The Race Set Before Us: Christ the Object and Example of Faith (12:1-3)

The Lord’s Chastening and Our Response to it (12:4-11)

1. On one extreme we can “despise” the chastening of the Lord. To despise the chastening of the Lord is to ignore that it is taking place, or discount it as unimportant.³
2. On the other extreme we could “faint” when we are reproved by Him. To faint under His chastening is to become depressed or discouraged by it.

How We can Successfully Run the Race (12:12-17)

1. Someone turning legal, “lest there be any one who lacks the grace of God”. To lack of the grace of God is to lose the sense of the grace of God in our life. This turns a person legal, because they being to see the favor of God as something they merit through their own works. There are many different kinds of legality, but the root is always the same. Read more…
2. Someone turning bitter, “lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you”. If we lose a sense of God’s grace toward us, it can lead to us becoming bitter. Firstly, a soul can become bitter against the Lord, and have hard thoughts toward Him. This can happen when we do not understand His chastening, if we lack an appreciation of grace. Second, we can become bitter against others. Bitterness is called “a root”, because if suppressed in one area but not fully judged, it will spring up somewhere else. Bitterness spreads like an invasive weed, defiling many. Sometimes an entire family over multiple generations can be destroyed by bitterness. An example of this is with Esau, who was bitter that God had chosen Jacob. His bitterness was carried out in the lives of his descendants for generations. We see it in Obadiah, where the bitterness is exposed, condemned, and judgment pronounced. A sense of God’s grace is the strongest antidote to bitterness (Eph. 4:31-32). 
3. Someone turning away, “lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one meal sold his birthright”. We have two forms of evil: “any fornicator” is someone engaged in gross moral sin, and a “profane person” is someone to treats the sacred things of God as though they were common. An example of the latter is Esau. He despised the birthright (sold it for “one meal” of pottage) and later was denied the blessing. Esau had no value for the promises of God. Jacob connived to take the blessing, but here it is viewed as something God refused to give Esau, because he had despised the birthright. In a typical sense, for one morsel of meat (their place and nation), the Jews sold their birthright (crucified their Messiah). Later, Esau sought the blessing earnestly with tears, but he was rejected. He found no place for repentance in the sense that his heart was unchanged. Compare the reaction of Esau, “Bless me, even me also, O my father” (Gen. 27:34), with the reaction of the prodigal son, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son” (Luke 15:21). Esau sought the blessing earnestly with tears, but did so without repentance. The prodigal came to the father in repentance and got the blessing! Repentance is a moral change that takes place in a person whereby they take God’s side against themselves because of their sin. Read more… Esau is a picture of one whose life proved that he had no value for the things of God. He despised the promises and was himself rejected. It is a picture of an apostate, one who despises their birthright (what they have professed, Christ and all blessing associated with Him), and for such a person it is impossible to renew them again to repentance. But even for a true believer, if they carry on with unjudged bitterness in their life, it can lead to them turning away from the Lord.

(The Choice Between Two Approaches to God) (12:18-29)

The second half of the chapter is a warning against apostasy; the great danger that some among the Hebrews were facing. They had made a profession of Christianity, but some were not real and were in danger of ultimately rejecting Christ and going back to Judaism. The writer warns them of the seriousness of such a choice by reminding them of the great difference between the two approaches to God. The two approaches are pictured by mountains, by which one might ascend. On the one hand there was the approach on the grounds of human responsibility, and it was accompanied by fear and judgment. On the other hand there was the approach on the grounds of grace, it was accompanied by many wonderful things that are a total contrast to law. This warning takes the form of a parenthesis, being one of five such warnings in the epistle.

