A Tale of Two Mountains, Part 1 (Hebrews 12:18-24) | Worship Service

Kootenai Church

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July 10, 2023

A Tale of Two Mountains, Part 1 (Hebrews 12:18-24) | Worship Service This stream is created with #PRISMLiveStudio

A Tale of Two Mountains, Part 2 (Hebrews 12:18-24) | Worship Service

17:54: Good morning, I just want to welcome each one of you here this morning, would you stand and sing with me today? We're going to sing kind of a new song, it's a
18:01: Psalm 9, but it's to the tune of God. O heart, at thanksgiving to Thee who
18:16: I bring, in praise of Thy marvelous deeds
18:21: I will sing. Hear me, I will joy and exultingly cry,
18:29: Thy name I will praise, O Jehovah, most high.
18:35: Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the earth hear His voice.
18:41: Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, rejoice,
18:47: O come to Jehovah, declare He is Lord, justice is gained.
19:07: Which will all be oppressed, but trust in unknowing, and trust in our guest.
19:17: For ever, O Lord, in Thy mercy forsake the soul that hath sought of Thee.
19:26: O heart, at thanksgiving to Thee who I bring, in praise of Thy marvelous deeds I will sing. Hear me, I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O Jehovah, most high. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, rejoice,
19:40: O come to Jehovah, declare He is Lord, justice is gained.
19:57: Hear me, I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O Jehovah, most high. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, rejoice, O come to Jehovah, declare He is Lord, justice Hear me, I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare He is
20:16: Lord, justice is gained.
20:24: Hear me, I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare He is Lord, justice is gained. Hear me, I will joy and exultingly cry,
20:30: Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare He is Lord, justice is gained. Hear me, I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare
20:36: He is Lord, justice is gained.
20:49: Hear me, I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me, I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare He is Lord, justice is gained.
20:55: Hear me, I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare He is Lord, justice is gained. Hear me, I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare
21:05: He is Lord, justice is gained. Hear me, I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare He is Lord, justice is gained. Hear me,
21:24: I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare He is
21:34: Lord, justice is gained. Hear me,
21:41: I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me, I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare He is Lord, justice is gained. Hear me, I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise,
21:47: O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me, I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me, I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me,
21:54: I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me, I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise,
22:01: O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me, I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise,
22:12: O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me, I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me, I will joy and exultingly cry,
22:18: Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me, I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare
22:24: Hear me, I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me,
22:48: I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me, I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me, I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me, I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me,
22:55: I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me,
23:30: I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me, I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me, I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me, I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me, I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me,
23:36: I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me,
23:50: I will joy and exultingly cry,
24:58: Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me,
25:03: I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me, I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me, I will joy and exultingly cry,
25:17: Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me, I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me,
25:59: I will joy and exultingly cry,
26:14: Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me, I will joy and exultingly cry,
26:25: Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me,
26:36: I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me, I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise,
26:44: O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me, I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me,
27:19: I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me, I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me, I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me, I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me, I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me, I will joy and exultingly cry,
27:35: Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare
27:48: Hear me, I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me, I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me, I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me, I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me, I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare
27:53: Hear me, I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me,
27:58: I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise,
28:06: O come to Jehovah, declare
28:30: Hear me, I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me, I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me, I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me, I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise,
28:39: O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me,
28:54: I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me,
29:02: I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me,
29:10: I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me,
29:18: I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me, I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me,
29:24: I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me, I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me, I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me, I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me, I will joy and exultingly cry,
29:36: Thy name
29:42: I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me, I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me,
29:56: I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me, I will joy and exultingly cry,
30:12: Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me, I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me,
30:21: I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me, I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise,
30:26: O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me,
30:38: I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name
30:44: I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me,
30:51: I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me, I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me,
31:07: I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name
31:12: I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me, I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me,
31:20: I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me,
31:26: I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me,
31:53: I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me, I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me, I will joy and exultingly cry, Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare Hear me,
32:01: I will joy and exultingly cry,
32:19: Thy name I will praise, O come to Jehovah, declare
32:26: His name is the Lord, and exult before Him. A father of the fatherless and a judge for the widows is
32:32: God in His holy habitation. God makes a home for the lonely. He leads out the prisoners into prosperity.
