A Contrast of Two Mountains

Rev. Tommy A. Thompson
Hebrews 12:18-29
13th Sunday after Pentecost
22 August 2010

“A Contrast of Two Mountains”

Hebrews 12:18-29 is an amazing text of Scripture, full of images and descriptions that invite our minds and hearts to journey away from our present context and into the ancient world of the text. When we enter that ancient world in which the Scripture lives and breathes, we experience everything from thunder and lightening, blaring trumpets, deep darkness, clouds and smoke, to jubilant and festive angelic choruses. All these experiences take place on two mountains: Mount Sinai and Mount Zion.

In order to really understand what is being claimed in the sermon of which our Epistle lesson is apart, it is important that we hear some of the texts that present the experiences to which the preacher alluded to when preaching this ancient homily. More often that not, New Testament writers primary source material for writing and preaching is what we understand as the Old Testament. I believe hearing the texts from the Old Testament that influenced the preacher of Hebrews will allow us to hear Hebrews 12:18-29 with fresh and original perspective.

When you hear these ancient texts read, come present to what you are feeling. What kind of emotions are stirred in you in response to these texts?

Exodus 19:12-13 -- You shall set limits for the people all around, saying, “Be careful not to go up the mountain or to touch the edge of it. Any who touch the mountain shall be put to death. No hand shall touch them, but they shall be stoned or shot with arrows; whether animal or human being, they shall not live.” When the trumpet sounds a long blast, they may go up on the mountain.’

Exodus 19:16-22 -- On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, as well as a thick cloud on the mountain, and a blast of a trumpet so loud that all the people who were in the camp trembled. Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God. They took their stand at the foot of the mountain. Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke, because the LORD had descended upon it in fire; the smoke went up like the smoke of a kiln, while the whole mountain shook violently. As the blast of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses would speak and God would answer him in thunder. When the LORD descended upon Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain, the LORD summoned Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Go down and warn the people not to break through to the LORD to look; otherwise many of them will perish. Even the priests who approach the LORD must consecrate themselves or the LORD will break out against them.’

Exodus 20:18-21
When all the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking, they were afraid and trembled and stood at a distance, and said to Moses, ‘You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, or we will die.’ Moses said to the people, ‘Do not be afraid; for God has come only to test you and to put the fear of him upon you so that you do not sin.’ Then the people stood at a distance, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was.

What kind of emotions were stirred in hearing these texts about God’s presence on Mount Sinai?

If you feel a bit frightened, nervous, bewildered, small, humbled by overhearing the activity of these texts, you are not alone.

God is presented in these texts as the Almighty, the Holy One, the One whose holiness is so great, human beings must be careful not too get too close...God’s presence is too great for human beings on Mt. Sinai. They are warned, do not look...do not touch! Fire and smoke...darkness and trumpets...things that obscure God’s identity more than reveal it. This God is holy and is presented as one who must not be approached without serious precautionary measures!

We live in a world where people put “Jesus is my best friend” on their bumpers. We have commercialized God...God is our buddy...our genie in the bottle...We are not used to seeing such vivid images of God as Almighty, transcendent, powerful, Ruler of all...I’m not sure about you, but when I heard these texts the last thing I thought was “best-buddy”...

On the flip side, because of these experiences among many others in the Old Testament, many persons do not see God as “best-friend” but as one who must be feared and revered and nothing else. God is not approachable...there is no space in God for me, that’s for sure.

Whatever emotions these words stirred up in you, one thing is for certain: on this particular mountain, the Lord must be feared...it is a fear that is so strong that it is palpable...kinda like the darkness that came over the land of Egypt during the ninth plague...it was a darkness that could be felt!

That’s the experience of the first mountain of Hebrews 12:18-29. But the point of bringing up this mountain with all its dark and fearful experiences is to remind Christian worshipers that their gathering on Sundays is not on this mountain!

“You have not come to something that can be touched, a blazing fire, and darkness, and gloom, and a tempest, and the sound of a trumpet, and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that not another word be spoken to them. (For they could not endure the order that was given, “If even an animal touches the mountain, it shall be stoned to death.” Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I tremble with fear.”)

You have not come to that mountain, brothers and sisters, but to another:

“But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. See that you do not refuse the one who is speaking; for if they did not escape when they refused the one who warned them on earth, how much less will we escape if we reject the one who warns from heaven! 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 heaven.” This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of what is 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 give thanks, by which we offer to God an acceptable worship with reverence and awe; for indeed our God is a consuming fire.”

Welcome to Mount Zion, the city of the Living God, heavenly Jerusalem. The experience of God on this mountain is not dark and gloomy...it is not a darkness that can be felt but a deep abiding joy that one cannot help but to sing. On this mountain, innumerable angels sing in full chorus. The church of God of all ages has assembled to join in the everlasting song...and Jesus is the center of all attention! What a mountain and what an experience!

But I’m curious...What happened to make the experience of God different on this mountain? Why is Mount Zion so joyful, yet Mount Sinai seems so dark and gloomy? Why is one mountain characterized by fear and the other exuberant festivity?

Something had to change for these experiences to be different. But who or what did? It’s not simply because of the mountain. Surely God doesn’t have mood swings when He comes to Mount Sinai...but only happy days while on Mount Zion. Obviously God hasn’t changed...even on Mount Sinai God is described as “Consuming Fire.” If God has not changed, who has?

Did you catch that three-letter word that hinted at the reason for the jubilant celebration on mountain two? The word “new.” Something “new” has happened. This is what has changed the experience of God on the mountain...the new thing that has happened through the blood of Jesus Christ, the blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. Abel’s blood cries out for revenge, but Jesus blood does something totally different -- it reconciles.

Brothers and sisters, a new covenant has been made! Because of this covenant, you no longer have to fear God as the unapproachable One of whom you better not look at the wrong way lest you die! Because of what God has done in Jesus Christ, you have been reconciled to God. That’s what has changed ... our standing before God.

On mountain one, our sin caused such severe alienation and enmity that we literally trembled in fear in His presence...even with all its obscurity!
But now we stand before him, his presence being fully disclosed to us and check out our response! We join angels and archangels and all the company of heaven who sing the unending hymn to the glory of His Name!

Jesus has lived our life! Jesus has died our death! and Jesus has overcome our death and joined our life with God’s life once and for all!

There is but one response to such an amazing gift: jubilant and festive worship! Notice there is no apathy on mountain two. There is no indifference on mountain two. Also note that all these angels and saints of God are not getting excited and happy over just any and everything...It is something very particular -- the Victory of God in and through Jesus Christ!

The point of Hebrews 12 was to encourage Christians whose lives were not by any means peaches and cream that they were a part of something new, something great, something lasting...everlasting...the new covenant that had been ratified by the blood of the ever-slaughtered and victorious Lamb of God! Hebrews 12 was an invitation to those early Christians as it is to us to enter into worship with utter joy and thanksgiving in response to the mighty and gracious work of God in Christ on our behalf!

Faith receives this future kingdom in the present...it believes in the promise as if it were already fulfilled and it joins the heavenly chorus just as festively and joyfully as it is around God’s throne, making the world agree with our early Methodist brother, Ezekiel Cooper, who said that the worship of the new creation will differ only quantitatively and not qualitatively from our worship in the here-and-now!

You have not come to a darkness, fear, and dread that can be felt and touched like our ancestors did on Mt. Sinai...No! you have come to the future kingdom in the here-and-now via Christian worship. “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us give thanks, by which we offer to God an acceptable worship with reverence and awe; for indeed our God is a consuming fire.”

Amen.