Inheritance

Hebrews 12:12-28

.......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. 19 For they heard an awesome trumpet blast and a voice so terrible that they begged God to stop speaking. 20 They staggered back under God’s command: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.” 21 Moses himself was so frightened at the sight that he said, “I am terrified and trembling.”

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.

25 Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the One who is speaking. For if the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, we will certainly not escape if we reject the One who speaks to us from heaven! 26 When God spoke from Mount Sinai his voice shook the earth, but now he makes another promise: “Once again I will shake not only the earth but the heavens also.” 27 This means that all of creation will be shaken and removed, so that only unshakable things will remain.

28 Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe. 29 For our God is a devouring fire.

This past Wed. night we had a great discussion of the future for those that believe in Christ! It is powerful to the believer and I would say underestimated! Underestimated, because we just cannot grasp the entirety of being with God as Adam and Eve experienced before their sin!

What God knows is that it is greater than any earthly/fleshly experience!

It is so great, that a refusal of the Glorious Presence of God can be considered of great torment!

It could possibly be part of the torment in Hades/Hell!

Jesus when He was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane....Luke 22:44 “And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”

He also told the disciples Matthew 26:38 “Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.”

Then on the cross is the greater evidence of this......Matthew 27:46 “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”

That is why the writer of Hebrews is instructing the readers to continue and no go after their life as Esau did! Seeking to fulfill the desires of his flesh rather than the birthright of God’s people!

It is doesn’t seem that Esau did very much immorally at the point of his refusal of his birthright!

Jacob tricked him, yes but he was willing to give it away for food!

The inheritance did not mean as much to him as filling his belly!

You can read the account of the twin sons of Issac in Genesis 25....

But for us and the readers of this letter, it is stated that we do not look at correction from God as a horrible thing but that He is leading us to a Greater inheritance!

Do not let anyone stumble and fall away from this powerful Grace of God through Christ!

The writer goes on to tell them that they are no longer at Mt. Sinai, where to approach God was to much to handle, that no beast could even touch that the mountain where God was, if so they would be stoned or pierced through with a spear!

We are no longer at Mt. Sinai, but Mt. Zion, the city of the Living God.....the Heavenly Jerusalem!

We are the church of the Firstborn........Colossians 1:12-15 “Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:”

In Christ are names are written in Heaven....Luke 10:20 “Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.”

Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant.....1 Timothy 2:5 “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;”

This is a powerful truth because heaven and earth will be shaken....Joel 3:16 “The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, And utter his voice from Jerusalem; And the heavens and the earth shall shake: But the Lord will be the hope of his people, And the strength of the children of Israel.”

Haggai 2:6 “For thus saith the Lord of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, And I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land;”

Nothing will escape, but those that are joint-heirs with Christ!

God is a consuming fire.........Deuteronomy 4:24 “For the Lord thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.”

2 Thessalonians 1:7-8 “And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:”

1 Peter 1:3-9.......

The earth is devastated by sin......A Divine curse has been placed upon this world!

Therefore, I want this to be a strange land and look for a Glorious Home

2 Corinthians 5:1 “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”

Exodus 19:16-19 “And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount. And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly. And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice.”

Exodus 20:18-19 “And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off. And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.”