32:40: Only the rebellious dwell in a parched land. O God, when You went forth before Your people, when
32:47: You marched through the wilderness, the earth quaked, the heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God, Sinai itself quaked at the presence of God, the
32:57: God of Israel. You shed abroad a plentiful rain, O God, You confirmed Your inheritance when it was parched,
33:03: Your creatures settled in it, You provided in Your goodness for the poor, O God. The Lord gives the command.
33:11: The woman who proclaims the good tidings are a great host. Kings of armies flee, they flee, and she who remains at home will divide the spoil.
33:20: When You lie down among the sheepfolds, You are like the wings of a dove covered with silver and its pinions with glistening gold.
33:28: When the Almighty scattered the kings there, it was snowing in Zalman. A mountain of God is the mountain of Bashan.
33:35: A mountain of many peaks is the mountain of Bashan. Why do You look with envy, O mountains with many peaks, at the mountain which
33:42: God has desired for His abode? Surely the Lord will dwell there forever. The chariots of God are myriads, thousands upon thousands.
33:50: The Lord is among them as at Sinai in holiness. You have ascended on high,
33:55: You have led captive Your captives. You have received gifts among men, even among the rebellious also, that the
34:01: Lord God may dwell there. Blessed be the Lord who daily bears our burden, the
34:07: God who is our salvation. God is to us a God of deliverances, and to God the
34:13: Lord belonging escapes from death. Surely God will shatter the head of His enemies, the hairy crown of Him who goes on in His guilty deeds.
34:22: The Lord said, I will bring them back from Bashan, I will bring them back from the depths of the sea, that Your foot may shatter them in blood.
34:30: The tongue of Your dogs may have its portion from Your enemies. They have seen Your procession,
34:36: O God, the procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary. The singers went on, the musicians after them, in the midst of the maidens beating the tambourines.
34:46: Bless God and the congregations, even the Lord, You who are of the fountain of Israel. There is
34:52: Benjamin the youngest ruling them, the princes of Judah in their throng, the princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali.
34:59: Your God has commanded Your strength. Show Yourself strong, O God, You who have acted on our behalf.
35:06: Because of Your temple at Jerusalem, kings will bring gifts to You. Rebuke the beasts and the reeds, the herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples, trampling underfoot the pieces of silver.
35:17: He has scattered the peoples who delight in war. Envoys will come out of Egypt. Ethiopia will quickly stretch out her hands to God.
35:25: Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth, sing praises to the Lord, to Him who rides upon the highest heavens, which are from ancient times.
35:34: Behold, He speaks forth with His voice, a mighty voice. Ascribe strength to God.
35:39: His majesty is over Israel, and His strength is in the skies. O God, You are awesome from Your sanctuary.
35:47: The God of Israel Himself gives strength and power to the people. Blessed be God. You stand with me as we pray.
35:58: Let's bow our heads. Our Father, You are majestic and holy and righteous, a
36:05: God of strength and power and glory and majesty, and You have veiled
36:11: Yourself from our eyes so that physically we cannot see You. We behold You in Your Word.
36:16: We see glimpses of You in creation. We are acquainted with merely the fringes of Your ways.
36:23: You have made Yourself known through all that has been created and in our conscience sufficient to hold us accountable before a holy and righteous
36:30: God. And yet we cannot approach unto You unless You should open a way, unless You would condescend to make
36:39: Yourself known to us and to open a way by which we may come to know You and by which we may spend eternity with You.
36:46: And You have done that very thing. As transcendent as You are, You have condescended to love us and to draw us to Yourself and to make
36:54: Yourself known in the person of Christ. So we thank You that You're holy.
36:59: We thank You that Your holiness demands a payment for sin and that those who have no payment for sin will perish before You, for You are righteous and holy and just.
37:10: But we thank You that You have satisfied the demands of Your justice on behalf of all who look to Christ in Him and His sacrifice on the cross.
37:19: It is because of what He has done that we can rejoice before You and know that we are among the righteous, those who are righteous not because of our own deeds or our own works, but because of what
37:29: Christ has done. We are righteous because You have given us the righteousness of Your Son. And so we can stand before You with rejoicing and affectionate hearts instead of fear because You have brought us near by the blood of Your Son.
37:42: It is in His name that we thank You and it is by His grace that we praise You and ask these things.
37:49: Amen. He has washed us with His blood.
38:27: He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood.
39:08: He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood.
39:15: He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood.
39:36: He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood.
39:46: He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood.
39:54: He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood.
