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繁體中文
英文原文
For the expounding of this psalm we may borrow a great deal of light from the apostle's discourse, Heb 3:1-4:16, where it appears both to have been penned by David and to have been calculated for the days of the Messiah; for it is there said expressly (Heb 4:7) that the day here spoken of (Ps 95:7) is to be understood of the gospel day, in which God speaks to us by his Son in a voice which we are concerned to hear, and proposes to us a rest besides that of Canaan. In singing psalms it is intended, I. That we should "make melody unto the Lord;" this we are here excited to do, and assisted in doing, being called upon to praise God (Ps 95:1,2) as a great God (Ps 95:3-5) and as our gracious benefactor, Ps 95:6,7. II. That we should teach and admonish ourselves and one another; and we are here taught and warned to hear God's voice (Ps 95:7), and not to harden our hearts, as the Israelites in the wilderness did (Ps 95:8,9), lest we fall under God's wrath and fall short of his rest, as they did, Ps 95:10,11. This psalm must be sung with a holy reverence of God's majesty and a dread of his justice, with a desire to please him and a fear to offend him.
1-7
Invitation to Praise God; Motives to Praise
繁體中文
讚美神的邀請；讚美的動機
¹ 來啊，我們要向耶和華歌唱，向拯救我們的磐石歡呼！ ² 我們要來到他麵前稱謝，用詩歌向他歡呼！ ³ 因耶和華為大神，為大王，超乎萬神之上。 ⁴ 地的深處在他手中；山的高峰也屬他。 ⁵ 海洋屬他，是他造的；旱地也是他手造成的。 ⁶ 來啊，我們要屈身敬拜，在造我們的耶和華麵前跪下。 ⁷ 因為他是我們的神；我們是他草場的民，是他手下的羊。
詩人在此——如同在別處屢次所作的——激發自己和別人讚美神；因為這是一項當以最活潑的情感來盡的本分，也是我們極需被激發去盡的，因為我們常常對此退縮、冷淡。請留意，
一、當如何讚美神。1. 以對他的聖潔喜樂和喜悅。讚美的歌必須是*「歡呼」（詩 95:1，又詩 95:2）。屬靈的喜樂乃是感恩讚美的核心與靈魂。神的旨意是（他的恩典如此俯就）：當我們將榮耀歸給他——作為無限完全而蒙福的本體——之時，我們同時應當「以他為樂」——以他為我們的父、我們的王、與我們立約的神。2. 以謙卑的敬畏和對他的聖潔畏懼（詩 95:6）：「我們要屈身敬拜，在他麵前跪下」——作為那些知道我們與神之間有何等無限的距離、我們何等落在他的怒气的危險之下、又何等需要他的憐憫的人，所當有的樣式。雖然「操練身體」單獨「益處還少」，但我們以我們的身體——藉著在宗教敬拜的本分中外麵表達出敬畏、認真和謙卑——來榮耀神，誠然是我們的本分。3. 我們必須以我們的聲音讚美神；我們必須從充滿愛、喜樂和感恩的心之豐盛中，說出、唱出他的讚美——「向耶和華歌唱；向他歡呼，用詩歌向他歡呼」——作為那些自己深受他的偉大和良善所感動的人，作為那些樂於承認自己如此被感動的人，作為那些渴望越發被感動的人，又作為那些情願用以激發別人同樣敬虔情感的人。4. 我們必須在公眾聚會中一同讚美神：「來啊，我們要……歌唱」——讓我們一同向耶和華歌唱；不是別人而不包括我，也不是我獨自一人，而是別人與我一同。「我們要來到他麵前」——來到他家的院宇中，在那裏他的百姓慣於事奉他、並期待他向他們顯現。每逢我們來到神麵前，我們必須帶著感恩而來——為我們被允許得著如此特權而感恩；每逢我們有可獻的感恩，我們必須「來到神麵前」*——將自己擺在他麵前，並在他所設立的典章中將自己獻給他。
