From Mount Sinai to Mount Zion (Law or Grace?)

Psalm 125:1 Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever.(NIV)

The word “Zion” essentially means “fortification.” Those who trusts in the Lord are not shaking, trembling, fearful and anxious. Their strength endures all situations and it means to say, that if one is living in constant insecurity, they might be on the wrong mountain. 

Hebrews 12:18 You have not come, as the people of Israel came, to what you can feel, to Mount Sinai with its blazing fire, the darkness and the gloom, the storm,(GNT)

Though we are to face challenges now and then, our Lord Jesus died on the cross to take away our sufferings. As it is written: " You have not to come"; we are not to come (or to go) to this place of darkness.

 Those who are in Christ are not mean to be on darkness, gloom, burn out and in constant sadness. One of the fruits of the Holy Spirit is joy. Galatians 5:22 "But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness".(NLT)

While Mount Sinai is described as a place of blazing fire, darkness, gloom and storm; Mount Zion receives a very different description. Psalm 87:2 "The LORD loves the gates of Zion More than all the dwellings of Jacob".(NKJV)

On Mount Sinai, condemnation, legalism and judgment is imposed, but on Mount Zion we find love, salvation, redemption and forgiveness.

Hebrews 12:19 "the blast of a trumpet, and the sound of a voice. When the people heard the voice, they begged not to hear another word".(GNT)

Hebrews 12:20 because they could not bear what was commanded: "If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned."(NIV)

Hebrews 12:21 And so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, "I am exceedingly afraid and trembling."(NKJV)

Have you listen to sermons that terrorizes you? Moses was frightened of whatever he saw on Mount Sinai. There are preachers that terrorizes their congregations and I am not speaking about hell, because hell does exists.  I am speaking about certain places that overwhelms  people with doctrines, fears, condemnation, accusations and religiosity.

Jesus said: in Matthew 11:28 (NIV) "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Give you rest! Jesus wants to give us rest, not loads of religious traditions as some preachers imposes.

Hebrews 12:22 "But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly,(NIV)

Hebrews 12:23 to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect".(NIV)

I just can say a huge AMEN for these beautiful words. We aren't to go to the darkness but to join in a joyful assembly. When we leave Mount Sinai and its Pharisaism (with their hypocritical standards), we can come to God, who is the only true judge.

Hebrews 12:26 When God spoke from Mount Sinai his voice shook the earth, but now he makes another promise: "Once again I will shake not only the earth but the heavens also."(NLT)

Hebrews 12:27 This means that all of creation will be shaken and removed, so that only unshakable things will remain.(NLT)

Have you read it rightly? Please read again slowly. Mount Sinai and its law were shaken by God once. But now The Lord is up to shake everything again and only unshakable things will remain.

Just as it was written on the beginning of this message:

Psalm 125:1 Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever.(NIV)

Hebrews 12:28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe,(NIV)

What is the kingdom that we are receiving? It is the Kingdom according our Lord Jesus Christ not according to Moses. 

What does Mount Zion represent? What happened on Mount Zion? Jesus died on the cross there. Mount Zion represents the Grace of God upon his children. His unmerited favor to all of us.

If the Lord would look to our qualifications, none of us would be worthy. But because of His grace, we receive favor, because of His grace, we receive healing, prosperity and miracles. Not because you and I are good and deserving. We receive this grace because Jesus bought it all at a very high price which is his blood.

Sinai represents man efforts, Zion represents Jesus finished works. On Sinai people tries to keep their efforts and they end up shook, unstable, insecure, on moments of darkness and terror; they are not sure, they see God as a horrendous judge, who wants to punish them.  But those who put their foundation On the Lord they are unshakable.

On Mount Sinai three thousand people died at the feet of the mount as it is written:

Exodus 32:28 The Levites did as Moses commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people died.(NIV)

On the contrary, on Mount Zion at the Cenacle (the upper room), about three thousand were baptized with the Holy Spirit:

Acts 1:13 And when they had entered [the city], they mounted [the stairs] to the upper room where they were [indefinitely] staying--Peter and John and James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas [son] of James.(AMP)

Acts 2:41 Therefore those who accepted and welcomed his message were baptized, and there were added that day about 3,000 souls.(AMP)

I like to emphasize some few differences about Moses (the law, Mount Sinai) and our Lord Jesus Christ (Grace, Mount Zion):

The turning of water into blood was the first of the public miracles that Moses did in Egypt (Exo 7:20), and the water into wine was the first of the public miracles that Jesus did in the world (John 2:11).