40:04: He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood.
40:20: He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood.
40:38: He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood.
40:47: He has washed us with His blood.
41:21: He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood.
44:01: He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood.
44:11: He has washed us with His blood.
44:33: He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood.
44:53: He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood.
45:46: He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood.
46:05: He has washed us with His blood.
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46:22: He has washed us with His blood.
48:10: He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood.
48:33: He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood.
48:58: He has washed us with His blood.
50:01: He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood.
50:32: He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood.
50:55: He has washed us with His blood.
51:01: He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood.
51:33: He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood.
52:03: He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood.
52:26: He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood.
52:32: He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood.
52:47: He has washed us with His blood.
53:00: He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood.
53:18: He has washed us with His blood.
53:26: He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood.
53:32: He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood.
53:48: He has washed us with His blood.
54:02: He has washed us with His blood.
54:07: He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood.
54:29: He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood.
54:40: He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood.
55:02: He has washed us with His blood.
55:29: He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood.
55:42: He has washed us with His blood.
56:01: He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood.
56:30: He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood.
56:54: He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood.
57:02: He has washed us with His blood.
57:15: He has washed us with His blood.
57:32: He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood.
57:42: He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood.
57:53: He has washed us with His blood.
58:13: He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood.
58:29: He has washed us with His blood.
58:36: He has washed us with His blood.
58:42: He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood.
59:08: He has washed us with His blood.
59:28: He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood.
59:46: He has washed us with His blood.
59:52: He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood.
59:58: He has washed us with His blood.
01:00:26: He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood.
01:00:56: He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood.
01:01:25: He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood.
01:01:49: He has washed us with His blood.
01:01:58: He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood.
01:02:29: He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood.
01:02:44: He has washed us with His blood.
01:02:51: He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood.
01:02:58: He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood.
01:03:10: He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood.
01:03:28: He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood.
01:03:58: He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood.
01:04:10: He has washed us with His blood.
01:04:22: He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood.
01:04:57: He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood.
01:05:05: He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood.
01:05:27: He has washed us with His blood.
01:05:54: He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood.
01:06:02: He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood.
01:06:11: He has washed us with His blood.
01:06:24: He has washed us with His blood.
01:06:50: He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood.
01:06:56: He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood.
01:07:08: He has washed us with His blood. He has washed us with His blood.
01:07:24: He has washed us with His So the author has already alluded to the idea of seeing
01:07:29: God, but for us, and this is key, for us, that is not a terrifying thing. Why?
01:07:36: Because something has happened to take away the terror of Sinai. We'll come back to that at the end. Something has happened to take away the dread.
01:07:43: So now the idea of seeing God is something that we anticipate, we look forward to, we hunger for that. We long for that because the terror and the threatenings of Sinai have been removed.
01:07:56: Number two, connection to the context, the author is still arguing for our endurance, for our perseverance, and he is providing further motivation for that endurance.
01:08:07: If you were to go back to chapter 10, verse 36, he says you have need of endurance so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what was promised.
01:08:15: Chapter 10, verse 39, we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul.
01:08:21: He has been arguing all the way through chapter 11 and 12 for an endurance and a perseverance that ends up preserving the soul.
01:08:28: He wants us to endure in the face of hostilities, and we've returned to that theme over and over again.
01:08:34: So now he is saying here in the light of the tremendous privileges that you and I have been given, verses 22 through 24, in light of all of those glorious privileges, verse 25, see to it that you do not refuse him who is speaking.
01:08:48: For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we escape who turn away from him who warns from heaven.
01:08:56: So here's a warning about not enduring. And really that's one of the points of this contrast. Here's what happens when people turn away from a
01:09:03: God who has revealed himself in such glory and grandeur. The third connection to the context, the author is contrasting again here the
01:09:12: Old Covenant with the New Covenant, Old Testament with New Testament, old realities with new realities. He did that in chapters 1 through 10.
01:09:19: He's just returning and doing that again here in chapter 11. Fourth, this analogy of these two mountains connects with the statement he made at the end of chapter 11.
01:09:30: Look at verse 39 and verse 40. And all these, that is speaking of the heroes of faith in chapter 11, all these having gained approval through their faith did not receive what was promised because God has provided something better for us so that apart from us they would not be made perfect.
