Hebrews 12:28

12:18-29 Mount Sinai, on which the Jewish church state was formed, was a mount such as might be touched, though forbidden to be so, a place that could be felt; so the Mosaic dispensation was much in outward and earthly things. The gospel state is kind and condescending, suited to our weak frame. Under the gospel all may come with boldness to God's presence. But the most holy must despair, if judged by the holy law given from Sinai, without a Saviour. The gospel church is called Mount Zion; there believers have clearer views of heaven, and more heavenly tempers of soul. All the children of God are heirs, and every one has the privileges of the first-born. Let a soul be supposed to join that glorious assembly and church above, that is yet unacquainted with God, still carnally-minded, loving this present world and state of things, looking back to it with a lingering eye, full of pride and guile, filled with lusts; such a soul would seem to have mistaken its way, place, state, and company. It would be uneasy to itself and all about it. Christ is the Mediator of this new covenant, between God and man, to bring them together in this covenant; to keep them together; to plead with God for us, and to plead with us for God; and at length to bring God and his people together in heaven. This covenant is made firm by the blood of Christ sprinkled upon our consciences, as the blood of the sacrifice was sprinkled upon the altar and the victim.

{15} Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with {m} reverence and godly {n} fear: (15) A general exhortation to live reverently and religiously under the most happy subjection of so mighty a King, who as he blesses his most mightily, so does he most severely revenge the rebellious. This is the sum of a Christian life, respecting the first table of the law. (m) By reverence is meant that honest modesty which keeps them in their duties. (n) Religious and godly fear.

Receiving a kingdom (βασιλείαν παραλαμβάνοντες) The participle gives no note of time, but simply indicates the fact that Christians as such receive. The compounded preposition παρὰ adds to the idea of receiving that of transmission or communication. They receive from God. See Daniel 7:18. Βασιλεία in the sense of the kingdom of Christ, in this epistle only here and Hebrews 1:8 (citn.). See on Matthew 3:2; see on Luke 6:20. Let us have grace (ἔχωμεν χάριν) For grace rend. thankfulness. See Luke 17:9; 1 Timothy 1:12; 2 Timothy 1:3. Comp. Psalm 50:23. Acceptably (εὐαρέστως) N.T.o, olxx. Ἑυαρεστεῖν to be well pleasing, Hebrews 11:5, Hebrews 11:6; Hebrews 13:16. For the adjective εὐάρεστος well-pleasing, see on Titus 2:9. With reverence (μετὰ εὐλαβίας) Rend. "with pious care." Reverence is translated from T. R. αἰδοῦς (see on 1 Timothy 2:9). See on Hebrews 5:7; see on Hebrews 11:7. Fear (δέους) N.T.o. See 2 Macc. 3:17, 30; 12:22; 13:16; 15:23. Its fundamental idea is timid apprehension of danger; while φόβος is the terror which seizes one when the danger appears. Schmidt (Synon. 139, 10) illustrates happily. In a primitive forest an undefined sense of possible danger possesses one, and makes his heart beat quickly at every rustle of a leaf. This is δέος. When the voice and tread of a wild beast are distinctly heard close at hand, the δέος becomes φόβος. The phrase "with pious care and fear" is not explanatory of acceptably.

These are to accompany (μετὰ) acceptable service. They do not imply a cringing or slavish feeling, but grow out of the warning in Hebrews 12:25, which runs through the two following verses, and implies that the catastrophe of Hebrews 12:27 will be final, leaving no more opportunity to retrieve the refusal of God's invitation to the privileges of the new covenant, or the relapse into the superseded economy of Judaism.

Hebrews 12:28-29 . Wherefore we — Who believe in Christ; receiving — Or having received, through the gospel; a kingdom which cannot be moved — A dispensation (frequently called the kingdom of God) which shall never be changed, but shall remain to the end of time, ( 2 Corinthians 3:11 ,) and which opens before us an assured and bright prospect of a reign in eternal glory; let us have grace — Let us ask and receive it. “As grace is so freely offered to us, let us not be so wanting to ourselves as to fall short of it.” So Dr. Doddridge paraphrases the clause, and adds in a note, “This” (namely, that grace is freely offered) “is strongly intimated in the words of the exhortation, else there could be no room for it.