二、為何要讚美神，以及我們讚美的內容當是甚麼。我們並不缺乏材料；若我們不缺心，就好了。我們必須讚美神，
1. 因為他是*「大神」，並是萬有的至上主（詩 95:3）。他為大，所以「大大當受讚美」。他是無限而充滿萬有的，自己裏麵有一切完全。(1) 他有大能：他是「超乎萬神的大王」——超乎一切受託的神明、一切官長（他曾對他們說：「你們是神」——他管理他們全體，藉他們成就自己的旨意，他們也都向他交賬），也超乎一切假冒的神明、一切自稱者、一切僭越者；他能作他們都不能作的事；他能、也必使他們全都飢餓滅亡。(2) 他有大的產業。這下麵的世界在此特別被提及。我們認為那些擁有廣大疆土——他們稱之為自己的、對抗全世界的人——為大人物，然而這些疆土不過是宇宙中極微小的一部分：那麼那位「全地和其中所充滿的都屬他」的神是何等大呢——不僅萬有都在他腳下（因為他對一切受造之物有不容爭辯的統治權和產權），而且都在他手中（因為他實際地指揮和安排一切，詩 95:4）；連「地的深處」——我們視線之外的地泉和礦藏——「都在他手中」；又「山的高峰」——我們手所不能及的，無論其上長甚麼、養甚麼——「也屬他」。這話可作寓意解：世人中最卑微的——他們如地的低處——也不在他的認識之下；而最大的——他們如山的堅固——也不在他的管轄之外。任何受造之物的力量都是從神而得、也為他所用（詩 95:5）：「海洋屬他」——其中一切也都屬他（海浪成就他的話）；它是他的，因為「他造了它」——聚集了它的水、定了它的界限；「旱地」雖賜給了世人，卻也是他的，因為他仍為自己保留了產權；它是他的，因為「他的手造成」了它——那時他的話使「旱地露出來」。他既是萬物的創造主，便毫無爭辯地是萬物的所有者。這既是一篇福音詩篇，我們很可以設想：我們在此受教所讚美的，正是主耶穌。他「為大神」——「全能的神」是他的名號之一，他是「永遠可稱頌的神」。作為中保，他是「超乎萬神的大王」；君王藉他掌權；天使、有位的、有權的、有能的都服在他之下；「萬物都是藉著他造的」——作為永遠之道（約 1:3）；他既是萬物的創造主，便理當作萬物的恢復者和和好者（西 1:16、20）。天上地下所有的權柄都賜給了他，萬有都交在他手中。正是他一腳踏海、一腳踏地，作兩者的至上主（啟 10:2）；所以我們必須向他唱我們的讚美之歌，必須在他麵前「屈身敬拜」*。
2. 因為他是我們的神——他不僅對我們有統治權（如同他對一切受造之物的統治權），更與我們有特殊的關係（詩 95:7）：「他是我們的神」，所以理當由我們來讚美他；我們若不讚美，誰來讚美呢？他造我們，豈不正是為使我們*「成為他的名和他的讚美」嗎？(1) 他是我們的創造主，是我們存在的源頭；我們必須「在造我們的耶和華麵前跪下」（詩 95:6）。拜偶像的人跪拜他們自己所造的神；我們跪拜的，是造了我們和全世界的神——所以他是我們正當的所有者；因為我們是屬他的，不是屬自己的。(2) 他是我們的拯救者，是我們福樂的源頭。他在此被稱為「拯救我們的磐石」（詩 95:1）——不僅是那奇工的創立者，更是其根基，那工程建造在其上。「那磐石就是基督」；所以我們必須向他唱我們的讚美之歌——「向坐在寶座上的和羔羊」。(3) 因此我們是屬他的——在一切所能有的義務之下：「我們是他草場的民，是他手下的羊。」一切世人都是如此；他們被他的護理所餵養和引導——這護理顧念他們、引領他們，如同牧人顧念羊群。我們必須讚美他，不僅因為他造了我們，更因為他保存和維持了我們，我們的氣息和道路都在他手中。教會的一切兒女在特別的意義上更是如此；以色列「是他草場的民，是他手下的羊」；所以他在特別的意義上要求他們的敬意。福音教會是他的羊群。基督是其中那位大而善的牧者。我們作為基督徒，被他的手引導到青草地上，被他保護、為他妥善供應，完全奉獻給他的尊榮和事奉，作他特選的子民；所以「但願他在教會中」——無論是否在世界中——「世世代代」*得著榮耀（弗 3:21）。
英文原文
Invitation to Praise God; Motives to Praise
¹ O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
² Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.