01:09:47: What is the better? You've come to Mount Zion. You've come to the city of the living
01:09:52: God. You've come to the souls of the righteous men made perfect. You've come to God the judge of all, to Jesus the mediator of the
01:10:00: New Covenant. You've come to a blood that is sprinkled that's better than the blood of Abel. Better.
01:10:06: Something better for us. And now the author here with the analogy of these two mountains is contrasting what they had and what they looked forward to and what they understood with what you have, what you look forward to and what you understand.
01:10:18: And his point is the same that he made at the end of chapter 11. They did not receive what was promised so that they would not be made perfect apart from us.
01:10:26: He has offered to us and provided something better for us. We all get the same inheritance and reward and glory and salvation in the end, but there was something that was better than what
01:10:35: Old Testament saints understood and enjoyed. And we are the adoring and grateful recipients of all of that better stuff.
01:10:44: That's the argument. A fifth connection to the context is the connection to Esau.
01:10:52: What does it have to do with Esau? We spent three weeks looking at Esau, right? Well, verses 22 to 24 lists out a whole host of blessings and privileges and joys that we have been provided.
01:11:03: How much greater light we have and how much greater revelation we have of God's truth and glory that has been revealed to us.
01:11:10: And so the author is saying, would you turn away from that? If you think Esau was a man who was on the cusp, on the threshold of enjoying great privileges, you have been given these privileges.
01:11:21: Would you then turn away from that? If you were to turn away from all of the things listed in verses 22 to 24, you'd be just like Esau, wouldn't you?
01:11:32: Would you sell all of that for a bowl of soup? You think Esau had privileges?
01:11:37: He did. But your privileges excel Esau's by a long measure. You think
01:11:43: Esau was a foolish and rash individual? He was. But, says the author,
01:11:49: I'm here to tell you, if you would trade in everything you have, everything you have offered in Jesus Christ, for ease or comfort or convenience in this world, or to make the hostility of friends and family cease, or for a better experience in this life, you're worse than Esau.
01:12:05: You think Esau was a fool? Esau didn't trade away nearly what you'd be looking at trading away if you walk away from so great a salvation.
01:12:13: You see the encouragement? After discussing the folly of Esau, then he reminds you of all your blessings, of what you have been given.
01:12:23: Esau didn't know the half of it, and he traded it away. You, on the other hand, you have that full revelation of all the blessings that God has given to you.
01:12:32: So that is how it is connected to this context. It is a warning passage that warns us not to follow the example of Esau, reminding us that our blessings are numerous and our privileges are glorious and our inheritance is eternal.
01:12:45: Now, turn back to Exodus chapter 19, and we will look at the background for what the author describes with the mountain, the blazing fire, and the darkness and the gloom.
01:12:57: Exodus chapter 19. And while you're turning there, I'll set up the context for you. We spent enough time in Genesis tracing the promises to Abraham's descendants through Isaac and then to Jacob.
01:13:07: And remember, Jacob got it from Esau, and Esau was abandoned. God loved Jacob. God hated Esau. We saw that.
01:13:13: And then the 12 sons of Jacob, with Jacob, ended up all going to Egypt, where they spent a couple centuries in slavery in Egypt.
01:13:22: And then God brought them out through Moses, through the Exodus, with all the signs of the 10 plagues, brought them up to the edge of the
01:13:28: Red Sea, part of the Red Sea for them, brought them out onto that Sinai Peninsula. And then God brought them to the foot of the mountain.
01:13:35: He has already, in the book of Exodus, not only delivered them from their slavery and their bondage in Egypt, but He has judged the nation of Egypt for their oppression of the
01:13:44: Israelites and Abraham's descendants. And then God has provided for them manna and water and meat out in the wilderness, demonstrating that He can meet all of their needs.
01:13:55: So He has delivered them. He has protected them. They have seen His miraculous deeds, but they have not yet even seen the fringes of His ways.
01:14:03: They haven't even begun to see the least bit of God's power. And that they will do as God brings them now to the bottom of Mount Sinai, which
01:14:11: Hebrews 12 says, a mountain that can be touched. He brings them to the base of Mount Sinai, this massive rock outcropping in the
01:14:18: Sinai Peninsula. And there the nation of Israel gathers at the base of this mountain to receive the law and for God to make a covenant with them.
