Friday, June 23, 2017

Turning a Fool


Today, we close out this 4-part mini-session on the topic of fools.  To begin....
Remember the biblical definition of a fool, given three posts ago:  a person who despises the wisdom of God.  (Proverbs 1:7) (Psalm 14:1)
But, there is a continuum, a range.

People can range from being an utter fool, who declares there is no God, no moral authority based in scripture, and who live their lives according to what they believe to be right.  And, at the other end of the continuum are those who believe in God, revealed through His Son, Jesus Christ, but at times ignore certain aspects of His wisdom.
Examples:
1.  The atheist
2.  The well-meaning Christian who is tempted by some physical substance.  He/she knows that the substance is harmful to the body, the temple of the Holy Spirit.  But, oh how delightful that sin is! Accordingly, he/she falls into it, at least occasionally.
The first example lives continually in the realm of foolishness.  The second lapses into foolishness from time to time.
And, there are all kinds of degrees in between these two extremes.

Knowing and loving an utter fool is the epitome of heartbreak.  Most of us have at least a passing acquaintance with one and can "see" that person (or persons) in our minds' eyes right now.  What does the Bible tell us about hope for these acquaintances, friends, loved ones?

At first glance, it does not look good.
Proverbs 10:8 tells us that the end of an utter fool is utter ruin.

However, I remind you that all people are fools at one time or another.  Before coming to Jesus Christ, we who are now His beloved, were completely lost, the biggest fools ever!  And, He rescued and saved us!

3For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. 4But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Titus 3:3-7 (ESV)

Can we just stop, Christians, and praise Him and love on Him for that!  Oh, Hallelujah!

This is part of the heartbreak of loving an utter fool. We want our loved one to know that joy and peace which come from a relationship with the Lover of Their Souls!
Ok, so let's begin with what NOT to do in "turning a fool".

1.  Do not quarrel with her about her viewpoint.  This will get you nowhere.

If a wise man has an argument with a fool, the fool only rages and laughs, and there is no quiet.
Proverbs 29:9 (ESV)
Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse, and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury.
Proverbs 9:7 (ESV)
This does not mean that you should not attempt to persuade, have civil discussion, share books, etc.
It does mean that you should not allow yourself to descend to their foolish methods of uncivil quarreling.  Any attempts at persuasion should be done with love and respect.

2.  Do not embrace a fool as a cherished friend, because the fool's foolishness will taint your Christian walk.   This is a hard one to accept.  But, you will not "turn a fool" by hanging out with him and participating in his foolishness.  Foolishness is seductive.  You may find yourself believing worldly philosophies as a result.  When the Bible says, "Bad company corrupts good morals", it means it.  This is especially a pitfall of dating.  I cannot tell you how many of my friends over the years have lamented because, as a Christian, they dated a non-Christian, whom they eventually married.  And, their spouse's indifference or downright hostility to the love of God broke their hearts.
Don't "go there" in your cherished relationships. Again, foolishness is seductive.  (Proverbs 9:13-17)
Here's another verse along those lines:
Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.
Proverbs 13:20 (ESV)

So, where is the hope for a fool?  What CAN you do?
Let's look back at the verses from Titus.  Notice verses 4 and 5.
It is God who turns the heart of fool to Him.
While He can use us, it is His Holy Spirit who ultimately does the conversion of a fool to a saint.
Our role in turning a fool is as follows:

1.  Demonstrate the love of Christ.
Help, but don't enable.  Forgive.  Be generous.  Be humble.  Be Jesus in their lives.  You may be the only Jesus she ever sees!

2.  Pray earnestly.
I don't mean occasionally pray.  Labor in prayer for him!
Pray that she will get weary of her foolishness.
Ecclesiastes 10:15 tells us that "the struggles of fools wear them out".  Sometimes, people have to get to the absolute bottom before they will look up to God.  While we never want our loved ones to have to experience, pain, loss, devastation or despair.  Those may be tools God will use to draw him or her to Himself.  Pray "whatever it takes, Lord Jesus, to draw them to You." (1 Corinthians 5:5)
Pray that the "goodness and lovingkindness of God our Savior" will appear to her.
Pray that the eyes of his heart will be opened.
As you are led, even fast and pray.  Let your prayers storm the gates of Heaven on behalf of your foolish friend.
The Lord knows your heartbreak.  He has felt it untold quadrillions of times over, due to the waywardness of HIS beloved....

