Hebrews 12: A Better System of Worship
HEBREWS 12:18-29
Application: The student will recognize New Testament worship as superior to the system delivered to Israel at Mt. Sinai.
WORSHIP IS THE HIGHEST HONOR AND ESTEEM BELIEVERS RENDER TO GOD.
WORSHIP IS FAR MORE THAN A ONCE OR TWICE A WEEK MEETING TOGETHER.
IT IS OUR SERVICE WE GIVE TO THE LOVING GOD OF OUR SALVATION BY OUR SERVICE OF THOUGHT OR SPEECH OR ACTION, ALL OF WHICH SHOULD ONLY BE FOR HIS GLORY, NOT OURS.
THIS SECOND PORTION OF HEBREWS 12 EXPLAINS THE REASON FOR FAITHFULNESS TO GOD IN THE NEW TESTAMENT AGE.
IT IS A CONTRAST GIVEN FROM WHAT WAS GIVEN TO GOD’S CHOSEN PEOPLE ON MT. SINAI VERSUS THE GIFT GIVEN BY HIM ON MT. ZION.
THESE VERSES BEGIN WITH THE PHRASE “YE ARE NOT COME” IN REFERENCE TO THEIR SALVATION AND COVENANT WITH THE LORD.
THEY HAD NOT COME TO GOD THROUGH THE WORSHIP BY THE LAW GIVEN TO MOSES FOR THE HEBREW PEOPLE.
THIS MEANS OF WORSHIP POINTED FORWARD TO A BETTER COVENANT TO COME AND IT NEVER SAVED THOSE UNDER IT.
THE PRICE PAID TO REMOVE SIN AT CALVARY IS FAR BETTER THAN THE ANIMAL SACRIFICES BEFORE THAT ONLY COVERED IT TERMPORARILY.
THE WORSHIP GIVEN AT SINAI WAS A WORKS WORSHIP WHILE THE NEW TESTAMENT WORSHIP WAS ONE OF FAITH IN THE MESSIAH SENT.
OUR WRITER DESCRIBES THE WORSHIP OF SINAI IN FOUR WAYS:
FIRST, IT WAS A MOUNTAIN THEY COULD NOT TOUCH. GOD TOLD MOSES TO ASSURE THE PEOPLE KEPT THEIR DISTANCE FROM HIS PRESENCE ON THE MOUNTAIN. (EXODUS 19:12)
SECOND, IT WAS A MOUNTAIN THAT BURNED WITH FIRE. (HEBREWS 12:18). FIRE WAS THEN THE MANIFESTATION OF GOD, AS IN THE PILLAR OF FIRE AT NIGHT FOR LIGHT AND WARMTH AND GUIDANCE.
THIRD, IT WAS A MOUNTAIN OF BLACKNESS AND DARKNESS FOR SEPARATION OF THE PEOPLE FROM THE LORD. THEY, AS SINNERS, COULD NOT STAND NEAR THE LORD SO A BORDER WAS SET BY GOD AROUND THE MOUNTAIN TO KEEP THEM AWAY.
FOURTH, IT WAS A PLACE OF TEMPEST OR STORMINESS WITH GREAT WINDS, THUNDERS, AND LIGHTNINGS. (EXODUS 19:16), REMINDING THEM OF HIS AWESOME POWER.
THEY COULD NEVER APPROACH GOD WHILE IN THEIR SINFUL FLESH AND THEIR ONLY HOPE WAS TO BRING A PROPER SACRIFICE FOR SIN AS CONTRASTED TO THE ABILITY OF NEW TESTAMENT WORSHIP PROVIDING BOLD ACCESS DIRECTLY TO THE THRONE OF GOD.
THE VEIL WAS FOREVER SPLIT.
IN EXODUS THE PEOPLE HEARD THE VOICE AS A SOUND OF A TRUMPET AND THEY WERE IN GREAT FEAR FROM WHAT THEY HEARD, ASKING MOSES TO SPEAK TO GOD INSTEAD OF THEMSELVES.
THE GREEK WORD FOR THIS MOMENT WAS LITERALLY “DREADFUL & TERRIBLE”.
MOSES HIMSELF QUAKED IN THIS MOMENT. (HEBREWS 12:21)
ALL THESE THINGS SPOKE OF CONDEMNATION TOWARD THOSE WHO COULD NEVER KEEP THE LAW.
THE LAW OFFERED NO HOPE BUT WAS ONLY EFFECTIVE TO POINT OUT MAN’S FULLY DEPRAVED SIN AND HIS NEED FOR A REDEEMER.
NOW IN VERSE 22 HAVING AFFIRMED THAT THE BELIEVERS BEING ADDRESSED DID NOT COME FROM THOSE THINGS, THE WRITER REMINDED THEM THAT THEY HAD COME TO GOD IN TRUE SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH COMING TO ANOTHER MOUNTAIN, ZION.
