Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
looking unto Jesus.
Heb 12.1
THE RACE
The author likens reaching perfection to running a race, not a quick two-hundred-meter dash but a long, arduous marathon.
Hence, the directive to keep our eyes on the ‘forerunner’ (6.20) not only so we don’t lose our way but also to benefit from the encouragement the runner in front provides. The route to perfection has many challenging obstacles, taxing climbs sapping strength, valleys darkened by the ‘shadow of death’, and stretches of spiritual fervor interspersed with those of cold lethargy. Overall, a grueling race with the path ahead clear at times and obscured at other times. One that has seen many falling at the obstacles already and leave it to opt for the less demanding life of a spectator. But for those determined to finish, the appointed ‘forerunner’ provides all the assistance they need. By looking to Him as their guide, even the weakest can ‘ run with endurance the race’ (12.1).
THE FORERUNNER
Jesus is the appointed front-runner because He has already completed the ‘race’ to perfection (2.10). Not as some argue with the advantage of the divine nature but as an authentic human being (yet without sin) subject to the weaknesses (tiredness, hunger, etc.) ‘vessels of clay’ suffer. The author is emphatic about Christ being tempted ‘in all points’ (4.15) like us, and surely what was more of a trial to His ‘righteous soul’
than any assault we might endure. With most Jews rejecting Him and betrayal by the disciples (even the closest ones), the
opposition and persecution He endured far outweighs any we might suffer. Especially when his suffering included the torment of the Cross and His separation from the Father.
THE AUTHOR AND PERFECTER OF FAITH
Faith is an indispensable ‘ration’ in running this race. True, other rations are needed but faith boosts the courage and tenacity this race demands, traits about to play an even greater role as the finish line nears. What is on the horizon mandates faith must increase (even if yours is strong now) in every believer, especially if it has been static for a long time. Not going from ‘ faith to faith’ (Rom 1.17) should concern anyone.
Yet, if believers in the endtime are not to sink beneath the waves as Peter did (Matt 14.30), faith must be focused on Christ (the forerunner) and ‘His glory’ (2Cor 3.18) and not on the coming ‘storms’. Yes, large waves bringing turmoil to every nation are about to break on every shore, in their wake leaving many traumatized, including not a few believers. Now, you may be an optimist and refuse to consider the threat of bigger ‘storms’, or then again, an ‘ostrich’ living in denial of the ‘signs of the times’. Yet, with these coping mechanisms, you probably still struggle to have faith. No, shutting the eyes to what is coming is not the way to prepare.
Also of concern, the number of believers whose faith is more in their local church, a ‘charismatic’ ministry, or in themselves, with some (chiefly those in the ‘hyper-faith’
movement) even trusting in their faith—they have faith in faith.
With others, faith is in their dedication as a disciple rather than in Christ Himself. Yet, Christ is the only truly ‘faithful one’
and trusting in these surrogates is to build on unstable ground.
Faith must also rest in what is unchanging, namely, in He who is the ‘same yesterday, today and forever’ (Heb 13.8).
Putting faith in what could fluctuate or fail under extreme pressure will leave many disillusioned, with waning
enthusiasm for the things of God. Faith can't even be in a prophetic ‘word of promise’ no matter how sure it seems; it may not eventuate or as we interpret it. (This ‘prop’ can easily disappoint, often for unknown reasons.) Only Christ is ‘fail-safe’, so if your faith is in anything else, save the heartache and put trust where it belongs.
LOOKING TO JESUS
Finally, faith must rest in what is utterly dependable, a quality also found in Christ alone. Yes, at times it is valid to hang onto a ‘word from the Lord’, but faith must first be in Christ’s integrity and ability to bring it to pass and the promise comes second. No matter how certain a ‘word’ appears to be, losing sight of His wonderful character usually means we miss the way forward. An axiom not to be ignored as the outcome of a failed prophetic word has often been real discouragement with waning commitment to the race, enough even to leave it.
Now, when the greek means a ‘gaze that is concentrated’, this
‘looking’ (KJV) (12.2) to Christ with faith (‘ consider’ (NKJV) can't be a fleeting glance. It must be the gaze Paul refers to in the admonishment to ‘ set your mind on things above’ (Col 3.2) or in the exhortation to ‘ consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners…lest you become weary and discouraged’ (12.3).
The focus must also be on Christ because He is the ‘ author of faith’ (12.2). Now, ‘ author’ is a translation of the greek word ‘ archegos’ (Grk, Str 747), but the better rendition is
‘principal leader’—the One who inspires and imparts faith. In other words, Christ is the ‘Joshua’ (the name means, Jehovah saves) who will lead us into the promised land of glory. Praise God, He is also the ‘finisher’ ( 12.2) or ‘perfecter’ of faith as this verse confirms, ‘ Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the
day of Jesus Christ.’ (Phil 1.6). A promise we dare not lose sight of in the days ahead.