3.   Praise and Trust
When you get "down" over the spiritual state of your friend, praise your Savior!  Praise Him for His great love and for His sovereign will in each of our lives.
And, then trust Him.
It is very hard to trust God when you see someone you love wallowing in folly, like a pig rolls in muddy filth and grunts with enjoyment, when you see a loved one careening off a cliff to destruction.
You may not like the path God sovereignly has your friend on; but, you can still praise Him for it.
Remember this:  our heartfelt praise breaks spiritual strongholds, breaks the chains of the enemy. Our magnificent God "shows up and shows out" when we praise and trust Him!


3Then Jesus told them this parable: 4“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?5And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

21“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’
Luke 15:3-7, 21-24 (NIV)

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for your longing to welcome us home!  No matter the state of our souls, the extent of our waywardness, the depths of our foolishness, You always stand ready, arms wide open.  
Lord, I'm amazed by You.  
Now, unto Him who is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before His presence with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever, amen.


Wednesday, June 21, 2017

The Fools on Social Media


Last night, near where I live, there was a special election to fill a congressional seat vacated by a man the President named to his cabinet.  What a happy day!  Now I can once again watch TV, free from an absolute barrage of political commercials from both "sides of the aisle".  Pundits claim that more money was spent on this special election than on any other in American history!  If you don't live near me, just try to imagine how many ads there were....

A local TV news station did a running Facebook Live broadcast last night, which I was watching on my iPad. As is the case with those Facebook Live events, people watching were able to comment throughout. Oh my goodness, the lack of civility and even hate that came through in some of those comments!  In continuing my mini-study of fools from scripture, I realized that this uncivil discourse is a perfect illustration of the behavior of fools.

Now, don't get me wrong.  I am very involved in social media.  I use it to promote this blog and other aspects of my ministry as well as my business interests.  Social media is not inherently bad.  What's harmful and destructive is using it like a fool.  Let's take a look at some relevant scriptures.

A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back.
Proverbs 29:11 (ESV)

The vexation of a fool is known at once, but the prudent ignores an insult.
Proverbs 12:16 (ESV)

Unfortunately, the "anonymity" of social media makes it possible for people to give full vent to their spirits!  The unregenerate man, the person who does not believe in Jesus Christ as Savior, has no Holy Spirit living inside him, to temper that type of verbal vitriol (or to counteract any other sinful action, for that matter).  And, as a result, this is what we often see on social media - - people "venting their spleens" with abandon!  But, you know, it's not altogether unexpected behavior from non-Christians.

Ok, you know what's coming, don't you?

Sadly, the same is often seen from those who claim the name of Jesus Christ.  You can say, "Oh, there are trolls out there - - people claiming to be Christians who are masquerading in order to defame the cause of Christ."  Well, that is certainly true, but that does NOT explain away all of the dastardly, foolish behavior actual Christians display on social media.

As those who carry the name of Jesus wherever we go, we should be ashamed if we have engaged in such.  It should trouble us greatly, whether we are "anonymous" or not, because He (God) sees and knows who is speaking condescension, vitriol and even hate.  That should convict and shame us more than anything.  He sees and He knows.

This type of unholy speech is born from anger in the heart of the speaker, always.  Fools are described in scripture as angry people.

Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the bosom of fools.
Ecclesiastes 7:9 (ESV)

There are fools, to be sure, but there are also Christians who act like fools with their unloving words. Don't let anger reside in your heart.  God is in control of all things.  DO contend for the faith in Jesus Christ and for what is right!  But remember this - - - It is possible to stand for Truth firmly, even loudly, and still do it in a respectful, loving manner.  That is what Jesus did, after all.  If we are going to ask folks to "follow" us on social media, we had better be following the One we are supposed to be following!

Monday, June 19, 2017

Loose Lips


We've heard the saying, "Loose lips sink ships", which means that indiscreet words can bring great plans to ruin.

When we look at scriptural references to fools, we find several which describe a fool's words.  In fact, one might say that a fool's words are a primary identifier.  Abraham Lincoln famously said1,
"Better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt."  Perhaps he was thinking of Proverbs 17:28 (ESV) - -

Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.

