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Looking unto Jesus
What it says:Heb 11:40 God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.
Heb 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
Heb 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Heb 12:3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
Heb 12:4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.
Heb 12:5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
Heb 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
Heb 12:7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
Heb 12:8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
Heb 12:9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?
Heb 12:10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
Heb 12:11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
Heb 12:12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;
Heb 12:13 And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.
Heb 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
What it means:
Heb 11:40 God having provided
Define: Provide – give, offer, supply, make available, present, afford, endow with, grant, impart, bestow, (Antonym: withhold)
Who is our provider? God is our provider.
What is the antonym to provide? Withhold.
God has given us provision for all of our needs. If God had not given us air to breathe would we have known that we needed it? We know we need it, because He has provided it. God is completely good and only gives good complete gifts. He is also just, and is The Rewarder of them that seek Him. He withholds nothing that He knows we need.
Jas_1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
something better for us,
What is the “something better for us” that God has provided? Jesus.
Our author has just given us an entire chapter on the faith of the OT heroes. Now he begins to tie the OT believers and the NT followers together. The OT fathers and believers saw the promises of God “afar off.” We see them as having already been delivered and made available to us in Jesus Christ who preserves them in heaven for us:
that they should not be made perfect apart from us.
“They” and “us” are not separated!! We have all been made perfect together – by God, in Jesus Christ.
Define: Perfect -- consecrate, finish, fulfill, (make) perfect, complete whole.
To be made perfect is the same as to be consecrated, or to be made whole. We are set apart by God, to God, and for God in Jesus Christ, His Son. He has made us perfect, in Jesus Christ, so we may draw close to Him – which is His desire. The OT believers had faith in what was to come in the distant future. We have faith in what we have seen in Jesus Christ and in His resurrection which guarantees our future which is reserved in heaven for us. Jesus made a place for us – and them!!
Faith is to see and to trust in God’s supremely good character. Hope is to see ourselves with God – because we see God with us in Jesus Christ, Emmanuel! Hallelujah!!
Define: Emmanuel -- Mat_1:23 … which being interpreted is, “God with us.”
Heb 12:1 Wherefore
Define: Wherefore – because of which, for what reason, the reason or purpose for something, literary: what follows is based on what has been previously spoken or written
Our author is now going to draw a conclusion that is based on all that we read in the previous chapter about faith in God. Notice this is the first word, in the first verse of the next chapter. Now see the conclusion that he comes to:
Heb 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses,
Define: Seeing – in view of, considering, bearing in mind, as, since, given that, seeing as, in view of the fact
Is “seeing” past tense or present tense? Present tense!
He has combined “wherefore,” (the reason), with “seeing,” (having something in view now).
Define: Compassed – H5437, סבב, sâbab, saw-bab', … to revolve, surround or border; used in various applications, literally and figuratively: - …, X round about, be about on every side, …, X circuit, (fetch a) compass (about, round…, X on every side, … round about, -- to cover all the points on the compass, i.e.: north, south, east, west – walk or navigate completely around something
(Just a note on this word: compassed. The root for this word is not "compassion" but "compass" as in a dial that displays all the directions: north, south, east, west. So it is pronounced like the word "compass" with an "ed" on the end. "Compassed about" means to be surrounded on all sides.)
With what are we surrounded? A great cloud of witnesses.
The witnesses are so many that they form a great cloud!
Define: Witnesses – someone who gives evidence after seeing or hearing or experiencing something, someone who testifies to Christian beliefs, someone who publicly professes his or her strong personal belief in God and Jesus Christ – observer, spectator, bystander, onlooker, eyewitness
This huge group of witnesses is called a “cloud” to bring to mind where they are: in heaven, in the sky, like a cloud that we can look up to. We see them, seeing us, and speaking to us in God’s word…. Witnessing to us about Jesus Christ and salvation, redemption, and eternal life in Christ. Do you hear them? Have you read their testimony? Have you seen the proof that their testimonies offer?
let us
We need to act upon what we know to be true in Jesus Christ. “Let us” means allow yourself. We have permission to:
lay aside every weight,
Define: Lay – set something down, place, rest, put, arrange, leave, set, position, (Antonym: pick up)
Define: Aside – to the side, to one side, out-of-the-way, away, (Antonym: in front)
What is the antonym (opposite) of aside? In front
What does it mean to “lay aside.” To put something down and leave it on the side of the road.
