Hebrews 12)
1 Wherefore seeing we also having so great a throng of witnesses surrounding us (see John 1:7. Whose lives witness to power of faith. See 1 Thess. 4:17. The great mystery of God. To cover, to hide something you can't see. Prime root is a covert act to the positive. Cp. Esau and Jacob. Not everyone sees it. They are not stupid in the Word, they are stupid about God's word and God's acts.), laying aside every weight, and the sin which does so easily beset us (anything that will slow you down), and let us run through patient continuance (Endurance. See 13:7) the race that is set before us, (Gr. agon. The word means the place of assembly, and then the games witnessed, and then any contest, &c. The Greek word from which "witness" is translated in this verse is "martus". Our English word martyr also comes from this word. That means this large number [cloud] of witnesses are willing to die rather than change their belief or faith. Remember, only 2 will die, but the other would be most certainly willing. They won't draw back, because they are servants of the living God. They aren't plaing church. Don't forget, you must worship Him in spirit and truth.You must be willing to put it all on the line for Him. Are you prepared to run the race that is before us and never quit? This is a spiritual race Paul speaks of. Are you in training?)
2 Looking away from [these witnesses] to Jesus the Author (see 2;10 and Acts 3;15) and Perfecter of our faith (He stands at the head of the train of faith's heroes, and alone brought faith to perfection. God is always on time and on the mercy seat); who for the joy that was set before Him patiently endured a cross, despising shame, and is set down on the right hand of the throne of God. (The charge is to look away from the witness of the past to Him Who is the faithful and true Witness [Rev. 3:14]. See Matt. 18:16. Jesus, the Beginning and the end, enduring suffering and humiliation on the cross for you.)
3 For consider Him that has endured such contradiction by sinners against Himself, in order that you not be wearied fainting in your souls. (There will be those who mock you. So What! Anytime you begin to think things are too difficult, think back on what Christ did for you on the cross.)
4 You have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. (Christ did. The Lords example is set before them. Hitherto they had to endure spoliation and shameful treatment, but not martyrdom. This is in favor of the early date of the Epistle. The words "not yet" suggest a time before the persecution under Nero, which began 65 A.D. and lasted till his death 68 A.D.)
F S 5-11. Duty to endure chastisement. S 12-24. Counsels and encouragements.
S1 q1 5. Chastening not to be despised.
r1 6. Proof of love.
q2 7. A mark of sonship. Positive.
r2 8. The lack of it. Negative.
q3 9-. Submission to earthly fathers.
r3 -9. Much more to Father of spirits.
q4 10-. The earthly fathers as they taught well.
r4 -10. The Heavenly Father for our profit.
q5 11-. Chastening for the present grievous.
r5 -11. The fruits afterwards.
5 And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to children, "My son, despise not you the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when you are rebuked of Him: (See Prov. 3:11,12. Pray for it and kiss the paddle. God only chastises those He loves If God still will rebuke you, you might have big plans and your airbag got flattened.)
6 "For whom the Lord loves he chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives." (See Rev. 10. He wants you to be strong.)
7 If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chastens not? (The father that doesn't correct his children doesn't really love them.)
8 But if you be without chastening, whereof all have become partakers, then are you bastards (i.e. fictitious), and not sons. (If God doesn't correct you, He doesn't feel you are part of His family.)
9 Moreover we had fathers of our flesh as correctors, and we gave reverence:
shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of spirits (cp. Num. 16:22. Job 33:4. Ecc. 12;7. Isa. 42:5. Zech. 12:1. Here not "angels" as some interpret, but the new-created spirits of His 'sons'), and live? (Worship Him in Spirit and truth. Humble yourselves before Christ and live eternally.)
10 For they verily for a few days chastened us according as it seemed good to them;
but He for that which is profitable, to the end that we might be partakers of His holiness.
11 Now no chastening for the present seems to be of joy, but of grief:
nevertheless afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to them which are exercised by it. (God corrects you for your own benefit. Chastening hurts; however, the results are worthwhile.)
