Do not harden your hearts as at Meribah, As on the day of Massah in the wilderness, … (Psalm 95:8)

… while it is said, “TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS, AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME.” (Hebrews 3:15)

But Sihon king of Heshbon was not willing for us to pass through his land; for the Lord your God hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate, in order to hand him over to you, as he is today. (Deuteronomy 2:30)

But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and did not listen to them, just as the LORD had said. (Exodus 8:15)

The Book of Hebrews is summarized in one word: faith. The writer quoted from Psalm 95 in Hebrews 3. Psalm 95 is about faith. The hardening of one’s heart means disbelief. The Pharaoh who opposed Moses did not believe in God. Despite seeing and experiencing the miracles done by Moses, he did not believe that Jehovah God made all things. He trusted his own gods made by men.

Many think that faith is something we can choose to have. But the Bible says that God makes people’s hearts hardened. So is God responsible for unbelief? If one lives by faith, shouldn’t God give faith to all humans? When we focus on our salvation, we misunderstand God and His will. God who created all things can do anything He wants. His purpose in creating all things is His kingdom. Therefore, when we understand this, God is righteous and just as the Bible describes.

God chose some people before they were born to be made into His kingdom. God uses the devil and his followers to train His people in this world. From the saints’ point of view, God is righteous and just. God will bring justice when the time comes although we suffer in this world. We acknowledge that God is King of kings and Lord of lords.

However, the unbelievers and the false Christians think that God is unjust. They think they do enough good work to deserve eternal life in glory. But they do not understand God’s will. In other words, they do not know God.

God gives His people knowledge, understanding, and wisdom and makes them repent of their sins. God is gracious and compassionate to His saints. His loving-kindness endures forever. But God does not forgive the devil or his followers because they represent rebellion and disobedience. They do not acknowledge that God is King of kings and Lord of lords. They say that they have will and power. So God judges them according to their actions and what is in their hearts.

“Do not harden your heart” is a warning for the saints to stay away from the ways of the evil people. It does not indicate that we can choose to believe in God. The devil and his followers exist for our training. They cannot take away God’s promise to us.

But Sihon king of Heshbon was not willing for us to pass through his land; for the Lord your God hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate, in order to hand him over to you, as he is today. (Deuteronomy 2:30)