Mocking words:  Fools often make fun of God and/or righteous living, making restitution for sin, etc.
Here's just one example from scripture:

Fools make fun of guilt, but the godly acknowledge it and seek reconciliation.
Proverbs 14:9 (NLT)

Doing wrong is like a joke to a fool (Proverbs 10:23).  Consequently, fools are notorious for giving bad advice, such as that referred to in the verse above.  Don't take advice from anyone whose counsel contradicts the Word of God, whether we are talking about friend-to-friend, or ruler-to-adviser.  God's instructions for walking resplendent with Him are revealed in the Bible, our ultimate measuring rod.  Fools gleefully ignore, deride and dismiss the Bible.

Ecclesiastes 10:6 mentions that fools often end up in high positions of power.  Ascension to a ruling position does not guarantee wisdom.  After all, the god of this world, Satan, is given great latitude by the one, true God to tempt and to generally cause confusion.  King Solomon went on to say earlier in chapter 10 that just a little foolishness goes a long way to stink things up, the way flies will get into your perfume, lay their maggots there and trash it.  Isn't that a nice image?

The bottom line here is this:  who you listen to shapes who you become, who you are.  If you listen to a fool, you may fall for his beguiling lies and become just as foolish as he is.  When we think back to how Satan beguiled Eve in the Garden of Eden, he used foolish words, an anti-God, pro-self message.
Because Eve listened to him, she fell for his erroneous words.  It's easy to do.  Foolish advice became a trap for Eve, and she essentially was with God in the Garden every day!


A fool’s mouth is his ruin, and his lips are a snare to his soul.
Proverbs 18:7 (ESV)

Fools abound.  Once you've identified one by measuring his words against God's words, run in the other direction so that the fool's words don't become a snare for your soul too.  


Sources:

1   http://quoteinvestigator.com/2010/05/17/remain-silent/

Thursday, June 15, 2017

Father's Day and the Fool


Centuries ago, the English court jester (or we might say, comedian, today) was called The Fool, namely because he acted foolishly and said foolish things in an attempt to entertain.

Have you ever been called a fool?  The word today is derogatory, and is applied whenever someone is judged to have a lack of discernment and/or has acted in a way to harm himself or others. Generally, being called a fool today is not a compliment.

What though, does the Bible say makes someone a fool?

We get one indication from the first proverb attributed to King Solomon, a man God gifted with a huge amount of wisdom, by God's own declaration.  In other words, to say that Solomon was extremely wise is not just stating my personal opinion.

11God answered Solomon, “Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked for possessions, wealth, honor, or the life of those who hate you, and have not even asked for long life, but have asked for wisdom and knowledge for yourself that you may govern my people over whom I have made you king, 12wisdom and knowledge are granted to you.
2 Chronicles 1:11-12a

Fortunately for us, Solomon loved to write; he wrote down much of that wisdom he was supernaturally given.  He makes a statement in Proverbs 1:7 (NET) about fools.

7Fearing the Lord is the beginning of moral knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

"Fear" here is the Hebrew yir·’aṯ , which means "reverence, respect and awe, with a little healthy fear thrown in".  In other words, to learn how to live a morally upright life, honor the revelation of that life God gives us in His Word.  Solomon goes on to say that a hallmark of a fool is that, when presented with wisdom, he or she not only ignores it, but further, despises it.

In fact, Solomon perhaps learned this from his father, King David, who recorded in
Psalm 14:1 (NET) - -

For the music director; by David. Fools say to themselves, "There is no God." They sin and commit evil deeds; none of them does what is right. 

I have observed this to be utterly true, in my personal interactions with spiritual fools.  In order to wiggle out from under the moral law of God, it is quite handy to convince oneself no true God exists. If He does not exist, His mandates are meaningless, yes?

And, that is what fools do.  They begin, actually, with discrediting the Bible, which tells us of God, after all.  If The Book is untrue, why, then, the Son, who is referenced on practically every page, is a fictitious character of over-active imaginations.

What else does the Bible tell us about fools?  We'll explore the nature of fools more in the next post, but Proverbs 1 gives us a second clue in verses 8 and 9 (NET).

8Listen, my child, to the instruction from your father,
and do not forsake the teaching from your mother.
9For they will be like an elegant garland on your head,
and like pendants around your neck.

These verses make me think of graduation regalia.  The mortarboard is not made of flowers, but it provides an elegant garland for the head.  Often, various pendants to represent high achievement are awarded and worn around the neck.  When a young person is blessed with parents who know the Lord, they have been given a tremendous advantage in this world.