01:14:26: And at that mountain, He is going to give them the Ten Commandments and His law. He's going to give them national worship, establish a priesthood, give them instructions for building a tabernacle, and He is going to establish the animal sacrificial system by which the nation will approach and draw nigh unto
01:14:43: Him. Exodus 19, that sets up the scene, beginning at verse 1. In the third month after the sons of Israel had gone out of the land to Egypt, on that very day they came into the wilderness of Sinai.
01:14:55: When they set out from Rephidim, they came to the wilderness of Sinai and camped in the wilderness, and there
01:15:00: Israel camped in front of the mountain. Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying,
01:15:06: Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, And tell the sons of Israel, You yourselves have seen what
01:15:11: I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to Myself. Notice the language there.
01:15:17: I brought you to Myself. God's purpose in bringing Israel out of Egypt was that they would be His special people.
01:15:23: Do you remember what the crowning jewel of the Abrahamic covenant was that Jacob had secured through all this trickery? It was
01:15:28: God Himself. And here's God saying, This is why I brought you out of Egypt, out here so that you will be My people.
01:15:34: I have delivered you and redeemed you from Myself, not just because God opposed the slavery, not just because they cried out to Him and things were rough, but so that they could be
01:15:43: His people. God has His own redeeming and affectionate and loving design in bringing those people out and bringing them to the foot of this mountain.
01:15:51: Verse 5, Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be
01:15:56: My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.
01:16:03: These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel. So Moses came and called the elders of the people and set before them all these words which the
01:16:10: Lord had commanded him. All the people answered together and said, All that the Lord has spoken, we will do.
01:16:17: Now, before this month is even over, they're going to be bowing down and worshiping a golden calf and committing all types of fornication and violating all ten of the
01:16:26: Ten Commandments. But we'll lay that aside. That's a story for another time. All that the Lord has commanded, we will do.
01:16:33: They're overselling it just a little bit. And Moses brought back the words of the people to the Lord. The Lord said to Moses, Behold, I will come to you in a thick cloud so that the people may hear when
01:16:43: I speak with you and may also believe in you forever. Then Moses told the words of the people to the
01:16:49: Lord. Now, the intention of God in manifesting Himself to the people was for them to understand that Moses was
01:16:54: God's appointed leader. He was God's spokesman, so that they would believe Him in the words which He would give to them and so that they could hear for themselves the character and the nature of this
01:17:03: God. He was going to reveal to them His power, His majesty, His glory, and His holiness.
01:17:11: Verse 10, The Lord also said to Moses, Go to the people and consecrate them today.
01:17:16: That means to set them apart, to make them holy. They were to go through a process over the course of three days to make themselves presentable as it were, much of this has to do with ceremonial cleanliness.
01:17:27: They weren't to have any kind of marital relations for the next three days as they prepared to meet God. They were to wash their clothes, you're going to read about that.
01:17:35: All of this was a consecration, a making holy, a setting themselves apart, interrupting the ordinary flow of their lives so that they could prepare to meet
01:17:43: God. Remember Hebrews 12, verse 14, Pursue peace and sanctification, without which no one will see
01:17:48: God. Well, now they are making preparation and preparing and setting themselves apart, that is to make holy, sanctifying themselves as they prepare to meet
01:17:55: God as a nation. So go to the people, this is verse 10, Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments, and let them be ready for the third day.
01:18:05: For on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. You shall set bounds for the people all around, saying,
01:18:13: Beware that you do not go up on the mountain or touch the border of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death.
01:18:19: No hand shall touch him, but he shall surely be stoned or shot through. Whether beast or man, he shall not live.
01:18:26: When the ram's horn sounds a long blast, they shall come up to the mountain. So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and consecrated the people, and they washed their garments.
01:18:34: And he said to the people, Be ready for the third day. Do not go near a woman. That doesn't mean social distancing, it just had to do with marital relations.
01:18:42: It was to sanctify, ceremonial cleanliness as they prepared to meet God. Now there are a number of lessons from this.
01:18:48: They were to consecrate themselves and to make themselves holy, set themselves apart as they get ready to receive this law and hear the voice of God audibly.
01:18:58: God had delivered them unto Himself and they were about to see His power and His majesty in a physical, tangible way demonstrated to them.
01:19:08: Though they had come to know Him through the miracle of the parting of the Red Sea, that was nothing compared to what they were about to see.
