The document contrasts Mount Sinai, which represents the Old Testament law, with Mount Zion, which represents God's grace. Mount Sinai instilled fear through displays of God's power, while Mount Zion invites believers into God's presence. The law could not be obeyed, but through Jesus, God offers forgiveness and a new covenant. The passage warns that those who refuse God will face consequences, just as the Israelites did. But for believers, Jesus endured God's judgment, so they can receive grace rather than punishment. Believers are called to live gratefully under God's kingdom, which will never be shaken.

2. “AnAwesome,
All-ConsumingGod”

3. Awesome and Consuming God
•I have a friend who has recently decided
that we should be worshipping as Jesus
did– obeying the Law and all its festivals,
including the Sabbath for worship
•He feels convicted that since Jesus worshipped
that way, we should as well– this fails to take into
account however, that Jesus worshipped that
way because He had not yet fulfilled the Law,
therefore He was still under the Law

4. Awesome and Consuming God
•Understand that Jesus nor ANY of the
Apostles taught us to follow Hebraic
Dietary Law or Sabbath Law– because
Scripture says those laws are for the Jews
•If you want to rest on the Sabbath and worship
that day too, God will bless that; but it doesn’t
mean we should ignore all the Apostolic
Warnings of “Beware the Judaizers!”

5. Awesome and Consuming God
•This morning, I think you’ll see a stark
contrast between Mount Sinai, that
represented the Law with all its
requirements, and Mount Zion that
represents the grace of God
•More importantly, I believe we will see a tiny
portion of the awesomeness of our All-
Consuming God!

6. “18 For you have not come to a mountain that can be
touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and
gloom and whirlwind, 19 and to the blast of a
trumpet and the sound of words which sound was
such that those who heard begged that no further
word be spoken to them. 20 For they could not bear
the command, “IF EVEN A BEAST TOUCHES THE
MOUNTAIN, IT WILL BE STONED.” 21 And so terrible was
the sight, that Moses said, “IAM FULL OF FEAR and
trembling.” 22 But you have come to Mount Zion and
to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem,

7. and to myriads of angels, 23 to the general assembly
and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in
heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the
spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 and to Jesus,
the mediator of a new covenant, and to the
sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood
of Abel.”
“25 See to it that you do not refuse Him who is
speaking. For if those did not escape when they
refused him who warned them on earth, [i]much less
will we escape who turn away from Him who warns

8. from heaven. 26 And His voice shook the earth then,
but now He has promised, saying, “YET ONCE MORE I
WILL SHAKE NOT ONLY THE EARTH, BUT ALSO THE
HEAVEN.” 27This expression, “Yet once more,”
denotes the removing of those things which can be
shaken, as of created things, so that those things
which cannot be shaken may remain. 28Therefore,
since we receive a kingdom which cannot be
shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may
offer to God an acceptable service with reverence
and awe; 29 for our God is a consuming fire.”

9. Hebrews 12:18-29, NASB

10. A. Sinai-The Law
•Vs 18-21—the full
description of this event is
found in Exodus 19

11. “18 For you have not come to a mountain that can be
touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and
gloom and whirlwind, 19 and to the blast of a
trumpet and the sound of words which sound was
such that those who heard begged that no further
word be spoken to them. 20 For they could not bear
the command, “IF EVEN A BEAST TOUCHES THE
MOUNTAIN, IT WILL BE STONED.” 21 And so terrible was
the sight, that Moses said, ‘I AM FULL OF FEAR and
trembling.’”
Hebrews 12:18-21, NASB

12. A. Sinai-The Law
•All the things you see here
explain why the OT God is
viewed as unapproachable
•Then the question— “Why
didYHWH do these fearful
things in their view?”
•To show them the serious
nature of His Law– their
infancy– they had to under-
stand reward and punishment

13. A. Sinai-The Law
•There is a great difference
between Holy fear, and just
being scared– they were just
scared, or they’d have changed
•Holy fear of God changes you
•One acknowledges two things
clearly– 1) God is an awesome
holy and righteous God, full of
beauty, majesty, dominion,
and power

14. A. Sinai-The Law
•2) One (who is changed) also
acknowledges that he/she is a mere
human, carrying a sinful nature, yet
accepted by God in His grace, mercy,
and love
•Out of holy fear of God, the one now
loves God with all of his heart, mind,
soul, and body; from holy fear of
God, serves the Lord with diligence
and integrity in everything
•Out of holy fear of God, he/she
speaks and behaves carefully so that
they will not disgrace the name of
God