What are we to lay aside? Every weight.
Define: Weight – burden, heaviness, heavy load, mental burden, moral burden, or load, giving additional importance to something (Antonym: lightness)
Do you see that in defining all these words we are painting a picture of taking the weight or burden off of our own shoulders and putting it beside the road as we walk on, leaving it behind? Up until this sentence we have been talking about what we see ahead of us, or what we see in front of our faces, but now he begins to talk about what we need to leave behind us. We don’t need to focus on it, or look at it. We need to leave it behind us.
Jesus called carrying this weight being “heavy laden.”
Mat 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
When you gave your burden to Jesus did you pick it up again, later? You can lay that weight aside for real. Jesus desires you to remain in His rest continually and that is how we must see ourselves – in His rest. The real goal is to lay that burden aside and leave it there as we refocus on something much more important.
and the sin which doth so easily beset us,
What does sin do to us? It easily besets us.
Define: Beset – overwhelmed, snowed under, inundated, beleaguered (stressed, under pressure, harassed, careworn, struggling, besieged, under attack), weighed down, plagued (Antonym: carefree)
Sin really does easily overwhelm us. We can get snowed under by sin and it happens before we realize what has happened. But he says to lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily overwhelm us. Put it down on the road and leave it behind. Give it once more to Jesus and refocus.
and let us run with patience
First he told us we have permission to leave our burdens and our sin behind. Now he uses the same expression “Let us” to coach us in how to run. Nobody said to stop! As we run along, we lay aside the burdens and cares and the sin that easily plagues us, and pick up patience.
Define: Patience – endurance, staying power, tolerance, lack of complaint, persistence, fortitude, serenity (Antonym: impatience, annoyance, edginess, haste, rashness)
the race that is set before us,
He gives us the metaphor of a race. We are to run the race with patience, serenity, and lack of complaint.
What do you think “set before us” means? Placed in front of us.
Psa_23:5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Eph_2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
God has given us this “race” in which to do our good works. He has prepared the table before us and set it in front of us. We lay aside the burdens and sin, and focus on something else.
Perhaps you remember running a race when you were a child. What would it have been like to run that race if you were the only one carrying a heavy burden, say, a sack of potatoes on your shoulder? A child carrying a 50-lb sack of potatoes would instantly be sitting on the ground from that heavy burden! That is way to much weight for a child to carry. The race would be won by the other children who did not have his burden. Do you see that his burden turned him into a loser? A mental burden can also slow us down and keep us from doing good works. Wouldn’t that kind of a burden remove us from the race, too?
Our author used the word “beset” for how sin affects us. We discovered that it means to be overwhelmed and snowed under, not physically but in the mind. A sense of guilt and unworthiness will take us down. It keeps us from our race. That is why he says we must put the burden down, and leave sin behind so we can run our race, not with a burden or in overwhelm, but with patience.
Our race is the individual race that God has set before each one of us. We are his workmanship. In Jesus Christ we were created anew with a new purpose: loving God and serving Him. Both loving and serving lead us to good works and God places good works before our own eyes so that we can walk in them.
Notice that in our verse above, after the word “us” there is a comma (,) meaning: that is not the end of the sentence:
Heb 12:2 Looking unto Jesus
Define: Looking – direct the eyes at something, use your eyes to examine, watch, search, consider something, face a particular direction, pay attention
Ahhhh!! That is what we are to be directed towards: Jesus!! We lay aside the burdens that concern us, and begin to focus on Jesus! It does not say “look” which would be to look one time and then think of, or move on, to something else. He says “looking” which is continuous. We continue to see, we keep on examining and watching and praying and looking unto Jesus.
the author and finisher of our faith;
Define: Author – person responsible, creator, instigator, source, cause, origin
Define: Finisher – the person who completes, wraps up, concludes, brings to an end, polishes
To be the author is to be the creator, and the finisher is the one who polishes and wraps things up!!
Of what is Jesus the author and finisher? Faith.
Of whose faith? Our faith!
He is the author of our own faith.
Our faith does not come from us, it comes from the object of our faith, which is Jesus. Think about this: we do not generate faith out of thin air. Faith is not something we have to "white knuckle" and force ourselves to have. Faith is not based on us -- it is based on the object of our faith.