THE WORD “ZION” MEANS A FLAT PLACE OR PLAIN AND IT WAS THE FLAT TOP OF A HILL OUTSIDE THE WALLS WHERE CRUCIFIXIONS WERE DONE.
HERE WAS THE BEGINNING SYMBOL THAT THE GROUND AROUND THE CROSS IS LEVEL GROUND AND NONE ARE STANDING HIGHER THAN ANY OTHERS WHEN APPROACHING IN FAITH.
THE JOURNEY TO THE NEW MOUNTAIN IS PERFECTED BY JESUS CHRIST AND IS THE PATHWAY GIVEN BY GOD TO A NEW COVENANT WITH HIM.
IN FAITH, VERSES 22-23 FAITHFUL BELIEVERS HAVE NOW, UNDER THE NEW COVENANT, COME TO “HEAVENLY JERUSALEM”, REFERRING TO A FUTURE PLACE OF THE NEW EARTH.
THEY HAVE ALSO COME TO ASSOCIATE WITH AN “INNUMERABLE COMPANY OF ANGELS” WHO ARE THOSE THAT DID NOT REBEL AGAINST GOD AS DID LUCIFER AND HIS FOLLOWERS.
IN JUDE 9 AND LUKE 1 WE ARE ACTUALLY GIVEN THE NAME OF TWO OF THOSE ANGELS WHICH ARE MICHAEL AND GABRIEL.
THESE NEW COVENANT HEBREW BELIEVERS ARE IN PROPER RELATIONSHIP WITH THESE GODLY ANGELS THROUGH THE NEW BIRTH BY THE HOLY SPIRIT.
ALL HAVE COME BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH AND THE SPIRITS OF THE JUST BELIEVERS WILL BE MADE PERFECT BY CHRIST.
THIS IS THE FAMILY OF “WHOSOEVERS” OF JOHN 3:16 AND THIS NEW COVENANT ASSEMBLY IS ETERNAL.
VERSE 24 IS CLEAR IN TEACHING THERE IS A NEW MEDIATOR OF THE COVENANT THAT WAS ARRANGED AT THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD.
THE FATHER DECREED IT AND THE ONLY BEGOTTEN SON PAID FOR IT IN HIS OWN BLOOD.
IN VERSES 25-29 WE ARE GIVEN HOW WE ARE TO SERVE OUR LORD IN THIS NEW COVENANT:
BY OBEDIENCE
BY REVERENCE
BY ASSURANCE
BY ACCEPTANCE
AND ALSO BY PROPER FEAR OF THE CHASTENING HAND OF GOD WHO CORRECTS ALL WHO ARE HIS AND DETERMINES THE LEVEL OF HEAVENLY REWARDS FOR EACH WHO BELIEVE. (2ND COR 5:10)
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that everyone may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.”
FOR THE SAVED PERSON, THAT MOMENT AT THE JUDGMENT SEAT IS ONLY A MOMENT OF CELEBRATION OF REWARD FOR WE KNOW FROM ROMANS 8:1 THAT THERE IS NO CONDEMNATION OF THOSE IN CHRIST JESUS.
ALL SINS WERE ATONED AT THE MOMENT OF BELIEF AND WERE TO BE REMEMBERED NO MORE, MEANING NEVER.
ANY SINS AFTER THE MOMENT OF BELIEF ARE REMOVED FROM OUR FELLOWSHIP BY CONFESSION & REPENTANCE ALLOWED & ARRANGED BY THE ACCESS GRANTED WHEN THE VEIL WAS SPLIT.
NEW TESTAMENT BELIEVERS HAVE RECEIVED THE “FAITH” DESCRIBED IN JUDE 3 AS WELL AS A “KINGDOM” DESCRIBED IN VERSE 28 IN THIS STUDY STOP.
THEY SHOULD NOT SEEK TO SERVE GOD AGAIN THROUGH THE WORSHIP OF SINAI BUT LIVE AND WORSHIP IN HARMONY WITH THE KINGDOM JESUS HAS ESTABLISHED ON EARTH BEGINNING WITH THE NEW COVENANT HE ESTABLISHED AND LATER TO BE A RULE OF 1,000 YEARS ON EARTH WITH A RISEN DAVID TO ASSIST AND WITHOUT A PRESENCE OF SATAN OR HIS DEMONS.
JEREMIAH 30:9:
“But they shall serve the Lord their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them.”
THIS IS THE CHURCH OF CHRIST SERVING IN GLORY TO HIM THROUGHOUT ALL THE AGES DESCRIBED IN EPHESIANS 3:21.
“Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.”