Hebrews 12:14-25

Hebrews 12:14-25

 

Verse 11

     ¹¹ For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. ^[1]

Verse 14

     “Pursue peace with all men . . .”

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Romans 12: ¹⁸ If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. ¹⁹ Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” ²⁰ To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” ²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. ^[2]

Sanctification “conveys an idea of separation from the world . . . when we are markedly distant from the world around us we will see the world with spiritual eyes . . .”

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Verse 15

Root of bitterness “. . . springs up and causes trouble . . . “

Verse 16-17

The example of Esau from Genesis 25: ²⁹ Once when Jacob was cooking stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was exhausted. ³⁰ And Esau said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am exhausted!” (Therefore his name was called Edom.) ³¹ Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright now.” ³² Esau said, “I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?” ³³ Jacob said, “Swear to me now.” So he swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob. ³⁴ Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright. ^[3]

Verses 18-24

Mount Sinai – “don’t touch it”

Mount Zion – “the city of the living God . . . and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant . . . “

What a relief it is to move from Mt. Sinai to Mt. Zion! Mt. Sinai represents the Old Covenant of Law, and Mt. Zion represents the New Covenant of grace in Jesus Christ (see Gal. 4:19–31). The heavenly city is God’s Mt. Zion (see Pss. 2; 110:1–2, 4). This is the city that the patriarchs were looking for by faith (Heb. 11:10, 14–17). The earthly Jerusalem was about to be destroyed by the Romans, but the heavenly Jerusalem would endure forever.^[4]

Verse 25-29 (The fifth warning)

The warnings

2:1 Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. ² For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, ³ how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard,^[5]

3: ¹² Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. ¹³ But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. ^[6]

6:1Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, ² and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. ^[7]

[Pablum: a brand of soft, bland cereal for infants.[8]]

10: ²⁶ For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, ²⁷ but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. ²⁸ Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. ²⁹ How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? ³⁰ For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” ³¹ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. ^[9]

12:25²⁵ See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven. ²⁶ At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” ²⁷ This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. ²⁸ Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, ²⁹ for our God is a consuming fire. ^[10]

The reason our author follows his picture of festive celebration (12:22–24) with a stern warning (12:25–29) has to do, once again, with the purpose of this book and the spiritual condition of the community. For some in the audience, the matter of their eternal destiny has yet to be discerned; their status has been called into question by their flirtation with apostasy. The warning, therefore, demonstrates that the preacher cannot give an unqualified message of grace to a community of people among whom are those considering abandoning the faith.^[11]

Closing

Things that are missing . . . thank you notes . . .

 

 

 

 

 

^[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Heb 12:11). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

^[2] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Ro 12:17–21). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

^[3] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Ge 25:29–34). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

^[4] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 325). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

^[5] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Heb 2:1–3). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

^[6] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Heb 3:12–14). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

^[7] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Heb 6:1–2). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

[8] https://www.dictionary.com/browse/pablum

^[9] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Heb 10:26–31). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

^[10] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Heb 12:25–29). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

^[11] Guthrie, G. (1998). Hebrews (p. 426). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.