What is the meaning of, “Today if you will hear His voice, do not harden your heart” in Psalm 95:8?

Answer

In Psalm 95:8, the psalmist urges the reader, “Today, if you will hear His voice: ‘Do not harden your hearts’” (NKJV). These are two directives: firstly, acknowledge and heed God’s voice, and secondly, guard against hardening your hearts.

Psalm 95 serves as a summons to worship (verses 1–2, 6). In Psalm 95:7–9, it is stated, “Today, if only you would hear his voice, ‘Do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the wilderness, where your ancestors tested me.’” The psalmist goes on to recount God’s discipline of the ancient Israelites: despite witnessing God’s miraculous deeds, they strayed in their hearts, leading God to sorrow for forty years, resulting in their exclusion from the Promised Land (Psalm 95:9-11).

Meribah, referenced in Psalm 95:8 and also known as Massah, was the site where the Israelites, following their departure from Egypt, rebelled against God «Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the LORD? », (Exodus 17:2). Due to their intense thirst, they grumbled and demanded of Moses, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?” (Exodus 17:2-3). Moses sought the Lord in prayer, and God instructed Moses to strike the rock so that water would flow for the Israelites, demonstrating that the Lord was among them (Exodus 17:4-7). Even after witnessing God’s actions at Meribah—even after being liberated from slavery in Egypt—the Israelites persisted in hardening their hearts, lacking trust in God and murmuring about the situation.

Under temporary circumstances.

The author of Psalm 95 is conveying the message, in essence, not to behave in that manner. Do not harden your heart towards God’s work on your behalf. He is addressing you, if only you would listen. He has accomplished remarkable things for you, if only you would recall. Give God the worship He deserves. “He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture” «For he is our God; And we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice, », (Psalm 95:7). Israel should follow their Shepherd.

The author of Hebrews cites the words, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion,” three times, in Hebrews 3:7–8, 15, and 4:7. These references from Psalm 95 are intended to urge people to accept Christ and not possess “a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God” «Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. », (Hebrews 3:12). The Israelites declined their “rest” in the Promised Land, but today Jesus is the “Sabbath-rest for the people of God” «There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. », (Hebrews 4:9). Do not harden your heart against Him.

God still speaks today, but we must follow Him to discern His voice. There are numerous voices competing for our attention, particularly with the increased use of technology and social media. Nevertheless, God’s voice must be the one we listen to. Jesus is our Good Shepherd: the shepherd opens the gate for his sheep, “and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger.

Dear; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice” (John 10:3-5). Our Good Shepherd loves us and calls us today to follow Him alone: “Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your heart.”

The psalmist warns, “If you will hear His voice, do not harden your heart,” and the author of Hebrews echoes the warning. God’s words demand a response, and, tragically, some respond by hardening their hearts. Some permanently harden their hearts, but even believers can harden their hearts for a period of time. When people ignore who God is and what He has done, like the Israelites did in the wilderness, their hearts harden. When people hold onto sin, their hearts harden. When people allow circumstances to cloud their thinking and let their feelings dictate their actions, their hearts harden. It is God’s Word that keeps our hearts soft and pure: “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” «For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. », (Hebrews 4:12). We must turn to hear and heed God’s voice.

“Today if you will hear His voice, do not harden your heart.” Sometimes, evangelists use these verses after presenting the gospel. Life is but a vapor «whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. », (James 4:14), so if you hear the gospel message today, you need to accept Christ today. DoNot harden your heart as in the rebellion. We are not guaranteed tomorrow. To permanently harden one’s heart against God and reject the gospel message of salvation is to suffer eternal consequences: “The wages of sin is death” «For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.», (Romans 6:23). To heed God’s voice and place one’s trust in the finished work of Christ on the cross is to be saved and have eternal life «For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. », (John 3:16).