What does Psalm 95:7 mean?

When the Bible was originally written, it was not divided into chapters or verses. Those were added much later, to make it easier to locate certain statements. Here, the last phrase of this verse is more connected to what comes after than to what comes before.

The psalmist has been describing reasons to worship the Lord (Psalm 95:2–6). This includes the imagery of a shepherd and a flock of sheep. David used the same analogy in his writing (Psalm 23:1). According to David, trusting obedience to God resulted in blessing (Psalm 23:2–3). This also eased fear and anxiety (Psalm 23:4). In John 10, Jesus echoed many of these ideas. He assured His followers about His love, protection, and guidance.

Next, the psalm transitions into a warning. Those who hear the voice of the Lord should respond immediately, not delaying their obedience (Psalm 119:60). Ignoring the message of God means missing His blessings, or worse. An example of this was Israel's faithlessness and disobedience after leaving Egypt (Exodus 17:7; Numbers 20:13). The book of Hebrews cites this psalm to make these same points (Hebrews 3:7–11, 15, 4:3–7).

God "speaks" to people in various ways, depending on the timeline of His plans (Hebrews 1:1). Some heard from the Lord in very overt ways. For others, it was more subtle. For the modern believer, God speaks through His written Word (2 Timothy 3:16) and the Holy Spirit (John 14:26), which point to the Lord's ultimate message in Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:1–2).