1. Examples of Patient Endurance (12:1-3)
The “great cloud of witnesses” are the Old Testament saints of chapter eleven acknowledged by God because of their constancy of faith. It is better to understand these witnesses as examples whose lives are to be viewed by the runners rather than spectators watching the runners. Verses two through three provide a superior example of faithful endurance. Having obtained a greater witness of enduring faithfulness, the believers are to consider the endurance of Jesus who believed unto death the Father’s promises. Jesus did not waiver in the face of such active opposition against Him. In times of trial, Jesus provides the community with a rich example of courage and hope that they may not “grow weary” or “fainthearted.”
2. Chastening as Evidence of Sonship (12:4-13)
Verse one gives proof of the Epistle not being written to believers in Jerusalem. Believers in the Jerusalem church had experienced martyrdom where this community had not. In this section God’s “discipline” is not punishment for any wrong doing within the community. Rather, the citation of Proverbs 3:11-12 assign love as the motivation for God’s discipline. God’s loving discipline is a sign of sonship: He disciplines those he loves (v. 7). Verses nine and ten argue once again from the lesser to the greater: if our earthly fathers disciplined us than how much more should our heavenly Father? Like the prize awarded to the runner who endures (cf. Hebrews 12:2), those who endure God’s discipline– though presently painful– receive the prize of peaceful righteousness. The readers are encouraged to endure the training of God’s discipline to attain the promise (vv.12-13).
3. The Fifth and Final Warning: Don’t Deny (12:14-29)
This final warning section begins with commands to encourage each other and to seek peace and holiness (v. 12-14). These commands are necessary for the community to foster an environment where “bitter roots” cannot cause others to apostatize resulting in a forfeiture of God’s grace; their future salvation. Verse sixteen provides a description of the apostate spoken of in the previous verse. Like Esau, the apostate is one who rejects God’s blessing to pursue earthly things even at the expense of the promised inheritance. Anyone who willingly rejects the promise has no means of receiving it again: it is eternally forfeit (v.16).
Turning from admonition to exposition verses eighteen through twenty-four illustrates what the readers will forfeit by remaining dull and stagnant. He does this by contrasting Israel’s terrorizing encounter with God at Mount Sinai and their future Mount Zion encounter with God (v. 22-24). This encounter will be one covered with the blessing of forgiveness. Those who endure faithfully stand to experience Mount Zion but the apostate will experience the unapproachable terror of Mount Sinai.
In verse twenty-five the speaker is sternly warning the readers not to reject God thereby rejecting a Mount Zion encounter. An argument from the lesser to greater is used once more: if wilderness disobedience brought such great judgment than how much more judgment comes upon those who reject Jesus? The community is reminded of Jesus’ imminent return and future judgment of heaven and earth. This future shaking of the earth will be far greater than the one experienced at Mount Sinai and will precede the establishing of an eternal Kingdom that cannot be shaken. Because those within the community stand to inherit so great a kingdom they are to respond today with gratitude and worship acceptable to God (cf. Hebrews 13:1-5).
The “great cloud of witnesses” are the Old Testament saints of chapter eleven acknowledged by God because of their constancy of faith. It is better to understand these witnesses as examples whose lives are to be viewed by the runners rather than spectators watching the runners. Verses two through three provide a superior example of faithful endurance. Having obtained a greater witness of enduring faithfulness, the believers are to consider the endurance of Jesus who believed unto death the Father’s promises. Jesus did not waiver in the face of such active opposition against Him. In times of trial, Jesus provides the community with a rich example of courage and hope that they may not “grow weary” or “fainthearted.”
2. Chastening as Evidence of Sonship (12:4-13)
Verse one gives proof of the Epistle not being written to believers in Jerusalem. Believers in the Jerusalem church had experienced martyrdom where this community had not. In this section God’s “discipline” is not punishment for any wrong doing within the community. Rather, the citation of Proverbs 3:11-12 assign love as the motivation for God’s discipline. God’s loving discipline is a sign of sonship: He disciplines those he loves (v. 7). Verses nine and ten argue once again from the lesser to the greater: if our earthly fathers disciplined us than how much more should our heavenly Father? Like the prize awarded to the runner who endures (cf. Hebrews 12:2), those who endure God’s discipline– though presently painful– receive the prize of peaceful righteousness. The readers are encouraged to endure the training of God’s discipline to attain the promise (vv.12-13).
3. The Fifth and Final Warning: Don’t Deny (12:14-29)
This final warning section begins with commands to encourage each other and to seek peace and holiness (v. 12-14). These commands are necessary for the community to foster an environment where “bitter roots” cannot cause others to apostatize resulting in a forfeiture of God’s grace; their future salvation. Verse sixteen provides a description of the apostate spoken of in the previous verse. Like Esau, the apostate is one who rejects God’s blessing to pursue earthly things even at the expense of the promised inheritance. Anyone who willingly rejects the promise has no means of receiving it again: it is eternally forfeit (v.16).
Turning from admonition to exposition verses eighteen through twenty-four illustrates what the readers will forfeit by remaining dull and stagnant. He does this by contrasting Israel’s terrorizing encounter with God at Mount Sinai and their future Mount Zion encounter with God (v. 22-24). This encounter will be one covered with the blessing of forgiveness. Those who endure faithfully stand to experience Mount Zion but the apostate will experience the unapproachable terror of Mount Sinai.
In verse twenty-five the speaker is sternly warning the readers not to reject God thereby rejecting a Mount Zion encounter. An argument from the lesser to greater is used once more: if wilderness disobedience brought such great judgment than how much more judgment comes upon those who reject Jesus? The community is reminded of Jesus’ imminent return and future judgment of heaven and earth. This future shaking of the earth will be far greater than the one experienced at Mount Sinai and will precede the establishing of an eternal Kingdom that cannot be shaken. Because those within the community stand to inherit so great a kingdom they are to respond today with gratitude and worship acceptable to God (cf. Hebrews 13:1-5).
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