Thankfully, the author takes pains to also explain (more than once) how Christ works to perfect faith; essentially, in detailing how it must undergo the trials and tribulations Heaven allows. (If nothing else, trials force us to our knees in prayer to cry out as the disciples, ‘Lord, increase (our) faith’.) Yes, tribulation and suffering can do the opposite, causing a loss of faith and confidence in the Lord. But if we let them, these ‘fiery trials’ (1Pet 1.7) temper faith as fire reinforces steel, and to sidestep them can only be counterproductive. Do not be dismayed, then, when your circumstances include deprivation, opposition, strife, and even sickness (despite receiving ‘the laying on of hands’ or other remedies for healing). All are opportunities for faith to become stronger rather than remain weak and unable to cope with the coming
‘time of trouble’.
I’m sure you realize the relative safety and peace the world enjoys now will not last much longer. Dangerous times lie ahead, times the prophet Jeremiah spoke about in this word from the Lord, ‘If you have run with the footmen and they have wearied you, then how can you contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, in which you trusted, they wearied you, then how will you do in the floodplain of the Jordan?’ (Jer 12.5) When in flood, the Jordan River running through the lush Valley flushed out the lions who then roamed the higher ground, posing a threat to the human inhabitants (Jer 49.19).
Thank God, we are still ‘ running with the footmen’, but it will not always be so, and to heed what the Lord says is wisdom.
The coming turmoil means none can escape the imperative for faith to increase and become strong, even to that seen in the saints who ‘by faith’ ‘subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword,
out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens’ (11.33, 34). If you ask does God expect new covenant believers to do comparable if not greater exploits than theirs—it could well be! Don’t be surprised, then, if Heaven doesn’t answer your prayers for the removal of a ‘thorn in the flesh’ (2Cor 12.17) even after months or years of pleading. As far as God is concerned, the faith derived from such divine agents is more important than relief from suffering. This imperative for faith to increase, then, is not a matter to ignore, especially when, in a final witness to the ungodly, believers with ‘great faith’ forged in trials will be needed to manifest ‘ peace, joy and righteousness' (Rom 14.17) of the Kingdom. It is wisdom, then, to admit to a lack of faith.
OUR APOSTLE
‘Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle…of our confession, Christ Jesus’
(3.1). As the ‘perfector’ of faith, Christ is also its apostle, i.e.,
'special messenger’. While the focus of faith must be on His character and ability, it also grows ‘by hearing…the word of God' (Rom 10.17); the living words (‘rhema’ Grk) of Christ heard by spiritual ears through the personal reading of Scripture, from direct inspiration to the heart, or when a prophet, preacher, or teacher delivers the thoughts of Heaven.
Faith-boosting ‘words’ to become even more consequential as we near the end.
But more than the need to hear these ‘rhema words’ is the mandate to heed them. These Hebrew believers were failing to heed the ‘present truth’ (2Pet 1.12) Christ and the apostles had spoken, a lapse the author puts down to them falling into the trap of focusing on the messengers—angels and O.T. prophets.
With so many believers fixated on who God uses to speak a
‘word’ from heaven, we have an identical problem today. Take note: no matter how illustrious or miraculous their ministry,
these mouthpieces for the Lord are but ‘trumpets’ on His lips.
In truth, not much different from the angels who as
‘ ministering spirits, (are) sent forth to minister for…the heirs of salvation’ (1.14). Looking to Him is the wiser choice.
To complete the fulfillment of the ‘Blowing of Trumpets’
(it began with Jesus’ ministry), Heaven will raise other prophetic voices to ‘trumpet’ even more significant ‘words’; in the main, to create faith in the ‘remnant believers’. Yet when such ‘words’ can also be ‘living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit’ (4.12), they will be ‘trumpeted’ to ‘ cleanse and sanctify’
the church (Eph 5.26-27). Unless these ‘words’ can pierce the hearts of believers, Christ will not have the ‘bride’ without
‘spot or wrinkle’ ( Eph 5.27), destined to rule with Him.
Now, what is written above calls for a word of caution, namely this: not every ‘word’ spoken by those claiming to be a prophet is to be ‘swallowed’. Before accepting a prophecy, believers must ‘test all things’ (1Thes 5.21) to determine if it is genuinely from Heaven; an important caveat concerning prophets and prophecy when there is an explicit warning about those in the endtimes who will lead astray with ‘damnable heresies' (2Pet 2.1). That, plus the problem of so many believing they have this gifting mandate it is critical to be aware of the danger of ‘prophets’ with false prophecies.
