Hebrews 12:19 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

Navigator

Hebrews 12:19

Comments

This was the response of the people after the Ten Commandments had been given and they had all heard the voice of God speaking from heaven. When the law was given they could not stand it. They were terrified and said to Moses, ‘Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die’ (Exodus 20:19). One old writer says the sound was nothing like a trumpet. It was a shrill, awesome, piercing, alarming call – this is not absolutely true, but this is by way of giving us understanding – from which the trumpet merely got its name. Now that is not the origin of the name of the trumpet, but that helps you to see. It is not as though this was the sound of a trumpet; it was a vastly greater, more penetrating, more terrifying and alarming sound than that of a trumpet. The sound of a trumpet is merely a little bit like it. It gives us the idea, and it struck terror into their hearts.‘And a voice of words.’ We have no idea what that sounded like. But it was as though God himself spoke at first, and it put terror into every heart. They were aware of the supernatural power of God, and they immediately had awakened in them a deep awareness that they were unfit for God’s presence. Hearing the Lord speak brought them closer to God than they could bear because of their awareness of their sin. Why did God do this? Why was it so terrifying? Because the people had to grasp the greatness of God, the power of God, the awesome majesty of God, and that his holiness is so great. They had to understand that if we ever attempt to come into his presence, unwashed, unforgiven, we shall have to be banished forever. He is a God who may not be possibly be approached in our own righteousness or deserving. These scenes spell this out, that without Christ, without forgiveness, without a Saviour, God is unapproachable. Their consciences immediately sprung to life and condemned them. It was as if Paul’s words were fulfilled for them at once with terrifying force: ‘knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death’ (Romans 1:32). The last day will terrify us more even than this, frighten the people, if we come without Jesus Christ.

Application

We can evangelise and talk to people about their sin, and they are hardly aware of it. They may even deny that they have any sin. They have spent so long suppressing conscience, justifying themselves, and making excuses for sin that the conscience has become deadened and insensitive, and so they judge themselves by an entirely false standard. They assume that no one can see what really goes on in their hearts. They calculate that, because their fellow man can only look on the outward behaviour, God also can only do the same. This is why Paul describes the day of judgment as the day ‘when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel’ (Romans 2:16). On that day, men and women will discover that they do have a conscience after all, and it was witness to all they did. They were unable to fully suppress it.

Questions

Outline

Purpose

Introduction

Hebrews 12:19 Commentary and Bible Study