Hebrews Part Three Deep Dive

THE TWO MOUNTAINS | KATIE HALDANE

After spending most of the text showing how Jesus is better than anything that the Jewish Christians are currently pining for in their old lives, the author of Hebrews ends the letter with one final knock-out punch, the holy and untouchable Mount Sinai.

For a Jewish Christian, this text is a ‘renewing their mind’ moment. Removing the old patterns and idols of the religion they once lived in and replacing each with the simplicity, power and sufficiency of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, The Messiah. And for one final death blow to their old life of Jewish tradition, the author presents the parallel of two mountains. One in the Old Testament (Mount Sinai) and one from the New (Mount Zion). Now for us, this might not seem too bad, but for them this replaces the very location of the Law, the presence of God and His glory with the future Zion. 

MOUNT SINAI

The author is strong in his first statement of this section that begins in 12:18. 

H 12:18-21 You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; 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, because they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.” The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.” 

Beginning this verse with ‘You have not come’ shows the direct reversal and contrast of the two parallels the author is about to present; it’s a final statement of fact. Now you are in Christ, you are no longer at Mount Sinai but have now come to Mount Zion. The imagery from this point on assumes that you know your Hebrew scriptures very well and it doesn’t actually mention Mount Sinai, it is just assumed that the audience will recognise the language straight away. If you need a refresher, go to Exodus 19:16-19 and see how it uses the same language as the book of Hebrews to describe the sacred place that the Law was given. Mount Sinai was always about the Hebrews’ relationship with God. This was the place where Moses met and talked face to face with Yahweh and where the Hebrews were supposed get to know God. But they didn’t, they were not allowed near the mount, nor were their animals (Exodus 19:12-13, 20:18-21 and Deuteronomy 5:24-27). Mount Sinai was revered in the rest of the Old Testament and in Jewish tradition as the holy place where Yahweh spoke to Moses and provided the Law.

This moment at Mount Sinai was the defining moment of the Israelites relationship with God; He stayed on the mountain because His the glory was too great for them. This God was unapproachable for them, completely holy and would therefore need to remain at a distance, in a tabernacle and later temple so they could worship Him from afar. That is the Mount Sinai experience.

MOUNT ZION

The ‘But you have come’ in verse 22 is the turning point. This is the opposing parallel that the author presents, and it is ‘Mount Zion’, the New Testament future hope.

H 12:22-24 But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

Mount Zion is named, not like Mount Sinai in the first section. And it is described as ‘the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem’ just like the ‘new Jerusalem’ in Revelation 21. The description of Mount Zion couldn’t be more different than Mount Sinai, the repeat of ‘you have come’ is not to be missed. There is the sense that, at Sinai, you didn’t approach God but here you are now, free to come to His holy mountain without fear. There is a sense of direct access into a living, joyful assembly, His community: the Church and Jesus as the mediator, rather than Moses. The ‘new mountain’ moment is a promise of our current relationship with Yahweh and points forward to the day when Yahweh will dwell with us here on earth, no boundaries, not contained in a temple (Revelation 21:22) but dwelling with us (Revelation 21:3).

The author finishes with a stern warning, now that you have come into this free, loving, joy-filled relationship with Yahweh through Christ the mediator…  

H 12:25 See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks.

THE SHAKING

The language of the next section is used throughout the Old Testament, and you can jump to the Deep Dive in Haggai that will explain what ‘shaking’ means in relation to their relationship with God. But the shaking in Hebrews is contrasted with the beautiful and stable ‘kingdom that cannot be shaken’.

H 12:28-29 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.”

This final moment summarises the Christians experience. Now, in Christ, we have a strong solid kingdom that cannot be shaken as the nations can. We are thankful and grateful that we can now can freely worship God acceptably, with reverence and awe, and with a promise that in the future God will dwell with us forever.

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Hebrews part three

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