The LORD Swore to Them

At that time the LORD said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the sons of Israel a second time.”…For the people of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, until all the nation, the men of war who came out of Egypt, perished, because they did not obey the voice of the LORD; the Lord swore to them that he would not let them see the land that the LORD had sworn to their fathers to give to us, a land flowing with milk and honey. So it was their children, whom he raised up in their place, that Joshua circumcised. For they were uncircumcised, because they had not been circumcised on the way. (Joshua 5:2, 6-7)

God made it clear that Israel wandered in the wilderness and failed to enter the land of inheritance because they did not obey His voice. Obedience is not a secondary issue in Scripture…it’s foundational.

Scripture reinforces this truth. Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15). John 3:36 even frames belief and obedience together, as it says, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”

And think of this: the very first sin occurred when humanity disobeyed the voice of God. In our current world where evil is called good and good is called evil, unbelief is often revealed through disobedience.

Yet obedience is not meant to be burdensome. When obedience flows from an abiding relationship with Christ, it becomes a natural response of love rather than a forced obligation.

Hebrews 3:12–19 gives us a sobering warning. Israel heard God’s voice, yet hardened their hearts. They were unable to enter His rest; not because God withheld it, but because unbelief expressed itself through disobedience.

This confronts us with an important question: are we obeying God and entering His rest, or are we following the same path of those with hardened hearts? If our words and actions don’t align, if we claim soft hearts while resisting obedience, we may be deceiving ourselves.

The call to repentance and obedience is just as urgent today as it was when it was first preached. If you hear His voice, do not harden your heart. Instead, enter His rest.