The Mount Sinai Contrasted with Mount Zion (12:18-24)

18 For ye have not come to the mount that might be touched and was all on fire, and to obscurity, and darkness, and tempest, 19 and trumpet’s sound, and voice of words; which they that heard, excusing themselves, declined the word being addressed to them any more: 20 (for they were not able to bear what was enjoined: “And if a beast should touch the mountain, it shall be stoned;” [ref. Exodus 19:13] 21 and, so fearful was the sight, Moses said, I am exceedingly afraid and full of trembling;) vv.18-21 Mount Sinai and Law. The writer would remind the Hebrews of the character of the old system by looking at the occasion of the giving of the law. There are a number of things we are not come to, that the Spirit of God would bring before the Hebrews:

1. Tangible yet inaccessible. It is remarked that we are not come “to the mount that might be touched and was all on fire”. The “mount” that is spoken of is Mt. Sinai, that Jehovah called “my mountain”, where He first appeared to Moses, and where later the Law was given to Israel. It was a physical, tangible thing “that might be touched”, much like the earthly system of Judaism. However, they were not able to touch it because the mountain was “all on fire”. Fire is often a symbol of God’s judgment because of His holiness. The system of the law could not bring man near to God because it took man up on the ground of his own responsibility. Sinful man must be kept at a distance! In fact, Moses was told to put a boundary around the mountain that Israel could not cross (Ex. 19:12).
2. Obscure and frightening. The Israelites were confronted with “obscurity and darkness and tempest”. The clouds of smoke obscured the view of what was going on upon on Sinai. In a similar way, the Law was only a partial revelation of God, in contrast with the full revelation of God in Jesus Christ. The darkness and high winds that accompanied the Lord frightened the people, rather than drew them near.
3. Overwhelming. There was a “trumpet’s sound” that grew louder and louder, and overwhelmed the people’s senses. Such is the character of a holy God in judgment. God as He is revealed in Jesus is the same God that came down on Sinai. His holiness has not diminished one iota. But the cross of Christ has satisfied His holy claims and glorified His nature such that God is free to come out to us in love and grace.
4. Unbearable. Israel heard the “voice of words”, which refers to the “ten words”, or decalogue. The ten commandments were spoken aloud by God in His thunderous voice, but Israel declined to hear any more, although He was not done speaking. They wanted God to speak to Moses only, and then Moses could relay the message; “They that heard, excusing themselves, declined the word being addressed to them any more”. Hence God “added no more” (Deut. 5:22), and would afterward not speak directly to them, but through a mediator. In a parenthesis, a few examples are given of Israel’s great fear and the reasons for it (vv.20-21). Even an animal that touched the mountain would be put to death, and Moses himself – the mediator of the covenant – was very afraid. Even the very beginning of the law, the bare minimum standard that God had for man, was unbearable to the people!

When you consider the system of the law as inaccessible, obscure, frightening, overwhelming, and unbearable, how foolish to go back to it after having been delivered from it!

 

22 but ye have come to mount Zion; and to the city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem; and to myriads of angels, 23 the universal gathering; and to the assembly of the firstborn who are registered in heaven; and to God, judge of all; and to the spirits of just men made perfect; 24 and to Jesus, mediator of a new covenant; and to the blood of sprinkling, speaking better than Abel. vv.22-24 Mount Zion and Grace. Having outlined the system of law pictured by Mount Sinai, which we are not come to, now the writer talks about what we have come to, a system of grace pictured by Mount Zion. There are eight things that are delineated by the word “and”. We are come to each of these things, but with some of them we have the guarantee, while the final accomplishment of them is still future.

