Hebrews 12 – Studies

For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each chapter is divided into a number of studies and each study or passage has a simple four-Part, verse-by-verse approach, to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage: 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.

A. Find Out:

1. What are we surrounded by? v.1a
2. What 3 things does he say we should do therefore? v.1b
3. What does he say we should also do? v.2a
4. How does he describe Jesus? v.2b
5. What should we do? v.3a
6. 6And why? v.3b

B. Think:

1. How would you summarise the effect these examples should have?
2. What about Jesus does the writer emphasise here?
3. How should that encourage us?

C. Comment:

     Having spread the Old Testament saints before us, the writer now looks for our response. These people all persevered without ever getting what their hearts yearned for. So, he says, you do the same, persevere. You may feel at times you are not getting through to what your heart tells you this Christian life could be, but persevere, keep on, you will get what God has promised eventually. It may be here on earth, or it may be that you have to wait until heaven for it fully.

     But, he continues, don’t stop with them, fix your eyes on Jesus for he is THE example to follow. Remember, he went right through the experience of the Cross, he put up with the opposition of sinful mankind. And why? Because he looked beyond it and saw what was to come the other side of the opposition, the other side of death. He knew what the outcome would be and that helped him to persevere through humanly impossible circumstances.

    So you, similarly, don’t waver, don’t lose heart, keep going, for the other side of the tough stuff is blessing. The trouble is that we never know when the break through will come.  Even up to a minute before it, it looks like years away.  Lean on the Lord for His grace, but remember, it will come!  The enemy tries to put you off, but Jesus is working with you to help you through.

D. Application:

1. Remember what Jesus did, and why he did it. Imitate him!
2. Remember, there will be an end to the “tough stuff”.  Hold on!

Passage: Hebrews 12:4-8

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

A. Find Out:

1. What hadn’t they yet done? v.4
2. What had they forgotten? v.5a
3. What had that said about sons? v.5b,6
4. How are we to view hardship? v.7
5. What is inferred if we are not disciplined? v.8

B. Think:

1. What aspect of family life does the writer now touch on?
2. How does it fit what’s gone before?
3. How is it to be seen as an encouragement?

C. Comment:

     Remember the writer is still exhorting his readers to go on in the faith, particularly in the face of difficulties. He has just cited Jesus as the example of one who endured through difficulty for the sake of what was on the other side of it.

     Now he encourages us to persevere for the sake of the process that we are going through. We need to see difficulties in a different light, so that we see them as part of the process God is taking us through. The writer cites Proverbs 3:11,12 reminding us that any loving father will discipline his son. Now we shouldn’t see “discipline” as merely punishment. When we bring discipline to a child we are seeking to bring a righteous orderliness to their life.

    Any punishment or rebuke is to seek to cut off past wrong behaviour so that it will not be repeated. In other words we are seeking to encourage a different pattern of behaviour that brings a new righteous order to their lives. Hard work builds not only muscles but also character. When we come on difficult times and receive opposition, it is hard work, and we need to see such times as times of training or discipline, that God is using to develop our character as His children. In the Old Testament the “son” carried on the father’s business and as he grew in understanding it was to take responsibility in the business. So it is with us and God.

D. Application:

1. God disciplines us to train us in righteousness.
2. He uses hard circumstances. Rejoice in them that He loves you!

Passage: Hebrews 12:9-13

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.

12 Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13 ‘Make level paths for your feet,’ so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

A. Find Out:

1. How are we encouraged to submit to God’s discipline? v.9
2. Why does God discipline us? v.10
3. What does discipline produce in us? v.11
4. So what does he first encourage us to do? v.12
5. What does he next exhort us to do and why? v.13

B. Think:

1. Why does the writer parallel human and divine discipline?
2. How should the outcome of discipline encourage us?
3. How would you summarise verses 12 & 13 in your own words?

C. Comment:

      You will remember the writer is encouraging his readers to persevere in their faith. He has been saying that trying circumstances are often God’s way of disciplining or training us, and we should therefore, persevere in such circumstances. Such disciplining or training brings us to maturity as sons of God. So, he now says, if you respected your earthly fathers for the way they disciplined and brought you up, even more respect your heavenly Father for the way He also does it.   

    Finally he moves on to the FRUITS OF DISCIPLINE. We’ve already said that discipline is used to mature us, and now he explains that part of the maturity is so that we can share in the holiness of God , i.e. that we can become like God Himself.

    He goes on to add that it will produce righteousness and peace in us, i.e. it will produce a life of right living and right relationship with God, whereby we live at peace with God and with men.

    So, he concludes in verses 12 and 13, when you are weary and feel like giving up, take strength from these things to go on, keep on the straight and narrow so that in your weariness you won’t stumble and fall and be injured (morally and spiritually), but instead can persevere and go on to receive strength and restoring.

    This is the point of these verses, to exhort us to keep going, even when weary. Go for it!

D. Application:

1. Enduring discipline produces maturity and holiness.
2. Enduring discipline produces righteousness and peace.

Passage: Hebrews 12:14-17

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

A. Find Out:

1. What is his first exhortation? v.14a
2. What is his second exhortation, and for what reason? v.14b
3. What is his third exhortation? v.15a
4. What is his fourth exhortation and why? v.15b
5. What is his fifth exhortation? v.16a
6. What is his sixth exhortation? v.16b

B. Think:

1. Which of these exhortations are to do with relations with God?
2. Which are to do with relations with other people?
3. What “consequences” are shown?

