Monday
A Tale of Two Mountains
“For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest.” Hebrews 12:18 (ESV)
In 1980, when Mount St. Helens erupted, people as far as 200 miles away heard the blast. One man who refused to evacuate, a local named Harry Truman (not the president), became famous for saying, “If the mountain blows, I’ll go with it.” He did. Sometimes, ignoring the power of a mountain isn’t courage, it’s foolishness.
Hebrews 12 tells the story of two mountains: Sinai and Zion. One trembled with fire and fear, the other radiated grace and glory. Sinai represents the old covenant, where people stood at a distance, trembling under the weight of the law. Zion represents the new covenant, where believers draw near through Jesus Christ, welcomed as children of grace.
The difference between the two is the difference between guilt and grace. At Sinai, the people saw God’s holiness and realized their sin. At Zion, we see the same holy God, but through Christ’s sacrifice, we’re invited to come close. One mountain warns us of judgment; the other whispers of mercy.
The gospel moves us from fear to fellowship, from trembling to trusting. We no longer stand back; we step forward, because the One who stood in our place on Calvary made the way.
Reflection Questions:
1. Are you living closer to guilt or grace in your relationship with God?
2. What helps you remember that you can approach Him confidently through Christ?
Suggested Prayer:
Father, thank You for moving me from fear to faith, from guilt to grace. Help me draw near to You today with confidence and gratitude.
“For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest.” Hebrews 12:18 (ESV)
In 1980, when Mount St. Helens erupted, people as far as 200 miles away heard the blast. One man who refused to evacuate, a local named Harry Truman (not the president), became famous for saying, “If the mountain blows, I’ll go with it.” He did. Sometimes, ignoring the power of a mountain isn’t courage, it’s foolishness.
Hebrews 12 tells the story of two mountains: Sinai and Zion. One trembled with fire and fear, the other radiated grace and glory. Sinai represents the old covenant, where people stood at a distance, trembling under the weight of the law. Zion represents the new covenant, where believers draw near through Jesus Christ, welcomed as children of grace.
The difference between the two is the difference between guilt and grace. At Sinai, the people saw God’s holiness and realized their sin. At Zion, we see the same holy God, but through Christ’s sacrifice, we’re invited to come close. One mountain warns us of judgment; the other whispers of mercy.
The gospel moves us from fear to fellowship, from trembling to trusting. We no longer stand back; we step forward, because the One who stood in our place on Calvary made the way.
Reflection Questions:
1. Are you living closer to guilt or grace in your relationship with God?
2. What helps you remember that you can approach Him confidently through Christ?
Suggested Prayer:
Father, thank You for moving me from fear to faith, from guilt to grace. Help me draw near to You today with confidence and gratitude.
Tuesday
Mount Sinai: Stand Back in Fear
“Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, ‘I tremble with fear.’” Hebrews 12:21 (ESV)
In 2019, a tourist in Yellowstone National Park ignored warning signs and walked up to a geyser to “get a better picture.” You can guess how that ended. He was fine, but his phone wasn’t. The rangers explained, “The signs aren’t there to ruin your fun; they’re there to save your life.”
That’s exactly what God’s presence at Mount Sinai communicated. The mountain shook, thunder roared, and lightning flashed, not because God wanted to terrify His people, but because He wanted to teach them the seriousness of sin and the majesty of His holiness. The message was clear: God is not to be approached casually.
Moses himself, the great leader of Israel, trembled in awe. Sinai shows us that approaching God without a mediator is deadly. It reveals our helplessness under the law. Left to ourselves, we can’t bridge the gap between a holy God and sinful humanity.
The good news is that fear was never meant to be the end of the story. The trembling of Sinai prepares our hearts to appreciate the tenderness of Zion. God’s holiness hasn’t changed, but through Jesus, we can now come close without being consumed.
Reflection Questions:
1. How does a proper fear of God lead to deeper reverence and worship?
2. What does Mount Sinai teach you about your need for grace?
Suggested Prayer:
Lord, remind me of Your holiness and my need for mercy. Thank You that through Jesus I can approach You safely and confidently.
“Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, ‘I tremble with fear.’” Hebrews 12:21 (ESV)
In 2019, a tourist in Yellowstone National Park ignored warning signs and walked up to a geyser to “get a better picture.” You can guess how that ended. He was fine, but his phone wasn’t. The rangers explained, “The signs aren’t there to ruin your fun; they’re there to save your life.”