 

The signs that God gave to Egypt in the Old Testament were plagues, destruction, and death, and the signs that Jesus did in the world in the New Testament were healings, blessings, and life.

The turning of water to blood initiated Moses (a type of the Savior— Deuteronomy 18:15) leading his people out of the bondage of Egypt into an earthly liberty; the turning of water into wine initiated Jesus taking His people out of the bondage of the corruption of the world into the glorious liberty of the children of God (Romans 8:21).

The turning of water to blood culminated in the firstborn in Egypt being delivered to death, while turning the water into wine culminated in the life of the Firstborn being delivered from death (Colossians 1:18). 

Unfortunately, some still preaches about Mount Sinai, this Mountain is the place where God Gave the 10 commandments. Moses was a servant while Jesus is the Son of God. The law came through a man, but grace came through the Son of God Himself! What a  difference!  Mount Zion is on Israel (Promised land) Mount Sinai is Arabia (Place of slavery).

Now all this is an allegory; these [two women] represent two covenants. One covenant originated from Mount Sinai [where the Law was given] and bears [children destined] for slavery; this is Hagar. Galatians 4:24 (AMP)

And now Jerusalem is just like Mount Sinai in Arabia, because she and her children live in slavery to the law. Galatians 4:25 (NLT)

But the other woman, Sarah, represents the heavenly Jerusalem. She is the free woman, and she is our mother. Galatians 4:26 (NLT)

But we, brethren, are children [not by physical descent, as was Ishmael, but] like Isaac, born in virtue of promise. Galatians 4:28 (AMP)

The hypocritical system of religiosity

Those who wants to live under the hypocritical system of religiosity, will live under the slavery of the law. But those who wants to live by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ are the sons of the promise and they will inherit the bigger and the best portion. 

No man could fulfill the law. Only Our Lord Jesus was perfect enough for it . The Bible says that there is no one righteous. David was before God's own heart; but even though, he sinned! There is no righteous. No one is sinless!

Romans 3:10(NIV) As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one(;)

James 2:10 (NIV) For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.

Some churches/people  wants to condemn everyone else, but they forget that Jesus condemn no one; but they condemn everybody as if they are "holy" ; which they are not; if they want the law; they Shaw apply it to its full extension, without missing a single point (which is impossible).

Some preachers/religious people  wants the Mount Sinai in their churches/lives; ok, it is up to them; But they persecute other churches/people, they even plot against the life of others. Where are the 10 commandments? "You shall not murder". Exodus 20:13 

“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor". Exodus 20:16

So what exactly they do on Mount Sinai? As you remember Mount Sinai is the place of curse in case you do not follow  all the law.

1 John 4:20 If someone says, "I love God," but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don't love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see?(NLT) 

That is the problem with the law. The Pharisees wanted to keep it so much, that they could not love the Son of God. They became blind with the religious spirits; not only blinded but completely slaveries of their own hypocrisy.

Those who lives under the hypocrisy of religiosity; are bitter and very difficult to live with. They are never thankful, satisfied and joyful. They are proud and they like to condemn everyone else. They are jealousy and capable to do whatever it takes to prejudice other people. The Pharisees (teachers of the law) were jealousy of Jesus.

  

We have two mountains here; which mountain are you on? There is the mountain that are always shaken and insecure. Sinai is the Mountain where God Gave the ten Commandments: " You shall not it, you shall not that. If I do this, God will do that. But men Proved he can't accomplished the law; he has badly fail in fulfill it.

We don't need the preacher to say "how bad we are" our espouses already do. There are preachers who just point the fingers "you this, you that" The church needs more doctors than judges. God is already the supreme judge.

Law demands, grace supplies.  Who trusts in Jesus does not shakes, but those who trusts on the law (man efforts) succumbs.

Pastors and preachers should move their pulpits from mount Sinai to Mount Zion.  Mount Sinai is curse and the end of the curse is death. 

The law condemn the best in us ,Grace  saves what is the best in us.

For Christ is the end of the law and became our righteousness to everyone who believes.

Revelation 22:21 "The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people". Amen.(NIV)

Shalom