³ For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.
⁴ In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also.
⁵ The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land.
⁶ O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.
⁷ For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.
The psalmist here, as often elsewhere, stirs up himself and others to praise God; for it is a duty which ought to be performed with the most lively affections, and which we have great need to be excited to, being very often backward to it and cold in it. Observe,
I. How God is to be praised. 1. With holy joy and delight in him. The praising song must be a joyful noise, Ps 95:1 and again Ps 95:2. Spiritual joy is the heart and soul of thankful praise. It is the will of God (such is the condescension of his grace) that when we give glory to him as a being infinitely perfect and blessed we should, at the same time, rejoice in him as our Father and King, and a God in covenant with us. 2. With humble reverence, and a holy awe of him (Ps 95:6): "Let us worship, and bow down, and kneel before him, as becomes those who know what an infinite distance there is between us and God, how much we are in danger of his wrath and in need of his mercy." Though bodily exercise, alone, profits little, yet certainly it is our duty to glorify God with our bodies by the outward expressions of reverence, seriousness, and humility, in the duties of religious worship. 3. We must praise God with our voice; we must speak forth, sing forth, his praises out of the abundance of a heart filled with love, and joy, and thankfulness—Sing to the Lord; make a noise, a joyful noise to him, with psalms—as those who are ourselves much affected with his greatness and goodness, are forward to own ourselves so, are desirous to be more and more affected therewith, and would willingly be instrumental to kindle and inflame the same pious and devout affection in others also. 4. We must praise God in concert, in the solemn assemblies: "Come, let us sing; let us join in singing to the Lord; not others without me, nor I alone, but others with me. Let us come together before his presence, in the courts of his house, where his people are wont to attend him and to expect his manifestations of himself." Whenever we come into God's presence we must come with thanksgiving that we are admitted to such a favour; and, whenever we have thanks to give, we must come before God's presence, set ourselves before him, and present ourselves to him in the ordinances which he has appointed.
II. Why God is to be praised and what must be the matter of our praise. We do not want matter; it were well if we did not want a heart. We must praise God,
1. Because he is a great God, and sovereign Lord of all, Ps 95:3. He is great, and therefore greatly to be praised. He is infinite and immense, and has all perfection in himself. (1.) He has great power: He is a great King above all gods, above all deputed deities, all magistrates, to whom he said, You are gods (he manages them all, and serves his own purposes by them, and to him they are all accountable), above all counterfeit deities, all pretenders, all usurpers; he can do that which none of them can do; he can, and will, famish and vanquish them all. (2.) He has great possessions. This lower world is here particularly specified. We reckon those great men who have large territories, which they call their own against all the world, which yet are a very inconsiderable part of the universe: how great then is that God whose the whole earth is, and the fulness thereof, not only under whose feet it is, as he has an incontestable dominion over all the creatures and a propriety in them, but in whose hand it is, as he has the actual directing and disposing of all (Ps 95:4); even the deep places of the earth, which are out of our sight, subterraneous springs and mines, are in his hand; and the height of the hills which are out of our reach, whatever grows or feeds upon them, is his also. This may be taken figuratively: the meanest of the children of men, who are as the low places of the earth, are not beneath his cognizance; and the greatest, who are as the strength of the hills, are not above his control. Whatever strength is in any creature it is derived from God and employed for him (Ps 95:5): The sea is his, and all that is in it (the waves fulfil his word); it is his, for he made it, gathered its waters and fixed its shores; the dry land, though given to the children of men, is his too, for he still reserved the property to himself; it is his, for his hands formed it, when his word made the dry land appear. His being the Creator of all makes him, without dispute, the owner of all. This being a gospel psalm, we may very well suppose that it is the Lord Jesus whom we are here taught to praise. He is a great God; the mighty God is one of his titles, and God over all, blessed for evermore. As Mediator, he is a great King above all gods; by him kings reign; and angels, principalities, and powers, are subject to him; by him, as the eternal Word, all things were made (Joh 1:3), and it was fit he should be the restorer and reconciler of all who was the Creator of all, Col 1:16,20. To him all power is given both in heaven and in earth, and into his hand all things are delivered. It is he that sets one foot on the sea and the other on the earth, as sovereign Lord of both (Re 10:2), and therefore to him we must sing our songs of praise, and before him we must worship and bow down.
