The Letter to the Hebrews writer’s entire thesis seems to be that of the superiority of Christianity over even that true religion of their forefathers – Judaism. The Jews had their national identity, and some even based their religious identity on their being descendants of Abraham. In this, they were partakers in an ancient covenant made by God to their ancestor (Genesis 12:1-3). In these promises was that of a land that was to be theirs forever. As God gave the children of Israel then the Law of Moses and all the instructions for how they were to live and what they were receiving, He cautioned them to obey His commandments with a warning that failure to do so would bring all the plagues which they had been told about (Deuteronomy 28:58-68). By the time that we get to the First Century then, we find the entirety of the Jewish nation subjected to Roman governmental rule and having been dominated by other nations and cultures for over 600 years by the time of the writing of our New Testaments. It is from this place then we find the Hebrews writer describe the better promise than that which the Jews were looking toward. Notice Hebrews 12:28, “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.”
The kingdoms of Israel and Judah had long before been shaken to the ground. The Temple built by Solomon had been utterly destroyed. The Temple rebuilt by Cyrus (Persian King who commissioned the return to Jerusalem and rebuilding of the Temple in about 586 BC) was in the process of being expanded and made more opulent by King Herod beginning in about 37 BC was still being worked on in the days of Jesus. The one key takeaway from these physical and political things is that everything on this earth has no real staying power. Earthly things, even the grandest are fleeting and passing away. I read this week that a great pyramid in South America had a whole side collapse. Even the Great Pyramid in Egypt is lacking its original splendor today, and someday if enough time has passed, it will be eroded down to the simple dust which bound together in stone now makes it up.
We who are in Christ, are partakers of a better covenant than these (Heb 8:6) and we might note that there is a sort of bookends as it relates to the idea of this kingdom which those in Christ are receiving; namely Hebrews 1:1 “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for…”(NASB95). The kingdom which was established forevermore and shall not be defeated or destroyed is that heavenly realm and is that to which each of us become citizens in when we obey the Gospel. It is a certainty then.
The world around us is not certain. It is as changing and as ranging as the weather in Oklahoma. Turn your television on, pick up a newspaper, log into a news website and you will see that the one constant in this world is discord, trouble, and destruction. The world has been such since the institution of the curse in Genesis Chapter 3. This should cause our breast to be filled with a longing for something more, something better, something lasting. That yearning in our hearts then is a groping to find God. Paul describes this in his sermon to the Athenians (Acts 17:27), and I think the Holy Spirit prompted him to declare, “[Rom 1:18-20 NKJV] 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown [it] to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible [attributes] are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, [even] His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,”.
All the uncertainty in the world compels man to evaluate his existence in view of something more and something better than the struggles here. Only through Jesus Christ who is King over all can we look forward to that heavenly kingdom. He is the way (John 14:6), and by Him we enter into that citizenship. So our assurance is in God’s word and promise which never fails. Our assurance is founded in the person of God’s own Son who was faithful. So much so that Paul expounds on the humility of Jesus the Son, humbling Himself in the flesh and being obedient to the point of sacrificing His own blood for the remission of our sins (Philippians 2:8). In His faithfulness, we are called to also be faithful in submitting to Him and to God’s will.
We live faithfully by knowing what God would have us be and do in this life. Truth is not some subjective thing that we can take or leave at our whims. We must look into God’s word and understand His will for us. We learn these things by giving heed to the Apostles’ doctrine (Acts 2:42; 1 Timothy 4:13-16). We must give up ourselves so that we like Paul can declare, “it is no longer I who lives, but Christ lives in me (Galatians 2:20-21).” So let us put on Christ and look forward to that eternal home in the heavenly city. It is a place to which men of faith throughout the ages are looking forward to and that to which they are going (Hebrews 11).