(A Letter to A Friend.)
“For our God is a consuming fire.”
―Heb. 12:9.
I WAS pointing out the other day to some saints here how remarkable it is that, in Numbers 15, we have―(1) Directions about sins of ignorance; (2) Sins of presumption; and (3) The ribband of blue, to keep in mind to do all the commandments of the Lord, and “that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes,” just before the awfully presumptuous sin of Korah in chapter 16. We need to keep in mind Numbers 15:27-29 while judging of an “ignorant” brother and his ways. There is an atonement for sins of ignorance, oven “when he sinneth by ignorance before the Lord” in regard to deep and holy things. Certainly we ought not to suffer sin in a brother, but point out to him the error of his ways, that he may have “the fear of Christ” upon his spirit. Fear is one of the most valuable things for a Christian (see Acts 9:31; 16:2, 3; 2 Cor. 5:11; 7:1, 11, 15; Ephesians 5:21 (“the fear of Christ”); 6:5; Philippians 2:12; 1 Peter 1:17; 2:18; 3:2, 15; Jude 23; Romans 11:20; Colossians 3:22; Hebrews 4:1; Revelation 15:4).
Did you ever observe that in Hebrews 5:7, “in that he feared,” is the same word as Hebrews 12:28― “godly fear;” and the root-meaning is “foresight, caution,” and that in both places it might be that “deliberate hesitation or delay” which would pervade the mind of one who had to act before God with a holy awe, desiring fully to meet His mind. We are to have this same mind in us that was in Christ Jesus when He was in the place of a servant. “Reverence,” in Hebrews 12:28, is translated in the only other place in which it occurs in the New Testament (1 Tim. 2:9) by “shame-facedness,” from a sense of our unworthiness. I should tell you, however, there is a different reading well attested, giving a translation like this: “With reverent admiration and fear” (Alf.). But Delitzach holds by A.V., which is, as I have said, that which places us in a sense of our true state before God, and acting as having a care lest we offend Him. They all agree, that “Let us hold fast grace” is not correct; and it should be, “Let us have thankfulness.” I think it must surely be God’s grace (in some way), not “our thankfulness,” looking at the scope of the chapter and the scope of Hebrews― “Lest any man fail of the grace of God.” I do not mean by grace something within us (does it ever mean that?), but favor shown us by God―His whole dealing in Christianity as opposed to law in Hebrews. Hence the Mount of Law and the Mount of Grace are put in sharp and well-defined contrast (ch. 12).
There are seven things said of Mount Sinai: ―
1. A mountain that may be touched (tangible, &c.; therefore connected with man in the world and with material things).
2. And to a kindled fire (Deut. 4:36; the perfect is used as showing it a merely transient phenomenon connected with the material world).
3. And to cloud-gloom (allusion to Deut. 4:11).
4. And darkness (Deut. 4:11).
5. And storm (Ex. 19:16; 20:18).
6. And trumpet-sound (Ex. 19;16, &c.
7. And a voice of (spoken) words (Deut. 4:12), which they that heard entreated that no more speech might be addressed to them (vs. 19).
The top of Sinai, as seen by Israel at the giving of the Law, burned with fire; lower down it was girt with dark, impenetrable cloud, out of which came (according to the Sep. rendering of the Hebrew at Deuteronomy 4:11, and verse 22) mutterings and bursts of storm, like pre-announcements of divine wrath (Del.). verses 20, 21: “For they could not bear that ordaining” (word): “And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned.” And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, “I exceedingly fear and quake.” The Law says, Stand back! even to a beast―much more to a man, who, sinning, brought down the beast with him. So terrible was the manifestation that Moses, too, the friend of God, was likewise filled with fear. This is an expansion by the Spirit of Moses’ word (Deut. 9:19) spoken with reference to a different occasion (Ex. 3:6). The word “quake” occurs twice else in the New Testament―Acts 7:32; 16: 29). One must stand quaking personally, and behold alone the holiness of God, before he can be in it with God for others: the bush first, and then the mount. Only we can stand unfearingly when we know love and grace in perfection (1 John 4:17, 18).
