A Tale Of Two Mountains: An Exegesis Of Hebrews 12:18-29

Outline and Structural Analysis

vv. 18-21: Sinai

vv. 22-24: Zion, Heavenly Jerusalem

vv. 25-26: Warning with passage from Haggai 2:6.

v.   27: Explanation of Haggai 2:6

vv. 28-29: Exhortation

There is an inclusio with pyri and pyr in vv. 18 and 29, respectively (Attridge 373, Vanhoye 209). In the Greek, the section consists of five sentences (vv. 18-21; vv. 22-24; vv. 25-26; v. 27; vv. 28-29), with vv. 25-26 in the middle, suggesting that the warning about not refusing him who is speaking combined with the quote from Haggai is central to the section. In vv. 18-21, the author gives a description of the institution of the Old Covenant at Sinai, which is contrasted with the New Covenant characterized by Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem in vv. 22-24. This contrast sets the stage for our author to present a warning to his audience, reinforced by the Haggai quote (vv. 25-26). Next, in v. 27 is a brief explanation of the Haggai quote followed by an exhortation in vv. 28-29.

Our Lord And Our Lady

They warned Our Lady for the Child
  That was Our blessed Lord,
And She took Him into the desert wild,
  Over the camel's ford.
And a long song She sang to Him
  And a short story told:
And She wrapped Him in a woollen cloak
  To keep Him from the cold.
But when Our Lord was grown a man
  The Rich they dragged Him down,
And they crucified Him in Golgotha,
  Out and beyond the Town.
They crucified Him on Calvary,
  Upon an April day;
And because He had been her little Son
  She followed Him all the way.
Our Lady stood beside the Cross,
  A little space apart,
And when She heard Our Lord cry out
  A sword went through Her Heart.

-Hilaire Belloc

My Greatest Love: A Jew

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Consummatum Est!

It is finished....part 2 of Pope Benedict's "Jesus of Nazareth", that is!