2. Because he is our God, not only has a dominion over us, as he has over all the creatures, but stands in special relation to us (Ps 95:7): He is our God, and therefore it is expected we should praise him; who will, if we do not? What else did he make us for but that we should be to him for a name and a praise? (1.) He is our Creator, and the author of our being; we must kneel before the Lord our Maker, Ps 95:6. Idolaters kneel before gods which they themselves made; we kneel before a God who made us and all the world and who is therefore our rightful proprietor; for his we are, and not our own. (2.) He is our Saviour, and the author of our blessedness. He is here called the rock of our salvation (Ps 95:1), not only the founder, but the very foundation, of that work of wonder, on whom it is built. That rock is Christ; to him therefore we must sing our songs of praises, to him that sits upon the throne and to the Lamb. (3.) We are therefore his, under all possible obligations: We are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. All the children of men are so; they are fed and led by his Providence, which cares for them, and conducts them, as the shepherd the sheep. We must praise him, not only because he made us, but because he preserves and maintains us, and our breath and ways are in his hand. All the church's children are in a special manner so; Israel are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand; and therefore he demands their homage in a special manner. The gospel church is his flock. Christ is the great and good Shepherd of it. We, as Christians, are led by his hand into the green pastures, by him we are protected and well provided for, to his honour and service we are entirely devoted as a peculiar people, and therefore to him must be glory in the churches (whether it be in the world or no) throughout all ages, Eph 3:21.
7-11
Warning against Hardness of Heart
繁體中文
對心硬的警告
這篇詩的後半段，從一節的當中開始，乃是對那些歌唱福音詩篇之人的勸勉，要他們過與福音相稱的生活，並聽從神話語的聲音；不然，他們怎能指望祂聽他們禱告和讚美的聲音呢？請留意：
一、凡作基督草場的民、祂手下的羊的人所當盡的本分。祂指望他們聽祂的聲音，因為祂曾說：我的羊聽我的聲音（約 10:27）。他們說：我們是祂的民。 你們果真如此嗎？那麼就當聽祂的聲音。 你們若稱祂為夫子，或主，就當行祂所吩咐的事，作祂樂意順服的子民。要聽祂教訓的聲音、祂律法的聲音，並在兩者之中聽祂聖靈的聲音；要聽而留心，聽而順從。要聽祂的聲音，不要聽陌生人的聲音。 你們若聽祂的聲音——有人把這話當作一個心願：巴不得你們肯聽祂的聲音！ 巴不得你們如此有智慧，如此為自己行善；正如那句話——巴不得你知道（路 19:42），意思就是：巴不得你知道！基督的聲音必須今日被聽見；使徒在應用此話於福音之日時，特別強調這一點。祂對你們說話之時，你們當留意聽祂，因為這滿有機會的日子不會永遠持續；所以要趁着還有稱為今日的時候善用它（來 3:13、15）。聽見基督的聲音，與相信，是同一回事。今日若你們憑信心接受福音的邀請，甚好；但明日或許已太遲。在如此重大之事上，再沒有比拖延更危險的了。
