Facade of Belief - Hebrews 3

Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the desert? And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief. Hebrews 3:16-19

This was specifically talking about those in the Hebrew nation whom God had led out of Egyptian slavery under the care of Moses….who once in the desert, turned from God.
I find it funny that the writer of Hebrews is taking his audience back to a very painful time and a well known event and comparing it to their current situation.
The real heart of the passage is the façade of belief. Those who had witnessed all the plagues, seen the Red Sea part….walk across on dry land, seen Pharoah’s army swallowed up by the sea. Been provided food from the heavens while in the desert…been given a cloud to follow in the day and pillar of fire to follow at night. How could anyone…who witnessed all these things, still not believe? How could one benefit from the miracles of God, and their life not be changed for a lifetime?

It’s not merely enough to see the pillars, the Sea parting, the plagues, and eat the manna from heaven…..just like it’s not enough to know that Jesus was the Son of God (even the demons believe) and give the appearance of faith and belief, there is an actual step of faith and belief that occurs both in the Old testament and now.