Godly parents, scripture tells us, are a blessing from the Lord. (Proverbs 22:6) They are not perfect, nor are they always right.  But, if they follow the Lord Jesus as Savior themselves, if they are truly His, then most of the time they will at least valiantly attempt to teach their children the wisdom of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Parents, Christian or not, are their child's first teachers.  But, some people reject their godly parents' instruction and the wisdom they espouse.  This is a hallmark of a fool.

My mother and I were talking this morning about how my own earthly father has been dead now nearly 20 years.  How grateful to God I am for the biblical wisdom he lovingly shared with me (and that my mother continues to share)!  There were also times he whupped my butt. (Proverbs 13:24). And, I am grateful for his correction too, because godly parents correct their children when they need it.  That is a mark of their love.

We are coming up on Father's Day this Sunday.  If you were fortunate enough to have wise, godly parents, thank God.  If you still do, don't blow off their advice and guidance.  Listen to them; consider their point of view; respect them.  Tell them that you love them.

If you have children, teach them the wisdom of God, even into adulthood.  They never stop needing you.  Do it, even when it makes you and them a little uncomfortable.  Speaking truth into another person's life, and doing it with love, is a hallmark of love itself.  Receiving it is a mark of wisdom.

Tuesday, June 13, 2017

Closing Words


The boy is ready for college and life in the dorms.  His bags are packed.  His boxes and hanging clothes and bedclothes and what-all are in the car.  He gets into the backseat as mom and dad get into the front.  Thus begins the hour-long trek to the campus.  And, as they pull out of the driveway Mama begins to speak.

"Remember, Son, to brush your teeth twice a day."

"Don't neglect your Bible reading."

"Steer clear of people whose values do not match up with your own."

"Avoid junk food."

"Wash your clothes regularly."

And, on the "laundry list" goes.  Mama is reminding her son of training he has received from her over his lifetime.  She is depending on her training to serve him well as he begins to move into adulthood.

Hebrews 13 is like that.  The author has presented, in previous chapters, an eloquent dissertation on a number of critically important theological topics.  In chapter 13, though, he gets down to the most practical of matters: walking by faith.

He begins in verses 1-3 with how we as believers should relate to one another: to love one's fellow brothers and sisters in the faith; to be hospitable to all people.  As for those believers absent because they are imprisoned for their faith, they must not be forgotten!  In all things, demonstrate the love of Christ Jesus.

He then cautions against the following:

Marital infidelity (vs. 4)
Love of money to the point of idolatry (vs. 5)
Getting seduced by strange spiritual doctrines (vs. 9)
Bedeviling your spiritual leaders in the Church (vs. 17)

On a positive note, he urges the following:

Be content with what you have.  (vs. 5)
Trust God with your future.  He will never fail you.  (vs. 5-6)
Imitate the faith of those who raised you up in the faith, and submit to their authority. (vs. 7)
Bear honorably the disgrace that comes from following Jesus.  (vs.12-14)
Praise God continually, with your lips and with your sacrificial giving to others.  (vs. 15-16)
Pray.  (vs. 18-19)
     (He left prayer for last.  We usually mention the most important one at the end, don't we?)

Then, as a godly parent prays over that son being dropped off at college, the writer of Hebrews prays a beautiful benediction over the recipients of his letter.

I've thought, sometimes, about writing my sons a letter that they could read after I'm gone.  But, then, I realized that all my blog posts are "my letters" and more importantly, the life I lead is the greatest "letter" of all, much more potent and accurate than anything I could write.  That is what the writer of Hebrews is saying also.  The lives Christians lead are much more real than the words they profess, the things they say they believe.  "Actions speak louder than words" and "by their fruits you will know them" (Matthew 7:16).  So true.

It is with this in mind, and under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that he writes the benediction in verses 20-21.

20Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, 21equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in usb that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

"Equip you" is the central theme of this prayer.  Living the Christian life, walking the resplendent walk, is not possible under our own power.  It is only possible under the power of the Holy Spirit. That is why the author prayed for Him to equip those who belong to Christ.

May we allow His Spirit to work marvelously within us and bring our Savior all the glory, forever and ever.  Oh Yes!