C. Comment:

  We’ll use brief note form for each exhortation:

• Make every effort to live at peace with all men means we are to put ourselves out to ensure we are at peace with others.  Something we are to work at.  Any stress between us and others?  Work at it.
• Be holy, be different, be people who are quite unlike the rest of the world, be pure, be good. If we are working to ensure peace with others, we will be different, but holiness goes far beyond just peace. This holiness, this being utterly different, comes from the Lord’s enabling and unless we let Him work it in us, we’ll never receive our full inheritance, which is to know the Lord in intimacy.
• See that no-one misses the grace (or outpoured goodness) of God. This seems to indicate that not only do I need to look after myself but that I also look out for the blessing of others as well.
• Don’t let any bitter root spring up which would then affect many. Bitterness creeps in when we fail to seek peace, fail to be holy, fail to receive God’s grace for the circumstances. When things go wrong because we have been self-centred instead of God-centred, the tendency is to become upset with God – a foolish reaction but common in those who are not letting God work these things in them.
• Avoid sexual immorality. This is one of the most common temptations that breaks up relationships and brings bitterness. When we are not getting our comfort from God, Satan tempts us to get it through other (illicit) means.
• Don’t be godless and disregard our inheritance, it is precious. Being casual about what we have means we are easily led into temptation to sin and to fall away. Beware.

D. Application:

1. Read again each exhortation and check yourself out.
2. Look to the Lord for all you need for today and what comes in it.

Passage: Hebrews 12:18-24

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.’

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.

A. Find Out:

1. What does the writer say we have not come to? v.18,19a
2. What reaction had that caused? v.19b-21
3. What (at least) seven things have we come to? v.22-24

B. Think:

1. What do verses 18-21 refer to?
2. How would you summarise the list in verses 22-24?
3. What do you think is the point of the contrast?

C. Comment:

     Remember the writer is exhorting his readers to go on in their faith. In earlier chapters he showed how Jesus was so much greater than angels, Moses or the Levitical priesthood.  Now he gives a stark comparison between old and new covenants.

     The OLD COVENANT had been initiated at Mount Sinai (see Exo 19). The key characteristic of that event was separateness. God was separate from the people. The natural phenomena that surrounded His presence made Him awesome. The people were not even allowed to touch the mountain of meeting.  That all produced fear.

     The NEW COVENANT is more heavenly orientated and speaks, by stark contrast, of encounter. The list of things we receive in the new covenant is significant:

•  A city (v.22a) is a place to live in, a place of permanence and security. This city is the heavenly equivalent of earthly Jerusalem, the place of encounter with God. Our destiny is encounter with the Lord, a coming together with Him.
•  This is also a place of “joyful assembly” (v.22). The angels in heaven see God and constantly rejoice. Our future destiny is one of joyful rejoicing!
•  Our names are written in heaven (v.23a), God has declared us righteous, we have been made perfect is His sight. This is all based on the shed blood of Jesus, the Son of God. We have been brought near.
•  The emphasis is on a place where we come to God (v.23b), the One who judges all men but has made us perfect in His sight.
•  We have come to Jesus (v.24a) who is the one who has brought all of this into being by the shedding of his blood on our behalf.
•  We have come to a place where the shedding of blood brought reconciliation (24b), not the need for a curse, as happened with the death of Abel (Gen 4).

     The Old Covenant was for a physical nation, living in the midst of evil, idol worshipping nations. They were a nation called to be different, to be holy. At that time they were hardly a nation. They needed the awesomeness of the encounter at Sinai.

     The New Covenant came to a people who knew much about God but also knew their own inability to be holy. So, the New Covenant comes to weak, sinful men, and gives them a new intimate life with God. How incredible! How wonderful!

D. Application:

1. Do we appreciate the wonder of the details of the New Covenant?
2. Do we appreciate the intimacy that has been given to us?

Passage: Hebrews 12:25-29

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? 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.’

A. Find Out:

1. Who are we not to refuse and why? v.25
2. What happened then, and what did He say would happen? v.26
3. What did that indicate? v.27
4. What are we receiving? v.28a
5. What should be our response? v.28b
6. How is God described? v.29

B. Think:

1. When God spoke, what was shaken at Sinai?
2. What would receive His second shaking?
3. With what effect?

C. Comment:

     As he keeps on warning, the writer now warns against refusing the voice of God. He refers back to the time at Sinai when the Lord met with Israel, and when He spoke even the ground shook. Those people refused Him and perished in the desert. So, says the writer, don’t you be complacent, because if you refuse Him you too will perish. A stern warning!

     Next the writer takes a prophetic word from Haggai 2:6 where the Lord said He would shake both earth and heavens. Verse 27 indicates that it will be the material world in which we trust that will be removed so that the eternal heavenly world alone will remain.

    The shaking that he refers to must be that of the coming of the new kingdom of God through the work of Jesus (v.28a).  So, this shaking will also include the shaking of our self confidence, so that it is removed.  It is then the shaking of our self reliance, so it is removed. It is the shaking of all human endeavour, so it is removed.

     What is left? Just a total reliance upon Jesus, a total reliance upon the love and grace of God. When there is this, then God’s rule is able to be expressed through us. It was for this reason that Jesus died, so His kingdom would come in us. What is to be our response to all this? It is to worship Almighty God with reverence and awesome respectful fear. When we realise His enormity, His holiness, His wonder, His love, grace and mercy, this will be our response.

D. Application:

1. Are we relying on shakeable things, passing things?
2. Are we relying totally on the love and mercy of God in Jesus?