Daily Devotional | The Unshakable Kingdom

We have a lot of wrong ideas about God. Contrary to what some believe, God is not our buddy. He is not an overindulgent grandfather who lives in the sky. He is not a spiritual genie who will grant our every wish. Hebrews 12:29 directs us to think of God with “reverence and awe.” The thunder that accompanied the giving of the Law on Sinai was a signal that “God is a consuming fire” (see Deut. 4:24).

The Law taught that all who sin are in danger of divine wrath. The gospel does not douse the fire of God’s holiness. Nor does it cancel the day of judgment. Instead, the gospel provides forgiveness, righteousness, and a secure place to stand when that day comes. Those who place their faith in Jesus Christ receive “a kingdom that cannot be shaken” (v. 28).

The voice that shook Sinai at the giving of the Law foreshadowed an even greater shaking that will occur at the end of time. The voice that spoke on Sinai “shook the earth” along with all who heard it (v. 26). In the final judgment, God will “shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” This quotation from Haggai 2:6 speaks of a judgment to come that will transform both heavens and earth and create a new order. The old earth will pass away and be replaced by “a new heaven and a new earth” (Rev. 21:1; see also Isa. 65:17), “where righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13).

New Testament scholar F. F. Bruce explains that this is a picture “of the end of the present world-order...where earth and heaven flee away from the face of the judge on the great white throne.” Jesus is the judge. He will receive all who come to Him in faith. Those who refuse Him reject life itself. They have no place in His unshakable kingdom.

Go Deeper

What important points does this passage make about God’s character? How does this shape our relationship with God?

Pray with Us: Father in Heaven, what a consolation it is that in this changing world there is something unshakable—Your kingdom “where righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13). Even more, today’s reading says we are receiving this kingdom!

BY Dr. John Koessler

John Koessler is Professor Emeritus of Applied Theology and Church Ministries at Moody Bible Institute. John authors the “Practical Theology” column for Today in the Word of which he is also a contributing writer and theological editor. An award-winning author, John’s newest title is When God is Silent: Let the Bible Teach You to Pray (Kirkdale). Prior to joining the Moody faculty, he served as a pastor of Valley Chapel in Green Valley, Illinois, for nine years. He and his wife, Jane, now enjoy living in a lakeside town in Michigan.