Written ~ 09-04-2023
Hebrews 12:25-29
“Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the One who is speaking. For if the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, we will certainly not escape if we reject the One who speaks to us from heaven! When God spoke from Mount Sinai His voice shook the earth, but now He makes another promise: ‘Once again I will shake not only the earth but heaven also.’ This means that all of creation will be shaken and removed, so that only unshakable things will remain. Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping Him with holy fear and awe. For our God is a devouring fire.”
When God rescued the Israelites out of their 400-year slavery, it seems their gratitude would have lasted longer than just a few days. God chose Moses to lead the people of Israel across a vast wilderness so they could reach the land God had promised them. But it didn’t take very long for them to start arguing with Moses and begin disobeying the regulations given to them by the LORD. In verse 12:25 it says,
“…For the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger…”
We need to remember, the people of Israel were God’s chosen people, they were the people God loved, can you imagine His disappointment when they didn’t obey His word? Because the Israelites refused to listen to Moses, God’s anger was roused, for He had anointed Moses to be their leader and to deliver His messages to the people. I once heard a pastor say that the journey to the Promised Land should have taken them less than a month, but because of their disobedience, God had them wander around for 40 years. The Israelites did not listen to the Word of God through Moses, and they did not escape the consequences of their disobedience. The last part of verse 12:25 says,
“…we will certainly not escape if we reject the One who speaks to us from heaven!”
So, let’s combine the first part of verse 12:25 with the last,
“Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the One who is speaking… we will certainly not escape if we reject the One who speaks to us from heaven!”
If the Israelites, God’s chosen people didn’t escape discipline from the LORD, then we cannot expect to get away with disobeying and refusing to listen to the Word of God. There will be consequences for our actions. When the voice of the LORD spoke from Mount Sinai when the Israelites disobeyed Him, the entire earth shook. Can you imagine the Power coming from the Voice of God? There will come a time when the LORD speaks again and not only will the earth shake, but the heavens will shake as well. God cannot stand by and allow disobedience to continue, there will be consequences. Verse 12:27 says,
“This means that all of creation will be shaken and removed, so that only the unshakable things will remain.”
What are those “unshakable things” that will remain? This means anything unwanted, dirty, impure, disobedient is removed and what remains is good, holy, submissive and pure, those are the “unshakable things.” God wants to shake loose the things of the world, those things that draw us into sin and disobedience. If you are a believer and follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, you are now a son or daughter of the King, the Almighty God, therefore you will inherit all that belongs to the Lord in heaven. Verse 12:28 says,
“Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping Him with holy fear and awe.”
The Israelites fell into great sin by worshiping idols and sacrificing to them instead of God. They forgot very quickly how God saved them from the brutal slavery and bondage of Egypt’s Pharaoh. Their gratitude was turned to complaining, they seemed to remain in a state of disobedience for the entire 40 years of wandering through the wilderness. If we know that our future will bring the greatest, most wonderful gift of everlasting life and an inheritance above measure, wouldn’t you want to spend your life here on earth praising and honoring God? In the days of Moses, God would show His presence as a pillar of fire, Moses would hear the voice of God through the fire and would relay the messages he received from God to the people. Verse 12:28 says to “worship God with holy fear and awe.” Even if we don’t see a pillar of fire with our physical eyes, God’s voice can still be heard today. He speaks to our hearts through His Holy Spirit, and we need to listen. In what ways do we worship the Lord with holy fear and awe? One way is by shaking loose the things of the world. By listening to the Word of God and obeying it, we show great reverence to the one and only God, Creator of the Universe. Verse 12:29 says,
“For our God is a devouring fire.”
Also, in Deuteronomy 4:24 it says,
“The LORD your God is a devouring fire; He is a jealous God.”
God is jealous of our worship, if we decide the world and all of its temptations are more important to us that He is, we risk the devouring fire of His discipline. God cannot watch His children deliberately disobey His Word. Consequences, a burning away, will need to happen in our lives. So, what happens when we go through a period of discipline? It’s a complete refinement, we come out the other side pure, the filth of the world is loosened and shaken off. We can stand before our Almighty God cleansed and free of sin. Our gratitude brings praise, it causes us to worship the Lord in a way we never thought possible, our worship will bring about a holy fear and awe that pleases the Lord.
My prayer is that we would use the disobedience of the Israelites as an example of what not to do. Also, with that example we shouldn’t be surprised when the discipline of the Lord comes down on us when we decide not to listen to His word. Let’s loosen the things of the world from our hearts and replace it with worship to our God and to Him alone.
~AMEN~