The Cost of Unbelief – Hebrews 3:19
Sep 6, 2025 79
[19] So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief. (ESV)
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A Sobering Verdict
After walking through Israel’s history, Hebrews draws the lesson in one devastating line: “They were unable to enter because of unbelief.” This is the heart of the matter. The wilderness generation didn’t miss out on God’s rest because of bad luck, or lack of privilege, or poor leadership. They missed out because they refused to believe God’s promises.
As we saw earlier in the week, “The root of all backsliding, whether it is gradual or total, lies in unbelief.” (John Owen, Commentary on Hebrews, p. 67). At its core, unbelief is not just intellectual doubt but a settled refusal to trust the living God. It was true for Israel, and it remains the greatest danger for us today.
Unbelief Still Hardens Hearts
Hebrews has been warning us repeatedly not to harden our hearts. That’s because unbelief is never neutral. It twists, deceives, and distorts until sin feels normal and trust feels impossible. Israel’s story illustrates how unbelief can spread: one complaint leads to another, until the entire community is swept up in rebellion and God’s judgment falls.
The same danger lurks for us. We might begin by doubting God’s goodness in hardship, or by drifting from His Word, or by treating sin lightly. Left unchecked, unbelief takes root and closes our hearts to God’s voice. The outcome, Hebrews reminds us, is not just stumbling but exclusion from God’s rest.
The Better Word of Christ
But Hebrews doesn’t leave us in despair. Warnings in Scripture are never there to crush us; they are there to save us. They push us away from self-reliance and back to Christ. Israel’s unbelief shut the door to the Promised Land, but Jesus has opened the way to something far greater.
Through His perfect life, sacrificial death, and triumphant resurrection, Jesus has dealt with sin at its root. Where Israel doubted, He trusted. Where they rebelled, He obeyed. Where they fell in the wilderness, he worshipped the LORD alone when he was in the wilderness. Death could not hold Him down; He rose from the grave. Now He lives and reigns, offering forgiveness and eternal rest to all who come to Him in faith.
Dennis E. Johnson sums it up: “We have seen God perform greater works than those witnessed by ancient Israel. We have witnessed in the gospel the final sacrifice of Jesus the Son, which cleanses stained consciences ‘once for all.’” (ESV Expository Commentary, p. 74). That’s the solid ground for persevering faith.
Faith Opens the Way
So what do we learn from Hebrews 3:19? That unbelief excludes, but faith includes. The Israelites were unable to enter because they would not believe. But anyone who trusts in Christ is welcomed in. Faith is not about gritting our teeth or trying harder; it’s about leaning wholly on Jesus, who has already done it all.
Unbelief closes the door. Faith in Christ opens it wide. The choice could not be clearer, or more urgent.
Reflection:
Ask the Lord today to strengthen your faith in Christ and guard you from the unbelief that hardens the heart.
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