1. First, we are come “to mount Zion”. The mountain upon which the city of David was built is a picture of grace. The Hebrews would have been familiar with Zion as a picture of grace, because in their history the mountain is connected with the promises of God. When the ark was taken by the Philistines and the people and the priests were in a state of ruin, Jehovah intervened in grace and gave them a king after His own heart, connected with Zion, “As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore” (Psa. 133:3, see also Psa. 78:65-72). The same grace characterizes the new approach to God.
2. Second, we are come “to the city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem”. Lest our thoughts be confined to earth, and God’s grace here below, we are next lifted up to heaven. It is a heavenly Jerusalem in contrast with the earthly Jerusalem. The city referred to here is heaven itself, the third heavens where God dwells with all His own. In Revelation 21 the “holy city, Jerusalem” is “the bride, the Lamb’s wife,” i.e., the church. But in Hebrews 12, the “assembly of the firstborn” is distinguished from the “heavenly Jerusalem”. This shows that the “heavenly Jerusalem” in Hebrews is not the church, but rather the heavenly home of the redeemed saints of the Old and New Testaments. It is the “city which hath foundations” that Abraham and others looked for (Heb. 11:10, 16).
3. Third, we are come “to myriads of angels, the universal gathering”. This speaks of the whole heavenly host, the huge number of angels that surround the throne of God and do His bidding; “the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands” (Rev. 5:11). Within this universal assembly of angels there are various classes and orders of angels, but this views all of them together. As Christians, we are superior in rank to the angels, being associated with Christ! A Jew could never say this.
4. Fourth, we are come “to the assembly of the firstborn [or ‘firstborn ones’] who are registered in heaven”. This is the only reference we have in the book of Hebrews to the church (‘ecclesia’, or ‘called out ones’), which is mentioned frequently in the epistles of Paul. Often we use the word ‘firstborn’ in connection with birth order in time, but it is also used in scripture in reference to preeminence. For example, Christ is called the “firstborn of all creation” (Col. 1:15). Here the Greek word ‘prototokon’ is in the plural, and it refers to Christians, who have a preeminent place in the family of God, however inferior to Christ who has utmost preeminence. For Christians, not only are our names written in the Lamb’s book of life, but our elevated place in the Church is “registered” in heaven! Our citizenship is in heaven.
5. Fifth, we are come “to God, judge of all”. Under Judaism the people were at a distance from God. In Christianity, although God is still the holy “judge of all”, we are brought through the veil into the holiest of all! For all eternity we will enjoy the glorious presence of God Himself. God’s judgment over “all” will be displayed over the whole world in a coming day (the Millennium, see Eph. 1:10, Col. 1:20).
6. Sixth, we are come “to the spirits of just men made perfect”. This refers to the spirits of Old Testament saints, the great cloud of witnesses, “just men” whose spirits are departed their bodies, but who will be “made perfect” when the Lord comes and raises them with changed bodies! “They without us should not be made perfect” (Heb. 11:40). These ones will join Christians in heaven, viewed together in Rev. 4-5 as the twenty-four elders.
7. Seventh, we are come “to Jesus, mediator of a new covenant”. The greatest possession we have is the Person of Jesus. No Old Testament saint could say this, because Jesus had not yet come! He is said to be “mediator of a new covenant”. Christ will function as the mediator of the New Covenant in the Millennium when that covenant is made with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. Meanwhile, we enjoy the blessings of the New Covenant secured to us through the blood of Christ.
8. Eighth, we are come “to the blood of sprinkling, speaking better than Abel”. The blood of sprinkling is the blood of Christ, but in reference to the blood that was sprinkled on the mercy seat on the day of atonement. The blood of Christ is the basis of all blessing for mankind, and for the eventual reconciliation of the earth (John 1:29). It speaks “better things” than Abel’s blood, because Abel’s blood cried from the ground to God for vengeance (Gen. 4:10). The blood of Christ speaks of mercy and blessing, because the value of that shed and sprinkled blood has satisfied the claims of God against sin, and perfectly glorified His nature!

Warning Not to Refuse Grace (12:25-27)

Our Response to Grace (12:28-29)

1. “It means, looking away from other things and fixing the eye exclusively on One.” – J. N. Darby Translation footnote.
2. It is fitting that the martyrdom sufferings of Christ should be brought in here, because in those sufferings we can follow our Savior. Whereas with the atoning sufferings, we cannot follow or share.
3. One way of despising the chastening of the Lord is to attribute the Lord’s chastening as the Devil’s opposition. It is true that the Devil can oppose the believer, and try to hinder the work of God. We need to be sensitive as to the mind of God in our service. But when it comes to circumstances allowed in our lives, we must remember that God is in control, and the Devil is only His instrument. Job could have despised his chastening by attributing it to the Devil, but he didn’t. It was from the Lord.
4. Sometimes the Father prunes the productive branches more than the unproductive because He wants them to produce even more.