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

The Shaker


Occasionally, I watch an episode of either Intervention or Hoarders on TV.  Both shows break my heart so badly that I don't watch either of them often.  Yesterday, flipping around, I landed on Hoarders. The commonality in each show is that the central character is "where they are" because his or her soul is badly broken.  The sweet, older lady with the worst hoarding problem I've ever seen had developed her mental illness in her middle years.  But, it became exacerbated after the death of her sister, with whom she was very close.  When asked by the clean-up team, most of whom were her relatives, how she could have let things get into such a mess, she earnestly replied, "I don't know!" While the show was going on, an earthquake occurred there on the set.  As the house began to shake, the team ran out in case the house fell down around their ears.  I thought of all this as I read today's passage from Hebrews 12:25-29 (ESV).

25See 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. 26At 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.” 27This 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.28Therefore 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, 29for our God is a consuming fire.


Hoarders have control issues.  That should be obvious.  But, in the midst of working through the illusion of control, God demonstrated who is really in control when He began to shake the earth on which that poor, troubled house sat.  Both here in Hebrews and at Mt. Sinai we are reminded that the One who spoke the universe into existence can easily shake the earth with the mere sound of His voice.

Today's passage describes the people of God, Jesus Christ's own, as "unshakeable".  He refers to us as an unshakeable kingdom.  Why is that?  Is it because we are "in control"?  Hardly!  We are unshakeable because we have put our trust in The Unshakeable One, our Savior, Jesus Christ.

This means that, despite the trials and storms of this life, those who have put their faith and trust in Jesus cannot be upended.   We may be buffeted and strained and tested and tried.  But, if the Anchor for our souls is Jesus, we will not become unmoored to drift away into apostasy.  For the true Church salvation, both now and forever, is secure.

The writer of Hebrews reminds us of our appropriate reaction in light of this glorious certainty:
gratitude (vs. 28)
reverence (vs. 28)
awe (vs. 28)
worship (vs. 28)
obedience (vs. 25)

The first response generates the other four.  This passage speaks to me deeply this morning.  I had always sort of rolled my eyes at people who would say, "The Lord gave me a specific word for this year; it's ______ ."  But then, that happened to me at the start of 2017.  He spoke to me clearly and the word was "gratitude".  He has been teaching me on that theme, especially through the loss of several loved ones who are now in His arms; but, believe me, I have so much more to learn!

Reverence and awe....I especially miss the boat on this one.  Yes, the Lord wants to have an intimate heart relationship, but may we never lose sight of His majesty, His "otherness", in comparison to our pitifulness.

This idea of our God as "a consuming fire" is first mentioned in Scripture in Deuteronomy 4:24, where the Lord God is warning His people against idolatry, a warning that is still applicable to us, His Church, today.

23"So watch yourselves, that you do not forget the covenant of the LORD your God which He made with you, and make for yourselves a graven image in the form of anything against which the LORD your God has commanded you. 24"For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. 25"When you become the father of children and children's children and have remained long in the land, and act corruptly, and make an idol in the form of anything, and do that which is evil in the sight of the LORD your God so as to provoke Him to anger,…
Deuteronomy 4:23-25 (NASB)

Even while a redeemed people, we can still be prone to idolize other, lesser "gods" on the thrones of our lives, other than the One who bought and paid for us with His own blood.  This is where the obedience mentioned in Hebrews 12:25 comes in.  Our God is still a jealous God over us, His beloved Church.  And, when we give the love and adoration, the worship and obedience which rightfully belong to Him - - when we give those to someone or something else, He is going to get angry about it.  He has not changed in that respect, even though our "polite Christian society" tries to pretend otherwise.  Our holy God is jealous over us.  His Holy Spirit within us will call us to return to Him, and He will sometimes impose extremely adverse consequences for our sins, in His efforts to draw our hearts back to His own.

Lest you think otherwise, His actions toward us, no matter how they may chafe and pain us, are acts of perfect love.  Were He not so very concerned about our souls, He would leave us to our spiritual philandering.  Aren't you thankful, Christian, that He loves you enough to draw you back in?  That He is our firm foundation?

