Hebrews, Verse by Verse Elder Vernon Johnson

יּקנרק'ד

Hebrews Chapter 12 Verses 18-24

:18 “For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, 19 And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard entreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more: 20 (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart: 21 And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:) 22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, 23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, 24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.”

Paul laid out to the Jewish people, who were either worshipping under the law or were thinking about departing from grace and going back under the law system of worship, the two kingdoms for comparison. One of the kingdoms is the kingdom that God established with the nation of Israel at Mt. Sinai. The other kingdom is the Kingdom of God.

Mount Sinai represented the law kingdom and Mount Sion represented the Kingdom of God. Mount Sinai is described as burning with fire (fire represents God’s wrathful judgment of sin), and blackness (gloom), and darkness (obscurity), and tempest (storm). The sound of a trumpet was for the gathering of the people, however, notice what the people were gathered unto: Ex. 19:16 “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.” They were gathered unto the judgment of God because of sin. The trumpet of the law was exceeding loud and caused the people to tremble at the mighty judgment of God. “And the voice of words; which voice they that heard entreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more:” When God speaks in the voice of judgment, no one can endure. No wonder they entreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more.

“(For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart: 21 And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:)” Death was the penalty for touching the mountain. Paul is pointing out that worshipping under the law is tantamount to death as the final outcome of the law is death in all its aspects.

In contrast to the covenant of the law, Paul points out that under the covenant of grace we have come to something far better:

1. We are come to Mount Sion and the city of the living God. Mount Sion is described in Ps. 48:1 “A Song and Psalm for the sons of Korah. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness. 2 Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.”

2. The city of the living God is described as the heavenly Jerusalem. The earthly Jerusalem is located in the land of Canaan. The heavenly Jerusalem has its headquarters in heaven itself.

3. To an innumerable company of angels.

4. To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven. This is the description of the elect family of God. Christ is the firstborn among many brethren as Rom. 8:29, 30 describes: “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified:” Their names are written in heaven.

5. And to God the Judge of all. According to the scriptures every sin and disobedience receives a just recompense of reward. Also, the wages of sin is death. The elect are judged in Christ and the non-elect are judged in the lake of fire judgment at the end of this time world.

6. And to the spirits of just men made perfect. Men do not make themselves just and they do not make themselves perfect. They are made just and made perfect by the sacrificial atonement of Christ and the quickening of the Holy Spirit in regeneration.

7. And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant. Here Paul points us right back to Rom. 8:29, 30 and the mediatory work of Jesus Christ in calling, justifying, and glorifying the elect that God foreknew and predestinated to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ.

8. And to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.” The blood of Abel spoke of revenge, whereas, the blood of Christ speaks to us of forgiveness and deliverance from sin.

Obviously it is far better to come to Mount Sion than it is to come to Mount Sinai.

Verses 25-29

:25 “See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: 26 Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. 27 And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: 29 For our God is a consuming fire.”

“See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven…” Paul issues a warning here to God’s people not to turn away from him that speaketh (Christ). There was judgment under the law for those who turned away from that which was spoken. How much greater judgment would we be worthy of if we turned away from Christ who speaks from heaven? To turn from grace to turn back unto the law would put us in jeopardy of the timely punishment of God.

“Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.” The purpose of this shaking is to shake out those things that are no longer needed or desirable in the kingdom of God. “And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.” When Christ came and established a new covenant of worship and service in the kingdom of God, the elements of the law under which the Jewish nation had observed for hundreds of years were both fulfilled by Christ and then done away with in the kingdom of God. They were shaken out.

“Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:” The kingdom of God cannot be moved. We may depart our service and worship in the kingdom here on earth, but the kingdom remains. We having received such a kingdom that cannot be moved can by the grace of God serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.

“For our God is a consuming fire.” Our God has consumed our sins in judgment at the cross. Furthermore, through his chastening and leadership he consumes away from us in our walks of life, the things we need to depart from so that we may serve, and worship, and fellowship him in a more acceptable way.