That’s exactly what God’s presence at Mount Sinai communicated. The mountain shook, thunder roared, and lightning flashed, not because God wanted to terrify His people, but because He wanted to teach them the seriousness of sin and the majesty of His holiness. The message was clear: God is not to be approached casually.
Moses himself, the great leader of Israel, trembled in awe. Sinai shows us that approaching God without a mediator is deadly. It reveals our helplessness under the law. Left to ourselves, we can’t bridge the gap between a holy God and sinful humanity.
The good news is that fear was never meant to be the end of the story. The trembling of Sinai prepares our hearts to appreciate the tenderness of Zion. God’s holiness hasn’t changed, but through Jesus, we can now come close without being consumed.
Reflection Questions:
1. How does a proper fear of God lead to deeper reverence and worship?
2. What does Mount Sinai teach you about your need for grace?
Suggested Prayer:
Lord, remind me of Your holiness and my need for mercy. Thank You that through Jesus I can approach You safely and confidently.
Wednesday
Mount Zion: Step Forward in Faith
“But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem.” Hebrews 12:22 (ESV)
A few years ago, a bride’s father went viral for a small but powerful act. As he walked his daughter down the aisle, he suddenly stopped, turned around, and grabbed the hand of her stepfather, inviting him to walk alongside them. The crowd gasped, then applauded through tears. That’s grace: inviting someone in who didn’t necessarily deserve to be included.
That’s what Mount Zion represents. It’s not a place of trembling, but of belonging. Through Jesus, we are no longer spectators of holiness; we are participants in His presence. Zion symbolizes the new covenant, where believers are welcomed into the very household of God.
At Sinai, there was distance; at Zion, there is access. At Sinai, people begged to stay away; at Zion, we are invited to come close. The phrase “you have come” in verse 22 is in the perfect tense, meaning it’s a present reality for believers. You don’t have to wait until heaven to experience fellowship with God; you can walk in it right now through faith in Jesus Christ.
Grace brings us near. And when you know who you are in Christ, you don’t stand trembling at the foot of the mountain; you walk boldly toward the throne of mercy.
Reflection Questions:
1. What does it mean to “step forward in faith” in your life right now?
2. How can you live each day with gratitude for the access you have to God?
Suggested Prayer:
Father, thank You for calling me near through the blood of Jesus. Help me live every day as one welcomed into Your presence.
“But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem.” Hebrews 12:22 (ESV)
A few years ago, a bride’s father went viral for a small but powerful act. As he walked his daughter down the aisle, he suddenly stopped, turned around, and grabbed the hand of her stepfather, inviting him to walk alongside them. The crowd gasped, then applauded through tears. That’s grace: inviting someone in who didn’t necessarily deserve to be included.
That’s what Mount Zion represents. It’s not a place of trembling, but of belonging. Through Jesus, we are no longer spectators of holiness; we are participants in His presence. Zion symbolizes the new covenant, where believers are welcomed into the very household of God.
At Sinai, there was distance; at Zion, there is access. At Sinai, people begged to stay away; at Zion, we are invited to come close. The phrase “you have come” in verse 22 is in the perfect tense, meaning it’s a present reality for believers. You don’t have to wait until heaven to experience fellowship with God; you can walk in it right now through faith in Jesus Christ.
Grace brings us near. And when you know who you are in Christ, you don’t stand trembling at the foot of the mountain; you walk boldly toward the throne of mercy.
Reflection Questions:
1. What does it mean to “step forward in faith” in your life right now?
2. How can you live each day with gratitude for the access you have to God?
Suggested Prayer:
Father, thank You for calling me near through the blood of Jesus. Help me live every day as one welcomed into Your presence.
Thursday
One Choice: Listen and Live
“See that you do not refuse him who is speaking.” Hebrews 12:25 (ESV)
When Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone, few people believed it would catch on. One man said, “Why would anyone want to talk to someone far away when they could just send a letter?” Fast forward a century, and we can’t imagine life without it. The problem has never been God’s ability to speak; it’s our willingness to listen.
Hebrews 12 warns believers not to “refuse Him who speaks.” God spoke from Sinai through thunder and fire. Now, He speaks through His Son, Jesus Christ, the living Word. To refuse Him is to reject the only source of real life.
