A Tale of Two Mountains
Notes
Transcript
18 You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; 19 to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, 20 because they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.” 21 The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.”
22 But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, 23 to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
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.
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,
Introduction
Introduction
Recap Hebrews
Cemetery Hill
Two Mountains
Two Mountains
Sinai
Sinai
18 You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; 19 to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, 20 because they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.” 21 The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.”
Description
Description
Can be touched – physical mountain
Darkness gloom and storm
18 When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance 19 and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.”
A trumpet blast
16 On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled.
19 As the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him.
Death from touching the mountain
12 Put limits for the people around the mountain and tell them, ‘Be careful that you do not approach the mountain or touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain is to be put to death. 13 They are to be stoned or shot with arrows; not a hand is to be laid on them. No person or animal shall be permitted to live.’ Only when the ram’s horn sounds a long blast may they approach the mountain.”
Moses feared (golden calf)
18 Then once again I fell prostrate before the Lord for forty days and forty nights; I ate no bread and drank no water, because of all the sin you had committed, doing what was evil in the Lord’s sight and so arousing his anger. 19 I feared the anger and wrath of the Lord, for he was angry enough with you to destroy you. But again the Lord listened to me.
Emphasis
Emphasis
A physical mountain
Distance
Fear
The Inadequacy of the Law
The Inadequacy of the Law
18 Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. 19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
20 The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, 21 so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
On Sinai, God advances his promises to Abraham by increasing the trespass.
Sinai demonstrates the inaccessibility of God to us.
God approaches us, but prevents us from approaching him.
Zion
Zion
22 But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, 23 to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
Description
Description
A heavenly city
Zion refers to the Jebusite city which David conquered and eventually became Jerusalem
The emphasis here is on a city of a heavenly nature
This is the place of Jesus rule
City of the Living God
8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. 9 By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
The fearful assembly of the people is replaced with the joyful assembly of the angels
Heb 1-2 emphasized the superiority of Christ to the angels, now we are called to gather with the angels in joyful assembly
The church of the firstborn whose names are in heaven
Believers are included in this joyful assembly – welcomed rather than pushed away
To a judge the God of all
God has not changed, he is still a holy judge, but now access has been provided.
How?
To the spirits of the righteous made perfect
14 For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.
While the Sinai way demonstrated transgressions which created distance between God and the people, now they have been renovated – they are made perfect.
39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, 40 since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
To Jesus the mediator of a new covenant and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel
The New Covenant with its transformational blessings is better than the Old Covenant given on the old mountain
The sprinkled blood of Abel brought the condemnation and exile of Cain, while the sprinkled blood of Jesus brings reconciliation and redemption
Emphasis
Emphasis
Spiritual place (contra physical)
Access (contra distance)
Celebration (contra fear)
What do we do with this mountain?
The Mountain Is Calling
The Mountain Is Calling
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.
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.”
While our text presents Zion as a place that welcomes us to a joyful celebration, that ought not cause us to take it lightly
Wedding
The seriousness of this joyful celebration demands a response
John Muir
Two responses
Two responses
Do not refuse him
Worship him
The superiority of the word spoken through Jesus doesn’t lessen the demands but strengthens them.
Judgment is coming. All creation will be brought to account, do not reject the only way out
Everything you look around and see, everything that pulls at your heart demanding your loyalty – promising joy and happiness – will be shaken and destroyed.
Jesus and what he provides is the only thing worth living for.
