Written ~ 11-26-2024
Read Hebrews Chapter Twelve
Hebrews 12
Boy, I’ll tell you what… This chapter is packed full! This Bible Study is lengthy… but stay with me! We have a lot learn from this chapter!
If you’re ready, let’s begin!
Hebrews 12:1-2…
1 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting Him, He endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now He is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.”
Beginning with verse one… what does “crowd (or cloud) of witnesses” mean to you? I’ve heard it explained a couple of ways, #1 the crowd of witnesses are all the angels in Heaven… #2 the crowd of witnesses are believers who have gone on to Heaven before us.
For me… I lean towards the explanation that the crowd of witnesses as faithful believers who have preceded us in death and are now in Heaven with our Lord. (Keep in mind that the word “crowd” can be interchanged with the word “cloud.”)
In Revelations 7:9-10 it says…
9 After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands. 10 And they were shouting with a great roar,
“Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne
and from the Lamb!”
I love the visual of having a crowd of believers and angelic beings cheering us on from Heaven. No matter what we face here in earth it’s kind of nice to think there is a vast crowd applauding us – cheering us on – encouraging us to keep going and push through the pain. It says in Revelation 1:7, “Look! He comes WITH the clouds of Heaven…” When the Lord returns He will be accompanied by that vast crowd of witnesses, the clouds of Heaven. Maybe that’s the reason I absolutely love gazing up into the sky on a cloudy and marvel at the beauty of the clouds.
Moving on to the second part of verse one, “…let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trip us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.”
We all have those things that seem to weigh us down. Sin comes in different forms; it may look quite different in all of us. But releasing ALL those things that DO NOT give all glory and honor to the Lord are what need to be stripped away. This may not be an outward sinful action – but a sinful thought life, a deep seeded attitude, anger, resentment, arrogance. There are so many things that we could be doing, saying and thinking… that are not pleasing to the Lord. The longer we hold onto things like that the more weight is piled on – running a race with heavy ankle weights and a 50-pound backpack is a picture of how some people wade through their Christian Walk. “…God has set a race before us…” He knows our time on earth is short and fleeting, He is asking us to get busy, get the Word out about who Jesus is and share the Good News message of Salvation.
Physical ailments may hinder us for a time, but our spiritual running shoes are not hindered by bad knees or a bad back or a weakened heart. No. We are to rid ourselves of everything that holds us back spiritually and get in the race! Strap on your Bible for guidance, your fuel is the power of the Holy Spirit and your water… well, that’s the Living River of Life, Jesus Christ! And remember we have a cloud of witnesses cheering us on!
If we are struggling to run the race that God has set before us, how do we do it?
Hebrews 12:2a…
2a “We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus…”
Look how The Message Version (MSG) explains verse 12:2…
2 “Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how He did it. Because He never lost sight of where He was headed – that exhilarating finish in and with God…”
Jesus endured the cross… I can bet that you and I have not gone through anything in life as horrible and painful as the torture Jesus went through. He is our example; He kept His focus on Heaven. What He needed to accomplish here on earth was difficult, but He knew full well what the outcome was going to be. As believers, we have the assurance that our outcome will be the same as His. Eternal Life in Heaven! So… we must endure the things that get thrown at us here on earth and run our race with gusto!
The next section of Scripture is about discipline… it is vitally important we listen to what the Word says about the discipline our Father in Heaven must give for our disobedience.
Hebrews 12:5-11…
5 “And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as His children? He said,
“My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline,
and don’t give up when He corrects you.
6 For the Lord disciplines those He loves,
and He punishes each one He accepts as His child.”
7 As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as His own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? 8 If God doesn’t discipline you as He does all of His children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really His children at all. 9 Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever?
10 For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in His holiness. 11 No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening – it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.”
When I was young, if either of my parents looked at me in a certain way, I knew I needed to settle still and behave. There is no way I would EVER back talk or give them any kind of sass, I had the fearful respect for them as my father and mother. Things have changed considerably in the world today – I grew up with spankings, groundings and having restrictions to my favorite things. It seems with each generation, discipline has lessened, children are allowed to run wild without the correction of a parent. They are learning to live without boundaries. According to the verses here in Hebrews, we have a Father in Heaven who is not going to allow us to run-amok, He will discipline us if we are choosing NOT to obey His Word. None of us like to be disciplined but our Father in Heaven knows what’s best for us, and that’s to train our hearts and minds to do the things the Lord commands us to do.
In The Message Version (MSG) verses 12:7-9 say this… (I love the way The Message replaces the word discipline with the word training)
7 “God is educating you… He’s treating you as dear children. This trouble you’re in isn’t punishment; it’s training, the normal experience of children. Only irresponsible parents leave children to fend for themselves. Would you prefer an irresponsible God? We respect our own parents for training and not spoiling us, so why not embrace God’s training so we can truly live?”
