Slices
Prepare
Do you prefer a quiet, intimate setting, or a loud, exuberant gathering to worship? What do you dislike about ways of worshipping you can’t so easily engage with?
Bible passage
Warning and encouragement
14 Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. 16 See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. 17 Afterwards, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. Even though he sought the blessing with tears, he could not change what he had done.
The mountain of fear and the mountain of joy
18 You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; 19 to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, 20 because they could not bear what was commanded: ‘If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.’ 21 The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, ‘I am trembling with fear.’
22 But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, 23 to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
25 See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? 26 At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, ‘Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.’ 27 The words ‘once more’ indicate the removing of what can be shaken – that is, created things – so that what cannot be shaken may remain.
28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our ‘God is a consuming fire.’
Explore
The first part of today’s reading gives us an example of how not to live in community and harmony with others – that of Esau. The writer is concerned that the Hebrews do not lose out on the blessing that’s rightly theirs. But it can be hard work being at peace with others and being holy. We need to ‘make every effort’ (v 14).
Then we move on to the description of what happened at Mount Sinai – the giving of the Law, amid the terrifying signs of God’s presence and warnings not to approach (Exodus 19:12,13). That’s followed by what Mount Zion is like – also filled with God’s presence, but with open access to him through Jesus, who replaced the Law with the blood of the new covenant (vs 22–24). And as well as the heavenly hosts, there are also all the people who’ve run their race and now stand before God in perfect righteousness.
The final two verses remind us, however, that access to God is not to be taken lightly; he is the God of Mount Sinai and Mount Zion, so how we worship him matters (vs 28,29).
Respond
What impact might the way we view God, and the way we worship him, have on how we engage with others? Is there, or should there be, a connection between those things? Think and pray about that today.
Deeper Bible study
Lord, give me ears to hear you speaking, an understanding mind, a receptive heart, and hands and feet ready to do your will.
These verses contain the final warning passage in Hebrews, with a series of commands, some beginning with ‘See to it …’ (vs 15,16,25). The verses expand on one of the warnings with the only negative example of a named individual in the book, Esau. In contrast to the future orientation of the faithful people in chapter 11, Esau preferred present gratification to future blessing – and was rejected. The warnings get stronger as the chapter proceeds, until we are warned not to refuse ‘him who speaks’ (v 25). There is no escape for those who turn away from God, when he shakes both earth and heaven to remove what is displeasing to him so that what pleases him remains. The chapter ends with a call to worship with reverence and awe, for ‘our “God is a consuming fire”’ (v 29).
Embedded here is what Barnabas Lindars calls ‘the grand finale of Hebrews’,1 two finely balanced paragraphs about two mountains. The first is plainly Sinai, to which they have not come; the second is Zion, to which they have come. However, this is not the earthly Zion but the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God that Abraham and the patriarchs eagerly anticipated.2 Jesus is there, and we his followers have access to his presence – even though we are still on earth.
The paragraph about Sinai breathes an atmosphere of darkness and gloom, terror and trembling. The paragraph about Zion exudes light and gladness. Here we encounter angels in joyful worship with all God’s people, both living and dead. We have this joyful experience now when we gather to worship with God’s people. When we finally reach that ‘kingdom that cannot be shaken’ (v 28), we will experience this same reality, but in an even fuller measure.
Think of your church, whether large or small, gathering with all God’s people, past and present, and myriad angels joyfully worshipping. Does this change your perception of your fellowship?
1 Barnabas Lindars, ‘The Rhetorical Structure of Hebrews’, New Testament Studies 35, 1989, p402 2 Heb 11:10
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Proverbs 29,30; 2 Thessalonians 1
Pray for Scripture Union
Pray for all the Faith Guides, Local Mission Partners, children’s leaders and schools workers who are planning to run Guardians of Ancora clubs next term. Pray for good relationships and for enquiring and intriguing conversations as they play the game and discover more about Jesus.
