Scripture: Hebrews 12:25-29 (ESV)
“See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven. At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.”
One of my favourite poems of all time is Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelley. I have quoted it several times in sermons because it captures pointlessness of pursuing power and “Earthly immortality” in our achievements. This is the poem:
I met a traveller from an antique land,
Who said—“Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. . . . Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;
And on the pedestal, these words appear:
My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;
Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.”
Nothing remains except a broken stature and the pedestal that proclaimed the mighty power of this “King of Kings”. To look on Ozymandias’ work is to despair because his mighty works have all disappeared as the sands of time have washed them away. Now of course Ozymandias is a made up figure, but we don’t have to look very far in the real world to see similar monuments that speak of the power of ancient kings. Think of the pyramids, built to eternally house the remains of the Pharaohs. Think of the great ancient city of Petra, carved out of stone. An ancient place of power, but now just a tourist attraction. Think about the ancient wonders of the world: The Colossus of Rhodes, the tallest statue in the ancient world, destroyed by an earthquake. Think of the Library of Alexandria, possibly the largest and most significant library of the ancient world – largely destroyed by fire. Or again, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, which may not have even really existed, but clearly don’t exist today.
The point is even the mightiest and grandest of human creations fade and pass away. The author of Hebrews reminds us that there will come a time when God will shake the Heavens and the Earth and everything that is shakable will pass away. On that day only the unshakable things will remain.
So what are the differences between the shakable and unshakable things. Well the text tells us that the Kingdom of God is the unshakable thing. Everything that belongs to God’s eternal Kingdom will remain. The empires of the world, the demonic powers and principalities, the pride of human achievements – all these things are will pass away. Faith, goodness, righteousness and all who are in Christ are things of God’s kingdom, and they will remain. As Christian’s we are part of God’s everlasting and enduring kingdom.
So how do we respond? The author of Hebrews tells us: “thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.” Our response is deep, reverential awe. We recognise that we could have been consumed by God’s holy fire. We recognise that we could have been destroyed with everything else that is shakable. But by God’s grace we are included in God’s eternal Kingdom, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
That is a very special place to be.
Prayer:
Dear God, what a privilege it is to be part of your Kingdom, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Thank you for making our eternity unshakable. Help us when we put our trust in earthly, human things. Help us to see they are but shakable, destroyable, things. Amen.
Spiritual Challenge:
Consider all the things you have achieved in life. Which of these will remain when God “yet once more shakes the Earth”?