Sermon Tone Analysis

*Hebrews 12:18-22…* For you have not come to /a mountain/ that can be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind, 19 and to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words which /sound was such that /those who heard begged that no further word be spoken to them.

20 For they could not bear the command, “If even a beast touches the mountain, it will be stoned.”

21 And so terrible was the sight, /that /Moses said, “I am full of fear and trembling.”

22 But you have come to Mount Zion…

 

*Commentary*

Beginning in 12:18 the author sets forth another example of the superiority of Christ and the New Covenant (NC) by reminding his Jewish audience of what transpired during the giving of the Law in Exodus 19-20 (circa 1445 BC).

In that account Moses ascended to the top of Mt.

Sinai (a.k.a., Horeb) to face the Lord God and receive the written Law which would govern Israel – God’s covenant people.

The Law given, the Decalogue, was the “old covenant.”

The occasion in Exodus 19-20 was absolutely awesome, for the description pictures an actual mountain where the tablets of God’s written law were given to Moses by God Himself.

These tablets contained terrifying warnings and severe ramifications for disobedience.

While giving the Law to Moses, God’s presence surrounded the mountain that day like a blazing fire, like darkness and gloom (cf. 2 Pet.

2:4; Jude 6), and like a “whirlwind” – a term that is used to describe a brief but violent and sudden destructive blast that, like a tornado, carries objects high into the sky.

God manifested Himself that day in this way so that Israel would behold His glory and so that He might secure authority and reverence to His Law (Ex.

19:9).

Even if an innocent animal were to have wandered up to the mountain and touched it that day God would have commanded that it be killed.

Worse, if a rebellious Israelite would have consciously approached the mountain before being summoned they would have been condemned to death by the Law.

As God’s presence descended upon the mountain three days later the people saw it and were terrified.

And as the blast of a heavenly trumpet began to sound, it gradually became louder and louder summoning the people to the base of the mountain.

This terrified them even more, to the point where they begged Moses to speak to them in God’s stead, for His presence was more than they could bear.

Moses attempted to comfort them by saying, “Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of Him may be before you, that you may not sin” (Ex.

20:20).

Hebrews 12:21 quotes Moses as saying, “I am full of fear and trembling,” yet Exodus does not record this.

Moses did say this on the people’s behalf however.

He was their mediator, and he brought their fearful complaint before God.

In this way he can be quoted as such, for he spoke on Israel’s behalf who were not able to bear the One commanding them or the command given to them that even if an animal were to touch the mountain it was to be stoned.

Now for the contrast.

The Hebrews audience, predominately Jewish, knew all of this, but had forgotten (cf.

12:5).

Their NC Savior had brought them, not to Mt. Sinai but to Mt. Zion, the spiritual dwelling of God where all of them could come boldly before God’s throne of grace and stay there to find mercy and grace to help them in their times of need (Heb.

4:16).

*Food for Thought*

            A works salvation attempts to please a holy and awesome God who demands /perfection/ under the Law, but that’s impossible!

Salvation by grace alone through faith in Christ alone, however, submits to that same God under grace who has already made perfect those who draw near through the blood of His Son Jesus Christ, /apart from works/, who accomplished the requirements of the Law on our behalf.

Now we can approach our Father with boldness.

*Hebrews 12:22-24…* But you have come to Mt. Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to myriads of angels, 23 to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of righteous made perfect, 24 to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than Abel’s.

*Commentary*

When David drove the Jebusites out of Jerusalem he placed the ark of God on Mt.

Zion which became synonymous with God’s dwelling place.

Solomon later moved the ark from Zion to the Temple on the nearby Mt.

Moriah.

Zion was then extended to include that area.

Later, Zion became synonymous with Jerusalem as the city of God where sacrificial blood was offered.

Sinai and Zion are at odds.

Sinai was dark and terrifying; Zion is light and gracious.

Sinai, symbolizing the Law, is untouchable; Zion symbolizes mercy and is approachable.

The Law given at Sinai condemns, but grace /grants/ forgiveness and salvation – purchased on Mt.

Zion.

It is on Mt.

Zion that “the Lord commanded the blessing, life forever” (Ps.