“But ye have not drawn near,” &c. The Christian’s approach and presentation are in contrast with that of Israel, when we read: “And Moses brought forth the people out of the Camp to meet with God” (Ex. 19) But their drawing near was a shrinking back. The mount was unapproachable: all the arrangements told of a God of infinite majesty; but so terrible in His holiness that they in the flesh could not get near Him and live. And, besides, it was only by the visible and tangible forms of Nature that God was manifested, or behind which He hid Himself. The effect of such a revelation or manifestation of the fiery or wrathful side of His glory was fitted to inspire with terror, and to make them feel their utter unfitness to approach Him as thus revealed.
“For ye are not come,” &c. Why “for?” It arises out of any man failing of the grace of God, with Esau for all example of it.
The Sinaitic revelation of Law is then contrasted with the Zionitic revelation of Grace; and we are instructed as to our approach to God being according to the latter, and not the former. “Come,” or “drawn near,” occurs in chapter 4:16; 7:25; 10:1, 22; 11:6; and here, chapter 12:18. Then, again, in verse 22 “But ye are come nigh unto Mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, Jerusalem the heavenly, and myriads of angels, the festive assembly, and the church of the first-born enrolled in the heavens, and to God the Judge of all, and to spirits of just ones made perfect, and to the new covenant’s Mediator, Jesus, and to a blood of sprinkling, speaking more mightily than Abel” What are the precious realities and persons we are come to here? Each division on Mount Zion is pointed out by the conjunction “and”: ―
1. And to the city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem,
2. And to myriads of angels-the general assembly,
3. And to the church of the first-born enrolled in the heavens,
4. And to God the Judge of all,
5. And to the spirits of just men made perfect,
6. And to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant,
7. And to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things than the blood of Abel.
These are the seven heavenlies on Mount Zion, in antithesis to the seven earthlies on Mount Sinai. It is curious that that remarkable expositor, Bengel, a hundred years ago, pointed out these sevens in their antithesis; but he was not at all clear about the saints of this dispensation being separate; for at one time he mixes them with the angels into one general assembly, at another with the spirits of just men made perfect. And yet he sees clearly that general assembly is of angel “The Church of the Firstborn.” He clearly’ makes the Church consist of all saints―Old Testament and New Testament. A man of spiritual insight like Bengel would have done much more to clear Scripture from theological glosses had he known “the mystery of God!”
It is refreshing to read in a sentence like this, in the work of a living German, “We conclude, therefore, that by Church of the First-born, the present living Church is meant.” He supports this view by several considerations― (1) The use of the term ecclesia is always applied in Scripture to the religious community on earth. (2) It accounts for the epithet written in heaven, as designating the heavenly character of the Church. (3) It accounts for first-born, a term suggested by the foregoing warning about Esau, who despised his first-born-hood. Allusion also to Israel, no longer the first-born―nor enrolled in an earthly register (Num. 3) ―but in heaven itself. Also, perhaps, with the thought of ancient rights of the first-born to priesthood and royalty, so (Rev. 1:6) kings and priests. The spiritual right of primogeniture of all Christians, because of connection with the Son of God, is here set in contrast to the right of the first-born in Israel; and the assembly of Christ is contrasted with that of Judaism. And (4), This will account for myriads of angels being near the Church of the First-born; for, according to chapter 1:14, they are ministering spirits to them. Both are heavenly, though the assembly is here on earth. (5) This is naturally followed by “God, the Judge of all,” the key to which is found in chapter 10:30. Let us pass through as many oppressions as we may, it matters not―as the Lord committed himself to Him that judgeth righteously, so do we. And naturally follows (6), “and to the spirits of just men made perfect” ―for “without us they could not be made perfect” (ch. 11:40). Their perfection comes to them in resurrection and glory, in virtue of the descending and ascending Jesus (Eph. 4:10); hence (7), “and to the Mediator of the new covenant” is brought in. New here is recent, newly formed, and is of ever fresh and vigorous youth, in contrast to the old, which was now antiquated, and about to disappear. He is called Jesus, as the Perfected One (chap. 2:9, 10); and the Perfecter (12:2); and again, in chapter 7:22, as surety of the better covenant.
