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity. | Both passages address the importance of avoiding a hard heart. Hebrews 3:8 warns against hardening our hearts as the Israelites did in the wilderness, when they rebelled against God. Proverbs 28:14 emphasizes the blessing of fearing the Lord and warns that hardening our hearts will lead to calamity. |
| Proverbs 29:1: He who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck, will suddenly be broken beyond healing. | Both passages are talking about the consequences of hardening one's heart. Hebrews 3:8 refers to the Israelites in the wilderness who hardened their hearts against God and suffered the consequences of rebellion. Proverbs 29:1 warns that those who continue to harden their hearts despite being reproved will suffer a sudden and irreparable consequence. |
| Jeremiah 7:26: Yet they did not listen to me or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck. They did worse than their fathers. | Both passages refer to the Israelites' disobedience to God in the wilderness. Hebrews 3:8 speaks of the Israelites' hardening their hearts in rebellion against God, while Jeremiah 7:26 describes how the Israelites did not listen to God and refused to follow His commands. This stiffening of their necks was seen as a greater disobedience than that of their fathers. |
| Ezekiel 3:7-9: But the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, for they are not willing to listen to me: because all the house of Israel have a hard forehead and a stubborn heart. Behold, I have made your face as hard as their faces, and your forehead as hard as their foreheads. Like emery harder than flint have I made your forehead. Fear them not, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house.” | Both passages discuss the hard-heartedness of the Israelites. Hebrews 3:8 is a warning to not harden our hearts as the Israelites did in the wilderness. Ezekiel 3:7-9 describes the hard-heartedness of the Israelites, and God's response to it by making Ezekiel's forehead as hard as theirs. These passages show the consequences of hard-heartedness and the need to guard our hearts against it. |
| Daniel 5:20: But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was brought down from his kingly throne, and his glory was taken from him. | Both passages address the same theme of hardening one's heart. Hebrews 3:8 warns against hardening one's heart as the Israelites did in the wilderness, while Daniel 5:20 speaks of a king whose heart was hardened and prideful, leading to his downfall. In both cases, hardening one's heart leads to negative consequences. |
| Zechariah 7:11-12: But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears that they might not hear. They made their hearts diamond-hard lest they should hear the law and the words that the Lord of hosts had sent by his Spirit through the former prophets. Therefore great anger came from the Lord of hosts. | Both passages address the same issue of hardening one's heart towards God. Hebrews 3:8 is a warning to not repeat the Israelites' mistake of hardening their hearts in the wilderness. Zechariah 7:11–12 provides an example of the Israelites' refusal to pay attention to God, despite His warnings, and their hardening of their hearts. As a result, they experienced God's great anger. |
| Matthew 13:15: For this people's heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’ | Both passages refer to the same people, the Israelites. Hebrews 3:8 is a warning to the Israelites not to harden their hearts like they did in the wilderness. Matthew 13:15 speaks of how the Jews of Jesus' time have grown dull in their hearts and closed their eyes, so they can't see, hear, and understand God's message, and be healed. |
| Hebrews 3:12-13: Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. | Both passages discuss the danger of hardening one's heart against God. Hebrews 3:8 references the Israelites in the wilderness, who hardened their hearts against God despite His miraculous interventions on their behalf. Hebrews 3:12-13 cautions the reader to take care that none of them fall away from the living God, and exhorts them to encourage one another to stay faithful and not be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. |
Heavenly Father, we come to You in humble prayer, asking You to open our hearts and minds to Your Word. Help us to be attentive to Your voice and turn away from pride and rebellion. Give us the strength to resist temptation and the courage to stand firm in our faith. We pray that You would give us a soft and teachable spirit that we may understand Your truth and be obedient to Your will. Help us to stay humble and never harden our hearts against 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.