Hebrews 12:17-22, “For ye know how that afterward, when he
would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of
repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears. For
ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with
fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, And the sound of a
trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the
word should not be spoken to them any more: (For they could not endure that
which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be
stoned, or thrust through with a dart: And so terrible was the sight, that
Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:) But ye are come unto mount Sion, and
unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable
company of angels.”
From Sinai to Sion. Sion citizens succeed because they move on from Sinai.
What helps us transition from law to
grace, from works to worship, from struggle to success, and from
burden to blessing? It is simply moving ahead. Sion is another name for the
city of Jerusalem. You cannot get to Sion without first going to Sinai. You
must understand and establish God’s holiness before you move on. Sinai educated
us in God’s laws. It is there that we learn the vital importance of both
personal and corporate worship. Once that is done, what is next? Your focus
needs to be on developing a dynamic personal relationship with the Lord Jesus
Christ.
Sion – A Place of Faith. Sion citizens succeed because they exercise their faith. Out of
all the perhaps two or three million Israelites, only two adult men got in to
the country where Sion is, Joshua and Caleb. Moses sent twelve men in to spy
out the land. Ten of them came back saying that, while the land was blessed
with abundant crops, the inhabitants were too strong to defeat. Only Joshua and
Caleb trusted in God and believed that He would give them the victory. As a
result of their lack of faith, the entire generation perished in the wilderness
without ever reaching Sion. When the forty years of wandering were over, God
brought them back to the border and placed another test in front of them. By
the way, before you get to Sion, you can count on it that God will put
impossibility in your path just as He did to them.
Sion – A Place of Sacrifice. Sion citizens succeed because
they sacrifice. Sion has great historical significance. It was a place where
God’s people came to offer sacrifices unto Him. Sion is where Abraham took his
son Isaac, and they built and altar. There, Isaac lay on the altar; and Abraham
willing to sacrifice his son, but God sent a ram, which was a picture of Jesus
Christ. Sion is where David bought the threshing floor of Araunah to offer a
sacrifice to God after he sinned by numbering the people. He said, “Neither
will I offer burnt offerings unto the Lord my God of that which doth cost me
nothing.” (2 Samuel 24:24) Most importantly, Sion is the place where
the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, was crucified. One of the reasons you continue
to grow spiritually after arriving in Sion is that it is a place of making
sacrifice unto God. If you want to be a citizen of God in the city of Sion,
then you must be prepared to make sacrifices. There is no way you will ever
endure the adversity unless you are a sacrificial giver. Sacrifice involves so
much more than just money. We ought to tithe; we ought to give offerings unto
the Lord, but we ought to live our lives sacrificially for God. It is only when
we are willing to sacrifice that we maximize our potential for spiritual
development and growth.
Sion
– A Place Called Home. Sion citizens succeed because they make Sion their home.
Verse twenty- two says, “But ye are come unto mount Sion”. That
phrase in the language of the Bible is very precise. It is not talking about
coming for visit; it is talking about moving in to a permanent residence. The
idea is to decide that you are going to live in the presence of God. If you
read John 15, you will see Jesus talking about abiding in Him. That is what
this verse means. Coming to Sion means that we are living in the presence of
Jesus. After a long day at work, I look forward to going home. That is a place
of refuge for me. Roseann and I love each other, and so we want to spend time
together. We often forget that while those of us who are saved have an eternal
future waiting for us in Heaven, we also have the obligation and opportunity to
live in Sion – “the heavenly Jerusalem” right now. Do not live in isolation
from God. Do not view Him as being distant and unapproachable as the people did
at Sinai. Jesus has opened the way into His presence through His blood. That
means you and I can have the same kind of dynamic relationship with God here on
earth that we will enjoy in Heaven. By the grace of God, we can live in Sion
and be successful citizens in His country.
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