(For they could not endure what was commanded: “And if so much as a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned or shot with an arrow.” And so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I am exceedingly afraid and trembling.”) (Hebrews 12:20-21, NKJV).
The Children of Israel begged that the Word spoken from Mount Sinai cease. This was not only the word of the Law, but the warning above - that this place where Yaweh made His Presence known so powerfully was holy and sanctified. So much so that to come near was a death sentence for either man or beast.
Moses, the Lawgiver himself, confessed to a soul-deep terror at the sight of the Presence. It literally shook him to his very core.
How does this reconcile with the earlier exhortation in Hebrews to "come boldly to the throne of grace"? To take advantage of our more perfect access?
The answer is part of the overarching theme of this book in its continuing comparison of what we now have IN Christ, and how superior it is to whatever came before.
Because of Christ, whose death took away our sin, we have been cleansed and sanctified. We are, in Him, holy. We will see shortly that, through Him, we have not come to that mountain that could be touched, but we have obtained entry to an infinitely better place.
Unlike the Children of Israel, who could only approach God's Presence at a distance, and only at a specific time and place, we who believe in Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior, are granted free and open access, always and forever. We need no appointment nor human intercessor nor representative. We come as beloved sons and daughters of the King.
There is no comparison.
The world mistakenly believes that Christians think themselves superior. That is not the case, though undoubtedly many who claim to be Christians come across as feeling superior, and perhaps believe it to be true.
No, it is not the follower who is something, but the One he or she follows who has rightful claim to that superiority. It is the Shepard, not the flock.
Hebrews clarifies the restrictions and prohibitions of the divine/human relationship of the past by contrasting it in graphic terms with that available in the present through the Son of God.
Our position with God IS superior, but again, not because of anything about us, but because of what Christ has done on our behalf. And that superior position comes only through humble acceptance of our helpless and hopeless state, mired in sin and sentenced to death.
The world HATES that we have received pardon, partly because the world hates that pardon is necessary, but mostly because the world HATES Christ, just as He declared it would.
I have found that the hatred is often the most intense from those who consider themselves decent and loving people, who have a view of themselves as having lived in such a way that they are by no means worthy of condemnation.
These people are often the ones who can endure the Presence of God the least. It is an offense to their own carefully nurtured self-image.
As it has ever been, it is the self-righteous to whom divine forgiveness is a threat rather than a blessing. Their fragile pride, so essential to being able to cope with daily life, cannot tolerate the thought that they are less than they must think themselves.
That is why a broken and contrite heart is needed. That is why those who are forgiven much, love much. That is why a comprehensive picture of the holiness of God and the unholiness of sinful man is essential.
For without recognition and confession of sin, without the repentance that comes from understanding that we are sinners who need saving, without comprehending the infinite cost of that salvation freely paid on our behalf by Christ, without that fear and trembling at our core when confronted with a holy and righteous all-powerful Being, we will never come to the end of ourselves.
Without that, the gossamer foundation of our mortal existence can never tolerate a single moment, let alone endure for all eternity the Presence of God.
For as we shall also see, our God is a consuming fire.
