4/27/08 – Great Hope: Our God is an Awesome God
Two Mighty Mountains
Mount Sinai and Mount Zion
One is a mountain of law. The other is a mountain of grace. The first leaves us trembling and terrified. The second leaves us falling to our knees in amazement and wonder. What took place at these two mountains serves as a summary statement of the way law and grace operate in our lives every day.
The Book of Hebrews was written to show God’s riches that we now enjoy through grace instead of the struggle to live under the harsh reality of the law. As our study of the book of Hebrews is being concluded, we are strongly reminded in this great chapter our need to be thankful and to worship our Lord. This Sunday I invite you to leave the mountain of law behind forever as you stand on Mount Zion and worship King Jesus.
Mount Sinai – A Mountain of Terror
18 You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; 19 to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, 20 because they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned.” 21 The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.”
Hebrews 12:18-21
These are the verses which describes the terror of this mountain. This mountain was pretty intimidating place.
The phrase, “that can be touched” speaks of this mountain as being a real place. Here is the actual site for the delivery of the law of God to His people. Though, it was a mountain that could be touched as its realness is being described, it could not be touched as the law required. To touch it by human or beast would mean certain death. It was physical mountain of rocky outcroppings and craggy ledges but it was a place of holiness that was way beyond where man would dare to set foot.
Let us consider the sights and sounds of this place on the day the law was given. We turn to the book of Exodus to get an idea of what it was like.
The Sights and Sounds of a Terrible Mountain
16 On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. 17 Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. 18 Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the LORD descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, the whole mountain trembled violently, 19 and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder. Then Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him.
Exodus 19:16-19
This was the same mountain where Moses had first seen the burning bush. Now he came to this same mountain to receive the covenant through the giving by God of the 10 Commandments.
The text tells of darkness, gloom, billowing smoke and terrible lighting. There were enough things going on that it must have been more terrifying than the scariest of horror films. Josephus speaks not only of very terrible thunderings and lightnings, but of violent storms of wind, which produced exceeding great rains.
There was fire and smoke and the sound of a trumpet as the winds blew through the rocky mountain and the people heard the voice of God. Can you imagine hearing God speak from a mountain filled with such violence and unbridled power that the boulders vibrated with the fury of the storms. It must have looked like the people were standing at the edge of Hell itself.
I remember a time when I visited a friend’s house to stay overnight when I was about 10 years old. His family allowed us to stay up and watch the Twilight Zone. Now, by today’s standards the show is pretty tame – but I was 10 years old and had never been allowed to see a horror movie – for good reason. I still remember the shadows created by the trees outside my friend’s window and the terror I felt as I got up and rode home on my bike at 150 miles an hour pursued by unknown demons, hobgoblins, and gargoyles of every description.
The terror of the people at the foot of this mountain must have been incredible. But the terror is not unnecessary. The terror of this mountain is not an evil terror, but a necessary terror that describes the strength of the law and the power of God.
When I was disobedient to my parent’s instructions and was scolded for my misbehavior I would get upset and cry. That’s when my dad would say, “Do you want me to give you something to cry about?” This all created a kind of terror that is really a necessary terror. It was a Godly fear that helped me change my behavior, my deportment, and eventually my attitude.
When he was correcting me this way, he for that moment of time appeared as an awful sight, but he certainly was not evil – he was just a little scary!
Our God is a mighty and awesome God!
Mount Zion – A Mountain of Awe
22 But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, 23 to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, 24 to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
Verse 22 opens with a wonderful word of encouragement concerning a different place – Mount Zion. In this new place everything is different. Although there is a real Mount Zion – where the original temple of Solomon was built and where the temple of Herod was built in the city of Jerusalem – these verses do not tell us about a place you can touch. These words describe a different kind of city – a heavenly city called the New Jerusalem.
We know it because of the descriptive language. It goes way beyond anything we know of in our physical world.
Can you imagine what it will be like…???
Atlanta – Pastor’s Promise Keepers… 1996 39,000 Pastors gathered for encouragement, teaching, prayer, and worship. Something powerful about a mighty multitude of God’s people!
In some ways that is why it’s been difficult at times here at CMS. 700 seat auditorium and the first summer I was here we had about 70 people in church – that included the kids! That means we had about 40-50 in the auditorium. We were like bb’s in a bathtub…
When we gather at our new site in just about six months from now we are going to see some dramatic changes take place. This is more than just an auditorium we are building… it is a center of activity, a base of operations, a beach head that we have established to take the good news about Jesus to our whole community. .. and it will be exciting – because it will be a city set on a hill – our own version of Mount Zion!
Let’s look again at this City of God called Mount Zion
Mount Zion is the City of God
The first notable mention of this city is that it is the city of the living God.
The law and the previous covenant are so closely connected to death. There animals dying daily in the temple grounds. The blood flowed almost constantly and the priests were always ministering to the families who came to sacrifice for their sins. The constant sacrifice just emphasized over and over that the old law was all about death.
Yet, in contrast to this Old Testament, its sacrifices and priests there was a new covenant and a new way marked by the city of the living God. It was not a mountain of terror. It was a mountain of awe and wonder marked in six ways:
Mount Zion is a place of angels
Also populating this city is an innumerable company of angels. There is absolutely no way that the human mind can comprehend such Truth that involves this better and this new economy of Grace. In our pictures and also in our imagination, we may plug in a few angels, relative speaking, but this verse tells us that the number of angels cannot even be numbered.
Multitudes of angels – can you imagine it. This is a whole new city and place.
Mount Zion is the assembly of the church
Also mentioned in this New Jerusalem is the general assembly and church of the firstborn. This is a reference to all of those who have been assembled out of the churches that make up the bride of Christ. Whereas on earth there are many churches or local assemblies, in heaven they are all molded into one.
Heaven is a place where all of God’s people are gathered into one place. What wonderful thing it will be to gather the whole of the church together in the heavenly realm!!!
Non-denominational Christianity… used to be weird. Now it’s popular.
Mount Zion is the place of the throne of our Mighty God
Here is the place of the glory of God. This is God’s house.
Mount Zion is the home of all righteous men
Included in this verse is a reference to the spirits of just men made perfect. This may refer to all of the redeemed who were not members of the church including the Old Testament saints, as well.
Noah, Abraham, David, and all those who have been made perfect by God’s grace and mercy extended through the cross of Jesus.
His death extends through history in both directions. His sacrifice is for all people who turn to God in faith.
Mount Zion is the place of Jesus
The author of our new covenant and our mediator before the eternal judge. Jesus is the way. Once and for all for every man, woman and child.
Mount Zion is where there is the sprinkled blood of Jesus
The place where the sacrificial blood of Jesus is sprinkled – the mercy seat of the ark of the covenant in the old testament is replaced by the cross of Jesus in the New Testament and now the sprinkled blood covers all of us in the new city of God.
Matt Shauntz tells about his experience with an atheist as a student at MSU back in the mid 70’s…
We are part of a wonderful place…
An Awesome Truth
28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our “God is a consuming fire.”
Hebrews 12:28-29
The awesome truth is that this mountain is not terrifying but is truly awesome. We are humbled in the presence of one who has conquered death for us. Its truth is incredible to contemplate.
Tony Compolo and Charlie
He came to the mountain of God… A wonderful mountain of grace where he fell in love with God and began to worship him.
This is the awesome truth of Mount Zion – where someday you and I will dwell – forever.
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