Hebrews 12:20 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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Hebrews 12:20

Comments

To impress upon the people the holiness of God and the impossibility of drawing near to him without a mediator, a Saviour, an atonement for sin, this instruction was given. The whole area was put out of bounds to man and beast on pain of death. Moses was told, ‘thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death: There shall not an hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live’ (Exodus 19:12-13). Only Moses was to ascend the mountain to meet with God. Of course, a beast, one of Israel’s flocks or herds, could have no awareness of the exclusion zone or of why it was to stay away from the mountain. Man alone is conscious of his Creator, and no beast is capable to knowing or worshipping God. This command was given for Israel’s sake. So holy was the mountain because of God’s presence that even a dumb beast was to die if it strayed onto it. It seems that the command to stone or pierce the beast was given to Israel, but it may have been that the Lord would have ensured this was carried out regardless.Why might the people ignore the boundaries set for them and break through onto the mountain when God had forbidden it? After Moses has been called up to the top of the mountain by the Lord and is descending again, the Lord tells him to repeat this command to the people. Even Moses is not aware of what is in the people’s hearts and protests that this will not happen because they have already been warned not to do it. But God tells him tersely that he is to repeat the warning because there is a danger that the people will ignore the warning already given, and the reason for this second warning tells us what could be in the hearts of the people. They could break through out of a lack of reverence for God and his holiness. They could exhibit a curiosity which caused them to enquire into things that they had been told to keep a distance from. They might justify this by saying to themselves, that if Moses had been allowed to draw near to God, then they too could draw near.

Application

What fearful over-familiarity is seen in the way some worship the Lord today. God is dragged down to the human level and treated as if he was only a little different to ourselves. Human beings are not careful to worship God in the way he has prescribed, and instead come casually, carelessly, without any fear of God. His grace is turned into an excuse for shocking lack of reverence. The reality is that God taught mankind about his holiness and unapproachability before he sent Christ into the world. Grace is built on the foundation of the awesome holiness of God, and grace is so wonderful because it allows us to approach one who is so infinitely separated from evil. We come boldly, but we keep in mind what the Lord has told us about himself in that previous dispensation, and we continue to have awe for God. Grace should not be viewed as something which cancels the holiness of God, but which matches the holiness of God in its immensity. God does not intend that we forget about his holiness as we draw near, but that we strive to be holy as he is holy.

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Hebrews 12:20 Commentary and Bible Study