For You have not come to the mountain that may be touched. and burned with fire, and blackness and darkness and tempest, (19) and the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words, so that those who heard it begged that the words should not be spoken to them anymore……….(22) But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, (23) to the general assembly and the church of of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, who is the God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, (24) to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.

THe author describes a new place where believers have with three terms. The first is Mount Zion which became synonymous for Jerusalem, the place where God dwells With His people. These verses summarize the story of God’s giving the law at Mount Sinai. The law was given up to shut up every one
under sin so the that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe that they may be justified by faith. The route to Mount Zion goes through Mt Sinai where we encounter the terrors of God’s law. God’s law should instill in us a fear of God’s holiness and judgment. If you don’t know what you possess or let go, you may give away God’s eternal blessings for instant gratification. That’s what the original readers of Hebrews were in danger of doing. Under threat of persecution they were tempted to abandon Christ and return to their Jewish faith. So the author contrasts here the terrors of Mount Sinai representing Jewish life with the glories under Mount Zion under the joy of the new covenant where blood of Jesus has taken away the dread of the God.

The road to Mr, Zion goes through Mount Sinai where we encounter the terrors of God’s law. Many hated God’s righteousness until they came to understand that salvation through Christ Jesus who is God’s mediator for all that believe in Him. The author describes a new place believers will come to and the first is Mount Zion where God dwells with His people. Believers have come to the city of the living God- the architect and builder of Jerusalem – the heavenly Jerusalem. When it comes down God will wipe away every tear and there will be no more death, mourning and pain. these verses contain great contrasts. Believers have nothing now to do with Mount Sinai, the law and its terrors. If you live on Mount Sinai you are in great danger because you are exposed to God’s judgment. But if you live in Mount Zion , you are secure because the blood of Christ Jesus has covered your sin.

Mount Sinai and Mount Zion are two significant mountains with significant roles in religious and historical context particularly within Judaism and Christianity. Mount Sinai is where Moses received the Ten commandments and other laws from God, while Mount Zion is associated with the city of Jerusalem, the Temple Mount and is often used to symbolize the heavenly Jerusalem and he New Covenant in Christian faith theology.

And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: “ My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; (6) For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.” (7) If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten………..(11) Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.(12) Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, (13) and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.

The author of Hebrews is unknown. The author was concerned that some of his Jewish Christian readers were about to drop out of the Christian race because they were faltering under God’s discipline – the author is trying to prepare his readers to endure by faith what is a looming persecution. They have already endured public reproach, imprisonment and unlawful seizure of their property and are now encouraged “to run with endurance the race that is set before us” by fixing their eyes on Jesus and His suffering. The author has just chronicled some of the Old Testament faithful and some of their suffering because evil men hated those who lived and proclaimed God’s righteousness as our examples.

Sometimes the enemy is in me opposed to the holiness of God. Even though we become a new creation through faith in Christ the powerful sins and desires of the flesh are not eradicated. Life in the Spirit is a matter of passively letting go and letting God. We must trust God but at the same time it is we who must resist and strive against sin. Put your trial in perspective – consider the Savior who died for you. Don’t grow weary and lose heart. Consider what you deserve if God were to give you perfect justice. If you are not a child of God through faith in Christ then you are not under God’s loving discipline; you are under His wrath and judgment. Scripture teaches that out of love God disciplines all His children. This differs from wrath against sin which is punishment with God as judge. Under discipline Christ paid for our sins and developed holiness in us. The sinning child of God may lose his rewards but he will not lose his salvation.

Suffering comes to all; it is part of life, but it is not easy to bear. Yet, it is not quite so bad when it can be seen as meaningful. Suffering – when rightly understood – is seen as God’s fatherly discipline, correction and direction. Suffering is evidence not that God does not love us but that He does.

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight , and the sin which which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, (2) looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (3) For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. (4) You have not resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.

The author of Hebrews is unknown. It was written to Jewish Christians who had been exposed to persecution for their Christian faith although none had yet died for their faith. Our verses today use the metaphor of running and finishing a marathon for living the Christian life to the end. God sets the course just as He set the course of the cross for Jesus. We must run the course set before us with a certain mindset and with endurance. The encouragement and cost to keep running comes from those who have run before us but primarily from Jesus Himself. The cloud of witnesses are those who endured all sorts of trials – the thousands and thousands who have run their course and attained their crowns. We should so run that we may finish well, points to certain impediments which will hinder us. Let us lay aside every weight – all worrisome care, ambition, and selfish desire- every weight great or small, and press toward the end.

