9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works 40 years.

The national probation in the wilderness of Egypt for forty years under Moses is also representative of the individual probation of believers subsequently to their baptism into Christ and of the national probation of the Twelve Tribes in the wilderness of the people previous to their being brought into the bond of the covenant, and into the land of Israel.

That the Mosaic probation is representative of spiritual or individual probation appears from the apostle's reasoning in the third and fourth chapters of Hebrews. The exhortation in the ninety-fifth Psalm, which he quotes, he applies to the believers in Jesus, and to Israel at large, by connecting the two classes of the commonwealth together in his reasoning.

The testimony in Ezekiel shows its applicability to the Twelve Tribes hereafter as well as to "the children of the promise" in the days of Paul.

Let the reader consult that prophet in the twentieth chapter from the thirty-third to the thirty-eighth verse inclusive. He will there find that similar things are to be enacted over again as have already transpired in the days of Moses.

Israel is to be brought out from the countries wherein they are scattered with a mighty display of divine power; they are to be brought into a wilderness, where, says the Lord,

"I will plead with you face to face LIKE AS I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you."

The carcasses of the rebels are to fall there, so that although brought into the wilderness from their present houses of bondage "they shall not enter, saith the Lord, into the land of Israel;" in other words, "they shall not enter into his rest" under Christ when he sits upon the throne of David in the land.

Herald of the Kingdom and Age to Come, Feb 1851

12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.

How are we to beware of unbelief?

By being on our guard against that which leads to it. Unbelief is the result of ignorance or partial knowledge in any matter. The first condition of faith is knowledge. Let us give attention to the facts - study the facts: keep company with the facts. Let us take Paul's advice to Timothy:

"give thyself wholly to them."

They are worthy of it. There is no class of facts to be compared with the facts concerning Christ. All other facts have but a superficial bearing. They are limited and transient. The facts concerning Christ go down to the foundations of being, affect the springs of all motive, touch the true philosophy of life, govern the everlasting prospect for individual life. How unwise to give them the second place.

"Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly."

This is the apostolic exhortation. It is the voice of reason. It means that we must adopt the habits and methods that will lead to this result. How can a man expect the Word of Christ to dwell richly in him, who does not put it in, but fills up his mind instead with the human thoughts reflected in human literature of the moment, and allows his heart to be wholly preoccupied with the affairs of fleeting life, which may collapse like a bubble any moment?

"Give thyself to reading" are Paul's words again.

This is an absolute necessity. Only by reading can we make God's acquaintance in His revealed Word, and come under the power of His thoughts and commandments. The daily reading of the Bible ought to be the inexorable practice of every man and woman who aims to "overcome" in the battle all have to wage, who mean to "lay hold on eternal life."

Bro Roberts - Knowledge, Love, Obedience

13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

Incessant exhortation of a reasonable sort is both healthful and necessary. It is apostolically enjoined and experimentally demonstrated to be necessary.

...To some the voice may appear harsh and the standard high; but they will change their minds when the shadow of death comes over them, or the glory of the judgment-seat overwhelms them. They will see that this constant affirmation of the truth of God in its bearing on the house of God is the highest kindness, and perhaps may have conferred even on them at last, the highest benefit which it is possible for one man to receive at the hand of another.

At all events, whether acceptable or otherwise, as long as God permits this voice to be heard in the land of the living it will be heard on behalf of the great and universally neglected fact that if men are unmindful of the Creator of heaven and earth, they forfeit the title to existence at His hand, and will at last experience that ruin that came upon His own nation Israel because of this offence.

Bro Roberts - Seasons 1: 41.

Exhort one another daily

Once we have really grasped the truth, the next matter of overwhelming concern is our walk. In view of this, let us never despise exhortation, nor say that we have too much of it. An ecclesia is undoubtedly in a bad way when exhortation does not form a conspicuous feature in its arrangements.

Paul's custom was to give "much exhortation" (Acts 20:2.) This is shown in his speeches and epistles. His expositions were always made the basis of a lesson. What Paul did, he has commanded us to do ...

"and so much the more as ye see the day approaching" (Heb. 3:13; 10:25.)

Of a truth that day is now rapidly approaching. In every direction we see something to solemnly impress this upon us: prophetic times expiring, Turkey disappearing, Russia extending, the nations arming, political and social questions complicating and increasing the Jews returning, the masses sleeping, a small community preparing to welcome Christ.

Let us not be lukewarm in giving exhortation, nor insensible in receiving it.

Bro AT Jannaway

The Christadelphian, Feb 1889

To day

This is a Scripture term, and must be explained by the Scripture use of it. In the sacred writings, then, the term is used to express a period of over two thousand years. This use of it occurs in David, as it is written,

"To-day if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts, lest ye enter not into My rest " (Psalm 95:7-11).

