The author of Hebrews concludes a section of the epistle which began in chapter 10 verse 19, wherein he exhorts his readers to hold fast and not fall away from the faith. To the untrained reader, it could appear that Hebrews is an epistle riddled with contradictions. We have found at times, even in the very same chapter, the strongest of warnings against apostasy (falling away from the faith) juxtaposed with passages presenting full assurance (eternal security) to the believer. Once again, for the last time in the epistle, we find the same thing. In our text we are warned that if we fail to heed God’s word we will not escape the great end-time shaking; yet we are also promised that the kingdom we have received is unshakeable and will remain.
What could be difficult to understand is how, even from our unshakeable Mount Zion, we still must live with reverence, awe, and the fear of God. How are we to understand our assembly at Mount Zion as something that is both at once, festal and fearful? True, God’s nature has not changed – He is as holy as He was on Mount Sinai. He remains a consuming fire; however, has not that fire been quenched in the Gospel? How are we as believers to approach God both confidently and fearfully? Is this a contradiction of ideas? As we will see on Sunday, understanding Hebrews 12:25-29 will help us to understand other apparent contradictions in the book.
