Shaken or Standing Firm?

I wrote this post a few weeks ago, but waited until now to publish it. I believe this is the next-to-last post I will do from Hebrews.

I'm convinced that God works in amazing, mysterious ways and it seems that one of those ways is quite often timing. I've been trying to study through Hebrews at night and hoped to really dig into chapter 12 last night, but was way too tired so I only made it through a couple paragraphs. In my morning quiet time I've been reading through the Bible chronologically and today's reading started with Exodus 19 which turned out to be exactly what the seemingly cryptic words toward the end of Hebrews 12 were drawn from. Between those two passages we get a fear-inducing, awe-inspiring picture of God and great appreciation for His work in our lives. The picture makes it clear why the message in the book of Hebrews is so important: so that we will hold fast to Jesus Christ, our strong foundation.

Let's look at Exodus 19 first. Some back-story to begin: God has redeemed His people from slavery in Egypt, destroyed the Egyptian army as the Hebrews crossed the Red Sea on dry land, and provided food and water despite constant grumbling from the Hebrews. Now The Lord is going to give the people His Law (the 10 commandments). But first we have a chapter of vivid description about the setting:

⁹And the LORD said to Moses, "Behold, I am coming to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you forever." When Moses told the words of the people to the LORD, ¹⁰the LORD said to Moses, "Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments ¹¹and be ready for the third day. For on the third day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. ¹²And 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. ¹³No hand shall touch him, but he shall be stoned or shot; whether beast or man, he shall not live.' When the trumpet sounds a long blast, they shall come up to the mountain." ¹⁴So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and consecrated the people; and they washed their garments. ¹⁵And he said to the people, "Be ready for the third day; do not go near a woman."
Exodus 19:9-15

So we have some very clear specifics from God here for what the people should do and what will happen if they disobey. The Lord is going to reveal Himself on Mt. Sinai - the particulars here are important. He does not want the people to perish. He wants them to receive His law, but He is a holy, righteous God. They are a sinful people. If they come near Him, they will surely die. But the point of all this is in verse 9: "that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you forever." This is a day that is intended to stick in the minds of the Hebrews for the rest of their lives. They will see God descend on the mountain and speak.

¹⁶On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. ¹⁷Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain.¹⁸Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the LORD had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly. ¹⁹And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder. ²⁰The LORD came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. And the LORD called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.
Exodus 19:16-20

Can you imagine how terrifying this must have been for the people? They know that God is powerful - they've seen what He has done to the Egyptians. But now He is demonstrating Himself to the Hebrews for the purpose of filling them with fear and awe. If I close my eyes and picture the scene - the thunder and lightning, the earth shaking, and fire descending on the mountain it certainly brings the conclusion: this the living, all-powerful God.

Surely this passage had a great effect on the author of Hebrews because it's the image that he reaches for as he crescendos toward the end of Hebrews to show why everything he has written up to this point is so important.

¹⁸For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest ¹⁹and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them.²⁰For they could not endure the order that was given, "If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned." ²¹Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, "I tremble with fear." ²²But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, ²³and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, ²⁴and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
Hebrews 12:18-24

^{Wow. The picture in Exodus 19 is a shadow of the heavenly reality. The Hebrews who were led out of Egypt saw an all-powerful, all-loving, all-judging God descend to the mountain. We will see that same God some day. But we see more! We see "Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant" (verse 24) who makes it possible (as we've discussed prior) for us to draw near to God, to actually be in His presence and live. And not just live as we are accustomed to living on this earth, but to truly live in the city of the living God!}

^{I don't know about you, but that is what I want! The book of Hebrews with it's glorious depiction of Christ and of our struggles makes me more than ever cling to Christ because He is the only way to live in the city who builder is the living God. But we continue...}

²⁵See 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. ²⁶At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, "Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens." ²⁷This phrase, "Yet once more," indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. ²⁸Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, ²⁹for our God is a consuming fire.
Hebrews 12:25-29

This is what Hebrews is about: preparing us for what is going to happen. The same God that brought (and still brings) the thunder and lightning and shook the ground at the mountain in Exodus is going to shake the whole earth and the heavens. The judgment that came on those who disobeyed God and touched the mountain is small in comparison to those who "reject Him who warns from heaven" (verse 25).

In verse 27 we see that when God shakes this world those who can be shaken will be removed. They will be gone. All that will last is what cannot be shaken. And there is only one thing in this world that cannot be shaken: the kingdom of God. If we are truly a part of that kingdom, we cannot be shaken (verse 28). Hebrews is about ensuring that we are actively living in that kingdom! If we aren't living in it, we aren't in it.

We see how important a strong foundation is. So how do we hold on to this strong foundation?

¹⁸God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. ¹⁹We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, ²⁰where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.
Hebrews 6:18-20

Jesus Christ is the answer (isn't He always?). We look to Jesus. A great place to start is this book of Hebrews to read about the amazing thing that Christ has done in sacrificing Himself and becoming our high priest to make the way for us to draw near to God. And as you look to Jesus, pray that the Holy Spirit would draw you close to God, to give you confidence in the unshakable, firm and secure anchor for your soul: Jesus Christ.