二、他們當受警戒的罪，這罪與所要求的信而順服的耳朵不相容，那就是心硬。你們若聽祂的聲音，又想從所聽的得益處，就不可硬着心；因為撒在磐石上的種子，從未結出成熟的果子來。猶太人所以不信基督的福音，是因為他們的心硬了；他們既不因罪的邪惡和因罪而來的危險而自責，便不理會救恩的邀請；他們不肯負基督的軛，不肯順從祂的要求；罪人若心硬，乃是他自己的作為（他自己硬着心），他必永遠獨自承擔罪責。
三、他們當引以為鑑的例子，就是以色列人在曠野的例子。
1。 「當謹慎，不可像他們那樣犯罪，免得你們像他們被拒於迦南之外那樣，被關在永遠的安息之外。」不要像你們的祖宗，是頑梗悖逆的一代（詩 78:8）。所以此處也說：你們不可硬着心，像你們（即你們的祖先）在惹動之時，即在米利巴——他們在那裏與神和摩西爭鬧的地方（出 17:2-7）——以及在曠野試探之日（詩 95:8）那樣。他們因不信和怨言如此屢次惹動神，以致他們在曠野停留的整段時間，都可稱為試探之日，或稱瑪撒——那是給那地方起的另一個名字（出 17:7），因為他們試探耶和華說：耶和華在我們中間不在？ 這事發生在曠野，在那裏他們不能自救，只能仰賴神的憐憫，在那裏神奇妙地幫助他們，又賜給他們如此可感覺的能力明證和恩寵記號，是前後任何百姓所未曾得着的。請注意，（1）試探的日子乃是惹動的日子。再沒有甚麼比不信祂的應許、因道路看來有困難便對應許的成全絕望，更得罪神的了。（2）我們越多經歷神的大能和良善，我們若不信祂，我們的罪就越大。怎麼！竟在曠野中——在那裏我們全然靠祂而活——試探祂？這既不合理、不通，也是忘恩。（3）心硬乃是我們一切對神的不信和與神的爭鬧的根源。剛硬的心，就是不領受神啟示的印象、不順從神旨意的心意，不肯融化、不肯屈服的心。（4）別人的罪當作我們的鑑戒，使我們不致步其後塵。以色列人的怨言寫下來是為警戒我們的（林前 10:11）。
2。 此處請留意：
（1）以神的名義對不信的以色列人所提出的指控（詩 95:9-10）。神在此，經過許多年代之後，仍投訴他們對自己的惡行，言辭中滿是強烈的不悅。[1] 他們的罪乃是不信：他們試探神，又試驗神；他們質疑是否可以信祂的話，並要求在向迦南進發之前先得着進一步的保證——差派探子；及至探子使他們灰心，他們便抗議神的大能和應許不足信，又要立一個首領回埃及去（民 14:3-4）。這被稱為背叛（申 1:26、32）。[2] 這罪的加重情節是他們看見神的作為；他們看見祂為他們所作的——領他們出埃及，更看見祂如今每日、這日為他們所作的——從天為他們降下糧食，又使水從隨着他們的磐石流出；他們本不能有比這更無可置疑的神與他們同在的明證了。與他們同在時，連看見也不等於相信，因為他們硬着心，儘管他們已看見法老因硬着心所得的下場。[3] 他們罪的根源。請看神將這罪歸因於甚麼：這百姓心裏迷糊，竟不曉得我的作為（或作「道路」）。 人的不信和對神的疑惑，他們的怨言和與神的爭鬧，乃是出於他們的無知和錯謬。第一， 出於他們的無知：他們不曉得我的作為（道路）。 他們看見祂的作為（詩 95:9），祂又將祂的道路宣告給他們（詩 103:7，和合本修訂版）；然而他們不曉得祂的道路——不曉得祂護理的道路，就是祂向他們所行的；也不曉得祂誡命的道路，就是祂要他們向祂所行的：他們不曉得，他們沒有正確明白，所以也不贊同。請注意，人之所以輕看並離棄神的道路，是因為他們不認識這些道路。第二， 出於他們的錯謬：他們心裏迷糊；他們偏離了正路；他們在心裏歸回。請注意，罪就是錯謬——實際的錯謬，心中的錯謬；這樣的錯謬是存在的，與頭腦中的錯謬一樣致命。當敗壞的情感歪曲了判斷，於是引導靈魂偏離盡本分和順服的道路，便是心中的錯謬。[4] 神對他們罪的不悅：四十年之久，我厭煩那世代。 請注意，神子民的罪不僅使祂發怒，更使祂憂傷，尤其是他們的不信；神也記錄他們多少次（民 14:22）、多久地惹動祂。請看神對惹動祂之罪人的忍耐；祂被他們惹動四十年，然而那些年日卻以下一代人凱旋進入迦南作為結束。我們的罪若叫神憂傷，豈不也當叫我們憂傷麼？罪中再沒有甚麼比這更當叫我們憂傷的了。
（2）因他們的罪而加於他們身上的判決（詩 95:11）：「所以我在怒中起誓說：他們斷不可進入我的安息」——意即：若他們進入我的安息，我便成了反覆無常、不守信用的一位；試看完整的判決（民 14:21 等）。請留意，[1] 這判決從何而來——從神的怒氣而來。祂在怒中起誓——是祂公義聖潔的怒氣；但人不可因此在怒氣中——在他們屬肉體、獸性的怒氣中——輕率褻瀆地起誓。神並不像我們那樣受情感的支配；但聖經說祂向罪和罪人發怒、大大發怒，為要顯明罪的惡性以及神治理的公義。那配得一位被觸怒之神如此報復的，實在是邪惡的事。[2] 判決的內容是甚麼：他們斷不可進入祂的安息——祂為他們和他們的後裔所預備、所設計的安息，就是為他們安排的定居之所；凡他們出埃及時被數點的人，除了迦勒和約書亞之外，在他們進迦南之時，都不得記在活人冊上。[3] 這判決如何被批准：我起誓。 這不僅是一個心意，更是一個定旨；這誓表明了祂旨意的永不改變；主起了誓，決不後悔。 這斷絕了一切對憐憫有所保留的念頭。神的警告與祂的應許同樣確定。
