Hebrews 12
1) Therefore: again the author sums up the entire
preceding chapter with clear admonition and instruction.
Take heart; be encouraged; don’t be discouraged or
distracted from the goal; don’t let sin or doubt hold you back! Don’t run the
race with any unnecessary weight tied to your back.
This great cloud of witnesses serves as our examples.
2) Always keep your eyes upon Jesus.
“He is the Author” - Άρχηγὸν (Archegon – beginning) – He is the originator of our faith, He is the prime example of faith in
God and He is the object of our faith; He is where our faith in God’s provision
for our salvation begins and ends (2:10) He has perfected our salvation.
“And Perfecter of our faith” - Τελειωτὴν (Teleiootain – bringing to an end) - The Finisher, the Accomplisher; He
is the goal of and the end of our faith!
As Christians we are complete in
Christ; our faith is in Him and His finished work on our behalf; which alone
secures our salvation; He is the Beginning and the End, the Α and the Ω, the First and the Last; nothing
is to be added and nothing taken away.
He despised the shame; He did not
consider the shame of public humiliation as something to even take into consideration;
He ignored it.
He sat down (1:3) – it is finished! Jn.19:30 - Tetelestai! (Same
root word as in vs.2 - Finisher)
3) The student is not above the Master
(Mt.10:24 ); if our
Lord endured the cross with joy (Is.53:10-12 ),
so should we endure our trials with the joy of knowing that our endurance is
not in vain and that our hope is secure because we hope in the same God and
Father that Jesus did;
God our Heavenly Father has a purpose
in it all and we can trust Him in all things. He will cause it all to work out
for our good (Ro.8:28 ).
4) Resisting sin (primary meaning in
this context is “sinful men”) unto shedding blood (i.e. to martyrdom; as did so
many in the previous chapter, and of course as Jesus did). Also our own sin is
in view in the sense of our unrelenting battle to resist the influence of sin
in our life.
5-6) Paradoxically and perhaps
somewhat ironically, the fact is that Godly discipline in ones life is a
confirmation of son-ship. (Prov.3:11-12 )
7) The Greek word translated here as
discipline/ chastening is very interesting;
παιδειαν (paideian – child rearing/ training; as found in Eph.6:4 )
The love of a father for his child is
shown through discipline as much as anything else; a lack of discipline from an
earthly father to his child shows a lack of interest for the child’s well-being.
8) “All have become partakers” – same
word used in 1:9; 3:1, 14; 6:4 (all have become sharers in discipline); If you
do not share in the discipline of God’s sons then you are not a legitimate son.
This should be a source of
encouragement for the child of God and not of despair.
9-10) God certainly deserves as much
respect as our earthly fathers; it is for our own good and for our spiritual
life and well being that our Father in heaven chastens, corrects and
disciplines us. We need to always rely upon His wisdom and His goodness towards
us.
11) The peaceful fruit of
righteousness; Eph.5:9 ;
Phil.1:9-11 . (More
fruit of the Spirit).
Beauty for ashes (Is.61:3 ) joy for sorrow, peace
and righteousness; the result of godly training.
We must do
our part, if we are to offer to God an acceptable service.
God is at work in our lives constantly
offering guidance, correction and encouragement to help us to attain to greater
maturity in Christ and to develop into a more useful servant of the kingdom of
heaven. He has left nothing out on His part to accomplish His purpose for our
good.
Jesus has done all that was necessary
to provide us with a complete salvation that guarantees eternal life to all who
will believe. There is nothing more to be done to attain our salvation.
But we have a part to play in living
out our Christianity on a daily basis that is essential to our success and well
being in our pilgrimage in this world;
And for our effectiveness as an
acceptable servant of God, as we strive to fill our role in the body of Christ
in a manner worthy of our calling.
God knows our weaknesses and our
needs; that is why He has provided us with the marvelous gifts, helps and
revelations that He has.
He loves us and wants us to have
everything we need to succeed for living in victory over sin and Satan; over
all of the temptations of the world the flesh and the devil.
But we must implement those gifts; we
must utilize those helps, we must hear and seek to understand those revelations
and respond in the ways that God has intended for us to do;
To make changes in our beliefs and in
our actions in ways that will make us more Christ like in our submission to the
Father and to the leading of the Holy Spirit. (The Holy Spirit is here to help
us to do so, but it is up to us whether or not we will seek Him and yield to
Him- Eph.5:18 )
12-13) Again “Therefore” – indicating
that we are to act upon the previous revelation and instruction concerning our
chastening with encouragement derived from the reminder that so many faithful
ones have gone before us and have endured great hardship in faith while waiting
for the promise.
“Hands that are week and knees that
are feeble” – we have a merciful and faithful high priest that understands our
temptations and the weakness of our flesh. (Heb.2:14-18 ; Mt.26:41 )
Our weakness and feebleness are NOT
sin! Only our submission to them is, and that not without remedy!
I Jn.1:9
Also, as we were instructed in 10:24,
32-34, we are to remember the weakness of others and to stimulate each other
unto love and good deeds as well as to encourage each other to endure in faith.
So we see that we are to not only seek
to strengthen our own weak hands and feeble knees but also to help others who
are struggling with the same weaknesses.
“Make straight paths for your feet” –
make no provision for the flesh Ro.13:12-14 .
Do not be wise in your own
eyes; Fear the Lord and turn away
from evil.
It will be healing to your body
and refreshment to your bones.