If discipline means “to train,” then in order to correct disobedient behavior it’s not enough to yell “No” or “Stop” and that’s it. It is crucial for the parent to show the child the correct behavior as soon as possible. Now I am not saying when a child is having a complete meltdown, that it’s time for a “training exercise.” But there does need to be a time of direction, teaching, training that causes disobedient behavior to be taken care of and hopefully not continued. That’s what God does to us!
Let’s think about this with God’s perspective. As believers, we are His children. He sees behavior in us that He doesn’t want us to continue, so, what does He need to do? Will He firmly take our hand and redirect us away from the sinful behavior? Sometimes that’s all we need. We see our error and quickly make a change to discontinue that behavior. But some of us may be a bit more stubborn and want to remain in our rebellion a little bit longer. As a Father – it is His responsibility to correct, to shape, to mold our character. So, if we aren’t going to listen to His Word and gentle correction, it will be time for Him to enforce a more painful consequence to our disobedience. God will use whatever methods are necessary to realign our hearts and minds to His Word. Discipline is good. A bummer, yes. But as we learn to grow and adhere to the Word of God, we should be disciplined a lot less often!
Ok, let’s move on, we have a lot to cover today!
Hebrews 12:14-15…
14 “Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord. 15 Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.
When we are working at “living in peace with everyone,” we also need to “work at living a holy life.” Which simply means we must live our lives completely devoted to the Lord, everything we do must line up with Scripture. When our purpose is found within the pages of the Bible, we are more likely to honor the Lord in everything we do. The warning in verse 14 is quite clear, “…for those who are not holy will not see the Lord…”
Let’s think about this for a moment… if you are a believer, but you have not devoted your life to serving the Lord, yes, you are saved, but you could be missing out on seeing what awesome works the Lord can do in your life! Verse 12:14 says we must “work at living a holy life…” that means we have a responsibility to seek God’s will in everything we do. Going along each day without seeking the Lord and His plan can lead to disaster! If you were to look up the word “work” in the dictionary, I think you would be surprised at how many ways that one word is defined, it’s quite obvious it is an action word! The Bible also makes it clear that if someone is not a believer yet, if their lives are not following the will of God and there isn’t the desire to work at being holy, they will not see the Lord. Quite honestly, my heart absolutely breaks for the person who doesn’t want to see the Lord and continues to make the conscious effort to turn their heart away from the Savior. It does take work to live a holy life, maybe that’s the reason so many choose their own lifestyle over one that seeks God first. I don’t know… but my life is fully devoted to the Lord. It has taken time; I haven’t always dedicated my life to serving the Lord and I feel I’ve missed a lot of opportunities to shine the Light of Jesus. But not anymore. My heart, my life…it’s the Lord’s.
Verse 12:15a,
15a “Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God.”
When we become followers of Jesus Christ, we become a part of a community that offers support for whatever we may be going through. There shouldn’t be any reason to go through life alone. Whether you are a believer or not, there are people who want to saddle up beside you and help you get through whatever you may be facing. That is one of the privileges of serving the Lord! Looking after each other! None of us should want to see another believer failing in their walk with the Lord! I know for me, I want to see everyone I know to be in the Scriptures, learning and gaining spiritual knowledge by reading the Word of God. It’s one of my greatest desires! I don’t want to see any of my loved ones struggling and what I can offer, truly, is to point them to Christ. It’s quite devastating for me to think that any of my family members or friends would fail to receive the grace of God. I pray continually that each one will seek the Lord with all their hearts, with all their minds and with all their souls.
The second part of verse 12:15 is so very important we must not overlook it!
Hebrews 12:15b,
15b “Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.”
During any difficult waiting period, when doubt and impatience begin to take root, we need to be aware of bitterness. What if you become angry with God because you feel He hasn’t answered your constant prayer? It might be He has answered it, just not in the way you wanted it to be answered. If we allow bitterness to take root in our hearts, the result is a resentfulness, and a hardness of our hearts which begins to grow and take over. By allowing bitterness to grow, it does not only affect you, it affects everyone you come in contact with. Work at living in peace.
Now let’s drop down to the last few verses of our chapter…
Hebrews 12:25-29…
25 “Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the One who is speaking. For if the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, we will certainly not escape if we reject the One who speaks to us from Heaven! 26 When God spoke from Mount Sinai His voice shook the earth, but now He makes another promise: “Once again I will shake not only the earth but the heavens also.” 27 This means that all of creation will be shaken and removed, so that only unshakable things will remain.
28 Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping Him with holy fear and awe. 29 For our God is a devouring fire.”