15. B. Zion– Grace
•Vs 22-24, this scene is the
New Jerusalem before it
comes to Earth, in Rev. 21

16. “22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city
of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to
myriads of angels, 23 to the general assembly and
church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven,
and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the
righteous made perfect, 24 and to Jesus, the
mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled
blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel.”
Hebrews 12:22-24, NASB

17. B. Zion– Grace
•Vs 22-24, this scene is the
New Jerusalem before it
comes to Earth, in Rev. 21
•Who will be in this new
Jerusalem?
•Only the Born Again
•Jesus talked about it in a
parable, Mt 22:10-14

18. “10Those slaves went out into the streets and
gathered together all they found, both evil and
good; and the wedding hall was filled with dinner
guests.
11 “But when the king came in to look over the
dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not
dressed in wedding clothes, 12 and he *said to him,
‘Friend, how did you come in here without wedding
clothes?’And the man was speechless. 13Then the
king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot,
and throw him into the outer darkness; in that

19. place there will be weeping and gnashing of
teeth.’ 14 For many are called, but few are
chosen.”
Matthew 22:10-14, NASB

20. B. Zion– Grace
•V23 clarification– “firstborn”
does NOT mean ‘first child
physically born to the
parents’
•The Greek word is
‘prototokos’– the definition
connotes rank or title of
dignity, not placement of
birth

21. B. Zion– Grace
•V23 clarification– “firstborn”
does NOT mean ‘first child
physically born to the
parents’
•The Greek word is
‘prototokos’– the definition
connotes rank or title of
dignity, not placement of
birth– same word Col 1:15

22. “15 He is the image of the invisible God, the
firstborn of all creation.”
Colossians 1:15, NASB

23. B. Zion– Grace
•The firstborn of all Creation
means “Headship of all
Creation.”
•Now back toV24
•Don’t be confused to the
‘blood’ reference– its
referring to the blood of the
animal that Abel sacrificed;
the first recorded sacrifice
given by man for the Lord

24. B. Zion– Grace
•Now some final comparisons of Sinai to Zion
•Mount Sinai was marked by fear and terror
•Mount Zion is a place of love and forgiveness
•Mount Sinai is in a desert on earth
•Mount Zion is the city of the Living God in heaven
•Mount Sinai hearkened earthly things
•Mount Zion speaks of heavenly things
•At Mount Sinai, only Moses was allowed to draw near
God
•At Mount Zion, an innumerable company, a general
assembly is invited to “draw near theThrone of Grace”

25. B. Zion– Grace
• Mount Sinai was characterized by guilty men in fear
• Mount Zion features justified men, perfected through
the blood of Jesus
• At Mount Sinai, Moses was the mediator
• At Mount Zion, Jesus is the Mediator
• Mount Sinai brings an Old Covenant, ratified with blood of animals
• Mount Zion brings a New Covenant, ratified by the blood of Jesus
• Mount Sinai was about exclusion– keeping people away from the
mountain
• Mount Zion is about invitation, but not a blanket inclusion
• Mount Sinai is about the Law
• Mount Zion is about grace

26. C. A SternWarning to Heed
•Vs 25-29,When the Jews rebelled against
God, there were dire consequences
•There are even greater consequences after god
has done all necessary for salvation at Zion
•We cannot remain ignorant of the consequences
of compromise, or pretend we don’t know
•Conscience always points people to God
•The fact that God is a Consuming God comforts us!

27. C. A SternWarning to Heed
•Because God the Father poured out His
consuming fire of judgment on the God
the Son on the cross in our place, so that we
may enter into His grace without blemish
•The penalty of our sin was consumed by Jesus at the
cross!
•C.H. Spurgeon said, “No power in the world, and no
power in hell, can shake the kingdom which the Lord
has given to his saints. For the Lord has established
this kingdom upon the Rock, and it cannot be moved
or removed.”

28. Take Home!
1. Receive God’s grace each day and
don’t take it for granted– It cost
the life of Jesus for you and for
me!
2. Don’t be distracted by
tremendous evil around us– Keep
running the race with endurance
and fix your eyes on the Lord
Jesus Christ!