It is the name JESUS, containing in it Jehovah-Saviour, not the Christ, which is in contrast to Moses. The mention of the covenant is naturally followed by that of the blood that sealed it― “And to the blood of sprinkling,” etc. In chapters 9:18, 22, we read that no covenant is inaugurated without Mood, and no forgiveness without blood-shedding. As Moses, the Mediator of the Old Covenant, finds an infinitely exalted antitype in Jesus, the Mediator of the New Covenant, so the blood of sprinkling under the one finds its antitype in another sprinkling of blood, sealing a New Covenant under the other (ch. 9:19). Not “better things;” but “is more powerful, penetrative, and prevailing,” as it is not the blood of a dead man like Abel, but of One who, in virtue of it, is raised from the dead to the super-celestial tabernacle, and seated on a Mediatorial and high priestly throne. The great antithesis is in the speaking’s―the last thing, “the voice of (spoken) words” on Sinai, is in contrast with the voice of, the sprinkled blood on Mount Zion. This appears from what, follows, verse 25, “See that ye refuse not him that speaketh,” etc.
There are, then, in the latter half of Hebrews 12: (1) Two mounts; (2) two voices―two speaking’s, in law from Sinai, in blood (grace) from Zion; (3) two shakings; (4) two kinds of things―the shakable and the unshakable. All connected with man and his world is shakable, and will be shaken; but all connected with God’s counsel and grace, for the setting up of His kingdom, administered by Jesus in the world to come, is unshakable. The conclusion drawn, and exhortation in connection with these things are, “Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: for our God is a consuming fire.” We do not receive this kingdom on earth, and now; but we are the parties who receive it, with the Lord Jesus, when the time of his Melchisedek reign over the world to come arrives; and as antedating that, by faith, and in spirit, we receive it now. It will be made out of the things which cannot be shaken-the things connected with Mount Zion.
Because of getting, in grace, such a place with Christ Jesus in the glory of His kingdom and reign, we should, he exhorts, entertain and show grace (thankfulness) whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. To find grace is an act; to have grace is a state. To have grace passively would be to be under the power of grace (Luke 17:9; 1 Tim. 1:12); but 2 Tim. 2:3, to entertain and show thankfulness. Thankfulness is the chief thing in all true service of God. “Whoso offereth thanks,” we read in Psalms 1:23, “glorifieth me, and follows a path in which I will show him the salvation of Elohim.” But we must take in the whole sentence containing he exhortation. With thankfulness would be combined shame, like that of the Seraphim when they veil their faces and their feet with their wings, and personal circumspection and attention, that avoids carefully anything unseemly or offensive. Hab. 2:20, has the verb, in Sept. (ἐυλαβεισθω)― “The Lord is in His holy temple: Keep up a reverential awe before Him, all the earth.” With shame, on account of our unworthiness; with rear, from a perception of the Divine majesty. Hope is tempered with reverence and fear, lest we should be too bold and familiar.
“For our God is a consuming fire.” In Deut. 4:24, we read, “For the Lord thy God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.” This is spoken in connection with a warning against graven images―He was “a jealous God,” a consuming fire, to idolaters. “As a consuming fire He shall destroy them,” i.e., the nations of Canaan. But the God of the Jew is never said to be “a consuming fire” dispensationally, as the Christian’s God is here said to be; at least I am not aware of it. As a leper the Jew is now put outside the camp―not consumed―and there is yet restoration for him.
But the judgment of Apostate Christendom will be unsparing, universal, and final: “she shall be utterly burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her (Rev. 18; see also Rev. 19)
Grace teaches the very opposite of lawlessness, irreverence, or unholiness. Titus 2:11-14― “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” There is a riband of blue on the fringes of the Christian’s garments (see Col. 3) ― a reminder of the heavenly nature of the holiness of grace, in keeping with the heavenly dispensation, which is from heaver and leads to heaven.