When God rescued the Israelites out of their 400-year slavery, it seems their gratitude should have lasted longer than just a few days. God chose Moses to lead the people of Israel across a vast wilderness so they could reach the land God had promised them. But it didn’t take very long for them to start arguing with Moses and begin disobeying the regulations given to them by the Lord.
Hebrews 12:25a…
25a “…For the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger…”
We need to remember, the people of Israel were God’s chosen people, they were the people God loved, can you imagine His disappointment when they didn’t obey His word? Because the Israelites refused to listen to Moses, God’s anger was roused, for He had anointed Moses to be their leader and to deliver His messages to the people. I once heard a pastor say that the journey to the Promised Land should have taken them less than a month, but because of their disobedience, God had them wander around for 40 years. The Israelites did not listen to the Word of God through Moses, and they did not escape the consequences of their disobedience.
Hebrews 12:25b…
25b “…we will certainly not escape if we reject the One who speaks to us from heaven!”
If the Israelites, God’s chosen people didn’t escape discipline from the Lord, then we cannot expect to get away with disobeying and refusing to listen to the Word of God. There will be consequences for our actions. When the voice of the Lord spoke from Mount Sinai and the Israelites disobeyed Him, the entire earth shook. Can you imagine the Power coming from the Voice of God? There will come a time when the Lord speaks again and not only will the earth shake, but the heavens will shake as well. God cannot stand by and allow disobedience to continue, there will be consequences.
Hebrews 12:26b-27…
26b “Once again I will shake not only the earth but the heavens also.”
27 “This means that all of creation will be shaken and removed, so that only the unshakable things will remain.”
What are those “unshakable things” that will remain? Anything evil, dirty, impure and disobedient is removed and what remains is good, holy, submissive and pure, those are the “unshakable things.” God wants to shake loose the things of the world, those things that draw us into sin and disobedience. If you are a believer and follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, remember, you are now a son or daughter of the King, the Almighty God, therefore you will inherit all that belongs to the Lord in Heaven.
Hebrews 12:28
28 “Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping Him with holy fear and awe.”
The Israelites fell into great sin by worshiping idols and sacrificing to them instead of God. They forgot very quickly how God saved them from the brutal slavery and bondage of Egypt’s Pharaoh. Their gratitude was turned to complaining, they seemed to remain in a state of disobedience for the entire 40 years of wandering through the wilderness. If we know that our future will bring the greatest, most wonderful gift of everlasting life and an inheritance above measure, wouldn’t you want to spend your life here on earth praising and honoring God? In the days of Moses, God would show His presence as a pillar of fire, Moses would hear the voice of God through the fire and would relay the messages he received from God to the people. Verse 12:28 says to “worship God with holy fear and awe.” Even if we don’t see a pillar of fire with our physical eyes, God’s voice can still be heard today. He speaks to our hearts through His Holy Spirit, and we need to listen. In what ways do we worship the Lord with holy fear and awe? One way is by shaking loose the things of this world. By listening to the Word of God and obeying it, we show great reverence to the one and only God, the Creator of the Universe.
Hebrews 12:29…
29 “For our God is a devouring fire.”
Also, in Deuteronomy 4:24 it says,
24 “The LORD your God is a devouring fire; He is a jealous God.”
God is jealous of our worship, if we decide the world and all of its temptations are more important to us that He is, we risk the devouring fire of His discipline. God cannot watch His children deliberately disobey His Word. Consequences, a burning away, will need to happen in our lives. So, what happens when we go through a period of discipline? It’s a complete refinement, we come out the other side pure, the filth of the world is loosened and shaken off. We can stand before our Almighty God cleansed and free of sin. Our gratitude brings praise, it causes us to worship the Lord in a way we never thought possible, our worship will bring about a holy fear and awe that pleases the Lord.
My prayer is that we would use the disobedience of the Israelites as an example of what not to do. Also, knowing that example means we shouldn’t be surprised when the discipline of our Father in Heaven comes down on us when we decide not to listen to His word. Let’s loosen the things of the world from our hearts and replace it with worship to our God and to Him alone. I pray that each of us who are searching for peace in our own lives that we turn to the Bible first. If we find we are beginning to live for ourselves, I pray that we correct that behavior and work steadily at living a holy life, pleasing the Lord with all we do. I pray that we work alongside each other, helping each other to make sure we are all receiving the grace of God in our lives. Let’s be mindful of any changes in our attitude and realize how quickly bitterness can creep in and settle deeply. Pray for one another. It’s important we can keep each other accountable. My heartfelt prayer is that you aren’t the one corrupting other people by having a negative attitude, instead you are willfully seeking the Lord in everything you do.
May God’s richest blessings rest on all of us…
~AMEN~