Articles
Hardened by Sin's Deceit
“Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called ‘Today,’ lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” (Hebrews 3:12-13)
No doubt we’ve all experienced the deceitfulness of sin. Satan’s primary weapon against us is persuasion. He cannot force us into sin, thus he must convince us that it is to our advantage in some way to follow his will instead of God’s.
Since the warning issued above is rooted in the context of Israel’s fall and subsequent wilderness punishment, let’s review some ways in which they were hardened by deceit against God:
1. Hardship. On many occasions, hardship undermined Israel’s confidence in God. When Moses first gathered the elders and told them of God’s commission to him – even demonstrating the miraculous signs – “the people believed … then they bowed their heads and worshiped” (Ex 4:29-31). But when Pharaoh refused to comply and even increased their burdens, the people turned against Moses: “Let the Lord look on you and judge, because you have made us abhorrent in the sight of Pharaoh … to put a sword in their hand to kill us” (Ex 5:21).
Lesson: Satan deceives us into doubt and fear by hardship. To doubt Moses is to doubt God, and the impact of Moses’ miracles evaporated when opposition increased. It is this weapon, not the Egyptian sword which they feared, which Satan will use against Israel time and time again.
2) Graphic fear. Fear exists on different levels. We all know in the back of our minds that we run the risk of having a car accident, developing cancer, becoming the victim of random violence, etc. But when fear moves from a theoretical possibility to a very real threat, it can overwhelm us. So it was when Pharaoh pursued Israel and sandwiched them between his army and the Red Sea: “So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord. Then they said to Moses, ‘Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? Is this not the word that we told you In Egypt, saying, “Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians?” For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness’” (Ex 14:10-12).
Lesson: Satan deceives us into thinking that God cannot handle the problem we are facing. He does this through fear, which disconnects our logic circuitry. What should the Israelites have concluded? “Well, it looks to us like there is no way out. But we have seen God’s incredible power and concern for us in the plagues He wrought against Egypt and Pharaoh. Whatever He needs to do to protect us in this crisis, He is able to do it.” That’s a far cry from what they actually said, isn’t it? Did they really believe they were better off in Egypt, or is this an example of the self-justifying nonsense we sometimes say?
3) Carnal desires. A fleshly body in a material world is beset by needs and cravings that have legitimate satisfaction. Such are necessary to guide us in the proper directions, but they can get out of hand if not controlled by the mind. So it was with Israel as the challenges of travel through hostile conditions wore on them: “Oh, that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger” (Ex 16:3).
Really? They preferred death to the provisions God was giving them?! And it’s not just hunger per se, for they later lament: “We remember the fish … the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; but now our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!” (Num 11:5-6). They are not merely hungry, for God is not letting them starve. They wanted to eat on their terms, to have the food that tasted good and satisfied their cravings. They are so blinded by deceit that they say, “For it was well with us in Egypt” (Num 11:18). Once again, their illogical statements are stunning. Common sense has been stomped underfoot by demanding, self-centered, ungrateful children.
Lesson: Sin deceives us into thinking that we will die – or be unbearably unhappy – if we don’t get what we want when we want it. This mindset dominates our society. Self-indulgence abounds and woe to anyone who tries to reason about “righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come” (Ac 24:25). If we love God as we should and honor Him as our creator and nurturer, we will accept times of difficulty with grace and gratitude. We will echo Paul’s sentiments: “I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Phil 4:11-13).
Summary: Paul’s attitude is the polar opposite of Israel’s. He accepted, they complained. He trusted, they panicked. He grew, they stagnated. He was content, they never were. The closer we stay to God and His word, the clearer we will think and the less deceived we will be.