01:19:15: Exodus 19, verse 16. So it came about on the third day when it was morning, that there were thunder and lightning flashes and a thick cloud upon the mountain and a very loud trumpet sound so that all the people who were in the camp trembled.
01:19:29: And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God and they stood at the foot of the mountain. I don't think that you and I can appreciate just how terrifying that event was.
01:19:39: If you are thinking to yourself, I would love to have been there to seen that. No you wouldn't because there was not a person standing there who said, man this is great.
01:19:49: This is three dimensional. CGI can't even capture this. This is awesome.
01:19:55: I'd just love to sit here and soak it in. These people were terrified. Terrified. You see for years they had been in Egypt where all they had seen was idols.
01:20:05: Carvings on walls, carvings of stone that sat on the mantle, that sat on the altar that occupied the home.
01:20:10: All they had seen that. Idols which could never do or say or go anywhere. They couldn't get up and move.
01:20:16: They couldn't start a fire. They couldn't put out a fire. They couldn't part a Red Sea. And if the crops were good, they praised the idol.
01:20:22: And if the crops were bad, they thought well we must not have praised the idol enough. And so the idols could never do anything and now they are about to see that their
01:20:29: God is not like the gods of Egypt. Their God triumphed over the gods of Egypt at the
01:20:34: Red Sea and in all of the plagues and they are about to catch a vision of their God that they will forever remember.
01:20:41: Verse 18 Now Mount Sinai was all in smoke because the Lord descended upon it in fire and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace and the whole mountain quaked violently.
01:20:52: When the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder Moses spoke and God answered him with thunder. The Lord came down on Mount Sinai to the top of the mountain and the
01:20:59: Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain and Moses went up. Then the Lord spoke to Moses Go down, warn the people so that they do not break through to the
01:21:07: Lord to gaze and many of them perish. Also let the priests who come near to the Lord consecrate themselves or else the
01:21:14: Lord will break out against them. Moses said to the Lord, the people cannot come up to Mount Sinai for you warned us saying set bounds about the mountain and consecrate it.
01:21:22: Then the Lord said to him, Go down and come up again, you and Aaron with you but do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to the
01:21:28: Lord or he will break forth upon them. So Moses went down to the people and told them. And here are the lessons that they were to learn.
01:21:36: Number one, they were to understand exactly how powerful and majestic their God is. He is not to be trifled with.
01:21:42: This is why the author says at the end of chapter 12, our God is a consuming fire. We forget that because we are not exposed to his holiness and his transcendence like they were in Exodus chapter 19.
01:21:55: We find it very easy to trifle with God. To make bargains, to give him consideration when it's convenient for us, to ignore him the rest of the day, to play games with his people, to thank him for his blessings and call out to him when things are bad and to be sort of a foxhole
01:22:11: Christian when things are going bad. We cry out and we want God to deliver us. We don't see physical manifestations of God like this, like they did at the initiation of this covenant.
01:22:23: And so we tend to trifle with God and not remember that he is a consuming fire and that we ought to approach him with reverence and awe.
01:22:30: And instead, this doesn't even need to be said, but instead most of evangelicalism today, particularly in the
01:22:36: West, approaches God like he's a carnival barker running a three ring circus.
01:22:42: And everybody gets up and comes before him and there's no reverence, there's no awe, there's no majesty, there's nothing that sets the church or the worship service apart that would make it unique or sanctified or set apart in any way and instead it becomes just simply an entertainment venue where people get up and share their own thoughts and their own ideas.
01:23:01: Or God is a consuming fire. Mountains are symbols of stability and strength and immovableness.
01:23:10: And Sinai trembled. That massive rock in that rocky desert,
01:23:17: God made it shake. That would strike fear into everybody's heart that was there. Second lesson,
01:23:24: God cannot and he should not be approached flippantly. You notice the people were told, do not break through to gaze upon God.
01:23:31: He is not a curiosity to be ogled for our enjoyment. He is a holy and transcendent
01:23:38: God. And the people were not to approach him flippantly. Later on, the book of Exodus and in the book of Leviticus, the people would get that picture as God began to as they put together the tabernacle and a priesthood and Nadab and Abihu decided, well let's kind of approach
01:23:52: God on our terms our way. We'll just take what he's done and maybe tweak it just a little bit. Have fun in the tabernacle.
01:23:58: This is making a light -hearted deal. And God consumed them with fire. Out in the wilderness, they would learn lesson after lesson that God was not to be trifled with.