  1. “When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
    My grace, all-sufficient, shall be thy supply;
    The flame shall not harm thee; I only design
    Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.
  2. “The soul that on Jesus doth lean for repose,
    I will not, I will not, desert to his foes;
    That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
    I’ll never, no never, no never forsake.”
    1. American Hymn, "How Firm a Foundation", 1787, Anonymous, public domain



  

Monday, June 5, 2017

Not My Mountain


I've always loved the mountains and the Appalachian hills in my native area.  Nothing refreshes me more than a cool, noisy mountain stream, the lush, dewy foliage, the beautiful wildlife.  I live in the foothills of the Appalachians, and just now was called away from the "Resplendent Daughter Ministries Studios" (my basement office, lol!), to come upstairs and see the wild turkey hen strutting across our yard. God's glorious creation!

Well, the author of Hebrews is a master at weaving the Old Testament with the New.  He does this in today's text, by contrasting Mt. Sinai with Mt. Zion.

Like me, you probably have heard of Mt. Sinai, out there in the desert where the Hebrews' "wilderness wanderings" took place.  But, you may be wondering, "where is Mt. Zion?"  I had to look it up, although I suspected it was in Jerusalem.  Here is the official answer, from Wikipedia:

Mount Zion (Hebrew×”ַר צִיוֹן‎, Har TsiyyonArabicجبل صهيون‎‎, Jabel Sahyoun) is a hill in Jerusalem just outside the walls of the Old City. The term Mount Zion has been used in the Hebrew Bible first for the City of David (2 Samuel 5:7 and 1 Chronicles 11:5) and later for the Temple Mount, but its meaning has shifted and it is now used as the name of ancient Jerusalem's Western Hill.  In a wider sense, the term is also used for the entire Land of Israel.

Interestingly, Wikipedia goes on to say that the specific hill called Mt. Zion has shifted to three different locations over the centuries.  Hmmm.... Regardless, let's consider today's text:

18You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; 19to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, 20because they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.”c 21The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.”d
22But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, 23to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

As He began to establish the Jewish nation, God used fear, awe, reverence and respect as His motivators.  As a reminder, this is the scene where God called Moses up to receive the 10 Commandments.  The Bible tells us the Jewish people were terrified, even Moses!  The days at Sinai were marked by loud trumpet blasts, loud peals of thunder, lightning, fiery darts falling out of the sky to kill trespassers (even animals), smoke, the audible voice of God!  What that must have been like!
I'm so glad that's not my mountain.

By contrast, Mt. Zion represents joy - - joy derived from the embracing of God's grace in one's life!
Mt. Zion is not only a type (representation) of the new covenant of faith and grace in Jesus Christ, it is a type of God's future heavenly city.  Interestingly, the city of Jerusalem, at the time Hebrews was penned, had only about 5 more years of peace remaining.  Hebrews was written around 65 A.D., and the city of Jerusalem was utterly destroyed, the Temple razed, in 70 A.D.
Our future home, the heavenly city, will never be destroyed or even tarnished!

Just this past weekend, the city of London endured unspeakable horror, at the hands of Muslim jihadists.  Obviously, in the city of London (as in much of other first world countries), the population, the citizens are becoming more diverse in their beliefs as to what constitutes "godliness".  And, as a result, as these opposing beliefs slam into each other, terror abounds.
This will not be the case in the heavenly Jerusalem, the New Jerusalem spoken of in Psalm 2, Psalm 110, Galatians 4:26, Hebrews 11:10, and Revelation 21.
This city, located on Mt. Zion will literally be "Heaven on Earth", the Capitol City during Jesus' 1000-year (milennial) reign.

And, let's look at the citizens of that heavenly city: thousands upon thousands of righteous angels, continually praising Father, Son and Holy Spirit, as well as those people whose names are written in the Book of Life - - that is, those whose faith in God and His Son, Jesus Christ, has caused their name to be written there.  There will be NO diversity of opinion about godliness in that city!  Hallelujah! Everyone there will testify that the righteous live eternally by their faith and that the spilled blood of Jesus is all-sufficient for the redemption of and the perfection of His Church.

I woke up this morning lamenting my many sins.  As I laid there on the bed, I cried out to God, looking forward to that day in which my spirit will be made perfect.  Because (and only because) Jesus is my Savior, I carry the DNA of perfection within me, God's Holy Spirit; but, the corruption of my human DNA still remains.  "The struggle is real", as the saying goes.  OH, but in that day!  Can you even imagine?  Sheer perfection of every saint, every human being who has put his faith in the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

Source:

1    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Zion