vanish away, giving place to the New Covenant of which the Lord is the Mediator

(Heb. 8: 7-13; 10: 16). The sacrifices and offerings of the old system pass away in the

presence of that one Sacrifice offered once for all (Heb. 10: 1-14). The Hebrews were to

learn that the Mosaic law was transient, and that the kingdom that remains and which

cannot be moved is found alone under the sway of the true King-Priest of the order of

Melchisedec, Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Flowing from the contemplation of these solemn issues comes a series of practical

exhortations. The first is: "Let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably

with reverence and godly fear; for our God is a consuming fire" (Heb. 12: 28, 29). The

words: "for our God is a consuming fire" are taken from Deut. 4: 24, and come in a

context of deepest solemnity. Chapter 4: opens with a warning concerning adding to or

diminishing from the Word of God, and then refers to the evil of Baal-Peor. What took

place there is described in Numb. 25:  The close relationship between idolatry and

immoral practices will explain the sudden reference to marriage etc., in chapter 13: of

Hebrews. In Deut. 4: 11, 12 also is the reference to the mountain that burned with fire

and "the voice of the words".

The Hebrews would be warned that the service of God was not something within the

authority of man to arrange. God Himself had set aside the visible, external and typical;

let them therefore remember that acceptable worship would now be concerned with the

heavenly, the true and antitypical. The word "acceptably" is euarestos. It occurs as

follows in Chapter 13:

These references look back to the example of Enoch, and to the divine comment:

"Without faith it is impossible to please Him".

In close and startling proximity to the need for acceptable service and the fact that

God is a consuming fire come the words:

When we remember that the glorious doctrine of Ephesians is linked by the apostle

with its practical outworking expressed in the relationship of husband and wife, parent

and child, master and servant, and that similar warnings concerning immoral acts are

included (see Eph. 5: and 6:), we are the more prepared to learn that our whole life, with

its complete circle of outgoings, is involved in this blessed and glorious service. Carnal

ordinances, baptisms, fasts, feasts and ceremonies have given place to hearts sprinkled

from an evil conscience, bodies washed with pure water, and heart-service in every

sphere of life.