01:24:07: A whole generation of them would die because they questioned the ability of this God that you have just read about to bring them into the land and subdue their enemies.
01:24:16: They still didn't get it. Remember all that the Lord commands we will do? God said, go into the land and take it.
01:24:22: And we don't think that's really a good idea. This week doesn't work for us. We'll maybe try it later. God said, okay, you get to try it later.
01:24:28: Forty years later, your sons will get to try it, but the rest of you are going to die. Those people saw this manifestation of God and they still did not think that he could bring them into the land to fulfill his promise.
01:24:40: The third lesson is that this is the God who gives the law, because chapter 20 is the Ten Commandments.
01:24:46: This is the proper kind of scene to hear commandments like, have no other gods before me, don't make a graven image, don't take my name in vain, honor the
01:24:55: Sabbath, honor your father and your mother, do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, and do not covet.
01:25:02: That's what comes thundering out of the mountain to the people. That is what gets put on tablets of stone for the people.
01:25:09: And this is the proper environment for them to receive this holy law. Everything that might have characterized the false gods and the idols, all the immorality and iniquity in Egypt, that does not characterize
01:25:21: God's people. They were not to trifle with him, they were not to approach him flippantly, for he was about to give them his law, his moral law, and they would need to hear, thou shalt not, thou shalt not, thou shalt not, ten times while they're hearing the thunder and seeing the flames and watching the smoke and watching a rock tremble, a mountain tremble in the desert.
01:25:42: This is the proper perspective for those who were to receive the law. If you break these laws, there is a
01:25:49: God with whom you must deal. There is a God with whom you have to do, if you violate those laws.
01:25:56: And that God is described in chapter 19. Look at chapter 20, verse 18. See, God's revelation of his moral will should cause fear in the hearts of people, and it did, verse 18.
01:26:07: All the people received the thunder and the lightning flashes and the sound of the trumpet and the mountains smoking, and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood at a distance and they said to Moses, speak to us yourself and we'll listen, but let not
01:26:17: God speak to us or we're going to die. Moses said to the people, do not be afraid, for God has come in order to test you and in order that the fear of him may remain with you so that you may not sin.
01:26:27: So the people stood at a distance while Moses approached the thick cloud where God was. Remember Hebrews chapter 12, verse 19, the sound of words which sound was such that those who heard begged that no further word be spoken to them.
01:26:38: That's what he's describing. What you have right there in verse 19, speak to us yourself, don't let
01:26:43: God speak to us. What's Moses going to say? Give God instruction? Don't let
01:26:48: God speak to us. Does Moses have anything to do with God speaking to the people? Don't let God speak to us. What they're saying is we'll take what
01:26:54: God tells you, but we can't deal with that voice. We cannot deal with the communication of that majesty and that holiness and that transcendence.
01:27:03: We'll listen to you, but we cannot bear the sound of those words. Moses says to them in verse 20, do not be afraid, for God has come in order to test you and in order that the fear of him may remain with you.
01:27:14: There's a proper fear and an improper fear and what Moses, when he says do not be afraid, I think what he is saying is you don't have to worry about God consuming you in this moment.
01:27:22: He's not going to burn you up. He's not going to turn you to chaff right now. He's not going to destroy you. That's not the purpose of this revelation.
01:27:28: The purpose of this revelation is so that you may have a healthy fear of him which would be that you would not sin.
01:27:34: Verse 20, you would not sin. A healthy fear of God keeps me from sin because I don't want to face his discipline.
01:27:41: I don't want to endure his wrath. I don't want to be at distance from him. I don't want to offend such a holy and gracious and loving
01:27:47: God. So there is a proper fear that says I will not sin. I will not offend this
01:27:53: God. I will not transgress his law and then there is an improper fear that the people had because of what they had seen.
01:27:59: Now they had every reason to think that they should be consumed just as you and I if we were to see God today might have every reason in us to think that we should be consumed.
01:28:08: But that is not God's intention. But rather that we would have a healthy fear. This event is the event that is referenced by the author of Hebrews.
01:28:16: It is the giving of the law, the marking out of a people of God, this fearful and awesome revelation of God's nature, his holiness, his righteousness, and his righteous judgments.
01:28:26: But, says the author of Hebrews, you and I have not come to Mount Zion. This is not our encounter with God.
