God of Covenant

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Hebrews 12:12-14

Wherefore lift up the hands that hang down, and the feeble knees; And make straight the paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. Follow peace with all men, and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord (KJV). (Holiness – State of Purity) ( Strong’s, 1992)

From the beginning God called us to be a separate people unto Himself. This is clearly seen in the first Abrahamic Covenant, the Covenant of Circumcision (Genesis 17:13). This Covenant of the flesh was a betokening of the Consecration of the Heart to God (Barnes’ Notes). God called it an Everlasting Covenant.

This site is called “my heart”, so that is what I must share. Not only has the state of our world been weighing heavy upon me, but the state of our churches is burdensome to me as well.

We are All just people! We all fall down sometimes, but there is a difference between falling down and falling away. I believe that we are living in the last days, and there is a shaking going on that those things that cannot be shaken may remain (Hebrews 12:26-27), (Haggai 2). It is also in my mind that in these trying times many will turn to God. He is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any would perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).

I started out to write a post on Hebrews 12 because it spoke so much to my heart in the clarity of a relationship, not a religion. It speaks about how we should not despise the chastening of the Lord. Whom He Loves He Does Chastise. We are dealt with as sons, not bastards. Much more than we have reverenced our earthly fathers, we should be under subjection to the Father of spirits, and live (12:9).

It is impossible to read Hebrews 12 without first reading Hebrews 11, which is referred to as ,”the faith chapter”. There the great cloud of witnesses mentioned in Hebrews 12:1 can be found. In remembering the miracles, hardships, sacrifices, and martyrdoms, we are Called to lay aside Every weight and sin that so easily besets us, and to Run with patience the race that is set before us (12:1). We are reminded to consider the sufferings of Christ as not to become weary and faint in our minds.

It is also Vital to understand that by Grace we are saved Through Faith (Ephesians2:8-9). We are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise (Galatians 4:23). It is sad that many people think that grace gives us a cloak to sin. If that were so, then there would have been no need for Jesus to call us to repentance (Mathew 4:17). The Ark pictured above carried the Ten Commandments, Not the ten suggestions. In keeping His Commandments we are honoring our Covenant with God, and they are not grievous to us(1John 2:3).

I so.. Love this Word! This 12th chapter of Hebrews calls us to persevere in our Faith. It appears to me that it’s no about the falling down, but it is about the getting up again. It is a matter of the heart, as David was a man after God’s own heart. We are not called to Mount Sanai that burned with fire as in the Old Testament, but we are come to Mount Sion, and unto the city of the LIVING GOD (12:22), and to Jesus the mediator of the New Covenant (12:24). Wherefore we receiving a Kingdom that cannot be moved, Let Us Have Grace, Wherefore We May Serve God ACCEPTABLY With Reverence and Godly Fear: For our God Is a Consuming Fire.

Wherefore lift up the hands that hang down, and the feeble knees; And make straight the paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. Follow peace with all men, and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord (KJV). (Holiness – State of Purity) (Strong’s, 1992)

My prayer is that we would lay these words to heart. That we would straighten our paths and be healed, and not forever turned side-ways. That we would lift up our hands in praise, not because of who we are, and no matter what we have done, but because we know that there is NO life outside of Christ, and that He Loves us. His heart can be touched with the feelings of our infirmities, and His Mercies are new everyday. That we would bend our feeble knees, and learn to follow peace, without bitterness in our hearts, and that we would come apart and be separate from this present world, without such No man shall see God, Amen.

There are no changes in the attributes of God, or the principles of His government. He is not a friend of sin. We should fear the displeasure of God as much as they did under the old Covenant. We should serve God with profound reverence and unwavering Fidelity (Barnes’ Notes).

References

James Strong, S. L. (1992). Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance Of The Bible. World Bible Publishers, Inc.

Barnes, A. (1834). Internet Sacred texts Archive. Retrieved from Bible Hub: biblehub.com

Photo –Webbe Holy Ark of the Covenant Bloomsbury Market retrieved from www.wayfair.com March 3, 2021