A Better Mountain and Kingdom (Hebrews 12:18–29)
The final game of the 1950 World Cup between Brazil and Uruguay was supposed to be a formality. Brazil were clear favourites. All they needed to win the World Cup was a draw. Theyhad already won their previous two matches 7-1 and 6-1. What’s more, Brazil had home ground advantage, with around 200,000 fans filling the Maracana stadium in Rio. Brazilian newspapers were so confident of victory that they had printed early editions even before the match with announcing Brazil as world champions.
The match began as expected, with Brazil dominating. Sure enough, they scored to lead 1-0. Everything looked like it was going according to plan. Then, from out of the blue, Uruguay equalised. No problem. Brazil could still win the World Cup with a draw. But the unthinkable happened: Uruguay scored again, and Brazil lost 1-2. Their hopes and dreams of winning a first-ever World Cup lay in ruins.
Reports described how a “disturbing and traumatic absolute silence” descended upon the stadium. An entire nation was in shock and sorrow. Brazilian fans still bear the scars of that heart-breaking defeat. Indeed, one of the hardest things for sports fans to endure is seeing our favourite team throw away a lead and lose a big match.
Similarly, it must have been painful for the author of Hebrews to see those who seem to have started the Christian life well forsake the faith they once professed. We may also know the heartache of seeing loved ones and dear friends turn away from Jesus. We, too, face the danger of drifting. As Hebrews draws to a close, the author makes a final plea to us: Hold on to what you have in Christ. Don’t throw it away. Keep going.
Press on in Christ, for we have come to a better mountain and received a better kingdom.
How might we be tempted to turn away from Jesus? Perhaps disappointments and difficulties make us want to give up. Maybe chasing after the pleasures and promises of the world appears better than Jesus. Or, we may simply be spiritually forgetful. We may be so caught up with daily life that we lose sight of Jesus and his wonderful gospel. Whatever we may be wrestling with, Hebrews urges us to cling on to Christ by focusing on the spiritual blessings we have in Him. This passage exhorts us to press on in Christ, for we have come to a better mountain and received a better kingdom.
Press on, for we have come to a better mountain (Heb 12:18-24)
In Hebrews 12:18-24, we have a tale of two mountains. Mount Sinai and Mount Zion are compared and contrasted. In the Old Testament, Mount Sinai is associated with the giving of the law, while Mount Zion is connected with the temple in Jerusalem. Mount Sinai represents the old covenant and the law; Mount Zion represents the new covenant that Jesus has established through the gospel. Because of trials and persecution, the original recipients of Hebrews were tempted to go back to the safety of Judaism. To avoid the shame and suffering of following Jesus, they thought of returning to the rituals and sacrifices of the old covenant. Then, others would accept and approve of them. Wouldn’t life be easier and better?
No, says the author of Hebrews, don’t go back to Sinai because you have come to a better mountain. Thanks to Jesus, who is our better high priest and sacrifice, we can draw near to God with full assurance. So, don’t throw that confidence away. O Christian, remember you have not come to Mount Sinai, which is not a heavenly place of joy but an earthly place of terror (Heb 12:18). Lest we forget, Hebrews takes us back to that scary scene in Exodus 19 and 20, when God gave the old covenant law at Mount Sinai. It was terrifying.
At Sinai, God did not invite the people to draw near. He told them to stay away. God’s word warned; it did not welcome. Even a senseless beast, if it sets foot on the mountain, would be killed. How much more guilty sinners who foolishly think they can approach to God on their own terms? This is why, when the people heard God’s voice, his “words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them” (19). They cannot bear God’s commands, which fill them with dread. They plead with Moses to be their mediator: “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die” (Exo 20:19). But even Moses himself, whom God appointed to go up the mountain, trembled with fear.
Mount Sinai makes one thing clear: God is holy, and we are not. Our sin separates us from God. He is glorious in his perfections and purity, exalted in his holiness. God is high and lifted up. Evil may not dwell with Him (Ps 5:5). God is “of purer eyes than to see evil” (Hab. 1:13). God is holy, holy, holy. When the prophet Isaiah sees a vision of God in the temple, he cried out, “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” (Isa. 6:5)
Human hearts are idol factories that make God in our image. We may think God is just a better and nicer version of us. The notion of a holy God sounds so old fashioned. Perhaps we imagine Him to be like a friendly uncle whose job it is to excuse our sins. Even the term “sin” sounds too harsh. Chocolate cake and fried kway teow are “sinful”. We, on the other hand, make mistakes and commit indiscretions. If we think little of God, we will think little of sin.
The old covenant law helps us see the holiness of God and the sinfulness of our sin. … The law shows the great gulf between us and God. …The law brings condemnation and death; it cannot give life.
The old covenant law helps us see the holiness of God and the sinfulness of our sin. Instead of reflecting His holy character, we have not obeyed Him. The law shows the great gulf between us and God. There is no way we come to God on our own. Under the old covenant, even the high priest could only enter God’s holy place once a year. Sacrifices were repeated year after year as a reminder of sin and guilt. The old covenant exposes sin but has no power to save. Pointing a drowning man to a “Danger: Strong Currents” sign. The law brings condemnation and death; it cannot give life.