We look at, investigate, examine, and approach something, and then depending on what we see there, we can either put our faith in it, or not. Faith is the result of understanding the object of our faith. We do not put our faith in things that we know are untrustworthy. If we find flaws, fakeness, or lack of fortitude in something or someone, we know not to trust them, but, when we see something that is worthy of our faith, we can easily put our faith in it.
Jesus is the reason for our faith in God. He is worthy of our praise and our faith in Him because He gave His life for us – and then took it up again by the power of the Holy Spirit. We have heard the testimony of the witnesses who saw Him, and walked with Him. Those who personally saw His death and beheld Him after His resurrection. He is the reason we have faith in God. He has made the way for us to live in heaven with Him.
1Pe_3:18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit,
who for the joy that was set before him
There was something set before Jesus also. What was it? Wow! He saw the joy of eternal life for the entire world set before Him. He saw the joy of living in heaven with The Father. He saw the joy of the Father! He kept His eyes on the real goal and felt the joy of it.
who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
What did He endure? The torture and pain of the cross.
What did He do it for? The joy that He could see by the wisdom and knowledge of God that He possessed. With His eye on the joy that was set before him, with patience and faith in God, he endured the cross. He was obedient to death. He could not save us if He did not endure for us the death that we could not overcome on our own. He took our place. He is our Savior and He did endure the cross and death for us. It was the cross that brought the resurrection!!
What did He despise? The shame of the cross and all its ramifications.
Define: Despised – scorned, looked down on, spurned (rejected), put no stock in (Antonym: admired)
What did He do it for? With His eye on the joy that was set before him He saw “the shame” for what it was = part of the cross. The cross was invented to make criminals pay for their sin with pain and disgrace, but Jesus knew the cross was going to lead to something much much greater than we could have ever imagined!! He suffered no shame. He actually completed His “business” while hanging on the cross.
He made arrangements for his mother to be provided for.
Joh_19:26 When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!
He forgave his tormentors:
Luk_23:34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.
He prayed to God:
Mar_15:34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
He completed His task:
Joh_19:30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.
What did He do all this for? For the joy that was set before him. He kept His eye on the prize!! Without wavering He persevered. He trusted in God and obeyed death.
Where did Jesus sit down? Jesus is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. He accomplished all for us and became our High Priest in Heaven -- and the Prime Minister to God. He saw the end from the beginning.
Heb 12:3 For consider him that endured
Who is “him that endured?” Jesus.
Define: Consider – think about, mull over, reflect on, deliberate, contemplate, take into account, ponder
He is now saying, “Let us consider Jesus who endured with great patience.” If we consider how He did this we must know he did it by keeping His mind on the joy ahead. He did not worry, He trusted completely in God’s power to raise Him from the dead. Our faith must stand in the power of God, also.
1Co 2:5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
Our faith is not to be in the wisdom of men or science. Our faith is in the great and mighty power of God, the Creator.
such contradiction of sinners against himself,
He endured “such” (so much, to so great a degree of) contradiction of sinners – against himself.
Define: Contradiction – disagreement, challenge, negation, opposition, denial, inconsistency, conflict
Who contradicted Jesus? The sinners had a great conflict with him but he endured their hatred against himself with grace and mercy and faith in God. His eye was not on their actions towards Him. His eye was on the joy that was set before Him!
BBC: A.B. Bruce comments: One stands out conspicuous above all the rest ... the Man who first perfectly realised (demonstrated) the idea of living by faith ... , who undauntedly endured the bitter suffering of the cross, and despised the ignominy (humiliation, embarrassment) of it, sustained by a faith that so vividly realised coming joy and glory as to obliterate the consciousness of present pain and shame.
Define: Vividly – clearly, lucidly, plainly, keenly, acutely, intensely, brightly, vibrantly
What is the antonym to vividly? Vaguely
To Jesus the joy of heaven was vivid, alive, and vibrant. If it had been vague and unclear or unrecognized there would have been no joy to look forward to. We, too, must keep the joy of heaven and eternal life with Christ vividly before our minds. We do that by praising God every day. We do that by trusting our lives in God’s hands every hour. We do that by setting our minds on heavenly things all the time. By continually looking for the best, not the worst, the beautiful, not the ugly, and the blessings not the cursings.
lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
Where does the weariness and fainting show up? In your own mind.
