Post 25 of Study: Hebrews 3

The writer uses the word "harden" three times here. So we have to ask, do we harden our hearts? In this case it is not in regard to human compassion, but hardening in rebellion against God and hardened because of the deceitfulness of sin. (And if we are hardened in those ways, we are more than likely hardened to compassion for fellow humans.)

Think of the parable of the sowers. What we should take from that is that our hearts need plowing up. We are not receptive to God or His Word when we do not open our minds and hearts and say, "There is a lot I don't know; a lot of what I think I know may not be right; worse, I might be hardened to in other ways." The soil of my heart is packed down, to the point that it is like asphalt and only heavy machinery could break it up." 

It's an interesting metaphor. We've all seen the bumper sticker: "Minds are like parachutes. They are only good if they are open." Humorous, thoughtful, but not always relevant. We can't be open about everything, and at the same time we can't be closed to everything.  

This is an area where God deals with individuals; the only thing we can say is that hardening one heart is a dangerous position.