In our last study we looked at the ‘Heroes of Faith’ recorded in Hebrews 11. Here we are encouraged to emulate them.
Read Hebrews 12:1–3
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy that was set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Chapter 12 starts with a picture of athletes running a cross-country course. (Stop and encourage people to imagine a scene from the early Olympics!)
They are being cheered on by a crowd. Who are the great cloud of witnesses? A crowd made up of medal-winners from the past.
Note that the Christian life is described here not as a walk but a race, and in verse 1 we are told not to just put aside those things that hinder us but to forcibly throw them away!
What are we to do that will help us run in such a way that we may be sure of winning?
(4 things in verse 1, 1 in 2, 1 in 3)
throw off everything that hinders (v1)
throw off . . . . the sin that so easily entangles (v1)
run with perseverance (v1)
run the race marked out for us (v1)
fixing our eyes on Jesus (v2)
Consider him . . . . so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (v3)
The spectators watching us run our race (v1), the ‘Witnesses’, are not only people of faith but as the Greek word for witnesses (martyrs) suggests, many would also have suffered for their faith.
Our Christian race could never be described as a ‘stroll in the park’; things will hinder, sin will entangle, we will face opposition.
Read Hebrews 12:4
4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.
Now the scene shifts to the amphitheatre where people would fight against other people or wild animals. There the rule was kill or be killed, and blood would always be shed.
Do we always resist sin? Or do we sometimes lose the battle? Or perhaps just give up without a fight?
Or do we simply try to avoid situations where demonstrating our Christian principles could lead to unpleasant confrontations?
Read Hebrews 12:5-11
5 And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says,
‘My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
6 because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.’
7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? 8 If you are not disciplined – and everyone undergoes discipline – then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. 9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live!
10 They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
Remember Job; he was allowed to suffer, not for any wrong-doing, but because he was good!
Do we think that we are such perfect children that we don’t need any correction – or even discipline?
If at the end of our lives we can produce ‘a harvest of righteousness and peace’ (v11) it will all have been worthwhile.
Read Hebrews 12:12
12 Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees.
Just about every ‘doing’ activity requires the use of our arms. And every ‘going’ activity will involve our knees. And the only way to strengthen muscles is to exercise them! Not just exercising at home or in the gym (church!) – but doing things that will move us forward and actually be productive. Like what?
Read Hebrews 12:13
13 ‘Make level paths for your feet, so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.
Levelling a path is a hard physical activity which can’t be done without moving forward.
The Path of life we are walking (running?) on is not just for us, others are on it too.
So what can we do make it easier and safer for ourselves and for others too?
The life we live is an example to others and people will often emulate us. The more we live like Christ, the more they may too!
Does the writer of this letter have any suggestions?
Read Hebrews 12:14
14 Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.
We may have imagined that a life of peace and holiness was one of ease and rest. No; it’s actually going to take a lot of effort! And if living at peace with everyone is going to be hard, being holy is going to be harder still.
And how do you understand the last phrase – without holiness no one will see the Lord.
Is it talking about us, or those who are watching us?
Read Hebrews 12:15
15 See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.
Root vegetables are good, and nourishing, and would enhance the stew. But if someone had dug up a weed root by mistake and added that, its bitter taste would ruin the whole lot.
So what bitter roots must we look out for?
Read Hebrews 12:16-17
16 See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. 17 Afterwards, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. Even though he sought the blessing with tears, he could not change what he had done.
Then, as now, sexual immorality probably caused the greatest misery and division. And whatever steps are taken to put things right, ‘he could not change what he had done’ and relationships are forever spoilt. So we need (v15) to ‘See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God’.
Exactly what is our responsibility here?
Is it better to cause offence than to allow casual flirtation or dalliance to get out of hand?
What other kinds of ‘bitter roots’ can grow in our church fellowship that are likely to ‘cause trouble and defile many’ (v15)?
We have considered many examples of ‘people of faith’, and we have been encouraged to join them in this race of life. In verse 14 we were reminded that more importantly we must be a holy people – and that reminds us of God’s command to his people in the wilderness following the Exodus: ‘Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy’ (Leviticus 19:2)
And in turn, that reminds us of the time when all the people had to be consecrated afresh, before Moses was about to ascend Mount Sinai to meet with God.
If you have time it would be worth reading Exodus 19:1-25 now.
1 On the first day of the third month after the Israelites left Egypt – on that very day – they came to the Desert of Sinai. 2 After they set out from Rephidim, they entered the Desert of Sinai, and Israel camped there in the desert in front of the mountain.
3 Then Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain and said, ‘This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: 4 “You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, 6 you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.’
7 So Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all the words the Lord had commanded him to speak. 8 The people all responded together, ‘We will do everything the Lord has said.’ So Moses brought their answer back to the Lord.
9 The Lord said to Moses, ‘I am going to come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear me speaking with you and will always put their trust in you.’ Then Moses told the Lord what the people had said.
10 And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Make them wash their clothes 11 and be ready by the third day, because on that day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. 12 Put limits for the people around the mountain and tell them, “Be careful that you do not approach the mountain or touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain is to be put to death. 13 They are to be stoned or shot with arrows; not a hand is to be laid on them. No person or animal shall be permitted to live.” Only when the ram’s horn sounds a long blast may they approach the mountain.’
14 After Moses had gone down the mountain to the people, he consecrated them, and they washed their clothes. 15 Then he said to the people, ‘Prepare yourselves for the third day. Abstain from sexual relations.’
16 On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. 17 Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. 18 Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled violently. 19 As the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him.
20 The Lord descended to the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses went up 21 and the Lord said to him, ‘Go down and warn the people so they do not force their way through to see the Lord and many of them perish. 22 Even the priests, who approach the Lord, must consecrate themselves, or the Lord will break out against them.’
23 Moses said to the Lord, ‘The people cannot come up Mount Sinai, because you yourself warned us, “Put limits around the mountain and set it apart as holy.”’
24 The Lord replied, ‘Go down and bring Aaron up with you. But the priests and the people must not force their way through to come up to the Lord, or he will break out against them.’
25 So Moses went down to the people and told them.
Now read Hebrews 12:18-21
18 You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; 19 to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, 20 because they could not bear what was commanded: ‘If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.’ 21 The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, ‘I am trembling with fear.’
And up to the time of Jesus, that was the appropriate way to approach God – in reverence and fear.
Read Hebrews 12:22-25
22 But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, 23 to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
25 See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven?
Jesus is continually calling people to himself in repentance and faith. We may get away with ignoring warnings that a fellow human may give us but ignoring the one who speaks from heaven can only lead to disaster.
Read Hebrews 12:26-29
26 At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, ‘Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.’ 27 The words ‘once more’ indicate the removing of what can be shaken – that is, created things – so that what cannot be shaken may remain.
28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our ‘God is a consuming fire’.
What thoughts are conjured up by that last verse?
God will always accept the worship of his people, however poor or weak that may be. But could the way we worship be better (look at v28)?
God is still the same awesome God; but now, instead of cowering in fear we may approach him boldly in faith and confidence. The Mountain of God is no longer a terrifying place, but a place where we are welcomed with open arms.
A place where Jesus and his blood speaks to us.