If we take Him as our pattern and look unto Jesus and see what He saw, trusting in Him, then we shall not grow wearied and faint on our path to God, either. His eye was not on the conflict, or circumstances around him, but on the joy that was “set before Him.” We have the same joy set before us because He is the forerunner and has paved the way for us to follow Him right into heaven and unto the Throne of Grace. Remember that heaven is our home!
Heb 12:4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.
What are we striving against? Sin.
Whose sin? The sin of those who oppose Jesus and us.
We have not died (resisted unto blood) in our fight against the sin that is all around us, the sin that attacks us and persecutes us as it did Jesus. Our consciences have been purged from all our sin and we do watch and pray to remain so. We also must fight against those attacks that come against us, but not by joining in retaliation against sinners, but by resisting the temptations to sin that they represent. Our weapons are not carnal but spiritual.
Can you imagine the circumstances that would cause our author to say this? This is also why he has gone into such detail about remaining steadfast in Christ and not letting go of our own salvation. The people were suffering persecution, just as Christ did – although they were still among the living and had not, yet, endured death.
Heb 12:5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children,
What had they done with the exhortation they had heard? They had forgotten it!
This exhortation speaks to us as what? As unto children who need to be reminded.
BBC: We must bear in mind that Hebrews was written to people who were being persecuted. Because they had forsaken Judaism for Christ, they were facing bitter opposition. There was a danger that they might interpret their suffering as a sign of God's displeasure. They might become discouraged and give up. Worst of all, they might be tempted to return to the temple and its ceremonies.
They should not think that their sufferings were unique. Many of the witnesses described in chapter 11 suffered severely as a result of their loyalty to the Lord, yet they endured. If they maintained unflinching perseverance with their lesser privileges, how much more should we to whom the better things of Christianity have come.
Our author says they have also forgotten about the will of the Lord for them as His children which is easy to do when you are in hard circumstances – but that is when it is most important that we remain focused on the Lord.
Define: Exhortation – something intended to strongly urge or persuade another to do something, the giving of earnest advice or encouragement
The Lord, Himself, gives them earnest advice and encouragement in the following scripture quotation:
My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
What are we not to despise? The chastening of the Lord.
Define: Chastening – punishment, reprimand, discipline, censure, chastise, correction, castigate
At what are we not to faint? When we are rebuked, or corrected.
Define: Rebuke – reprimand, scold, censure, admonition, slap on the wrist, give a talking-to
Rebuked of whom? The Lord.
If we continue looking unto Jesus we will be an asset to God in His fight against evil and sin. The Lord rebukes or corrects or chastises us as a way of keeping us close to Him. There are times that we need to be corrected and set on the right path once more. When God rebukes us, if we repent and take his correction as a lesson to us and begin to obey Him, once more, He allows us entrance into heaven once more. We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus. He desires that we all be saved!! Even those who are now his enemies – remember we were once His enemies, too, but we saw the light and the only way to share the light is to live by and in the light of Christ.
Heb 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth,
What does the Lord do to those He loves? He chastens them.
Those whom the Lord loves he desires the most – so he guides us with chastening so we may escape hell and live in heaven with Him.
and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
Define: Scourgeth (scourging) – A means of inflicting severe suffering, vengeance, or punishment; To chastise severely; flogging; beating, thrashing, whipping, thumping, pounding
Whom does God scourge? His sons. Every son whom he receives or accepts.
Define: Receiveth (receives)– entertain, have visitors, greet, welcome, meet,
Remember where Christ had His eyes when he was scourged. Not every scourging is physical.
1Pe_2:20 For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.
1Pe_3:14 But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;
1Pe_3:17 For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.
Heb 12:7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons;
When God chastens us, how is He dealing with us? As His own sons.
BBC: By remaining submissive to the chastening of God, we permit His discipline to mold us into His image. If we try to short-circuit His dealings with us, He may have to teach us over a longer period of time, using more instructive, and consequently, more difficult methods. There are grades in the school of God, and promotion comes only when we have learned our lessons.
for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
A father who loves his son always corrects and chastens him. He wants him to end up with a good life so he corrects him and speaks to him and tells him the way he should go in order to reach a good end.
BBC: So when testings come to us, we should realize that God is treating us as sons. In any normal father-son relationship, the father trains his son because he loves him and wants the best for him.
Heb 12:8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
Who partakes of chastisement? All of God's sons and daughters.
If we are not treated as sons, then we are not sons, but what? Bastards, and not sons.
Define: Bastard -- a spurious or illegitimate son, unlawful, illegal, illicit, dishonest, criminal (Antonym: legitimate)
BBC: In the spiritual realm, those who do not experience God's discipline are illegitimate children, not true sons. After all, a gardener does not prune thistles, but he does prune grapevines. …
Heb 12:9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence:
Who is a “father of our flesh?” Our dads.
What did our dads do to us? Corrected us.
From this we understand that the “chastisement of the Lord” is “correction” that we be headed right again.
What did we give them? Reverence.
BBC: Most of us have experienced discipline from our human fathers. We did not interpret this as a sign that they hated us. We realized that they were interested in our welfare, and we paid them respect.
shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?
Is it not even more important to be in subjection unto God than our dads? God is the Father of spirits -- our own and of His Holy Spirit.
What is our reward for being in subjection to God? Eternal life.
BBC: How much more should we respect the training of the Father of spirits and live! God is the Father (or source) of all beings that are spirit or that have a spirit. Man is a spirit dwelling in a human body. By being subject to God we enjoy life in its truest sense.
Heb 12:10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure;
For how many days did our dads correct us? A few days -- a few times our fathers corrected us.
What was their reason? Dad's have their own reasons, or "pleasure" for loving and correcting us. They have our welfare in mind.
BBC: The discipline of earthly parents is not perfect. It lasts only for a time, that is, during childhood and youth. If it has not succeeded then, it can do no more. And it is as seemed best to them, according to what they think is right. Sometimes it may not be right.
but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
The Father of spirits (the Creator) always does things for our what? Our profit.
Define: Profit – advantage, gain, benefit, use, reward, good, (Antonym: loss)
He chastens us that we might be partakers of what? His holiness.
BBC: But God's discipline is always perfect. His love is infinite and His wisdom is infallible. His chastenings are never the result of whim, but always for our profit. His objective is that we may be partakers of His holiness. And godliness can never be produced outside (of) God's school.
Heb 12:11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous:
No chastening, while it is happening in the present moment, seems to be joyous to us.
What does chastening feel like when it happens? Grievous.
Define: Grievous – grave, serious, severe, dire, heinous, dreadful, terrible
nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
What does chastening yield afterwards? The peaceable fruit of righteousness.
Unto whom? Them which are exercised thereby. Those who realize this is an exercise and who learn from it. Notice the word “exercised.” Chastening is an exercise that helps us to grow and produce the peaceable fruit of righteousness. It helps us to see things in a different and better light. God’s light.
BBC: Leslie Weatherhead: Like all men I love and prefer the sunny uplands of experience, where health, happiness, and success abound, but I have learned far more about God and life and myself in the darkness of fear and failure than I have ever learned in the sunshine. There are such things as the treasures of darkness. The darkness, thank God, passes. But what one learns in the darkness one possesses for ever. “The trying things,” says Bishop Fenelon, “which you fancy come between God and you, will prove means of unity with Him, if you bear them humbly. Those things that overwhelm us and upset our pride, do more good than all that which excites and inspirits us.”
Heb 12:12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;
What attitude of mind produces hands that hang down, and knees that are feeble? Discouragement, frustration, failure, depression.
What are Christians doing when they lift up their hands? We are praying and praising God when we lift up our hands! The antidote to overwhelm, tiredness, sadness, and depression is to praise God and to remember that He is always near and He never leaves us nor forsakes us.
Do what you need to do, to be encouraged in the Lord. This sounds a bit like “pick yourself up by your bootstraps,” but that would be a misinterpretation. What it really says is: remember God, and begin to praise Him. Lift up your hands and remember that God is near, no matter what your circumstances or even your feelings says -- God never leaves us, nor forsakes us who are His own children. God, Himself, will lift your spirits for you when you turn to Him and praise and thank Him.
Jas_4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
BBC: G. H. Lang gives a fine illustration: A weary traveler, tired of the road and the buffeting of the tempest, stands dispirited and limp. With shoulders bowed, hands hanging slack, knees bent and shaking, he is ready to give up and sink to the ground. Such can God's pilgrim become, as pictured by our writer.
