In reading Psalm 95, one is struck by a transition that begins in the 7th verse. From :1-7a the Psalm is all sweetness, worship, “sheep of His hand”, etc. It makes one feel really good! But then there is a sudden shift at the end of :7 — “Today, if you would hear His voice, do not harden your hearts ….”. And the Psalm closes on a very sobering note.

This reminds us that the witness of scripture is NOT all “fluff and happiness”, positive thinking, and blessing. No one who takes its message seriously can teach so. There are somber and grave warnings in the Bible too — in every page — which we ignore at our own peril.

Yes, there are sweet and comforting truths in scripture, just as the first verses of Psalm 95 indicate. Yes, God is Lord of all; Yes, He loves us, and He wants us to be the people of His hand. But we have personal, serious decisions to make which impact whether that will be true for us — just as the second part of this Psalm warns. We must respond to His voice; we must not harden our hearts; we must not be like Israel in the wilderness, and give in to the temptations of this world; we must not, as :10 says, “err in (our) heart.”

As sweetly as the Psalm begins, there is a very sobering message at the end of :11 for those who ignore those warnings: “Therefore I swore in My anger, truly they shall not enter My rest”! There will indeed be those who do NOT enter God’s rest. And God Himself is serious enough about it that He says He “swore” that it is so!

Anyone who takes the good news of the Bible seriously must give these other passages equal weight — and most importantly, must heed their warnings personally. There is no comfort in scripture for those who want to “cherry pick” God’s blessings while ignoring His warnings. The truth is, it is not all good news. There is another side of the coin.