如今這以色列人的事例，可應用於大衛寫這詩時他們那些後裔身上；當聽神的聲音，不可像他們的祖宗那樣硬着心，免得他們若像祖宗那樣硬着頸項，神便被激動，禁止他們享受耶路撒冷聖殿的特權——祂曾論那殿說：這是我安息之所。 但這話更當應用於我們基督徒身上，因為使徒正是如此應用的。有一屬靈而永遠的安息擺在我們面前，又應許賜給我們，迦南不過是它的預表；我們都（至少在名義上）是向這安息進發的；然而許多看似如此的人，卻趕不上，也永不能進入。是甚麼在他們門前設下攔阻呢？就是罪；就是不信——那針對救治之法、針對我們的投奔而犯的罪。那些像以色列人那樣不信神、不信祂的大能和良善，又寧可要埃及的葱蒜而不要迦南的奶與蜜的人，必公義地被關在祂的安息之外：他們的結局必如此；是他們自己決定了這結局。所以我們當畏懼（來 4:1）。
英文原文
Warning against Hardness of Heart
⁷ —To day if ye will hear his voice,
⁸ Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness:
⁹ When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work.
¹⁰ Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways:
¹¹ Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.
The latter part of this psalm, which begins in the middle of a verse, is an exhortation to those who sing gospel psalms to live gospel lives, and to hear the voice of God's word; otherwise, how can they expect that he should hear the voice of their prayers and praises? Observe,
I. The duty required of all those that are the people of Christ's pasture and the sheep of his hand. He expects that they hear his voice, for he has said, My sheep hear my voice, Joh 10:27. We are his people, say they. Are you so? Then hear his voice. If you call him Master, or Lord, then do the things which he says, and be his willing obedient people. Hear the voice of his doctrine, of his law, and, in both, of his Spirit; hear and heed; hear and yield. Hear his voice, and not the voice of a stranger. If you will hear his voice; some take it as a wish, O that you would hear his voice! that you would be so wise, and do so well for yourselves; like that, If thou hadst known (Lu 19:42), that is, O that thou hadst known! Christ's voice must be heard to-day; this the apostle lays much stress upon, applying it to the gospel day. While he is speaking to you see that you attend to him, for this day of your opportunities will not last always; improve it, therefore, while it is called to-day, Heb 3:13,15. Hearing the voice of Christ is the same with believing. To-day, if by faith you accept the gospel offer, well and good, but to-morrow it may be too late. In a matter of such vast importance nothing is more dangerous than delay.
