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Colonizing the Creation
The Messianic/Jewish believers of the first century were God’s chosen ones to lead Israel forward into His purpose. The heroes of faith from previous generations had obtained good testimonies as they lived for Him. But they had not come into the fullness of His promise because Messiah had not yet come. But now He had risen, ascended to the throne, and was presently revealing the next phase of His unfolding kingdom.
Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses (Greek, MARTUS – those who bear witness to the truth) surrounding (Greek, PERIKEIMAI – placed around, or placed concerning) us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.
Even as the believers of past generations had run the race set before them, so now the followers of Christ were to hear His voice, believe in Him, and keep pace with Him in theirs.
While most speak of the past saints as now surrounding Christ’s Church as spectators in a heavenly stadium, such an interpretation of the Greek words can lead to some problems. If they are in fact watching us run, then maybe we should look for them and even, as some already teach, talk to them. But Scripture does not teach us to communicate with the saints of past generations. Besides, there is another way to translate the Greek word PERIKEIMAI. KEIMAI – to be placed, laid down, set. And PERI – around, concerning, or pertaining to. In other words, the writer to the Hebrews seems to be saying that the saints of past generations were placed pertaining to or concerning us.
The thought here is not that they are now witnessing us run our race but that they had born witness to the truth in their generation and that God had set them strategically in place in His eternal purpose specifically concerning the generation(s) to come. As a result, the Messianic believers of the first century, the ones to whom the Book of Hebrews was written, were now carrying the baton once held in the hands of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses and the others listed in Chapter 11 (See also 1Peter 1:10 - 12).
And all those of past generations ran concerning us today; the baton has now been placed in our hands. And our race must contribute to the generation(s) to come so that they may go beyond us in their pursuit of God’s purpose. Here is one way in which the Lord turns the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to the fathers (Malachi 4:5 - 6). And also, in our own day, if Israel is not yet jealous of what God is doing among the nations (Romans 11:11), then should we not press on diligently in the knowledge of Him, laying aside all extraneous weights and all sinful practices so that those coming behind us may be helped and not hindered as Heaven’s footrace unfolds before them in the coming years? How are we to do this?
fixing our eyes on (Greek, APHORAO – to look away from all else at) Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Some teach that we are not to live by our faith but by Jesus’ faith. If they mean the faith that He has authored in us, then of course they are right. But if they mean that Jesus reigning in heaven has or needs faith, that would be questionable. Faith is the evidence of what cannot be seen (Hebrews 11:1). What is it that Jesus cannot see? Is He somehow limited in His vision? Or is He the Lord who knows all? All the fullness of Deity dwells in Him bodily (Colossians 2:9). Certainly, when He walked on earth, He walked in limitation; He lived by faith in His Father. He trusted in Him and perfectly obeyed Him. But it seems that we would diminish Jesus today by speaking of Him as one who needs faith. Rather, let us recognize Him as the author and perfecter of the faith that we have.
One expression of His faith on earth as He ran the race set before Him was how He embraced the cross. Though He obviously did not enjoy it, He did endure it. And not being intimidated by the shame, He despised it, giving it no place in His thinking because He had a certain delight set before Him. At the Father’s right hand, the place of preeminence, there awaited Him fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11).
For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin;
As we focus our attention on our Lord, recognizing the intensity of the sinful opposition that He faced and how He overcame by abiding in His Father’s presence throughout, and then also seeing that very same overcoming Son as presently living His life in us, we can now draw from His eternal power and be strengthened daily in our inner man. And while His warfare against sin brought Him to the shedding of His own blood, our conflict has not yet had this result. And so, like Him, we must daily entrust our souls/our lives into the hands of our God. Here is the essence of spiritual warfare. Because He lived His life in the Father, Jesus was led ultimately to the cross. And Calvary then became the decisive defeat of everything opposed to Heaven’s rule.
Though Satan was certainly involved at the cross, motivating those who hated Christ, yet it was the Father who brought His Son to that confrontation in order to establish His work among men. So also, our main focus in warfare is not the enemy opposing us, but our God abiding in us and leading us into the battle. And there is pain in this process as we encounter failure in our own lives during times of testing/temptation. But it is all part of His disciplinary work in us, motivated by His love for us.
and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, “MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD, NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM;
We usually do both. We tend to regard discipline lightly when we hear about it through the teaching of God’s word. Then when we go through it, we tend to faint. But little by little, we are learning His ways.
FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES.” It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.
Discipline is one mark of sonship and an expression of our Father’s love. Even Jesus the perfect Son walked under the restraint of His Father as He submitted to Joseph and Mary, as He learned the craft of carpentry, and as He supported His mother and brothers after Joseph died. In fact, His whole life was the perfect expression of submission to Heaven and laying His life down for His sheep (John 10:15). The perfect Son was the perfect example of embraced discipline.
We often talk about receiving the Lord, about how those who hear His word must bow and welcome both His word and His presence into their lives. But here the writer wants us to see that not only do we receive Him but that He receives us. And everyone He receives, He disciplines. But it is only as we embrace Him and endure through the process that we actually gain its benefit. Notice in the above passage that while all partake of it yet some are without it. How is that possible? The answer is that we can reject His discipline by justifying our failures when He is exposing them or by blaming others for our pain instead of seeing that He was revealing our hearts when we reacted to them. As a result, we will have experienced something of His discipline without realizing the benefit. On the other hand, because Jesus was the perfect Son, He embraced/endured the cross and stepped victoriously into the next phase of Heaven’s work.
Just as imperfect yet loving parental discipline produces respect in the hearts of children, so also God’s perfect work in us will enable us to partake of His holy character. And though His discipline seems unpleasant, yet it afterwards produces in us the fruit of righteousness (Hebrews 12:9 - 11). When we receive the gift of His righteousness, we become His children. But when He produces in us through His disciplinary work the peaceable fruit of righteousness, we begin to then reflect His character and glory.
But the process can be painful and even sometimes lengthy. So, we need both encouragement from our brethren as well as the heart to also encourage them.
Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed.
The lame limb is the brother or sister who is struggling in the disciplinary process. Their walk before the Lord is falling short and He is helping them to see it. But they are beginning to wonder if it is all worth it. Of course, the enemy of our souls wants to separate them from the rest of God’s people. In being isolated, they become vulnerable to being devoured by attitudes of bitterness, hopelessness, unforgiveness, etc. But if the lame limb is not put out of joint/separated from the brethren, then healing will come. Given enough time, restoration of the human soul will occur through jointed relationships with other Spirit-filled brethren under the oversight of godly elders.
God will make us whole as we walk together with other “plain vanilla” believers. The great need today for professional counselors in Christianity is but a reflection of the disconnected condition of many of God’s people. But if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin (1John 1:7). Lord, draw us together, make us one, and make us whole. Amen.
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