Hebrews 3:7 “Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, 8 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:”
The phrase “To day” applies to every generation. It was applicable when David recorded it in Psalm 95:7, it was applicable when the Hebrew Epistle was written, and it is applicable “To day”! The context is the Lord calling His Children to obediently follow Him in worshipful service. As in the days of Old Testament Israel, the Lord often calls us to do things that are seemingly impossible. He had led the Children of Israel to the very border of Canaan, but they refused to enter the land for fear of the people, well-fortified cities, and the giants in the land. They simply forgot that the Omnipotent-Loving Lord had just delivered them out of Egyptian slavery, from the mighty Egyptian army, and through the Red Sea. By the leadership and power of God, they could have easily taken the land, but they provoked God to chasten them by cowering in fear and refusing to go in. Consequently, they wondered around in the wilderness for forty years until all (except two) who were over twenty years old at the time had died. During those forty years they suffered many hardships; but, even though they were rebellious, the Lord never forsook them. In Psalm 95, David was warning Israel to not rebel against the Lord as their ancestors did, but to “hear his voice” calling them to faithful obedience. And now, “To day”, in this passage He is calling His “Elect” (I Peter 1:2) Children to obedience to avoid the same kind of severe chastening that our Spiritual Ancestors brought upon themselves when they disobeyed. For example (this call is repeated five times in the New Testament): “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” (Luke 9:23); that is, put aside anything that would hinder our service to our Lord and obediently “follow” His Commandments even in times of great trial and difficulty! We might get away with violating human laws, but we cannot successfully refuse to obey the Lord – He has a severe wilderness experience for every rebellious generation!