II. The sin they are warned against, as inconsistent with the believing obedient ear required, and that is hardness of heart. If you will hear his voice, and profit by what you hear, then do not harden your hearts; for the seed sown on the rock never brought any fruit to perfection. The Jews therefore believed not the gospel of Christ because their hearts were hardened; they were not convinced of the evil of sin, and of their danger by reason of sin, and therefore they regarded not the offer of salvation; they would not bend to the yoke of Christ, nor yield to his demands; and, if the sinner's heart be hardened, it is his own act and deed (he hardening it himself) and he alone shall bear the blame for ever.
III. The example they are warned by, which is that of the Israelites in the wilderness.
1. "Take heed of sinning as they did, lest you be shut out of the everlasting rest as they were out of Canaan." Be not, as your fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, Ps 78:8. Thus here, Harden not your heart as you did (that is, your ancestors) in the provocation, or in Meribah, the place where they quarrelled with God and Moses (Ex 17:2-7), and in the day of temptation in the wilderness, Ps 95:8. So often did they provoke God by their distrusts and murmurings that the whole time of their continuance in the wilderness might be called a day of temptation, or Massah, the other name given to that place (Ex 17:7), because they tempted the Lord, saying, Is the Lord among us or is he not? This was in the wilderness, where they could not help themselves, but lay at God's mercy, and where God wonderfully helped them and gave them such sensible proofs of his power and tokens of his favour as never any people had before or since. Note, (1.) Days of temptation are days of provocation. Nothing is more offensive to God than disbelief of his promise and despair of the performance of it because of some difficulties that seem to lie in the way. (2.) The more experience we have had of the power and goodness of God the greater is our sin if we distrust him. What, to tempt him in the wilderness, where we live upon him! This is as ungrateful as it is absurd and unreasonable. (3.) Hardness of heart is at the bottom of all our distrusts of God and quarrels with him. That is a hard heart which receives not the impressions of divine discoveries and conforms not to the intentions of the divine will, which will not melt, which will not bend. (4.) The sins of others ought to be warnings to us not to tread in their steps. The murmurings of Israel were written for our admonition, 1Co 10:11.
2. Now here observe,
(1.) The charge drawn up, in God's name, against the unbelieving Israelites, Ps 95:9,10. God here, many ages after, complains of their ill conduct towards him, with the expressions of high resentment. [1.] Their sin was unbelief: they tempted God and proved him; they questioned whether they might take his word, and insisted upon further security before they would go forward to Canaan, by sending spies; and, when those discouraged them, they protested against the sufficiency of the divine power and promise, and would make a captain and return into Egypt, Nu 14:3,4. This is called rebellion, De 1:26,32. [2.] The aggravation of this sin was that they saw God's work; they saw what he had done for them in bringing them out of Egypt, nay, what he was now doing for them every day, this day, in the bread he rained from heaven for them and the water out of the rock that followed them, than which they could not have more unquestionable evidences of God's presence with them. With them even seeing was not believing, because they hardened their hearts, though they had seen what Pharaoh got by hardening his heart. [3.] The causes of their sin. See what God imputed it to: It is a people that do err in their hearts, and they have not known my ways. Men's unbelief and distrust of God, their murmurings and quarrels with him, are the effect of their ignorance and mistake. First, Of their ignorance: They have not known my ways. They saw his work (Ps 95:9) and he made known his acts to them (Ps 103:7); and yet they did not know his ways, the ways of his providence, in which he walked towards them, or the ways of his commandments, in which he would have them to walk towards him: they did not know, they did not rightly understand and therefore did not approve of these. Note, The reason why people slight and forsake the ways of God is because they do not know them. Secondly, Of their mistake: They do err in their heart; they wander out of the way; in heart they turn back. Note, Sins are errors, practical errors, errors in heart; such there are, and as fatal as errors in the head. When the corrupt affections pervert the judgment, and so lead the soul out of the ways of duty and obedience, there is an error of the heart. [4.] God's resentment of their sin: Forty years long was I grieved with this generation. Note, The sins of God's professing people do not only anger him, but grieve him, especially their distrust of him; and God keeps an account how often (Nu 14:22) and how long they grieve him. See the patience of God towards provoking sinners; he was grieved with them forty years, and yet those years ended in a triumphant entrance into Canaan made by the next generation. If our sins have grieved God, surely they should grieve us, and nothing in sin should grieve us so much as that.