Now, as these trials increase in severity, the temptation will grow stronger to harden the heart and rebel against these divine exhortations and, therefore, it is important to stress how critical it is for believers to obey these ‘living words’ and not merely hear them. Hence, the author’s warning, ‘ Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, In the day of trial in the wilderness, where your fathers tested Me, tried Me’ (3.7).
To sum up: as divinely chosen vessels ‘trumpet’ the final warnings for the end of the age, it will be crucial to have ‘an
ear to hear what the Spirit says’ (Rev 2.11); an ‘ ear to hear’
gained by listening to the ‘still small voice’ of the Holy Spirit by spending time (often, much time) in prayer before the Lord.
Sadly, too many believers now are like disobedient children ( dull of hearing’ (5.11), their ears closed to correction. Tragic really, as they will not be able to blame anyone but themselves when reaping the consequences for their stubborn stance. Do not be misled, rebelling against the ‘trumpet calls’, or even being slow to respond, will not go unpunished; the bible has ample warnings about the outcome of such disregard.
OUR GREAT SHEPHERD
Though difficult times lie ahead, our ‘great Shepherd’
( 13.20 ) will take us through them; Christ as the ‘good shepherd’ ( Jhn 10.11) will guide ‘our feet into the way of peace’ (Lk 1.79). These first-century believers pined for Moses, the ‘shepherd’ who led Israel through the wilderness, and though he served as one ‘ faithful in His entire house’ (3.2), Christ is the far superior shepherd. Moses' ministry was commendable, but it cannot compare to Christ’s, and the same applies to pastors, leaders, teachers, or other ‘servants’ of God today. For no matter how wonderful the help they give, it pales in comparison to what Jesus offers in reaching the goal of perfection. No human ‘shepherd’ can provide the guidance, counsel, and care He gives as a believer passes through the
‘ valley of the shadow of death’ and needs ‘ rest(oration) for (their) soul’. As long as there is the desire to walk in ‘paths of righteousness’, He will supply all they need, even ‘in the presence of enemies’. (Ps 23). Now, this is not to suggest
‘under-shepherds’ are unnecessary as they give much help and guidance. But to rely on them rather than on Christ cannot be wisdom.
OUR COMMANDER
The author also contrasts the ministry of Jesus with that of Joshua, another revered figure in Israel. And though Joshua was the successful commander in the wars against the tribes opposing possession of Canaan, he could not bring Israel into divine ‘rest’. What the nation possessed is a shadow of the true
‘rest’ the church will enjoy in the ‘land of plenty’ where all striving and ‘works of the flesh’ cease. Christ alone can bring us into this divine ‘rest’ and why He appeared to Joshua as the
‘ commander of the Lord’s army’ (Josh 5.14) . His wisdom and military skill ensure victory over every threat to entering the
‘land’ of glory.
OUR HIGH PRIEST
A believer must also look to Christ as their heavenly High Priest, one with a ministry more excellent than the Aaronic priesthood. When His ‘blood of the everlasting covenant’
(13.20) cleanses from the guilt of all sin, a believer can ‘ draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience’ ( 10.22 ). Moreover, His atoning ‘blood’ not only frees from the ‘penalty’ or guilt of sin, it will (eventually) deliver from its ‘power’. Indeed, because the Cross secured the defeat of the sin principle working with death, humanity’s nemesis and ‘last enemy’
(1Cor 15.26) will also be overcome. At present, a victory over death that is legal and partial, freeing only the human spirit of a believer. But when the typology of the ‘Day of Atonement’ is interpreted correctly, it more than verifies believers can expect the ‘law of sin and death’ will be fully annulled before this age ends. Why? Because the atonement secured by the High Priest for sin on that ‘Day’ was not complete unless the ‘scapegoat’
was released into the wilderness with the nation’s sin imputed to it. In other words, it foreshadows the removal of sin—and therefore death—from a company of believers in the endtimes.
And since these are no longer subject to the ‘law of sin and death’, they also reach the goal of perfection.
O.T. High Priests were to show mercy and compassion to the ‘ignorant going astray’ (5.2), and Aaron and those after him no doubt did their best to fulfill this role. But with much stronger temptations posing a threat to believers in the future, the need for this mercy will be much greater. Critical to this, then, will be Christ’s ministry as the ‘High Priest’ who can tenderly 'sympathize with weaknesses’ (4.15) and cleanse the guilt, shame, and despair. Hence, no matter how erring and weak a believer has been, nothing should stop them from coming boldly to the throne to ‘obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need’ (4.16). As a genuine human in heaven, our High Priest is well aware of every weakness we are subject to and there is no believer He will not extend mercy towards.