Hebrews 12:18-29

Finish 15-17?

Recap 12:1-17

Outline

Two mountains

warning & worship

“for”

looking back to call to be encouraged

“You have not come” verses vs 22 “but”

Contrast these believers

Mt sinai

Specifically God meeting Moses to give him the law

Read Exodus 19

God brings them out of slavery and brings them to the mountain where he dwells so they can worship him

Our ultimate purpose is worship God

Hebrews 12:18–21 “For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them. For they could not endure the order that was given, “If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.” Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I tremble with fear.””

Hebrew author is painting what seems to be a grim picture

What may be touched

This was a physical mountain that could be touched

However, you weren’t allowed to touch it

Hebrews 12:20 “For they could not endure the order that was given, “If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.””

Exodus 19:12 “And you shall set limits for the people all around, saying, ‘Take care not to go up into the mountain or touch the edge of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall be put to death.”

Also symbolizes that this mountain is a part of the created order that will pass away

Blazing fire

Not a light source but rather heat, it repelled the people. it was destructive

like the flaming sword guarding the garden

Genesis 3:24 “He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.”

Darkness, gloom, a tempest (storm, whirlwind)

This restriction

Why is it the people can’t touch the mountain, they can’t get near it, it’s guarded by fire?

Answers : Sin, holiness, the law, seperation

This is a terrifying picture…

Mountain of fire and darkenss and storms, off limits to the people or they die, and the sound of a trumpet and voice who made the people tremble

Exodus 20:18–19 “Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.””

Moses himself trembles in fear

This is the mountain that God led them to from slavery

“That which the writer describes is the form of the revelation, fire and darkness and thunder, material signs of the nature of God. Thus every element is one which outwardly moves fear.… The mountain is lost in the fire and smoke. It was, so to speak, no longer a mountain. It becomes a manifestation of terrible majesty, a symbol of the Divine Presence.” B.F Wescott

This is where God is and it is a terrifying thing for a sinner to be in the presence of the glory of the lord

Why does the author tell them this?

Because they too have come to a mountain

Israel -> slavery & bondage in egypt -> delivered from it -> to a mountain where God dwells

Church -> slavery & bondage to sin -> delivered from it -> to a mountain where God dwells

But these arent the same mountain

Where the first is a mountain of law

The second is a mountain of grace

Such were the terrors of Sinai, the mount of God’s law, where because of their sinfulness the people were unable to draw near to God’s presence. How different are the circumstances of Zion, the mount of God’s grace, where, thanks to the perfect law-keeping and the all-sufficient sacrifice of himself offered by the incarnate Son in our stead, we are invited to draw near with boldness into the heavenly holy of holies. - Philip Hughes

Mount zion is the city of the living God

Where he dwells

The heavenly Jerusalem

City of God but also city of his people

Where sinners were not allowed to touch and trembled in fear, now they too can not only touch but live themselves

not earthly

Hebrews The City of God

Sinai prohibited the entrance of sinful man. No man, woman, or child could even set foot on that mountain. But here on the mountain of grace is a city in the clouds, where God’s people dwell. The sight of Sinai produced fear, but this is a scene of great encouragement. From Sinai boomed forbidding threats, but from this mountain sounds a voice of invitation. To approach the former mountain was to tremble with fear—even Moses felt it. To draw near to this mountain is to find hope renewed with every lightened step. This is the difference made by the coming of Jesus Christ, who has removed all that stood opposed to us with God, who has taken away the darkness and fire and gloom, who transforms the mountain of fear into the mountain of grace. What a magnificent portrayal of the difference it makes that Christ has come to take away our sin.

Now describes this city

Innumerable angels in festal gathering

Like the angel in the garden, the angels ministered to guard the mountain

but now, the angels welcome those in a festal gathering

Not only do we see angels, but the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven

Firstborn

Highest rank

Double portion of inheritance

Covenant privilege

Firstborn is not something you do but someone you are

We are called firstborn because of our new birth

John 1:12 “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,”

If you are a christian, your name was written in the book of life from before the foundations of the world

The judge has declared us righteous

Sinai God delivers the law

Judgement

But all of the terror is gone

Romans 3:26 “It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”

Now the judge acts as judge but on our behalf

Romans 8:31–34 “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.”

Jesus , the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel

Moses went forward as mediator toward the other mountain with fear an trembling -> Jesus as better mediator strips away fire darkness & gloom

All of this is again serving to show why it is foolish to go back to the old covenant

Sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel

Gen 4

Abel had received Gods favor through faith but Cain did not

Cain murders Abel

God says to Cain in Gen 4

Genesis 4:9–11 “Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?” And the Lord said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground. And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.”

To cain, the blood of Abel speaks curse and despair

But as B.F Wescott remarks ““The blood of Christ pleads with God for forgiveness and speaks peace to man. The blood, that is, the abiding virtue of Christ’s offered life, is in heaven; inseparable from the glorified King and Priest.”

Look at the contrast!

Where the blood of abel is a curse for his brother, the blood of Christ serves as a blessing to his

See to it that you do not refuse him who is speaking - MAIN Exhortation

Again, DONT TURN AWAY

Why would you? look at how much better it is. All of that served to magnify Christ

Hebrews 12:25 “See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven.”

Lesser to greater argument

Those who hardened their hearts towards Gods revelation from sinai… how much less will we escape if we harden our hearts towards the gospel from zion

Notice Jesus isn’t like the nice guy in the new and God is the mean guy in the old

Jesus is coming back to destroy his enemies

2 Thessalonians 1:7–8 “and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.”

Shook the earth

At sinai, God’s voice shook the earth

But now he has promised

Haggai 2:6–7 “For thus says the Lord of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land. And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord of hosts.”

This earth will be shaken once more for good. the heavens and the earth will pass away. This place is not our home

1 John 2:17 “And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”

2 Peter 3:10 “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.”

1 Corinthians 7:31 “and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away.”

But we have a kingdom that cannot be shaken

So you can lose your job

You can lose your possessions

You can lose your status

You can lose your freedoms

You can lose your life

You are a citizen of a kingdom that cannot be shaken

2nd exhortation

Let us be grateful

And thus offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe

Our God is a consuming fire. We ought not trifle with God