Every time we open God’s Word, listen to a sermon, or sense the Spirit’s prompting, heaven is speaking. The question is, are we listening? The writer’s warning is gracious: listen while there’s still time. God’s voice shakes the earth, but His purpose is to awaken us, not destroy us.
Choosing to listen means choosing to live fully, faithfully, and fruitfully. When God speaks, our role isn’t to negotiate; it’s to obey.
Reflection Questions:
1. How have you heard God speaking to you recently?
2. What step of obedience might God be calling you to take today?
Suggested Prayer:
Lord, help me quiet the noise around me so I can hear Your voice clearly. Give me the courage to obey whatever You say.
“See that you do not refuse him who is speaking.” Hebrews 12:25 (ESV)
When Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone, few people believed it would catch on. One man said, “Why would anyone want to talk to someone far away when they could just send a letter?” Fast forward a century, and we can’t imagine life without it. The problem has never been God’s ability to speak; it’s our willingness to listen.
Hebrews 12 warns believers not to “refuse Him who speaks.” God spoke from Sinai through thunder and fire. Now, He speaks through His Son, Jesus Christ, the living Word. To refuse Him is to reject the only source of real life.
Every time we open God’s Word, listen to a sermon, or sense the Spirit’s prompting, heaven is speaking. The question is, are we listening? The writer’s warning is gracious: listen while there’s still time. God’s voice shakes the earth, but His purpose is to awaken us, not destroy us.
Choosing to listen means choosing to live fully, faithfully, and fruitfully. When God speaks, our role isn’t to negotiate; it’s to obey.
Reflection Questions:
1. How have you heard God speaking to you recently?
2. What step of obedience might God be calling you to take today?
Suggested Prayer:
Lord, help me quiet the noise around me so I can hear Your voice clearly. Give me the courage to obey whatever You say.
Friday
The Unshakable Kingdom
“Therefore, let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken.” Hebrews 12:28 (ESV)
In 2011, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck Japan. Skyscrapers swayed, roads cracked, and entire cities shifted, but one structure stood firm: the Sendai Mediatheque, designed with flexible steel supports that absorbed the shock. When asked why it survived, the architect said, “It was built to move with the shaking, not collapse under it.”
That’s the picture of the believer’s hope in Hebrews 12. Everything in life: careers, health, possessions, can be shaken. But God’s kingdom cannot. The phrase “cannot be shaken” describes an eternal stability rooted in Christ’s finished work. The world trembles under change, but faith in Jesus stands firm because it rests on a foundation that never moves.
When life feels unstable, remember that your hope is not in circumstances but in the unshakable King. Gratitude becomes our response because we belong to something eternal.
The writer closes with worship: “Let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe.” Our gratitude for an unshakable kingdom should lead to unshakable praise. When the ground around you shakes, stand firm. You belong to a Kingdom and a King that will last forever.
Reflection Questions:
1. What “shakings” in life have reminded you to depend more on God?
2. How can gratitude strengthen your faith in uncertain times?
Suggested Prayer:
Father, thank You for giving me a place in Your unshakable Kingdom. Help me live with gratitude, confidence, and reverence for Your unchanging grace.
“Therefore, let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken.” Hebrews 12:28 (ESV)
In 2011, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck Japan. Skyscrapers swayed, roads cracked, and entire cities shifted, but one structure stood firm: the Sendai Mediatheque, designed with flexible steel supports that absorbed the shock. When asked why it survived, the architect said, “It was built to move with the shaking, not collapse under it.”
That’s the picture of the believer’s hope in Hebrews 12. Everything in life: careers, health, possessions, can be shaken. But God’s kingdom cannot. The phrase “cannot be shaken” describes an eternal stability rooted in Christ’s finished work. The world trembles under change, but faith in Jesus stands firm because it rests on a foundation that never moves.
When life feels unstable, remember that your hope is not in circumstances but in the unshakable King. Gratitude becomes our response because we belong to something eternal.
The writer closes with worship: “Let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe.” Our gratitude for an unshakable kingdom should lead to unshakable praise. When the ground around you shakes, stand firm. You belong to a Kingdom and a King that will last forever.
Reflection Questions:
1. What “shakings” in life have reminded you to depend more on God?
2. How can gratitude strengthen your faith in uncertain times?
Suggested Prayer:
Father, thank You for giving me a place in Your unshakable Kingdom. Help me live with gratitude, confidence, and reverence for Your unchanging grace.
Posted in Jesus Is Better: The Book of Hebrews
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