But one (another Christian) comes to him confident of mien (bearing and expression), with kindly smile and firm voice, and says, “Cheer up, stand erect, brace your limbs, take heart of grace. You have already come far; throw not away your former toils. A noble home is at the end of the journey. See, yonder is the direct road to it; keep straight on; seek from the great Physician healing for your lameness. ... Your Forerunner (Jesus) went this same hard road to the palace of God; others before you have won through; others are on the way; you are not alone; only press on! and you too shall reach the goal and win the prize.”
Happy is he who knows how to sustain with words him that is weary (Isa_50:4). Happy is he who accepts exhortation. And thrice happy is he whose faith is simple and strong so that he finds no occasion of stumbling in the Lord when His discipline is severe.
Isa 50:4-7 The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned. The Lord GOD hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back. I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting. For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.
Lift up your hands to praise God! If someone is encouraging you in Christ, then listen to them. Do not turn away. God has sent this one to help you. God knows our every need and He answers our prayers before they are even said!!
Psa_97:12 Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.
Better still is simply to encourage yourself in God. Remember that God is good. Bring to your mind the blessings He has given you and begin to thank and praise Him. No one can be “down in the mouth” when they are praising God! Sing a favorite hymn and let your spirit be lifted.
Do what David did: see the Lord as being with you – going before you – and standing next to you, so you do not have to be shaken. When you remember that the Lord NEVER leaves you, nor forsakes you, you can begin to rest in Him once more. Remember His promises and His great infinite love for you and all of us!!
And don’t forget to pray and ask God for what you need. Thank Him and ask Him. Speak to Him and remember His love for you. Lift up your hands. Straighten yourself and stand erect.
Heb 12:13 And make straight paths for your feet,
Straight paths lead to the Lord. Crooked paths lead to hell. There are many ways that a path can be, other than straight. It could be winding and crooked. It could be steep and stress the heart. It could be slippery. Straight, also implies smooth, not causing stumbling and a smooth path does not twist the ankle nor make it lame. We are to “make” or choose the straight path for our feet. It is a choice!!
Isa_40:3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness: "Prepare the way of the LORD; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God.
We are to prepare the way for the Lord to come into our hearts. We must prepare ourselves for His sake. Humble ourselves under His mighty hand. Remember that we are yoked with Jesus who walks right next to us and He is not lame. Jesus is All Mighty and Worthy of our praise at all times.
Psa 16:78 I will bless the LORD, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons. I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
Psa_26:12 My foot standeth in an even place: in the congregations will I bless the LORD.
Psa_103:2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.
What happens to the lame? They cannot finish the path, they are turned out of the way.
Did you notice that he says that a straight path gives healing? To “be turned out of the way” means to begin to go down another road or simply to leave the road behind. The lame horse can no longer do the work and must be turned out of the way. But rather….. let us be healed by following Jesus along His straight path! Healing comes from continuing to keep our eyes on Jesus and praising him who is worthy of praise!
Heb 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness,
What two things are we to do?
1. Follow peace with all men
2. Follow holiness
In order to make sense of the phrase “Follow peace with all men, and holiness” we must insert the word “follow” in front of the word “holiness” also, because of the “and.” It then tells us to “follow peace” and to “follow holiness.” The first we do “with all men” – the second we do in ourselves for the sake of Jesus – as unto God.
Define: Peace – calm, quiet, stillness, tranquility, silence, harmony, serenity, (Antonym: uproar), concord, end of war, amity, harmony, freedom from strife, reconciliation (Antonym: war)
Define: Holiness – sanctity, piety, godliness, saintliness, consecration, devoutness, devotion, purity
Define: Follow – go after, pursue, chase, trail, hunt, stick to, abide by, keep to, respect, adhere to
We are to pursue and adhere to peace with men, and to pursue and adhere to holiness with God. Both of these concern our conduct. The habits of our lives. We need both peace with men, and holiness with God.
without which no man shall see the Lord:
If we do not follow peace with all men and holiness with God what do we forfeit? We will not see the Lord. We will not see Him in heaven.
Mat_5:43-44 You have heard people say, "Love your neighbors and hate your enemies." But I tell you to love your enemies and pray for anyone who mistreats you.
1Th 3:12-13 And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you: To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.
Read our verses again:
Heb 11:40 God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.
Heb 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
Heb 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Heb 12:3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
Heb 12:4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.
Heb 12:5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
Heb 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
Heb 12:7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
Heb 12:8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
Heb 12:9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?
Heb 12:10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
Heb 12:11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
Heb 12:12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;
Heb 12:13 And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.
Heb 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
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