End of the World

This morning we are completing Hebrews chapter 9, but we are also wrapping up our series Better Things.

I think it is fitting that we are ending at a point which is the pinnacle, the crescendo of existence in v26. The End of the World.

Ages

Let’s read v26

Hebrews 9:26 KJV 1900

26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

You see that world is used twice in this verse? For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world (There is once). but now once in the end of the world (There is twice). These words are different

2 Worlds

World #1 - Kosmos

The first time world is mentioned, it is the word kosmos in Greek. You know this word, it’s another name for the universe — all of existence. — The foundation of the world here clearly refers to the time of creation.

World #2 - Aion

But the second word for world is a little different. It is the word αἰών (aiōn). This word means ages or era. Kosmos deals with physical existence, but Aion deals with time.

And it is worth noting that the word Aion which our second world is translated from is plural. This subject is the End of the world. But to be more precise for our understanding. It is the end of the era — era’s plural.

Completion of Era’s Past

So what we are talking about is the completion of the era’s past. And since we have been talking about how all of redemptive history until the cross, has pointed to the cross: being an illustration of things to come: We can see the point. This is the End. The culmination of everything that has come before.

The Passage

So if you have your Bibles with you this morning, please turn over to Hebrews 9, we will be reading v25-28

Hebrews 9:25–28 KJV 1900

25 Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; 26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: 28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

Our message this morning is entitled End of the World and like I mentioned this is the final message in our series Better Things.

Let’s Pray

Sin Marches On

In Romans 5:12 we read this

Romans 5:12 (KJV 1900)

… by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

By one man in entered into the world

Adam. This defining moment in the garden where humanity was given its choice. — We only know of one rule given to them, one simple instruction. Eat the fruit of whatever tree you want, except for one tree. If you eat from this one tree you will die.

No regrets in the garden

Can you imagine the innocence they had. The lack of baggage. Have you seen the picture of the person who got the tattoo that was supposed to read “no regrets” but ended up reading “no regerts?” Oops. But up to this point Adam and Eve had no regrets, not because of arrogance, but because they had done nothing to regret!

The continuation of rebellion

Well, that changed with one act of rebellion didn’t it. Romans 5:12 and countless places throughout scripture makes it clear that ever since, all of humanity to follow would be stained by a heart of sin against God. I think that even if scripture didn’t tells us, we would figure out on our own that everyone sins. Everyone rebels against God.

A harmless thing?

We can think that it is no big deal. Rebellion seems like a relatively harmless thing, so long as nobody is getting hurt. In fact, rebel in our culture is seen as more of a positive thing than a negative. Someone who pushes back against the establishment, who obviously is unjust — because they are — the establishment.

It is worth noting that anti-establishment-arian-ism is considered to be the longest word in the english language. That claim is being contested since it was made by the establishment.

Saul’s Rebellion

Israel’s first King, Saul had a heart of rebellion. Follow with me to 1 Samuel 15 where we see Saul had gotten to the point where enough was enough. Look at v3

1 Samuel 15:3 KJV 1900

3 Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.

The instruction is pretty clear hear, and well, pretty harsh also. This is a passage that has drawn a lot of criticism — To see that God would have even Amalekite: women, infants and children massacred is hard for an American in the 21st century to digest.

And Old Problem

The Amalekites were a problem from the beginning. A very popular Sunday School passage comes from Exodus 17 where Israel was attacked with provocation. And if you remember, as long as Moses kept his arms raised Israel was winning the battle but when his arms tired and they lowered, they started loosing. So Aaron and Hur held up Moses hands. Who they were fighting, who attacked them without provocation was the Ameliktes.

All of this concludes with Exodus 17:14 where Israel had prevailed and we read this:

Exodus 17:14 KJV 1900

14 And the Lord said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.

You might think that is harsh but Deut 25:17-18 gives us a little more detail on what this attack was like

Deuteronomy 25:17–18 KJV 1900

17 Remember what Amalek did unto thee by the way, when ye were come forth out of Egypt; 18 How he met thee by the way, and smote the hindmost of thee, even all that were feeble behind thee, when thou wast faint and weary; and he feared not God.

These people saw Israel as weak prey and came up behind them targeting the weak and slow. That would have included the elderly and the women and children. — Jewish tradition says that the Amalekites were evil sorcerers.

Complete Destruction

I know that the completeness of the genocide of the Amalekite people seems harsh but I want you to consider a few things:

God had promised this vengeance upon them for their attack of Israel, when Israel was most vulnerable. No doing so would have made God a liar.

These were wicked people who God had decided to eliminate from causing anymore harm

If they had taken the animals, people would have looked at Israel as a nation that just killed the Amalekite’s to loot them for their stuff

And the most difficult truth. Remember that this was 1000 years before the birth of Christ. There would have been nobody to take care of any infants that would have remained. As uncomfortable of a reality as it is, they would have starved to death.

