The American Wisdom Series

Presents
Pamphlet 1997 Hebrews kc 24-4

Do not forsake hearing His voice, the Word of God,the Bible,which is how He speaks to us today.

Speaking of "drawing near"... consider the contrast Paul now makes between the Old Covenant and New Covenant, between coming to Mount Sinai and coming to Mount Zion, between the "law" whose penalty (recompense) for trespassing is death and the "grace" of our Lord whose reward is life, eternal life.

Hebrews 12:18
For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest,
Let's get the picture in our minds right from the "git go" and learn from the line that was drawn at the foot of the mountain of Almighty God. If you cross the line and break His laws... you die! Thank God for His Son who came and paid the price on the cross!
[19] And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more:
The people were forbidden to go up into holy the mountain of God for it was not accessible to them. They trembled and feared before the burning mountain and did not want to hear His thundering voice. Well, there is nothing new under the sun for today the people still do not want to hear His voice, His words, else the Word of God, His voice, would be known throughout the land.

So ok, God would grant their request and He would give His laws and statutes to them through His servant Moses. They could then choose to obey His commands and reap the blessings and rewards thereof (Deut. 28:1-14) or turn away and choose not to hearken unto His voice and reap the consequences thereof (Deut. 28:15-68). Of course, there was and still is nothing at all wrong with the law itself. The problem lies with the heart and mind of man who cannot keep the law.

[20] (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart:
Exodus 19:13 reads concerning the mount: "There shall not an hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live: when the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount." In other words, if a man touched it he would be stoned to death or if a beast touched it, it would be thrust through with a spear or javelin (dart). For sure, this must have been an awesome sight for when God spoke "His voice" shook the earth! And you know what? His voice shall yet shake this earth and the heavens as well! And it shall happen in and unto this final generation (Rev. 16:18).
[21] And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:)
Now contrast the picture you have in your mind's eye of the fearful sight at Mount Sinai and being under (subject to) the penalty of the law, with the joy and reverence and peace of mind in coming to Mount Zion, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem where the saints and the firstfruits are gathered together. You see, Jesus Christ came and defeated death and therefore when we repent we are set at liberty in Him and are no longer subject to the penalty of death which accompanies the transgression of the law, which is sin (1 Jn. 3:4).
Hebrews 12:22
But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,

[23] To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

Blessed and happy are the firstborn, the firstfruits, for they shall inherit a double portion of the blessings and will not have to stand before God, the Judge of ALL, at the great white throne judgment at the end of the Millennium. Why? Because they will no longer be mortal having already received the crown life eternal at His coming and therefore are not subject to the second death, which is the death of the soul! Rev. 20:6 "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years."

To wit, all the names of the firstborn are written in the Book of Life which is in heaven, not in some church office. Rev. 21:27 "And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life."

[24] And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.
Paul has taught us well about the "shadows" of old, of earthly high priests and sacrifices, and how that we are no longer subject to the "shadows" and earthly types. For we have an eternal High Priest after the order of Melchisedec who became our Passover (1 Cor. 5:7), that perfect and unblemished sacrificial Lamb, who entered once and for all time into the Holy of Holies with the "sprinkling of His blood". He is therefore the one and only mediator between God and man. By the way, if He is not your mediator, you better start shaking and trembling!
1 Tim. 2:5
For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus."
The seriousness of all this, and what Paul has been leading up to, is contained in the following verse in his instruction to make sure you do not forsake hearing His voice, the Word of God, which is how He speaks to us today (read the opening two verses of Hebrews). You see, there is a time soon coming when God shall come forth and His Voice shall once again shake the earth, and not only the earth but the heavens (all that is spiritual) as well.
Hebrews 12:25
See that ye refuse not Him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from Him that speaketh from heaven:
"Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the Lord thy God (Deut. 4:23)". Do not turn away and forsake the Word of God for it is His voice, the voice of the Shepherd who speaks from heaven. It is that same voice that was heard on Mount Sinai that did shake the earth (even in the first earth age, Jer. 4:26).
[26] Whose voice then shook the earth: but now He hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.
Hey, He HAS PROMISED to shake the earth one more time! Do you know and believe His promises? They shall happen exactly as they are written. They always have and they always will. (Matthew 24:35 "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.")
[27] And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.
Jesus Christ, the Word of God, is going to shake this old earth and that time, at the sound of the last trump (#7) all that is temporal, such as our flesh bodies, and all that is wicked as in all evil "rudiments" (translated "elements" in 2 Peter 3:10) shall be destroyed, even consumed by the fire of His wrath.
2 Peter 3:10
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
The "shaking" is well recorded (it is written) in the minor prophets:
Haggai 2:5
According to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not.
If you have faith in Jesus Christ, then even though God shall pour out His wrath upon the ungodly, you have absolutely NOTHING to fear and tremble about because He "is with you always, even unto the ends of the earth"! Got it?
[6] For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land;

[7] And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts.

It is written that every knee shall bow to the name of Jesus Christ and the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdom of our God. Here is what that great shaking will shall sound like. See if it reminds you of anything we have read in today's study.
Rev. 16:18
And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.
However, we are part of that house spoken of in Haggai 2:7, that many membered body of Christ, the temple of the Lord, and it is those saints, those just ones, the Zadok called God's elect, who shall stand on Mount Zion (Rev. 14:1) and His kingdom shall be established forever and ever! Daniel 7:18 "But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever."
Hebrews 12:28
Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:
If you have received the grace of God, then you no longer have to fear and tremble, for He is your loving Father and He is not angry with you. His fire is warming to our hearts and minds, therefore, let us serve Him "acceptably", in other words, do those things that are pleasing to Him by loving Him and walking in His ways. But let those who are without, those who forsake and disesteem His Word wherein the promise of their heritage lies, fear and tremble before Him for as the Word of God declares, "Our God is a consuming fire."
[29] For our God is a consuming fire.
Paul quotes this from the Book of Deuteronomy so in conclusion let us read the verse just prior to this which sums up what he has been teaching us in the latter part of this 12th chapter of Hebrews.
Deut. 4:23-24
Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the LORD your God, which He made with you, and make you a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, which the LORD thy God hath forbidden thee.
Do not allow any other "images" or "idols" to be engraved (etched, sealed) in your mind where the law of God, His Holy Word, is to be written (epigrapho).
[24] For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.

To study the Bible is the noblest of all pursuits; to understand it, the highest of all goals.
We pray that with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, you accomplish both.


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