Our God is a Consuming Fire

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BEING A NEW TESTAMENT BELIEVER AND AN OLD TESTAMENT JEW.

GOD WAS UNAPPROACHABLE AND FRIGHTENING

 [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,

 [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:

 [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:

 [21] And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:)

THE LAW WAS GIVEN ON THE MOUNTAIN

When the Law was given on Mount Sinai the people were not allowed to come near so much as to even touch the mountain. God was not inviting the people of Israel to come and dine, he was laying down the law and it was with great power and fear.

[10] And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes,

[11] And be ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai.

[12] And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death: (Exodus 19:10-12

Matthew Henry’s Commentary

 It was a dark dispensation. Upon that mount there were blackness and darkness, and that church-state was covered with dark shadows and types: the gospel state is much more clear and bright. 3. It was a dreadful and terrible dispensation; the Jews could not bear the terror of it. The thunder and the lightning, the trumpet sounding, the voice of God himself speaking to them, struck them with such dread that they entreated that the word might not be so spoken to them any more….

THE VAST PRIVILEGE OF CHRIST’S CHURCH

The law separated God from Man. Christ brought man back into a living relationship with God. To the born again believer God is not a vision of fear and dread but for us He is become a loving and caring Father that encourages us to draw near to Him.

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,

(Hebrews 12:22)

 He shows how much the gospel church represents the church triumphant in heaven, what communication there is between the one and the other. The gospel church is called mount Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem, which is free, in opposition to mount Sinai, which tendeth to bondage, Gal. iv. 24. This was the hill on which God set his king the Messiah. Now, in coming to mount Zion, believers come into heavenly places, and into a heavenly society.

So on mount Sinai the law came down with fear and dread without mercy. The people could not come to the mountain of God. The church on the other hand has a spiritual mountain of the Lord… a heavenly mountain and we can climb that mountain of the Lord and enter right into the throne room of God our Father.

 [14] Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.

 [15] For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

 [16] Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:14-16)

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

It is from verse 23 that we derived the name for our fellowship years ago.

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, 

(Hebrews 12:23)

The gathering of the “church of the firstborn which are written in heaven” is referred to here as a “general assembly”. Born again believers from every walk of life whose spirits have been made perfect before God the Judge because of the work of Christ their savior who is give credit in the next verse:

And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.  Hebrews 12:24

The Jews had to send a priest into the holy of Holy's once a year to sprinkle the blood of a lamb onto the mercy seat that sat upon the ark of the covenant which contained the law.

Jesus made a far better covenant for us as the perfect lamb of God. The sprinkling of His blood on our souls grants us mercy from the judgment of the law and gives us acceptance with God the Father.

THEN THAT OF ABEL

And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: (Genesis 4:4)

The sacrifice of Abel the son of Adam and Eve was acceptable to God. He sacrificed the best of his flock but Jesus being the perfect Lamb of God offered himself a sacrifice for us and His sacrifice is far better than Abels. Abel’s sacrifice establish that sin brings death and without the shedding of blood there can be noremission of sin. This example of offering a perfect sacrifice by Abel was handed down through the years, through Noah who practiced it as well and down through the centuries to the Hebrew people under the leadership of Moses. Especially evident in that first Passover meal where the blood of the Lamb offered them salvation from the angel of death.

But Christ’s sacrifice… once for all superseded even the offerings of Abel.

A WORD OF WARNING FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT BELIEVE

 [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:

 [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.

 [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. (Hebrews 12:25-27)

The warning here is for the lost who refuse to listen to the voice of God calling them to salvation. For those outside of the grace of God he is still a fearsome judge on a mountain that cannot be touched.

[26] For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,

[27] But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.

[28] He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:

[29] Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? (Hebrews 10:26-29)

V.27 Abbot: There is an obscurity in respect to some of the expressions of this verse. The general idea is, that, while the Jewish system was temporary and mutable, the dispensation by Christ is fixed and final, and shall never be moved.

[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:

 [29] For our God is a consuming fire. (Hebrews 12:18-29)

While we come boldly to the throne of grace and we speak to God as our Father we still must respect him as the Sovereign Lord and remembering that God is a consuming fire we as his children need to have a healthy respect and fear… not a dread but respectful fear realizing His great power but also always remembering His great mercy and grace.