133:3).

The Hebrews audience, by and large, because of their outward confession of Christ, had supposedly come to Mt. Zion as redeemed children of God.

They were like all Christians being citizens of the heavenly city where they spiritually dwell (Phil.

3:20).

Their residence on earth is temporary.

Now in coming to Zion, spiritually speaking, they also approached other blessings.

First, they came to the “city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem.”

This is the “city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God” (Heb.

11:10) – the one Abraham looked for in obeying God as he did.

It is the place of eternal treasure and hope for all believers, and it is exclusively for those who come to Zion for salvation, not those who come to Sinai.

Second, they came to “the general assembly” (a gathering for a public festival) of angels – myriads of them!

Thus, Christians join in with the angels in praising God when they come to Zion.

Angels were present at Mt. Sinai when God gave Moses the Law (Gal.

3:19), but they were unapproachable, blowing the trumpets of judgment (cf.

Rev. 8-9) which the Law commanded.

Third, Christians come to the “church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven,” namely, dead Christians who preceded them.

Believers in Christ are called “heirs of God and fellows heirs with Christ” (Rom.

8:17)... “the firstborn of many brethren” (8:29).

Firstborn children received the family inheritance and the blessings.

Their names were “enrolled in heaven” (Rev.

21:27) in the Lamb’s book of life before the foundation of the world (Rev.

13:8).

Fourth, Christians come to God – an impossible concept for Jews – made possible when Christ died and the veil of the temple was torn in two (Luke 23:45).

Believers also come to the “spirits of the righteous men made perfect” – the OT saints – as they join in worshipping Christ together.

These saints, unlike Christians who are made perfect at the moment of belief, had to wait for Christ’s day to realize their perfection (Heb.

11:40).

In addition, they come to Jesus who will make them like him upon seeing him.

And finally, believers come to the “sprinkled blood which speaks better than the blood of Abel.”

Abel’s blood sacrifice to God was acceptable, being offered in faith, but Jesus’ blood is a once for all sacrifice which cleanses once, for all time.

*Food for Thought*

            Take time today to contemplate the truths of Heb.

12:22-24.

Sadly, our focus is easily taken away from what is truly awesome and turned instead to worldly treasures.

We are far too often taken away by riches, leisure, sickness, and death.

As a Christian, look at what you come to when you come to Christ!

No longer take your position in Christ lightly.

Get out of bed and worship, and join with all the others in spirit who bow before His holiness, both past and present.

*Hebrews 12:25-27…* See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking.

For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned /them /on earth, much less /will /we /escape /who turn away from Him who /warns /from heaven.

26 And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heaven.”

27 This /expression/, “Yet once more,” denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.

*Commentary*

The writer’s argument went something like this: “As Christians, you have not come to darkness and gloom or to death and punishment like Israel did at Sinai.

You have come to God’s heavenly throne!

Whereas before you could not approach the Almighty God apart from a priest, now you may because His Son, the Great High Priest, has accomplished salvation for you by dying on the cross in your place.

Now you are acceptable and forgiven because of what Christ did for you.

Because of this ‘see to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking’” (12:25).

In Heb.

1:2 the writer taught that God was speaking in these “last days” through His Son.

And because His Son (Jesus Christ) is superior to all who have ever gone before and who will ever come afterward, he is not to be refused or ignored.

After all, if Israel was promised severe punishment for even touching Mt.

Sinai while God’s presence was there (on the earth) during the days of the Mosaic Law, then the punishment for ignoring Christ’s words – who speaks from heaven while at the right hand of God the Father – can only be worse.

The Israelites who ignored God at Sinai forfeited their right to enter the earthly Promised Land.

But for all who hear and ignore the words of Jesus Christ, the Lord and Savior of all men – who speaks from the heavenly Mt.

Zion – they forfeit the right to enter the heavenly Promised Land.

So since the blessings of receiving the promises of the New Covenant are infinitely greater than those of the old covenant, the ramifications for refusing the NC are also infinitely greater (cf.

Heb.

10:28-29).

While Israel stood at the base of Mt.

Sinai in Ex. 19-20 God’s presence caused the earth to shake, and it was terrifying.