How does Hebrews 12:26 connect with God's voice at Mount Sinai in Exodus? Setting the Scene: Two Epic Moments of God’s Voice • Hebrews 12:26 reflects on two mountain events: – Past: God’s thunderous speech at Mount Sinai when the Law was given. – Future: a promised, final shaking of both earth and heaven. • Scripture treats both moments as literal, history-shaping interventions of the living God. Sound and Shaking at Sinai (Exodus 19–20) • Exodus 19:16-19 — “...there were thunders and lightning, and a thick cloud... and the whole mountain trembled violently.” • Exodus 20:18 — “All the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking.” • Deuteronomy 4:11-12 confirms God’s audible voice: Israel “heard the sound of the words.” Key take-aways: – The mountain literally quaked under God’s voice. – Israel begged Moses to mediate (Exodus 20:19). – The shaking underscored the holiness of the Old Covenant. Hebrews 12:26: Looking Back and Looking Forward “‘At that time His voice shook the earth, but now He has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but heaven as well.”’” • “At that time” = Sinai, the first shaking. • “But now He has promised” quotes Haggai 2:6, expanding the scope: not just one mountain, but all creation. • Purpose of the coming shaking (Hebrews 12:27): “the removal of what can be shaken... so that the unshakable may remain.” Shared Themes: Shaking, Covenant, Responsibility 1. Divine Revelation – Sinai: Law written on stone. – Hebrews: New Covenant mediated by Christ (Hebrews 12:24). 2. Physical Manifestation – Earthquake at Sinai. – Cosmic quake to come (Isaiah 13:13; Revelation 6:12-17). 3. Call to Reverence – Exodus 20:20: “Fear God... so you will not sin.” – Hebrews 12:28: “Let us be thankful and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.” 4. Warning and Grace – Refusal at Sinai brought death (Exodus 32). – “See that you do not refuse Him who speaks” (Hebrews 12:25). Why the Connection Matters for Us Today • The literal shaking at Sinai guarantees the literal final shaking God has promised. • God’s voice has not weakened; it still demands obedience and offers mercy through Jesus. • Believers already belong to “a kingdom that cannot be shaken” (Hebrews 12:28), so we live confidently, yet with trembling awe, anticipating the day when every created thing will give way to eternal realities. |
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