Hebrews 12: Persevering Encouragements

• v.1-3 Run the Race Jesus did
• v.4-13 God’s Discipline
• v.14-17 Four Warnings
• v.18-21 Sinai: The Mountain of Fear
• v.22-29 Zion: The Mountain of Joy

v.1-3 Run the Race Jesus did

v.1,2 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, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

v.3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

[Note: With all these people in mind, may we too go all out for it, letting Jesus be our example of an overcomer; let his overcoming resistance help us to keep going.]

v.4-13 God’s Discipline

v.4-7 Our view of God’s discipline

v.4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.

v.5,6 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, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”

v.7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father?

[Note: It may be a struggle but you’ve not yet shed blood; if God has to rebuke and discipline you, see it as His love for you as His child [Prov 3:11,12]. If life seems tough, take is as training [discipline is more to do with training than correction or punishment.]

v.8-10a The nature and purpose of discipline

v.8 If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all.

v.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!

v.10 They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best;

[Note: Where there is no discipline you wonder if you are a true child, but if our human fathers disciplined us, why not God? God’s discipline is always for our good.]

v.10b-13 Working for a good outcome of discipline

but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness.

v.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.

v.12 Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees.

v.13 “Make level paths for your feet,” [Prov 4:26] so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

[Note: It may appear hard at the time but it will create righteousness and peace in you, so be strengthened and let your faith be purposeful so you will not stagger.]

v.14-17 Four Warnings

v.14 Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; [1] without holiness no one will see the Lord.

v.15 [2] See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and [3] that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.

v.16 [4] 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.

v.17 Afterward, 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.

[Note: Let peace and holiness work in you. Get God’s grace and avoid becoming bitter. Avoid all forms of immorality. Esau blew it and couldn’t backtrack. Implication – don’t you do that!]

v.18-21 Sinai: The Mountain of Fear

v.18-20 You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; 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, because they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.”

v.21 The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.”

[Note: You are not experiencing Sinai and the Law again, [Exo 19:12,13] which just creates guilt and fear. [Deut 9:19].

v.22-29 Zion: The Mountain of Joy

v.22-24 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, 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, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

v.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?

v.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.”

v.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.

v.28,29 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.”

[Note: Instead, you have come to wonderful community life with God and all that means, so make sure we heed him, not like those in the past who fell. He’s come to shake everything of the old that can be shaken [Hag 2:6], so that the new world He brings will be all that remains, so let’s thank and worship Him that we now have an unshakable kingdom, from this awesome God [Deut 4:24.]

[Additional Note: The Flow of Writing: With all the testimonies of chapter 11 in mind, let’s make sure we persevere just like Jesus did, and if life gets tough, let’s just see it as God training us by coping with hardships to bring out a harvest of peace and holiness and righteous in us, not letting any of the sins from the past return that might cause our downfall. Remember we’re following the paths that Israel started after Sinai, of following the Law, failing and feeling guilty, but now we have a new life that culminates in living in the heavenly community with God. Let’s let those things encourage, strengthen, and keep us.]

For those who may wish to make a study of this chapter, to perhaps think some more about what you have been reading, use the link below: