Here are some devotional thoughts on
Hebrews 12 that you might consider in your family if you worship at home March
15th.
HEBREWS -12: 18-29
Shaken
18 For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind, 19 and to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words which sound was such that those who heard begged that no further word be spoken to them. 20 For they could not bear the command, “If even a beast touches the mountain, it will be stoned.”
21 And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said,
“I am full of fear (deut 9:19) and
trembling.”
22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living
God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, 23 to the festive
assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God,
the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous
made perfect, 24 and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the
sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel
25 See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if
those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much
less will we escape who turn away
from Him who warns from
heaven. 26 And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised,
saying, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heaven.”
27 This expression, “Yet
once more,” denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of
created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.
28 Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let
us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with
reverence and awe; 29 for our God is a consuming fire.
What got my attention in v. 25-29 is
this idea of the shaking of the earth and also the heaven.
I think it is fair to say that in
the past week our “world” has been shaken. It’s been going on for a couple of
weeks, but this past week was so huge. When something happens that suspends the
NBA season, shuts down Broadway, Back Alley Theatre, airlines, cruise lines,
conference basketball tournaments, and even March Madness, then things are
being shaken.
How do we as believers respond
individually and corporately? V. 28-29
HOW SHOULD WE THEN LIVE?? V. 28
28 Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let
us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with
reverence and awe; 29 for our God is a consuming fire.
We should live with the recognition
that God’s people have always had:
We
are to express gratitude
We
are finite creatures; we are a vapor; our days are numbered. Despite what we
like to think, we are not in control.
God
is Infinite, He does not change, He is our Creator and King. Despite what we
like to think, HE IS IN CONTROL.
We are to live as God’s people have
always been called to live- with gratitude, serving Him with reverence and awe
of God, not in awe of a virus.
The more I pondered this passage in
light of the past couple of weeks, the more it seems as if it were written for
us, to us, for this moment in time.
One set of insights comes from C.S.
Lewis, who faced different forms of being shaken during his life – WWI, death
of a spouse, WWII; he died on Nov 22, 1963, the day the world was shaken by the
assassination of JFK.
C.
S. Lewis’s words—written 72 years ago—ring with some relevance for us. Just
replace “atomic bomb” with “coronavirus.” Present
Concerns: On Living in an Atomic Age
In one way we think a great deal too much of the atomic bomb.
“How are we to live in an atomic age?”
I am tempted to reply:
“Why, as you would have lived in the sixteenth century when the
plague visited London almost every year, or as you would have lived in a Viking
age when raiders from Scandinavia might land and cut your throat any night; or
indeed, as you are already living in an age of cancer, an age of syphilis, an
age of paralysis, an age of air raids, an age of railway accidents, an age of
motor accidents.”
He is telling us that we should not
begin by focusing on our situation as if it were unique. There is always
uncertainty for us in this world. The Fall is real and its impact was on us, as
those made in the image of God, and on creation itself.
Rom 8
20 For the creation
was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it,
in hope 21 that the creation itself
also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the
glory of the children of God. 22 For
we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth
together until now. 23 And not only
this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we
ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons,
the redemption of our body.
Since, and because of, the Fall in
Genesis 3 we have all been living under a death sentence. We’re not doomed
because of Coronavirus, but because of sin and our willing participation in it.
There is GOOD NEWS in the midst of
the sad headlines. THANKS BE TO God who has given us a mediator.
The Gospel is the incredible news that even though
we were enemies of God, alienated by our sin and deserving eternal punishment,
He reached out to us by sending His Son to take our punishment by dying in our
place on the cross. Now through faith in Jesus we’ve been reconciled to God,
adopted into His family, and given a fresh start and the gift of enjoying Him
forever.
In his own way, that is what the Author Of Hebrews has been
telling us for 12 chapters.
Lewis goes on to say this, (think
Coronavirus or other threat instead of ‘bomb’…)
This is
the first point to be made: and the first action to be taken is to pull
ourselves together. If we are all going to be destroyed by an atomic bomb, let
that bomb when it comes find us doing sensible and human things—praying,
working, teaching, reading, listening to music, bathing the children, playing
tennis, chatting to our friends over a pint and a game of darts—not huddled
together like frightened sheep and thinking about bombs. They may break our
bodies (a microbe can do that) but they need not dominate our minds.
In Christ we have a kingdom that
cannot be shaken. Rejoice in it and show gratitude.
We have come to Mount Zion and to the city
of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, 23 to
the festive assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven,
and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made
perfect, 24 and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant,
Don’t let an abundance of fear cause
us to forget that we have been redeemed by Christ. Our salvation doesn’t mean
that we won’t be shaken in some way, but it does mean that it
won’t change a single eternal reality or spiritual blessing that is ours in
Christ.
Amen
You
might close with some time of prayer as a family for our church family and for
those directly impacted by the Coronavirus, here and around the world.
Pray
for God's mercy in the lives of those who are in fear, and pray that hearts
would be turned to Him.
Pray
for the frontline healthcare workers as they run risks each day.
Pray
that we would all see the bigger picture of life and seek first the Kingdom of
God.
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