(2.) The sentence passed upon them for their sin (Ps 95:11): "Unto whom I swore in my wrath, If they shall enter into my rest, then say I am changeable and untrue:" see the sentence at large, Nu 14:21, etc. Observe, [1.] Whence this sentence came—from the wrath of God. He swore solemnly in his wrath, his just and holy wrath; but let not men therefore swear profanely in their wrath, their sinful brutish wrath. God is not subject to such passions as we are; but he is said to be angry, very angry, at sin and sinners, to show the malignity of sin and the justice of God's government. That is certainly an evil thing which deserves such a recompence of revenge as may be expected from a provoked Deity. [2.] What it was: That they should not enter into his rest, the rest which he had prepared and designed for them, a settlement for them and theirs, that none of those who were enrolled when they came out of Egypt should be found written in the roll of the living at their entering into Canaan, but Caleb and Joshua. [3.] How it was ratified: I swore it. It was not only a purpose, but a decree; the oath showed the immutability of his counsel; the Lord swore, and will not repent. It cut off the thought of any reserve of mercy. God's threatenings are as sure as his promises.
Now this case of Israel may be applied to those of their posterity that lived in David's time, when this psalm was penned; let them hear God's voice, and not harden their hearts as their fathers did, lest, if they were stiffnecked like them, God should be provoked to forbid them the privileges of his temple at Jerusalem, of which he had said, This is my rest. But it must be applied to us Christians, because so the apostle applies it. There is a spiritual and eternal rest set before us, and promised to us, of which Canaan was a type; we are all (in profession, at least) bound for this rest; yet many that seem to be so come short and shall never enter into it. And what is it that puts a bar in their door? It is sin; it is unbelief, that sin against the remedy, against our appeal. Those that, like Israel, distrust God, and his power and goodness, and prefer the garlick and onions of Egypt before the milk and honey of Canaan, will justly be shut out from his rest: so shall their doom be; they themselves have decided it. Let us therefore fear, Heb 4:1.
要解明本篇，我們可從使徒的論述中得著許多亮光（來 3:1-4:16）；那裡既表明本篇乃大衛所寫，也表明它是為彌賽亞的日子而作的；因為那裡明說（來 4:7），此處所論及的「日子」（詩 95:7）當理解為福音之日——在此日神藉著祂的兒子向我們說話，其聲音是我們當留心聽的；祂又向我們提出一個安息，是迦南的安息以外的。唱詩篇的目的有二：一、我們當「向主歌唱讚美」——本篇正是激發我們如此行、並幫助我們如此行，呼召我們讚美神（詩 95:1,2），因祂為至大的神（詩 95:3-5），又因祂為我們施恩的厚賜者（詩 95:6,7）；二、我們當教導並勸誡自己與彼此——本篇教導並警告我們要聽神的聲音（詩 95:7），不可硬著心，像以色列人在曠野所行的那樣（詩 95:8,9），免得我們也像他們一樣落在神的烈怒之下、並錯失祂的安息（詩 95:10,11）。本篇必以對神威嚴的聖潔敬畏、並對祂公義的畏懼來唱，帶著討祂喜悅的渴望、並得罪祂的恐懼。