It is ugly business but God was ridding the world of a people of great evil. So much so that even the Babylonians had distaste for them, calling them plunderers.

Back to Saul

So. back to Saul. God gave Saul pretty explicit instruction in 1 Samuel 15. Basically, kill everyone and every animal.

So look what Saul does starting in v7

1 Samuel 15:7–9 KJV 1900

7 And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur, that is over against Egypt. 8 And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. 9 But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.

He spared the King. Killed everyone else, but spared the King. Then he decided to only kill the livestock that was worthless. Even claiming that he kept the livestock to be sacrificed to God.

Samuel, the prophet of God said this to Saul in vv22-23

1 Samuel 15:22–23 (KJV 1900)

… Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to hearken than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, He hath also rejected thee from being king.

Hebrews Context

See this makes a lot more sense to us, having just read through the first half of the book of Hebrews. We know that sacrifice is only a picture of the atonement that had to be made for sin. The sacrifice itself didn’t do anything really. It’s like what Jesus said about the Sabath, that the Sabath was made for man — well the sacrificial system was made for man too — To remind man of how series, and how great the consequence was for rebelling against God’s law.

So what does Saul do? He rebels against God and brings back livestock to sacrifice to God. Something God only wanted to remind people not to rebel against Him. Saul at least gets points for irony, I guess.

Rebellion

So what does v23 of Hebrews 15 say again? Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft. Well, there is some more irony for Saul. The very evil that the Amalekites were known for, God says that rebellion is the same thing.

Stubbornness

Stubbornness God calls idolatry. How does stubbornness like idolatry? This word idolatry פצר (pṣr) in Hebrew has with it the idea of pushing your own way. This is presumption.

We see people like this in the workplace all the time, don’t we. There is a way that something is supposed to be done, but you have that one person who just has to do things there own way. Why? Well, it’s because they are obviously smarter and obviously know better than everyone else on how things should be done. — Just a piece of advice to our young folks, when you get into the workforce, don’t be that guy. That guy usually gets fired from a lot of jobs.

Well, what is this same attitude when it comes to God’s commands? It is presumption — it is deciding that you know better than God. How is this idolatry? Well if your have decided that your understanding is greater than God’s command then what have you done. You have put yourself over God. — You have made an idol of yourself.

Be Careful

See, we need to be very careful about this. There are a lot of people who identify as Christian, and they see what God has instructed. But then, they decide to cherry pick or explain away things in scripture that are difficult or unpopular to believe. That is like Saul declaring “Well, God I know that you said kill everything, but I had a much better idea.

One Death

We find sin running rampant through history. We see it documented in scripture from the highest levels. But here is the thing. Scripture makes it clear that animal sacrifices didn’t really do anything about sin. I am jumping ahead to next week but Hebrews 10:4 is a well known verse, stating:

Hebrews 10:4 KJV 1900

4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.

Sacrifice Jesus

Even though animal sacrifice does nothing for sin, what we don’t find is Jesus be offered over and over again since the garden to deal with this perpetual sin problem.

You are probably familiar with Hebrews 9:27 out of context, but lets look at 27 and 28 together

Hebrews 9:27–28 KJV 1900

27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: 28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

It was just last week that I told you that the awfulness of physical death was just a picture given to you and I so that we could understand the grave reality of the spiritual death brought about by sin.

But here we see another picture. A better picture. We die once, and then the judgment. But with Jesus it was the same way. He died once — Then Judgement.

That is why we don’t see Christ being constantly sacrificed. It is appointed unto men once to die. And just like you and I Christ was appointed to die only once. And then what? Just like you and I, after death Christ faced judgment.

Insufficient

Here is the thing. How many people are going to receive the judgment of God and cry out “But God, I was a good person!”. That’s presumption. Because that is not what God said to do.

In John 6:47 Jesus says

John 6:47 KJV 1900

47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.

It is turning away from our sin, and in putting our faith in trust in Christ for our salvation that we do things God’s way. — Because when Christ made his sacrifice it was once, and it was enough to save all of mankind from spiritual and eternal death. There is no need for anything else, any other sacrifice to ever be done.

We can’t find proofs in things that haven’t happened yet, but that Christ didn’t have to be sacrificed over and over again throughout history, we see the point that our Lord was able to make true atonement for the sin of all of mankind in the past, all at once. That demonstrates the reasonableness of stating that this same atonement is sufficient for all of mankind in the future, which we can’t yet observe.

Closing

This morning if you know that you have been doing things, presumptuously, rationalizing away what parts of scripture you disagree with. I ask that you take a moment to ask yourself, who is it really that you worship? God or yourself?

I hope that you will make a decision that God is Lord. We don’t have any promise of tomorrow, so I hope you make that decision today. If you have any questions about what it is to be saved or how salvation is followed by obedience by baptism. We are going to close in prayer in just a moment. Please see me afterward. It would be my great blessing to talk to you more about our savior and answer any questions that you might have.

Let’s Pray