Hebrews 12:18-29
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.
God’s appearance to His people at Sinai was key in the history of redemption. There, God gave Moses detailed instructions about the tabernacle and its furnishings that was later built. As beautiful as the sanctuary was, however, not just anybody could enter it and enjoy the presence of the Lord. Only the descendants of Levi were allowed to serve in the tabernacle. So, how could this vocation ultimately be fulfilled if the ordinary citizen could not enter the tabernacle? Something more would have to be done to allow the people free access to the Lord’s presence. Even when the Temple was built in Jerusalem, the ordinary citizen of Israel could not come into the immediate presence of the Lord. So, God took another step, as we see in today’s verses and, this final step was taken in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. The author of Hebrews makes it clear, multiple times, that the old covenant was but a shadow of heavenly realities. With Jesus’ atonement, He entered the heavenly tabernacle, having shed His blood to purify His people and make us the priests we were always meant to be. Now, we can enter the presence of our Father with confidence and with full assurance of faith. So we have not come to Sinai, that mountain where lightning flashed and the tempest roared. But, we have come to “the heavenly Jerusalem,” the place where we know even better the grace of God and have seen His faithfulness to His promises more tangibly than any Israelite who worshiped at Mt. Sinai. Along with the privilege of coming into the heavenly temple is the great responsibility to persevere in faith. Those who did not fear the Lord at Sinai were punished by God. So, how can we possibly hope to escape if we deny our Savior and Lord? We know that the Holy Spirit will work in all of those who are genuinely converted, and we will heed this warning and be kept in the faith. Christians are not defined by Sinai and the covenant given there. Christians are adopted into God’s family under the new covenant and enjoy the privilege of being able to come into His presence. We enter His presence every time we pray and, especially, when we enjoy corporate worship with the saints each Lord’s Day. Let us not take this privilege for granted, for neglect can lead us to forsake the assembling of the body of Christ.
Source: S C Ball April 25, 2024
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