For you have not come to the  mountain that may be touched and that burned with fire, and to blackness and darkness and tempest, (19) and the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words, so that those who heard it begged that the word should not be spoken to them anymore.  (22) But now you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, (23) to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect

The letter to the Hebrews (author unknown) is written to Christian Jews who are in danger of refusing salvation offered in Christ. Our verses today are a warning to those who are not fully committed to Christ; not saved, indecisive and under pressure of persecution, knowing what they know of the gospel and yet reverting to Judaism (Mt. Sinai). This would be a final irrevocable rejection of salvation in Christ.

Mt. Sinai was a physical place where the Law was given.  There the Old Testament God was unapproachable except through an intermediator.  Man couldn’t actually touch that physical place where there were physical phenomena that terrified the Jews  and man learned that he could never approach God on the basis of his own works.  But in Christ, in faith, we are not coming to judgment because He has already paid for our sins. Jesus is the new Mt Zion and Jerusalem is the heavenly city where God dwells.  Every Jew knew Mt. Sinai was a place of judgment – no man was ever saved by the Law.  But we are told not to fear – that the faithful are not coming back to Mr Sinai.

If you don’t know what you possess you may disregard it or even give it away. Our verses draw a sharp contrast between the judgment of the Old Testament and the spiritual life by justification of faith in Christ.  Mt. Zion represents grace, forgiveness and salvation. We have a clear choice; either judgment or grace and eternal life in Christ. Don’t let anything take you back.