A Exhortation (vv. 14–17)
B Exposition (vv. 18–24)
A’ Exhortation (vv. 25–29)
These verses summarize what the writer said previously about irrevocable loss through disobedience, unbelief, apostasy, and contempt for New Covenant privileges (cf. 6:4–8). The fearful warning about Esau brings these earlier warnings to an awesome head.
12:14
We need to live peaceably with all people as much as we can (cf. Matt. 5:9; Mark 9:50; Rom. 12:18; 14:19) because peaceful interpersonal relationships foster godliness (James 3:18).
Since we will one day see the Lord, and since no sin can abide in His presence (1 John 3:2), we must pursue holiness in our lives now.
12:15
The writer pictured departure from the truth here as a root that produces bitter fruit in the Christian community. It results in the spiritual defilement of many other believers eventually (cf. Deut. 29:17–18).
“The sin of one individual can corrupt the entire community when that sin is apostasy, because defilement is contagious. One who is defiled by unbelief and apostasy becomes a defiler of others.”[437]
12:16–17 - Gen 25:33; 27:30–40
Esau is a clear example of someone who apostatized; he despised his inheritance and forfeited it to satisfy his immediate desires. That is precisely what the writer warned his readers not to do in this letter. Esau could not regain his inheritance later when he repented. His decision had permanent consequences; he could not repent (cf. 4:1; 6:4–6).[439] His inability to repent was not a matter of forgiveness but of consequences.
“To take a very simple example—if a young man loses his purity or a girl her virginity, nothing can ever bring it back. The choice was made and the choice stands. God can and will forgive, but God Himself cannot turn back the clock and unmake the choice or undo the consequences.”[440]
The writer warned against two things in verse 16: immorality (Gr. pornos) and being godless (bebelos) like Esau. The Old Testament makes no mention of Esau’s immorality, so probably the writer understood this term metaphorically in the sense of “apostate.”[441], p. 445.
Esau was “godless” in that he relinquished his covenant rights for the sake of immediate gratification. Some translators rendered bebelos “profane,” which means “before (outside) the temple.” This paints Esau correctly as a man who lived his life by avoiding God. Today we might know him as a man who did not attend church. He is “the prototype of all who throw away the heavenly reality for the sake of the earthly one.”[442]
“True Christians fully parallel the description of Esau. We are children of God and we are firstborn sons. Because of that we possess the rights of the firstborn. We do not have to earn these rights. They are given to us through the grace of God. However, we must value and keep these rights and are warned by Esau’s example regarding the possibility of not doing so. But even though we cannot forfeit eternal life, we can forfeit our firstborn rights.”[443]
“Esau’s willingness to give up all that was his as the firstborn son reflected a contempt for the covenant by which his rights were warranted. By descriptive analogy, he is representative of apostate persons who are ready to turn their backs on God and the divine promises, in reckless disregard of the covenant blessings secured by the sacrificial death of Jesus. The immediate reference is to the objective blessings of ‘peace’ and ‘holiness,’ specified in v 14. With the example of Esau, apostasy is further defined as a decisive rejection of God’s gifts.”[444], pp. 445–46.
“In Jewish history, the birthright belonged to the firstborn son in a family simply by right of birth and consisted of three things: 1) ruler of the household under and for the father, 2) priest of the family, and 3) the reception of a double portion of all the father’s goods. Although a firstborn son did nothing whatsoever to come into possession of the birthright, he could conduct his life in such a manner so as to forfeit the birthright. He could not forfeit his position as firstborn in the family, but he could forfeit the rights of the firstborn.”[445]
The writer proceeded to reiterate the superiority of the New Covenant by comparing it with the Old Covenant using the figure of two mountains: Sinai and Zion.
12:18–21
These verses describe the giving of the Old Covenant at Mt. Sinai (cf. 2:2–4; Exod. 19:9–23; Deut. 4:11; 9:8–19).[447]: An Exegetical Study” (Ph.D. dissertation, Catholic University of Leuven, 1977), p. 318.