Over 20 years go I viaited Jerusalem and there was a silversmith taking orders for bracelets. My granddaughter was only 10 but she did everything with grace and love and joy – Especially running. While there I ordered a silver bracelet for her engraved in Hebrew with the phrase “let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” This child qualified for the 2020 Olympic team in the first marathon she ever ran and won the bronze Olympic medal for the marathon run in Japan. Her examples of endurance, humility, character, suffering and grace have always been a beacon of graceful example to me – showing me how to run the Christian race. She has lived her life with long hills to climb and swampy marshes to plod through and endured

To run our race and finish well we must get into shape and stay in shape. We must lay aside every encumbrance – distinguished from sin not to be Intrinsically wrong – but wrong because they keep us from running God’s course for us Jesus is our main motivation to keep running. When we feel like quitting fix ourselves on Jesus: That is key to not growing weary and lose heart. If you are weary and lose heart in our Christian marathon maybe you need to cast off some encumbrances or entangling sins.. We need to focus on Jesus and the joy of receiving the crown of righteousness He has promised to all who finish the course.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (2)For by it the elders obtained a good testimony………(8) By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. (9) By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; (10) for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. (11) By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised. (12) Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude – innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.

The author of Hebrews is unknown. Jewish Christians had been had been exposed to persecution and were in danger of reversion to the Jewish faith and the author presented the sufficiency and superiority of Christ – the emphasis of the letter was on justification by faith but more so on the operation of God outworking justifying faith in face of trials. Faith is mean of spiritual reality of gaining God’s approval and understanding the origin of all that is. Trust is essential; truth is critical for a close relationship with God and must be expressed in love. Faith is the foundation of our relationship with God. Faith proves to us the fact that the things we presently cannot see are very much true and real. Faith is God’s gift, not from human effort. Jesus is both the author and protector of faith. Jesus Christ will save all that come to Him in faith.

The most solemn warning against apostasy is the declaration that total apostasy would be fatal and this is the reason Hebrews was written. In Hebrews 11 we read of the wonders of faith which initiates our obedience – the author uses Abraham for this example. He was self exiled from his home and wandered on earth – when called by God he obeyed. He left his direction of wanderings entirely in the Lord’s hands and obeyed. Faith does not live on things seen but on something yet to come. The point here is when God calls there are no guarantees and no certainty about the future; tht ws the truth and secret of Abraham’s life. Living by faith means waiting for God to keep His promises. Living in a city without foundations means without security and permanence – all earthly cities eventually crumble to dust. Nothing built by man lasts forever. Nothing in this world is secure, certain or safe.

We are taught in the Bible that we are not just called to worship but we are saved in order to be instruments for the work that God would have us do. God’s divine call is initiated by Him. The Holy Spirit brings regenerated life to the called. We are strangers and sojourners in this world – the citizenship of the faithful is in heaven. God calls us with a holy calling focused on eternity.

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. (2) Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. (3) For you died, and your life is hidden on things with Christ in God. (4) When Christ who is our life appears, then you also appear with Him in glory………(9) Do not lie to one another, since you have have put off the old man with his deeds, (10) and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge acccording to the image of Him who created him. 11) where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Synthian, slave nor free, but Christ is all in all.

The letter to the Colossians was written by the apostle PauL who was imprisoned in Rome for teaching the gospel. The Jews provided in some detail a lost of proscribed activities. – rules of strict behavior when it comes to matters of food and drink and rituals. The false teachers insisted on a rigorously ascetic life. Paul’s rules are different – a different perspective on Christian life -A way to pursuing holiness without reducing Christianity to simply being moral. The difference is found in man made philosophy at Colossee. Paul argues from life. Holiness is portrayed as the fruit of acceptance with God, not the root. We (the faithful) are already beloved of God in Christ and on this basis we are inwardly impelled to express life, not earn it. It is because we have already died with Christ and already. raised with Christ that we seek after holiness. No where is this more clearly seen than in chapter 3 Colossians where Paul mentions the basis on which he issues his ethical imperatives.

“Having put on the new self” we are God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved. And because we have already been fully and freely forgiven by Christ that we also must forgive one another. We have already discarded the old man and his ways and have put on the new man is what is meant that we were once in Adam – the unregenerate embodiment of humanity so the new man is in Christ, the new humanity.

Risen with Christ is the believer’s position. The believer is dead with Christ; risen with Christ and in possession of a life hidden with Christ in God. Therefore the believer is safe and secure. These facts constitute the controlling motive of the believer and life on earth. In faith. In faith the soul will seek things set on things above, not on earth. Things above are Christ and His glory. All things on earth will fade away when the believer’s heart is occupied with Christ – Heart occupation with the risen Christ energized by the indwelling Spirit. Such a life means joy and peace.