01:28:34: Why is that? It's really because of a third mountain. There's Mount Sinai where the people trembled before the law of God and the revelation of his righteous judgment and his holiness.
01:28:44: That's Mount Sinai. Then there's Mount Zion, the blessed state of the redeemed, the city of God, our ultimate reward, our ultimate home, heaven dwelling with God.
01:28:55: But between those two mountains, Mount Sinai where we tremble before the law of God and Mount Zion where we rejoice and bless and praise
01:29:02: Him, there's a third mountain in the middle that none of our text mentions just yet. And it's Mount Calvary. Where one who fulfilled all the demands of that law died in our stead so that he might credit to us his righteousness and take our sin from us so that we can go from Mount Sinai to Mount Zion.
01:29:23: And the only way from Mount Sinai to Mount Zion is through Mount Calvary. It's one path. It's one man.
01:29:29: It's one substitute. It's one high priest. One sin bearer. One Son of God who died to bear the sin of any and all who will repent and believe upon Him.
01:29:39: Some of you here do not know Christ and you are still standing in front of Mount Sinai. And the thunderings of God's law are appropriate in your life and you have every reason to fear that you will be consumed.
01:29:51: For if you die in an unforgiven state without anybody to bear your wrath before God, you will stand before this
01:29:57: God in all of His glory and all of His majesty and you will hear the just condemnation of the law announced on your behalf.
01:30:04: Guilty, guilty, guilty. And the just judgment of God will be to cast you into hell where you will suffer everlastingly for all of your sins for all of eternity.
01:30:13: That is what you deserve. But there is good news. The path to Mount Zion is through Mount Calvary.
01:30:20: There is a sin bearer who came and he lived a perfect life, fulfilling all of that law that was given at Mount Sinai.
01:30:26: And then he died on a cross as the substitute to bear the sins for any and all who will believe.
01:30:32: And if you will turn from your sin and repent, if you will trust and believe that his sacrifice is sufficient for you, then it will be said of you that God made him who knew no sin to be sin on your behalf so that you might become the righteousness of God in him.
01:30:47: And then you can stand on Mount Zion and the fear of standing before God is gone because your condemnation has been removed.
01:30:55: The terror of standing before God without any righteousness is taken away because Christ gives you his righteousness and it is all a free gift.
01:31:06: Do you have a sin bearer? Do you have one who has borne your justice and taken your punishment for you?
01:31:13: If you do not, you are at Sinai and you will never see Zion unless you come through Calvary.
01:31:19: There is only one name given among men whereby we must be saved and that is the name of Jesus Christ who bears our sin and gives us his righteousness so that we can stand before him among the company of the righteous made perfect and rejoice and praise him forevermore.
01:31:36: That is God's indescribable gift. Thanks be to him. Let's pray. Our Father, we rejoice in thanksgiving for the glory of what we have in Jesus Christ, all as a gift of your grace.
01:31:52: We thank you that you have called us out of darkness and into light. We thank you that you have brought us through the thunderings of your law to the lawgiver himself who bore our penalty on the cross and we thank you that one day you will usher us into your presence through death that we might rejoice in your presence forevermore.
01:32:12: Thank you for so great a salvation and thank you that our sin is taken away in your son. Be honored and glorified through the response of your people today, we pray, and we ask that you would draw sinners to yourself, that they may see their need for a
01:32:25: Savior because of what Sinai thunders over them and that they may come to Calvary to the cross of Christ and receive forgiveness and life everlasting from him, the
01:32:35: Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world and we praise you in that gracious name. Amen. Please stand.
01:32:52: When I fear my faith will fail,
01:33:01: Christ will hold me fast. When that day would come,
01:33:09: He will wash me from my sin.
01:33:23: When I fear my faith will fail,
01:33:41: Christ will hold me fast. When that day would come, He will wash me from my sin.
01:33:55: Those He saves are His delight, Christ will hold me fast.
01:34:03: Precious in His holy sight, He will hold me fast.
01:34:10: Let my soul be lost, His promises shall last.
01:34:18: God, my Him, hath sacrificed. He will hold me fast.
01:34:38: He loves me so. He will hold me fast.
01:35:00: His justice has been satisfied. He will hold me fast.
01:35:46: He will hold me fast. He will hold me fast. For my Savior loves me so.
01:35:56: He will hold me fast. He is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we could ask or understand.
01:36:10: According to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ to all generations forever.