The apostle, commenting upon this passage about one thousand years after it was written, says, "exhort one another daily, while it is called to-day; " and, "labour, to enter into the rest that remaineth for the people of God" (Heb. 3:13; 4:9-11). Thus, it was called "to-day," when David wrote; and "to-day," when Paul commented upon it. This was a long day; but one, however, which is not yet finished; and will continue unclosed until the manifestation of the rest in the Paradise of God.

If it be admitted, that we are still in "the day of salvation," then it must be received as true, that we are living "while it is called to-day " -- that "to-day" is now; and this "now" will be present until the Lord Jesus enters into His rest (Psalm 132:13-18), which He cannot do until He has finished the work God has given Him to do (Isaiah 49:5, 6, 8; xl. 10). "Behold, now is the time of acceptance; behold, now is the day," or the "to-day," "of salvation" (2 Cor. 6:2), -- a period of time from Joshua to the future glorious manifestation of Christ in the kingdom, to say nothing of "the accepted time" to the patriarchs, before the typical rest of Israel in the promised land.

This "to-day," however, is limited both to Jew and Gentile; and in defining this limitation, Paul tells us, that "to-day" means, "after so long a time." "God limiteth a certain day," says he, "saying in David, to-day, after so long a time: as it is said, to day if ye will hear His voice harden not your hearts" (Heb. 4:7). When this time has elapsed, it will no longer be "to-day;" but to-morrow, or the seventh day of the millennial week.

If then we substitute the apostle's definition for the word "to-day" in Christ's reply to the thief, it will read thus: -- "Verily, I say to thee, after so long a time thou shalt be with Me in the Paradise;" but, how many years it would be before that time terminated, He gave the petitioner not the slightest intimation of.

Elpis Israel 1.2.

14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;

What we must do to inherit eternal life

On the supposition that you have believed the gospel and been baptized in the name of Jesus for remission of sins, do you now enquire what you must do to obtain the

"glory, honour, incorruptibility, and life"

of the future age?

The inquiry is appropriate and well timed; for rest assured, that you may have believed the gospel, and have most scripturally obeyed it, but unless you hold fast your begun confidence unshaken to the end, unless you persevere in well doing, you had better never have known the truth.

"Save yourselves," says Jesus, "by your perseverance," to which Paul, by whose gospel you will be judged, adds,

"God will render to every man according to his deeds; to them who, by patient continuance in well doing, SEEK FOR glory, and honour, and incorruptibility; eternal life."

Can you continue in well doing unless you begin to do well? Can you "seek for" a thing which you pretend to already possess? No. "God only hath immortality"—with Him is "the fountain of life;" and all the intelligences of His boundless dominion, who may have this as a quality of their being, have derived it from Him as a recompense for their faithful obedience in a previous state.

Are you not ambitious of the glory, honour, and tranquil dignity of these celestials?

Would you not be ravished with delight in the possession of an angelic nature, an undefiled and incorruptible inheritance, and an eternal relation to all worlds? Strive then, that you may be "accounted worthy to attain to that age," through a "resurrection from among the dead," when you shall "die no more," and "be equal to the angels of God."—Luke 20:36.

In conclusion,

"the wise shalt inherit glory, but shame shall be the promotion of fools."

Reader, be wise, for "wisdom is the principal thing, therefore, get wisdom," seeing that he is happy who findeth it. Dost thou enquire, what there is extant through which you may become wise? Hear the apostle, what saith he?

"The Holy Scriptures are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus;"

and these writings teach, that

"the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom."

Dost thou fear Him with that religious veneration which knows no torment? Dost thou fear or venerate Him, because thou lovest Him for His abounding goodness to the children of men? Then you possess the element of that wisdom, which though foolishness with men, is "more precious than rubies" in the sight of God; and incomparably more valuable than all the things you can possibly desire.

"Length of days is in her right hand, and in her left hand riches and honour. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a TREE OF LIFE to them that lay hold upon her; and happy is everyone that retaineth her."

Be wise, then, I repeat, if you would "shine as the brightness of the firmament" in the kingdom of the future age; apply your heart unto wisdom, for, in this, "the time of the end,"

"the wise shall understand" "the things of the Spirit of God."

The Christadelphian, Aug 1870

15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.

Now if we shut our hearts to the luxury of praise and the sweetness of prayer, are we not "hardening our hearts"? Some people call this "singing and praying" "soft." Be it so: softness is the opposite of hardness; and we are divinely warned against hardness.

...Consequently, we listen to a divine exhortation, when we listen to any brother's warning against a hardened state of the spiritual affections. No true man in Christ will dislike such warnings, if they are delivered in a benevolent and reasonable spirit; for such a man sufficiently knows by experience the tendency of human nature even in the best of men to sink into this state. And he delights in the reproofs of the spirit.

...It is possible for the truth to interest the intellect, while the affections are set upon things on earth. In such a case, even the intellect itself will soon cease to be charmed by the testimony, whereas to the mind whose affections are set on things above, the word of the Lord will always hold the very high place assigned to it in all the Psalms, wherein it is declared to be more necessary than food: sweeter than honey: more valuable than piles of the precious metals.

Seasons 1.72.