Hebrews 12:18, 22-24 NLT
[18] “You have not come to a physical mountain, to a place of flaming fire, darkness, gloom, and whirlwind, as the Israelites did at Mount Sinai….
[22] No, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering. [23] You have come to the assembly of God’s firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect. [24] You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel.”
In a grand crescendo of comparison and celebration, our writer shows his readers how vastly different is the destiny of those who remain faithful to Jesus from those who go back to the law and into slavery.
What constitutes the difference between the environment and atmosphere of worship at Mt Sinai and Mt Zion? Is it not uncertainty and fear versus confidence and joy?
Since the law given at Sinai demanded obedience, and disobedience was punishable by death, the people had no guarantee of ever satisfying God’s holy standards. How could they achieve the righteousness of God when all they had to offer, according to Isaiah and Jeremiah, was the “filthy rags” of their own self-effort?
Isaiah 64:6 NLT
[6] “We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind.”
Jeremiah 17:9 NLT
[9] “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?”
As they wrestled with the unfaithfulness of God’s people, both Isaiah and Jeremiah recognised the futility of trying to get people to obey God. It would never happen because people are rotten to the core. There had to be another way.
Mt Zion speaks of the seat of God’s government. Who occupies the throne? None other than Jesus Himself.
Psalms 2:6-7 NIV
[6] “I have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain.” [7] I will proclaim the Lord’s decree: He said to me, “You are my son; today I have become your father.”
The writer has already triumphantly declared…
Hebrews 2:9-11 NIV
[9]”But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. [10] In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. [11] Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.”
What a difference! The onus of perfect obedience to God’s law was shifted from sinful humans to the perfect representative human, Jesus Himself. No longer are humans judged for disobedience. Jesus was judged in our place. Since He perfectly satisfied all God’s holy standards and then died as though He had broken them all, He was elevated to the position of King in Zion.
Psalms 2:5-6 NIV
[5] “He rebukes them (the rebellious rulers) in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, [6] “I have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain.”
Philippians 2:8-11 NIV
[8] “And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! [9] Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, [10] that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, [11] and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Therefore, we have every reason to live our lives in joyful celebration because Jesus did everything for us to restore us to fellowship with the Father. We join with all the angelic hosts in heaven and all the saints who have gone before us to rejoice in God our Father, Jesus our Saviour, and the Holy Spirit our Helper, because we have been freed from sin to enjoy glory forever.
Just think of it! On which mountain would you choose to worship? On Mt Sinai, a place of fire and smoke, laws and commands, judgement and fear…or Mt Zion, in joyful and confident celebration, together with God’s entire family of people and angels, all because of Jesus,
Hebrews 12:24 NIV
[24] “… Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.”
Why Abel? He was the first victim of murder, the epitome of sin, his blood stolen from him and demanding vengeance for that which his brother did to him… murder, the outcome of Adam’s rebellion aginst God.
Jesus’ blood was also the result of murder but.. His blood was not taken by force but given willingly for us. For what purpose? Mercy, not vengeance! Blood for blood, God’s justice fully satisfied.
Hebrews 12:25-27 NIV
[25] “See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? [26] At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” [27] The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.”
To refuse this gift and this promise of eternal life will have serious and everlasting consequences. When God came down on Mt Sinai, the earth shook and the people trembled in fear. How much greater will be the fear of those who refuse God’s grace when He shakes the universe at the end of time! Without the gift of eternal salvation, those who are not secured by faith in Jesus will go out with the trash!
Hebrews 12:28-29 NIV
[28] Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, [29] for our “God is a consuming fire.”
There can only, ever be one appropriate response to this great salvation that God has achieved for mankind, to worship Him with gratitude and awe. Anything else will put unbelieving humans into fiery judgment and eternal loss.
To be continued…