Have you ever attempted building a house of cards? I was trying to do this a few weeks ago but never came to a successful attempt. Taking such care and patience to place the first two cards in a tower like fashion I was pleased to finally see those stand on their own. Yet as I tried to place the next two cards, even though it felt as if I was moving as slow as a sloth, there would be the slightest shake or even a breeze (maybe my own breath) and they would all topple. All the work I put into it, all the patient building, all the hopes of building a 3 story house of cards, gone instantly all because they could be so easily shaken.
“Therefore since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and in this way worship God in an acceptable manner, with reverence and awe…” Hebrews 12:28 Mounce -NT
A Race to Run
After writing for 11 chapters of material, the author of Hebrews has presented to their audience the glories of Jesus in many different ways. Their aim is to get the believers to see Jesus as worth it all. Higher than the angels, higher than the High Priest, higher than Moses, etc. They need to do this because these Hebrew Christians are experience a great deal of persecution and are in “need of endurance” (10:36) What better way to do this than to present to them the One who is “the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (12:2)
Then in chapter 12 the Christians are finally encouraged to “run with endurance the race that is set before us” (12:1). But every race must have a finish line right? Of course, or else what’s the point of racing? For Abraham and all the Old Testament Patriarchs it was “a better country, that is, a heavenly one.” (11:16) For us it is “Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the festal gathering and assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel.” (12:22-24)
Alternative Finish Line
Yet evil in this world tempts us with another finish line. An alternative one. The author of Hebrews defines this alternative finish line as things that: “can be shaken — that is, created things” (12:27) Or simply put: things that can be seen. Evil knows that we humans work primarily from our senses. Satan knew this in the Garden when Eve: “saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise” (Gen 3:6) Therefore he continually tempts us using these primary senses.
What he really wants us to believe is that these ‘created things’ are lasting. That they remain forever. That, against the testimony of scripture, you can store up treasure on earth and it won’t be corrupted by moth or rust. And though we know that’s not true we still find ourselves slipping at times into the lie. I may be tempted to think that a higher bank account balance means more security, a bigger house means more comfort, and a newer car means higher status. Or I may be duped into thinking that building my earthly business will last, or that giving my time to anything that is clearly a “created thing” over that which is “unseen” is a better use of my time. It’s not!
The Unshaken Kingdom
The exhortation, then, by the author of Hebrews begins with an understanding of God’s voice that will once again shake the earth: “At that time [God’s] voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain.” (12:26-27) Clearly the exhortation here is to get your affections off of the things on earth (things that are shaken) and put them on the things of heaven (things that cannot be shaken). This was Paul’s point in Colossians 3:1-4 and most certainly this was Jesus’s point when He said: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal…”
So once we first begin with the understanding that anything that “can be shaken” will be, then we need to know what can’t be shaken so we can, therefore, give our time and energy to those things which will last forever. And, what do you know, Hebrews tells us exactly what that is: “Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken…” There it is! The Kingdom of Heaven. And so let’s finish Jesus’s quote above: “…But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal…” So one last question to answer: How do we store treasures in heaven? Great question! Look no further than the life of Jesus. Did He write checks and send them up to the moon in satellite rockets? Did He look for a Mutual Fund named “Heaven” and put His 401(k) balance in that? Of course not. He loved us to death… literally. And to store treasures in heaven we must follow His pattern of love and faith with relentless devotion to our Father. You store up treasures by giving, you store up treasures by offering a “cup of cold water to one of these little ones”, you store up treasures by washing feet, by encouraging, by working “as to the Lord and not unto men”, you store up treasures by…. well just read Matthew 5-7 and apply it!
Summary
Begin to look at life with an understanding that you are either giving your time, resources, and energy to “things that can be shaken” or “things that cannot be shaken”. Only that which is in the Kingdom of Heaven will not be shaken. Now it’s time to leave the computer (or phone/tablet) and make the necessary changes to begin storing up the treasures that will last. And as you do so “consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary, fainting in heart.” (12:3)
Action
1. Praise God for giving us the Unshaken Kingdom through His Son
2. Confess to God the times when you have neglected the Kingdom and/or gave your time to things that can be shaken
3. Ask God to encourage you and train your mind to set affections on things above
4. Listen to this post’s song: We Could Have It All