So, don’t go back to Sinai. While we’re probably not about to return to Judaism, we are tempted to turn away from Jesus to phony hopes and fake good news that cannot save. We are easily distracted by worldly concerns and ambitions. We become proud, self-righteous, and self-reliant, thinking we’re “not that bad”. Surely God will accept us because we’re basically good, religious people. But rejecting Christ will leads only to a dead end. There is no salvation without Jesus. We will have no hope “but a fearful expectation of judgement” (Heb 10:27a).
But if we have repented of our sins and believed in Jesus, then we “have come to Mount Zion” (Heb 12:22a). Notice the past tense: We have already come. It’s not something we have to do for ourselves, but something Jesus has already done for us. In Christ, we have already drawn near to God. When we’re tempted to quit running, recall the rich blessings that are already ours through the gospel. Hebrews 12:22-24 exhort us to see how God’s people enjoy God’s pleasure and presence in God’s place.
Under the old covenant, we were far from God. But now in Christ, we enjoy God’s presence in God’s place. We have access. Mount Zion is “the city of the living God” (Heb 12:22). In the Old Testament, King David’s son Solomon built the temple of Mount Zion. It stood for God’s dwelling place, where God displayed his glory. But we have not come to an earthly place; Zion here refers to “the heavenly Jerusalem” (Heb 12:22). The earthly tabernacle and temple were types and shadows of the real thing. In Christ, we have entered God’s presence and place. We can confidently draw near in prayer to the throne of grace, where we receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
We often come across surveys of the best cities to live in the world. According to a recent ranking by the Economist Intelligence Unit, Singapore was 34th worldwide and 10th in Asia. However we may feel about living in Singapore, we look forward to a far better city. Whether we are Singapore citizens, PRs, or here on a work pass, we are all resident aliens, sojourners, and exiles in a temporary city. In Christ, our citizenship is in heaven. In fact, we have already come by faith to the heavenly Jerusalem. And, one day, faith shall turn to sight. “And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God Himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Rev. 21:2-4). We long for our heavenly city.
Jerusalem, my happy home,
When shall I come to thee?
When shall my labours have an end,
Thy joys, when shall I see?
In Christ, we are God’s people. We have come to “the assembly (church) of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven” (Heb 12:23). God has gathered us as members of his church. Through faith in Christ, we’ve been enrolled into the membership of his body. This is the reason why we join a local church— it shows we belong to God as his people. We can join all sorts of earthly clubs, societies, and organisations. But the only membership that truly matters is that our names are included in God’s book of life.
As God’s people, we enjoy God’s pleasure. We are his firstborn, meaning that we are God’s beloved children. In Christ, who is God’s beloved Son, we have been adopted as firstborn sons. We are the rightful heirs of our Father’s riches. Why chase after worldly things when we have an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading?
We have come to God, the judge of all (Heb 12:23). The notion of standing before God the judge may sound frightening. But in Christ, we are assured of God’s full acceptance and approval. Jesus has credited to us his perfect righteousness. In Him, we are holy and right with God. Be encouraged by the many saints who have gone before us. We have come “to the spirits of the righteous made perfect” (Heb 12:23). These are the faithful men and women who died in faith, trusting God’s promise to save. They are righteous and perfect through Jesus. If we share in their faith, we shall follow in their footsteps.
Sinai was scary, but Mount Zion is a joyful celebration.
Sinai was scary, but Mount Zion is a joyful celebration. We have come to a countless host of “angels in festal gathering” (Heb 12:22). We have come to a festival of worship. God’s people enjoy God’s pleasure and presence in God’s place. How can it be that guilty sinners like us can have such lavish blessings? It is only because we have come “to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel” (Heb 12:24).Jesus has brought us into a new covenant relationship with God. How? By his better sacrifice. Jesus bore God’s judgement and wrath in our place, that we might be made right with God if we repent and trust in Him alone to save us. The terror of Sinai has been replaced by the peace of Christ. The blood of Abel, who was murdered by his brother Cain, cries out for God’s justice. But Jesus’ blood speaks a better word: It pleads for God’s mercy and our forgiveness. His blood washes our guilt and away. God has raised and exalted Jesus, who is seated at God’s right hand. We have a great High Priest who ever lives to plead for us. In Christ, we are God’s people. We enjoy God’s pleasure and presence in God’s place. Don’t throw all that away. Press on, for we have come to a better mountain.
Press on, for we have received a better kingdom (Heb 12:25-29)
Jesus will make all things new and put right all the wrongs. Sickness, sorrow, sin, and death shall be no more. We will then live with God forever in perfect peace and joy.
