In the Old Testament, when God gave the written laws to Moses, it was accompanied by fire, sounds, and a sacred mountain that neither humans nor animals could approach (Exodus 19:9–20). These miraculous occurrences evoked a very understandable fear in the Children of Israel. As clarified earlier in the book of Hebrews, the purpose of the old covenant was for humanity to acknowledge their sinfulness and turn to God accordingly (Hebrews 9:8-12; Galatians 3:23-24).

Main Text: Hebrews 12:18-20 (ESV)