And this oblique intimation, in which it is, as it were, taken for granted that we may certainly have grace if we take proper methods for obtaining it, appears to me peculiarly affecting.” Εχωμεν χαριν may be properly rendered, let us hold fast grace; for it is as necessary to retain it as it is to obtain it; and this we may do as well as the other; whereby we may have both inclination and power to serve God acceptably — Ευαρεστως , in a manner well pleasing to him, making his will the sole rule of our conduct, of our tempers, words, and works, and his glory the end thereof, and from a principle of love to him, endeavouring to glorify him in our body and spirit which are his; with reverence — Μετα αιδους , literally, with shame, or modesty, arising from a deep sense of our unworthiness; and godly fear — A tender, jealous fear of offending God, arising from a sense of his gracious majesty. For our God — In the strictness of his justice, and the purity of his holiness; is a consuming fire — Though he manifests himself in the gospel with the beams of such mild majesty, he is still possessed of that tremendous power which was so awfully displayed at mount Sinai, and will break forth as a consuming fire against all those that presumptuously violate his laws and despise his gospel.

Hebrews 12:28 . Βασιλείαν ) a kingdom more magnificent than the present heaven and earth.— παραλαμβάνοντες , receiving ) receiving a promise from GOD, accepting with the willingness of faith.— ἔχωμεν χάριν , let us have grace ) χάριν ἔχειν , is to have grace [to feel gratitude], to be grateful , Luke 17:9 , and often. It also means to be acceptable to , Acts 2:47 ; and in much the same sense, 2 Corinthians 1:15 . To have grace , passively, is to be under the power of grace; also in much the same sense in this passage. To find grace is an act; to have grace is a state, conjoined with the will (willingness on the part) of believers.— λατρεύωμεν ,[87] we may serve ) as royal priests.— μετά αἰδοῦς , with reverence ) from the perception of our own unworthiness, lest we should offend the eyes of GOD.[88]— καὶ εὐλαβείας , and fear ) from the perception of the divine majesty, lest we should bring destruction upon ourselves. Hesychius explains εὐλαβεῖσθαι , as φυλάττεσθαι , φοβεῖσθαι . Hope is tempered (mingled) with reverence and fear , lest it should degenerate into petulant boldness: comp. the following ver. with ch. Hebrews 10:27 . [87] The margin of both Ed. prefers the Indicative, λατρεύομεν .—E. B. [88] Who is “of purer eyes than to behold iniquity.”—ED. The Indic. λατρεύομεν has none of the oldest authorities on its side. They all have λατρεύωμεν .—ED. Hebrews 12:28

28 . Wherefore ] This splendid strain of comparison and warning ends with a brief and solemn appeal. let us have grace ] Or “let us feel thankfulness, whereby, &c.” with reverence and godly fear ] Another well-supported reading is μετ ' εὐλαβείας ( Hebrews 5:7 , Hebrews 11:7 ) καὶ δέους “with godly caution and fear.” The word δέος for “fear” does not occur elsewhere in the N.T. The same particles καὶ γάρ “for indeed” are used in Hebrews 4:2 .

28. receiving—as we do, in prospect and sure hope, also in the possession of the Spirit the first-fruits. This is our privilege as Christians. let us have grace—"let us have thankfulness" [Alford after Chrysostom]. But (1) this translation is according to classical Greek, not Paul's phraseology for "to be thankful." (2) "To God" would have been in that case added. (3) "Whereby we may serve God," suits the English Version "grace" (that is Gospel grace, the work of the Spirit, producing faith exhibited in serving God), but does not suit "thankfulness." acceptably—Greek, "well-pleasingly." reverence and godly fear—The oldest manuscripts read, "reverent caution and fear." Reverent caution (same Greek as in Heb 5:7; see on [2601]Heb 5:7) lest we should offend God, who is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity. Fear lest we should bring destruction on ourselves.

(28) Receiving a kingdom. —These words clearly contain a reference to Daniel 7:18 , “The saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom.” Nor can it well be doubted that the closing verses of Haggai 2 are also before the writer’s mind; after Hebrews 12:21 , which repeats the words of Hebrews 12:6 , quoted above, the prophet declares the overthrow of earthly kingdoms, and continues to His servant Zerubbabel the Messianic promise. Christ has made His people kings; and when heaven and earth have passed away, they shall be found heirs of a kingdom that cannot be shaken ( Hebrews 2:5-9 ). Let us have grace.—Many render the last word thankfulness, but the ordinary translation is preferable. There is for us a “throne of grace” to which we may draw near and “find grace” (Hebrews 4:16). The characteristic of our Christian state is that we “have grace,” and have not “fallen back from the grace of God” (Hebrews 12:15). Let us continue in this state and thus be enabled to offer our priestly service unto God (Hebrews 9:14; Hebrews 13:15). Acceptably.—Literally, well-pleasing. (See Hebrews 11:5; Hebrews 13:16.) With reverence and godly fear.—According to the true reading of the Greek, the meaning is with reverent fear and awe. The former word is that which occupies so important a place in Hebrews 5:7. (See Note.) The tone of the whole chapter—we might rather say, the whole Epistle—is presented in this combination of “grace” and acceptable service with awe and reverent fear.