Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.” Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters (Hebrews 12:28-13:1 CSB).‍

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One thing I’ve heard throughout my time studying the Bible is that when you see something repeated, you should always take note. Our key verses today are one of those examples of notable, repeated information. Hebrews 12:29 goes all the way back to the Jews’ time in the wilderness. That’s where Moses first describes God to the people as a jealous God (Exodus 20:5 & 34:14) or consuming fire (Deuteronomy 4:24). It’s hard to grasp God calling Himself “jealous” because we consider it sinful to be jealous. Yet, that’s how God introduces Himself to the entirety of the Hebrew people.  

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The Hebrew people’s encounter with God in Exodus 20 marks the first (and one of the few) times God communicates to the whole of His people audibly, and serves as His formal introduction to them. In this encounter, three different words are used for God, ranging from somewhat generic (Elohim, which can be used as a common noun for gods/supreme earthly leaders depending on the context), to the more specific Jehovah (Lord God, the proper name for the one true, unchanging God), to the very specific Qanna (Jealous). With that in mind, Exodus 20:5 would roughly read “I, the Jehovah, your Elohim, am a Qanna El.” It might seem like a weird introduction, but God’s letting His people know something up front—He’s not like the rest of the gods. This is a point He’s made especially clear through the plagues of Egypt and the parting of the Red Sea.

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This point about His character is also the introduction to the 10 Commandments. Structurally, the first four commandments instruct us on how to love and worship God. God will be worshipped exclusively, with reverent awe. This is exactly the reminder we find in Hebrews 12:29. Then, we see the author of Hebrews make another point that might feel like a weird jump to a modern reader. Except really, the first few verses of Hebrews 13 are highlighting what we find in the last six commandments. We’re to love each other well. So well, in fact, that Jesus told us that the command to love our neighbors as ourselves was part of a two-fold “greatest commandment” (Matt. 22:36-40), right behind loving God exclusively.

Do you think there’s a reason these points are repeated throughout the Bible, other than that they’re the “greatest” commandments? I think part of the repetition is because of how easily we can lose sight of them. In a world full of so many things to draw our eyes and attention, it’s a swim against the current to keep God as our primary focus. When we’re not worshipping God exclusively, it can be difficult to love people well because that requires a level of selflessness that’s not entirely possible without the work of the Holy Spirit.

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We’ve learned a lot in the book of Hebrews about how to avoid drift, and those lessons have come back full circle to the beginning—love God, love people. Spend some time today in prayer and ask the Lord to reveal any blind spots you may have in those two areas of your life. Maybe even find a way to go out of your way to love someone well today!