The writer made Sinai and Zion metaphors to show the difference in quality between relationship to God under the Old and New Covenants (cf. Gal. 4:24–26).[448] The emphasis in this comparison is on the holiness of God and the fearful consequences of incurring His displeasure (cf. Judg. 13:20; 1 Kings 8:12; 18:38; Nah. 1:3; Matt. 24:30–31; 1 Cor. 15:52; 1 Thess. 4:16). God was far from the Israelites, and even Moses felt terror.
12:22–24
The giving of the New Covenant and the things associated with that covenant are more impressive because they are the heavenly realities. These realities include the heavenly city and heavenly beings (i.e., angels and believers). Everything about this vision encourages us to come boldly into God’s presence (cf. 4:16).
The phrase “the general assembly and church of the first-born”—the Greek construction suggests one group—probably refers to all those believers who had died but will receive their full inheritance because they followed the Lord faithfully and did not apostatize.[449] Another view is that it refers to all the saints on earth and in heaven.[450] Still other interpreters believe all Christians on earth are in view.[451] Others believe all Christians already in heaven are.[452]
Their names are on a heavenly roll as those who died cleaving to the Lord (cf. Exod. 32:33; Ps. 69:28; Isa. 4:3; Dan. 12:1; Luke 10:20; Phil. 4:3; Rev. 3:5; 13:8; 20:12).
“The spirits of righteous men made perfect” evidently refers to all the glorified redeemed, faithful and unfaithful, whom Christ’s sacrifice has perfected (cf. 10:10, 14; 11:40).
Jesus’ blood is better than Abel’s because it did not cry out for justice and retribution as Abel’s did (cf. 11:4; Gen. 4:10).[455] It satisfied God’s demands and secured God’s acceptance of New Covenant believers (cf. 9:12, 26; 10:10, 14, 19). It cried out to God for mercy and pardon for those for whom Jesus shed it.
This sevenfold comparison (vv. 18–21 and 22–24) should motivate us to remain faithful and thereby realize the superior blessings of the New Covenant.
| Old Covenant | New Covenant |
|---|---|
| A mountain that may not be touched | Mt. Zion, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem |
| Blazing fire | Myriads of angels |
| Darkness | The general assembly and church of the firstborn |
| Gloom | God, the Judge of all |
| Whirlwind | The spirits of righteous men made perfect |
| The blast of a trumpet | Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant |
| The sound of words | The sprinkled blood that is better than Abel’s |
12:25
The One speaking probably refers to God. “Him who warned them on earth” probably refers to God when He spoke from Mt. Sinai. The contrast is not primarily between the persons who spoke but between the places from which God spoke (cf. v. 26).
Another view is that the contrast is between a human oracle of God (Moses) and the divine Voice (Christ).[457] This contrast would have been especially impressive to Jewish Christians. The present warning came from God in heaven and dealt with failure to continue to cleave to His Son (cf. 1:1–2; 2:2–3).
12:26–27
God’s voice shook the earth at Mt. Sinai (Exod. 19:18; Judg. 5:4–5; Ps. 68:8; 77:18; 114:4, 7). It will shake the earth and the heavens at the end of the Millennium. That shaking will lead to the creation of new heavens and a new earth that will remain (Ps. 95:9–11; Hag. 2:6; Rev. 21:1).
“The ‘shaking’ is a metaphor for the judgment of God executed in history, as in the case of the fall of Babylon announced in Isa 13:1–22.”[458], p. 479.
12:28–29
Our kingdom is eternal. Our motive should be gratitude. Our activity should be the service of God. Our attitude toward Him should be reverence and awe in view of His ability to judge the unfaithful (cf. 1 Cor. 3:14–15).
“As a consuming fire, God purifies all that is unworthy and unacceptable in those who serve Him and all that is unfit to abide in His presence.”[459]
This chapter contains three resources that encourage and enable us to run the Christian race with endurance. They are the example of Jesus (vv. 1–4), the assurance of the Father’s love (vv. 5–13), and the enablement of God’s grace (vv. 14–29).[461]