Hebrews 12:25-29 give us another motivation to keep pressing on. We have a received a better kingdom. In New Testament times, Rome was known as the “eternal city”, as “an empire without end”. But even the grandest of earthly kingdoms do not last. They rise and fall; they come and go. But if we have believed in Jesus, then we have received “a kingdom that cannot be shaken” (Heb 12:28). This kingdom is God’s kingdom. It is His loving and righteous rule over His people. We enjoy some of the blessings of God’s kingdom now, but the kingdom has not yet come in its full glory. We are waiting for King Jesus to return. When He does, He will usher in the new heavens and earth. Jesus will make all things new and put right all the wrongs. Sickness, sorrow, sin, and death shall be no more. We will then live with God forever in perfect peace and joy.
What kingdom are we living for? How might we be building our own little kingdoms of comfort, control, pleasure, power, security, or success? We invest so much of ourselves, but our worldly kingdoms will not last. John cautions us in 1 John 2:15,17: “Do not love the world or the things in the world… The world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” Seek first the kingdom of God.
Therefore, we must pay attention to God and “see that you do not refuse him who is speaking (Heb 12:25a).” God, who in these last days has spoken by his Son Jesus Christ, is still speaking to us today. God speaks through the preaching of His word. God speaks to us when we read and study the Bible. God speaks through His people, when Christians speak the truth in love to one another. Today, if we hear God’s voice, do not harden our hearts and turn away from the gospel. Trust and obey God’s Son.
Take heed the warning of Hebrews 12:25: If those who broke the old covenant law did not escape God’s judgement, then much less will we escape if we refuse to listen to God’s Son who warns from heaven. Breaking the old covenant is bad enough, but rejecting the gospel is far worse and deserving of greater judgement. Friends, repent and believe in Jesus now. Do not delay. Turn to Christ while you can.
When God gave the law at Mount Sinai, the ground quaked and “his voice shook the earth” (Heb 12:26a). But a worse shaking is coming: “But now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” This 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.” (Heb 12:26b-27) A final judgement is coming from which there shall be no escape. All of creation will be shaken. This present world will perish. What is our only hope in the face of this universal, cosmic, and cataclysmic judgement? Blessed are all who take refuge in God’s Son, who came to save us from the wrath to come. God’s curse against sinners fell on Jesus, so that God’s blessing might be poured out on all who repent and believe in Jesus. Only through Jesus can we receive God’s unshakeable kingdom. Whoever believes in Christ alone will not perish but have eternal life.
We shall be saved if we keep running to the end and not give up. How should we respond to the gospel? What does it look like to press on in Christ? It means living a life of grateful worship: “Therefore 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” (Heb 12:28) Many of us struggle to be thankful. Life’s difficulties and disappointments cause us to be discontented and discouraged. We’re given to frustration, impatience, bitterness, anxiety, and anger. We’re tempted to complaining and unbelief. Hebrews encourages us to consider Christ and his coming kingdom. Focus on our eternal hope and live with the future in view. We do not deserve the kingdom, but we receive it freely as a gift of God’s grace. So, keep our eyes on the prize and run with grateful endurance.
Let’s also offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe. Thankfulness should lead us to worship. Don’t take the gospel for granted. Just because Jesus gives us confidence to draw near doesn’t mean we can approach God carelessly or flippantly. How might we be taking our gatherings for corporate worship for granted? Be punctual, so that we have time to settle our hearts and minds. Prepare for worship by reflecting on God’s goodness to us in the gospel. Be present; don’t neglect to meet together.
Some of us may have put our preferences and convenience above the worship of God. Beloved, let’s be careful not to lose our awe of God. He is glorious in his holiness. As Psalm 24:3-4a writes, “Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart.” On our own, none of us can come to God. So, praise God for how we, with all of our sin and brokenness, can draw near to him through Jesus Christ. To cultivate reverence and awe, we must make much of God and the gospel. Worship the God who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy. Worship the God who dwells in the high and holy place, and yet also draws near to us who are of a contrite and lowly spirit. Worship the God who revives the spirit of the lowly and revives the heart of the contrite.
Let’s examine our hearts. Do we draw near to God with our mouths and honour him with our lips while our hearts are far from him? Does our worship flow out of a heart of grateful devotion to God? God desires more than merely our attendance on Sundays. He calls us to offer our entire being to him as a living sacrifice, which is our acceptable worship. Jesus, our high priest, has laid down his life for us. Given what Jesus has done, should we not give ourselves to God? Worship entails glorifying God with all of our lives. We worship God on Sunday because we are worshiping him in every part of our lives (in the home, at school, at work, in our retirement, in sickness and in health, in singleness, or marriage) every day of the week. Hebrews 13 gives us examples of what this all-of-life worship looks like: We love for one another, show hospitality to strangers, stay faithful in marriage, avoid loving money obey church leaders, suffer for Jesus, and show generosity to others.
We worship God with reverence and awe because “our God is a consuming fire” (Heb 12:29). The holy God who spoke from Sinai is the same God who speaks to us now. He is a jealous God who will tolerate no rivals. He alone is worthy of all our worship. If we reject Him, we shall face the fire of his judgement. But take heart, beloved. This awesome and holy God is our God. He has graciously opened up the way for us to draw near to him through his Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Thanks to Jesus, our victory is assured. So, don’t throw away our confidence. Press on in Christ, for we have come to a better mountain and received a better kingdom.