S2 s1 12,13. The weak to be helped.
t1 14-. Peace with all.
s2 -14. Holiness essential.
t2 15-. Watching against failure.
s3 -15. The defiling defect of bitterness.
t3 16,17. The warning of Esau's disappointment.
s4 18,19. The terribleness of Sinai.
t4 20,21. Its threatening of death.
s5 22,23. The blessedness of the heavenly Jerusalem.
t5 24. Its promise of life.
12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the palsied knees; (See Luke 5:18; 13:13. Acts 15:16.)
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. (You can't run the race to the best of your ability with your hands hanging down. The straight path is God's Word. Don't allow your path to be cluttered with other things. Be prepared to help your brothers and sisters that turn away from the straight path.)
14 Pursue peace with all men,
and holiness, without which no one shall see the Lord: (Pursue peace. The opposite of peace is confusion.)
15 Looking diligently lest any one fail from the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness germinating up trouble you,
and thereby many be defiled; (When you allow a root of bitterness to spring up in you, your whole family and others suffer. Doubt and jealousy are primary causes of those roots of biterness. Nip them in the bud. Serving our Father is much too important to allow them to grow.)
16 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. (The word fornicator in the Geek means a male prostitute. That is exactly what Father thinks of those that are willing to sell that which He has given them.)
17 For you know how that afterward also, wishing to inherit the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance (repentance means a change of mind, and Esau sought to change his father's mind), having sought carefully with tears. (Esau didn't seek repentance from almighty God. His tears were to his earthly father.)
18 For you are not come to the mount that was touched (see Ex. 19:16-19), and (note the 6 "ands" in vv.18,19) that burned with fire, and a thick cloud, and darkness (see 2 Pet. 2:4,17 Jude 6,13), and tempest,
19 And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard entreated that the word should not be added to them any more: (They couldn't handle hearing the voice of God. As a result, He gave us the Living Word, Jesus Christ.)
20 (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as [a man, or] a beast touch the mountain, [if a man] he shall be stoned, or [if a beast] thrust through with a dart: (See 19:13.)
21 And so terrible was the spectacle, that Moses said, "I am fearful and quaking:") (See Acts 7:32. Moses himself shook in fear at the sound of God's voice.)
22 But you are come to mount Zion, and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem (cp. Gal. 4:26. Rev. 3:12; 21:2,10), and to an myriads of angels,
23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn ones, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men perfected, (The standpoint is from "the glory" as in Rom. 8:30. The names of the elect are written in heaven. Do you worship in spirit? Do you know that an innumerable company of angels is there even though you can't see them?)
24 And to Jesus the Mediator of a new covenant (see Matt. 26:28), and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaks better things than that of Abel. (Abel's blood brought vengeance. The blood of Christ brought peace, grace and unmerited favor. It brings salvation. In verses 18-14 seven statements are set forth as to the Old Covenant dispensation, followed by 10 of the New. Together 17. 17 = the perfection of spiritual order.)
25 See that you refuse not Him that speaks. For if they escaped not who refused Him that spoke on earth, much more shall not we escape, who turn away from Him that speaks from heaven:
26 Whose voice then shook the earth: but now He has promised, saying, "Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but the heaven also. (He shook one age, He's going to shake another [i.e. rudiments, evil]. See Hag. 2:6,7. The time for this is in the not to distant future. Father will destroy he evil element with fervent heat as it is recorded in 2 Pet. 3:10. Not one hair will be harmed of those who worship God in spirit and truth.You are a servant who is willing and ready to witness.)
27 And this word, "Yet once more," signifies the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, in order that those things which are not to be shaken may remain. (Can you be shaken? We already have the victory. There is no reason for you to fear anything or anybody, when you stand on the side of the Living God.)
28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom immovable, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly reverence: (It won't be necessary to shake the heavens and the earth after the next shaking. All evil and negative will be destroyed with fervent heat.)
29 For our God is a consuming fire. (Warms or burns. From. Deut. 4:24. Cp. Ex. 24:7. Pss. 50:3; 97:3. 2 Thess. 1:8,&c. That fire is the Holy Spirit that warms your very soul. That fire burns those that are in perdition. God expects serious witnesses that aren't playing church. He is seeking those who worship Him in spirit and in truth.)