An Unshakeable Kingdom
Photo by Daniel Diesenreither on Unsplash
When Everything Shakes
Growing up and living in Southern California, I became accustomed to the occurrence of earthquakes. In a strange way, it became somewhat normal, if that's really possible.
I remember two earthquakes in particular. The first one was when I was single. It literally shook me out of my bed. It also knocked down an entire freeway overpass sixty miles to the north of me.
The second earthquake struck close to our home. As a family of six, our first concern was to make sure all of us were safe. We went out to our backyard and heard our above-ground pool sloshing water back and forth. Our family was so shaken, literally and figuratively, that we spent the night in our backyard while enduring a few significant aftershocks.
You can't anticipate or adequately prepare for an earthquake. Scientists can predict an earthquake to some extent, but they hit without immediate warning. You can have emergency supplies ready and a plan, but that’s more of a response after the fact than preventative.
This is true of how our lives can get unexpectedly shaken in other ways. Economic problems, a cancer diagnosis, losing a loved one, or a broken relationship, any of these can shake us to our core.
When our lives get rocked without warning—and they will—it's devastating. It can either paralyze us or motivate us to seek more solid footing for our lives.
Scripture Text
When God spoke to your ancestors, his voice shook the earth. But now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the sky.”
The words once more show clearly that God will change what he has made. These are the things that can be shaken. Then only the things that cannot be shaken will remain. [vss 26-27]
Therefore, we must be thankful that we have a kingdom that cannot be shaken.
Because we are thankful, we must serve God with fear and awe in a way that pleases him. After all, our God is a destructive [consuming or devouring] fire. [vss 28-29]
(Hebrews 12:26-29 GW) [Context– Hebrews 12]
Key Phrase
Therefore, we must be thankful that we have a kingdom that cannot be shaken.
Things to Consider
When the Lord Jesus went back up to heaven after His resurrection, He promised to return. When He returns, the world will be shaken and things will change. You can read about that in the Book of Revelation.
Think about this. What once seemed permanent and unshakeable will be shaken. This speaks of what is tangible, what can be seen and felt, the earth and atmosphere we know as the world.
Our assurance to endure the shaking that will come is only found in the eternal and unchanging nature of God and the unshakeable nature of the Kingdom of God.
Fire isn’t just destructive to what is physical; it also purifies what is precious and enduring, like the refining of precious metals. The "consuming fire" of God burns what is tangible, but purifies what is eternal in nature.
John the Baptizer spoke of Jesus as the One who would baptize people with the Holy Spirit and with fire (see Matthew 3:11-12). Being baptized with fire speaks of an internal purification in our inner being.
If we try to hold on to what will be shaken, it is a false security. But when we hold firmly to the Lord through faith, we gain a security that can never be shaken or destroyed.
When we embrace the Lord Jesus for who He is and enter His unshakable, enduring kingdom, we are to serve Him with thankfulness and a godly fear and awe.
Digging Deeper Into the Text
What does God promise will happen again?
What will be shaken and changed? What will continue and remain?
How are believers to respond to this shaking that will come?
What are believers to be thankful for, and what should this motivate us to do?
Answer These Questions to Apply God’s Word in Your Life
How is the shaking that is to come connected to the shaking of the dark mountain of Mt Sinai?
When has your life been shaken in unexpected ways, and how did you handle it?
Do you have the assurance and security of trusting in God's unshakeable kingdom and nature?
Are you holding on to Jesus more firmly than the things you know could change and be shaken?
Here’s a link to a free study guide for the book of Hebrews— Study Guide and Study Questions for Hebrews
