What does Psalm 95:8 mean?

Following God with trust and obedience results in blessing (Deuteronomy 30:19–20; Proverbs 10:27–28; John 15:1–11). That may not always mean happiness on earth (John 16:33). But when the Lord gives us direction, our best option is to follow His lead (Psalm 23:1–3). Rejecting Him out of stubbornness leads to disaster. The psalmist has encouraged people to worship God in humility (Psalm 95:6). The alternative would be a hard-hearted rejection of His will.

Examples of this obstinate disobedience occurred when Israel left Egypt and traveled towards the Promised Land. The names Meribah and Massah mean "quarrelling" and "testing." These two names were given to Rephidim. There, the people bitterly complained about God not providing for them (Exodus 17:1–7). This came after He had already given them water (Exodus 15:22–26) and miraculously provided them with food (Exodus 16:2–3, 12–14). This same attitude was displayed when the people refused to move forward into Canaan once they arrived at the border (Numbers 14:1–4). As a result, God punished Israel with forty years of wandering (Psalm 95:10), barring an entire generation from entering the Promised Land (Numbers 14:28–32; Psalm 95:11).

The book of Hebrews uses this part of the psalm to encourage believers towards obedience, rather than fearful stubbornness (Hebrews 3:7–11, 15; 4:3–7).