Freedom For Today

“You have not come to a physical mountain, to a place of flaming fire, darkness, gloom, and whirlwind, as the Israelites did at Mount Sinai. For they heard an awesome trumpet blast and a voice so terrible that they begged God to stop speaking. They staggered back under God’s command: ‘If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.’ Moses himself was so frightened at the sight that he said, ‘I am terrified and trembling.’

“No, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering. You have come to the assembly of God’s firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect. You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel.”

I had to read this passage several times to make sense of it, as I found it very confusing. What is the point of the author talking about a physical mountain and then Mount Zion? What is all that? The first thing I remembered was the way in which the author of Hebrews has been using the well-known history of Israel to explain Jesus as the Messiah. There is a compare/contrast process between what God has done and what he is going to do.

In that light, I thought of Revelation 21, where the apostle John shares a vision of a new heaven and a new earth. That book was written right around the same time as Hebrews, and since we don’t the author or authors of Hebrews we can’t say whether they had any knowledge of that vision. It’s possible God revealed a similar vision to each of these authors to paint a picture of how access to God in the new heaven (Mount Zion) will be very different than Moses’ experience on Mount Sinai.

God has had a long history with his chosen people. It’s written in the Old Testament and it’s been explored here in Hebrews. The Jewish people have heard countless stories of God’s fierce power that at times was scary. Moses was an imperfect mediator between God and the people. Jesus is the perfect mediator of this new covenant. Because of Jesus, God isn’t scary at all. He seeks peace with you, he wants to forgive you. He’s prepared a new Promised Land for all who come to him.

“Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord. Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many. Make sure that no one is immoral or godless like Esau, who traded his birthright as the firstborn son for a single meal. You know that afterward, when he wanted his father’s blessing, he was rejected. It was too late for repentance, even though he begged with bitter tears.”

Sometimes in my house my kids say, “Well, I didn’t TRY to break it…” I always respond with the same statement: “I know you didn’t try to break it. You have to try NOT to break it.” The Christian life isn’t about accidentally falling into sin and seeing it after the fact. It’s about working hard NOT to sin by leading a holy life. It’s about working hard to live at peace with everyone. We hear the same excuses over and over: “Well I didn’t TRY to get into that fight…” or “I didn’t TRY to have an affair.”

What are you watching out for today? Are you on the lookout for bitterness in your life? Are you simply catching yourself after the fact and wishing you had done something differently? Esau’s story is captured in Genesis 25, when his impatience and hunger causes him to make a foolish decision to give up his inheritance for a bowl of soup. Always a good idea to avoid decision-making when you are hungry, angry, lonely, or tired. Don’t be like Esau, settling for the immediate reward and figuring the rest will work itself out later. Life doesn’t work like that. Long-term consequences DO come, and often it’s too late to change the inevitable outcomes.

It’s boring to talk about making wise long-term decisions. There are absolutely zero movies and TV shows with that plot. But that’s the one-foot-in-front-of-the-other way that following Jesus works. You have to watch your step, think long-term (and by long-term I mean with an eternal view), and work hard to do the right thing. Living by the minimum standard isn’t freedom, it’s fake. When you really care about something, you are wholehearted about it. What eternal and supernatural realities are you working towards? Take time to sit with that question because it is a key to freedom.

“And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said,

‘My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline,
    and don’t give up when he corrects you.
For the Lord disciplines those he loves,
    and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.’

As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever?

For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way. So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong.”

Discipline is a complicated word. Earthly parents are sometimes too strict or even abusive, causing some of us to connect the word discipline with unjust, harsh punishment. Other earthly parents don’t discipline their children at all. Most of us don’t really want to be around their children. (One store had a sign, “Children left unattended will be given an espresso and a puppy” — that about sums up all our thoughts on out-of-control kids!)

Today’s passage quotes Proverbs 3:11-12 and I find it interesting that these are called “encouraging words.” Kind of like how eating kale is good for you. You know it’s true but that doesn’t mean it’s always fun. People who grew up with fair and appropriate discipline generally become well-respected leaders as adults. They also have learned self-control and are able to live disciplined lives. A little training goes a long way.

If you accept God’s leadership and discipline in your life, then you are building your spiritual muscles. You are getting stronger and becoming more like Jesus. As verse 12 says, “Take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees.” You might feel like collapsing after the marathon you’ve been running, but you’re actually stronger than you’ve ever been. I once saw this quote: “It isn’t getting easier, you’re getting stronger.” I bet if you look back over the past 5 years, you’ve come a long way. If that’s not the case for you, what steps could you take towards living a life under God’s discipline?

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.”

Who inspires you? We all have role models we look up to, and perhaps there is someone you can think of that you would say is a “model Christian” — that person who just makes you want to keep growing. Chapter 11 reminded the Jewish readers of Hebrews of all their role models. The message is clear: they did it, you can too!

What trips you up in life and stops you from growing? That’s the next question posed in today’s passage. If Abraham and Isaac and Moses and Rahab and so many others kept running the race in the midst of all the hardship they faced, you can run that race too. Stay strong! Keep your eyes on Jesus! It’s a spiritual pep talk, and it’s a great passage to bookmark and read when you feel discouraged.

Life is hard. I know you are struggling with something right now, because that’s how life goes. Good and bad, easy and hard — these are part of every single day. When we forget to notice the good, we can get consumed by the hard. We can forget why we are even running this race at all. Don’t give up. So many people have gone before you and persevered in trials. Jesus has us all beat and he’s our ultimate inspiration. You may not feel strong, but in 2 Corinthians 12:9 God says, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” He’s running in front of you, beside you, and behind you. Keep going!

Take a moment to read Hebrews 11:24-40 before reading the devotional below.

We finish this chapter on the greats of Jewish history with mention of Moses, the crumbling of the walls of Jericho, Rahab, and many others. I would encourage you to read the book of Exodus to get a sense of these stories (you can search by category on the right side of the screen to read my Exodus devotional series).

Verses 32-40 specifically describe the supernatural and heroic acts that have been prevalent throughout Israel’s history. Yet all of these heroes of the faith did not get to see all the promises of God fulfilled in their lifetimes. They did everything God asked, and gained great reputations, but they did not get to experience all that God had in store for them. Verse 40 says, “For God had something better in mind for us…”

God has something perfect in mind: a full restoration of his original design in the Garden of Eden. Jesus came, fully God and fully man, in order to establish a new covenant and fulfill all the purposes of the old covenant. God didn’t stop there. We look forward to his promises yet to be fulfilled, when Jesus returns and establishes a new heaven and a new earth. If you have felt that God has left you hanging and worry that he’s not going to fulfill his promises to you, just wait. The best is yet to come.