This past week I finished up Hebrews 12. I have enjoyed my study of Hebrews, but it has also dragged on so long with other studies coming and going in between, that at this point I'm more motivated to finish so that I can be done rather than being super excited about digging into the chapters. Thus, while I have still enjoyed learning from the study, at times I feel as though I've been reading with my eyes spiritually closed.
Most of what I gleaned from my study of chapter 12 related to discipline and endurance in our Christian life. I know that this due in part to the study guide I have been using, which had a lot of additional reading about discipline, and also the reality that it is easy to let my mind focus on the the first part of the chapter and skim over the end. And while this was a good reminder to me, if my learning had ended there, I would have missed out on so much.
Ironically, (from a human point of view), in the first sermon of the new series at my church this past Sunday, Carl's message referenced two sections of Hebrews 12, both from the second half of the chapter. The focus of the series is on worship, and looking at Hebrews 12 through that lens gave me an entirely new perspective on the chapter: Hebrews 12 demonstrates how awe and trembling should be an aspect of our understanding of worship. Here are a couple of the thoughts which stood out to me from the sermon:
"Holiness, out of all
the attributes of God, describes God and God alone and summarizes how unlike He
is compared to us. The angels described in Revelation don’t say “Faithful,
faithful, faithful,” or “mighty, mighty, mighty,” or anything like this. They
say, “holy, holy, holy.” Psalm 111:9 says that “Holy and awesome is His name.”
That means that “Holy” is one of the names God uses to describe Himself because
it is so central to who He is. God is unlike any created being. He is perfect.
He is holy, set apart...
Hebrews 12 has a lot to say about worshiping God with awe, with trembling. Verse 14 says,
Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. – Hebrews 12:14
Did you catch that last part? Without holiness, no one will see the Lord. We are unholy, in our flesh. We must be made holy to withstand the presence of the Lord...
Hebrews 12 goes on to talk about the mountain of the Lord in Exodus where God came with fire and the blast of something like trumpets, a place made so holy by God’s presence that no one could approach it and live. It compares this to Mount Zion, to the place of angels in joyful assembly and of people who have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus. It then gives a warning:
See to it that you do not refuse Him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from Him who warns us from heaven? At that time His voice shook the earth, but now He has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain. 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.” – Hebrews 12:25-29
The Greek word for reverence is aidos, which has a root a word that means to have downcast eyes. The word implies modesty, bashfulness, respect...
The Greek word for awe is eulabeia. It’s a bit hard to define, but it helps to know there is a different word for simply being terrified (phobos, from which we get phobias). Eulabia has an implication of caution, of great respect because of what is involved, in this case, interaction with the holy God...To worship God with eulabia is to understand the holiness of the God you worship..."
Anyway, the way the Lord works so many things together in my life to show me new things about Himself constantly amazes me. While it is easy for me to feel guilty that my study of Hebrews wasn't wrapped up sooner, I also don't think that the sermon would have had such a profound impact on me had I not just been reading Hebrews 12 during the past week. Even in our weakness and human frailty and failings, the Lord works. Only He can spiritually open my eyes to what He wants to teach me each week, each day, each moment of my life. Only He can make me holy. My response can only be to follow the command to worship:
"Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe."--Hebrews 12:28 (NLT)
Hebrews 12 has a lot to say about worshiping God with awe, with trembling. Verse 14 says,
Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. – Hebrews 12:14
Did you catch that last part? Without holiness, no one will see the Lord. We are unholy, in our flesh. We must be made holy to withstand the presence of the Lord...
Hebrews 12 goes on to talk about the mountain of the Lord in Exodus where God came with fire and the blast of something like trumpets, a place made so holy by God’s presence that no one could approach it and live. It compares this to Mount Zion, to the place of angels in joyful assembly and of people who have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus. It then gives a warning:
See to it that you do not refuse Him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from Him who warns us from heaven? At that time His voice shook the earth, but now He has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain. 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.” – Hebrews 12:25-29
The Greek word for reverence is aidos, which has a root a word that means to have downcast eyes. The word implies modesty, bashfulness, respect...
The Greek word for awe is eulabeia. It’s a bit hard to define, but it helps to know there is a different word for simply being terrified (phobos, from which we get phobias). Eulabia has an implication of caution, of great respect because of what is involved, in this case, interaction with the holy God...To worship God with eulabia is to understand the holiness of the God you worship..."
Anyway, the way the Lord works so many things together in my life to show me new things about Himself constantly amazes me. While it is easy for me to feel guilty that my study of Hebrews wasn't wrapped up sooner, I also don't think that the sermon would have had such a profound impact on me had I not just been reading Hebrews 12 during the past week. Even in our weakness and human frailty and failings, the Lord works. Only He can spiritually open my eyes to what He wants to teach me each week, each day, each moment of my life. Only He can make me holy. My response can only be to follow the command to worship:
"Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe."--Hebrews 12:28 (NLT)
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