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.
— Hebrews 12:26-27
When I was in my late teens the hot rock ‘n roll group of the day was Bill Haley and the Comets. In fact, when my family moved to the eastern shore of New Jersey, the group lived right down the street from us as they were playing at a local night club for the summer. I remember going to that club and standing outside (because they wouldn’t let me in) and listening to their hit songs like “Shake, Rattle and Roll.” After that summer came another great “shaker” by Jerry Lee Lewis called, “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On.” Elvis Presley would make it an even bigger hit. Sorry millennials, you don’t know what you missed. But you and I may not miss the tune of the next one!
In the third month after the LORD had brought Israel out of the land of Egypt, in what is known as “The Exodus,” He brought them to Mt. Sinai for a meet and greet. Moses went up and down the mountain and after speaking with God he returned to remind the people that the LORD had delivered them from death on “eagles wings” and if they would obey Him they would become a “holy nation.” To make His point, He gathered them together at the foot of that mountain and gave them a show that they would never forget of thunder and lightning flashes, a thick cloud and a very loud trumpet, along with fire, smoke and an earthquake. The people trembled as they thought they were going to die (Exodus 19).
Well, they didn’t die—not yet. Forty years in the wilderness, however, because of their disobedience, unbelief and not taking God seriously, would take the lives of all 20 years of age and older.
In the text from the book of Hebrews above, written by inspiration some 1500 years after the event recorded in the book of Exodus, God promised that He would once again shake the earth but this time along with “the heavens also.” Why? So that “only unshakable things will remain” (Hebrews 12:26-27).
Are we there yet? Is God shaking America and the nations because of our spiritual apathy, past and current unrepentant sins, our unrelenting pursuit of materialism at the expense of loving Him? Have the things we experienced over the last year—a worldwide pandemic that won’t go away, death of loved ones, breaking apart of families, lock-downs, no schools, neighbors snitching on neighbors, draconian edicts from secular authorities, churches closing, economic chaos and a contentious and divisive election—been part of the shaking? Has 62 million babies being aborted in America since Roe v. Wade, the redefinition of marriage and unheard of sexual immorality which makes no one blush, helped push us over the top?
Millions of Christians have been praying with intensity all year. But we see no relief in sight. So what is God up to? I believe He called it, “Once again.”
Please forgive us, Father. Maranatha!
For his anger lasts only a moment but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night but joy comes with the morning.
— Psalm 30:5
