“Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the One who is speaking. For if the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, we will certainly not escape if we reject the One who speaks to us from heaven! When God spoke from Mount Sinai his voice shook the earth, but now he makes another promise: ‘Once again I will shake not only the earth but the heavens also.’ This means that all of creation will be shaken and removed, so that only unshakable things will remain. Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe. For our God is a devouring fire.”
What does it mean that God is a “devouring fire”? We often think of God as a friend, which the Bible confirms in other places (Romans 5:10-11, James 2:23). My friends don’t want to burn me up, so how is it that we can hold those two things in tension?
The key in understanding this seeming contradiction in God’s character is the word “removed.” God will shake the earth and remove the bad, evil parts. That could include people that have given themselves over to evil. We know that if we have accepted God’s gift of friendship, that is unshakable. He is our friend. God is devouring harmful things that don’t belong anywhere near you. It’s his desire that all people accept his invitation of friendship, but sadly not everyone does.
Verse 28 says that “we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable.” The fact that God is going to burn everything evil to the ground can help us understand his great and mighty power. There is a fear and awe in understanding that power that drives us into gratitude. God could have decided to burn the whole world down. He didn’t. He offered you an eternal rescue. If you have accepted God’s invitation into friendship, then your place in his kingdom cannot be stolen from you. If you have experienced harm in this world, hold on to this hope that God is bringing you to a place where you will be safe forever.