What does the 40 years in Psalm 95 refer to?
The 40 years in Psalm 95 refers to Israel’s wilderness wandering in Sinai after they rejected at Kadesh Barnea to go into the Promised Land. During that period their fathers tested and proved God, saw His works, yet erred in heart through unbelief, so God swore they would not enter His rest.
Les explains that Psalm 95:7-11 is speaking of the 40 years after Israel rejected at Kadesh Barnea to go into the Promised Land; they came back out and wandered in the wilderness of Sinai for those 40 years. The psalmist refers to that time when he writes, “harden not your heart, as in the provocation, as in the day of temptation in the wilderness,” where the fathers tested and proved God and saw His works 40 years. Les ties this to the theme that unbelief is at the heart of all disobedience; as long as Israel had faith in God’s Word they were obedient, but when they did not believe what God said, sin came in over them. He then points to Hebrews chapter 3, where the writer to the Hebrews clarifies that portion in the Psalms and emphasizes unbelief, and God swore in His wrath that generation would not enter His rest.