If the Apostle Paul were alive today he would be a huge sports fan. Why? because several athletic references in his letters indicate his interest in sports. Of course, both the Greeks and Romans were keenly interested in athletic contests, not only for their physical well-being, but also for the honor of their towns and countries. It was a patriotic thing to be a good athlete and to bring glory to your country. The writer of Hebrews combined these two themes of athletics and citizenship in this important twelfth chapter. First the writer pictures the race, and then emphasizes citizenship in the heavenly city. In the minds of his readers, these two themes would go together; for no one could take part in the official games unless he was a citizen of the nation. The one theme that runs through this chapter is endurance. The Jewish believers who received this letter were getting weary and wanted to give up; but the writer encouraged them to keep moving forward in their Christian lives. He pointed out three divine resources that encouraged a Christian to keep going when the situation is difficult.

Today we are going to look at the first resource; the example of the Son of God. There are three approaches that are used in these verses (vv. 1-4) to encourage us in the Christian race. Look around at the winners (v. 1a): “The great cloud of witnesses” was introduced in Hebrews 11. They are the heroes of the faith that bear witness to us that God can see us through. God bore witness to them and they are bearing witness now to us. One of the best ways to develop endurance and encouragement is to get to know the godly men and women of the Old Testament who ran the race and won.

Look at yourself (v. 1b): A baseball player who swings a bat with a heavy metal collar on it before he steps to the plate helps him prepare for the fast pitches. Too much weight would tax one’s endurance. What are the “weights” that we should remove so that we might win the race; everything that hinders our progress? They might be even “good things” in the eyes of others. A winning athlete does not choose between the good and the bad; he chooses between the better and the best. We should also get rid of “the sin that so easily entangles” (v.1). While he does not name any specific sin, the writer was probably referring to the sin of unbelief. It is unbelief that hinders us from entering into our spiritual inheritance in Christ. The phrase “by faith” is used twenty-one times in Hebrews 11, indicating that it is faith in Christ that enables us to endure.

Look at Jesus Christ (vv. 2-4): “Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith.” It was in “looking to Him” that we were saved, for to look means “to trust.” “Looking unto Jesus” describes an attitude of faith and not just a single act. When our Lord was here on earth, He lived by faith. The mystery of His divine and human natures is too profound for us to understand fully, but we do know that He had to trust His Father in heaven as He lived day by day. The fact that Jesus prayed is evidence that He lived by faith. Our Lord endured far more than did any of the heroes of faith named in Hebrews 11, and therefore He is a perfect example for us to follow.

What was it that enabled our Lord to endure the cross? Please keep in mind that, during His ministry on earth, our Lord did not use His divine powers for His own personal needs. Satan tempted Him to do this (Matt. 4:1-4), but Jesus refused. It was our Lord’s faith that enabled Him to endure. He kept the eye of faith on “the joy that was set before Him.” He knew that He would come out of the tomb alive. Throughout this epistle, the writer emphasized the importance of the future hope. His readers were prone to look back and wanted to go back, but he encouraged them to follow Christ’s example and look ahead by faith. Since Christ is the “author and finisher of our faith,” trusting Him releases His power in our lives. Christ is both the exemplar and the enabler! As we see Him in the Word and yield to His Spirit, He increases our faith and enables us to run the race.

Hebrews 12:1-4 Reflection Questions:

Have you ever wanted to give up when the life gets really difficult? How did you handle it?

During hard times (financial, physical, illness, etc.), what do you look to for encouragement?

Which of the three approaches do you lean towards? Can you see the need for all three?

Abel – faith worshiping (v. 4): Abel was a righteous man because of faith (Matt. 23:35). God had revealed to Adam and his descendants the true way of worship, and Abel obeyed God by faith. In fact, his obedience cost him his life. Abel speaks to us today as the first martyr of the faith.

Enoch – faith walking (vv. 5-6): Our faith in God grows as we fellowship with God. We must have both the desire to please Him and the diligence to seek Him. Prayer, meditating on the Word, worship, and discipline; all these help us in our walk with God. Enoch walked with God in the wicked world, before the Flood came; he was able to keep his life pure.

Noah – faith working (v. 7): Noah’s faith involved the whole person: his mind was warned of God; his heart was moved with fear; and his will acted on what God told him. Noah’s faith influenced his whole family and they were saved. It also condemned the whole world, for his faith revealed their unbelief. Events proved that Noah was right!

The patriarchs – faith waiting (vv. 8-22): The emphasis in these verses is on the promise of God and His plans for the nation of Israel. God promised Abraham and Sarah a son, but they had to wait twenty-five years for the fulfillment of the promise. Their son Isaac became the father of Jacob and Esau, and it was Jacob who really built the nation through the birth of his twelve sons. Joseph saved the nation in the land of Egypt, and Moses would later deliver them from Egypt. We have to admire the faith of the patriarchs. They did not have a complete Bible and yet their faith was strong. They handed God’s promises down from one generation to another. In spite of their failures and testing’s, these men and women believed God and He bore witness to their faith. How much more faith you and I should have!

Moses – faith warring (vv. 23-29): Three great themes relating to faith are seen in the life of Moses. First, the refusal of faith (vv. 24-25); Moses could have led an easy life in the palace, but his faith moved him to refuse that kind of life. He chose to identify with God’s suffering people. True faith causes a believer to hold the right values and make right decisions. Moses’ refusal of faith led to the reproach of faith (v. 26a). Moses left the palace life and never went back to that life. He identified with Jewish slaves. Men and women of faith often have to bear reproach and suffering. Finally, there is the reward of faith (vv. 26b-29). God always rewards true faith, if not immediately, at least ultimately. The faith of Moses was rewarded with deliverance for him and his people. Faith brings us out (v. 28), take us through (v. 29), and brings us in (v. 30). When we trust God, we get what God can do; but when we trust ourselves, we get only what weak people do. The experience of Moses is proof that true biblical faith means obeying God in spite of circumstances and in spite of consequences.

Joshua and Rahab – faith winning (vv. 30-31): The account of the conquest of Jericho is found in Joshua 2-6. From a human point of view, Jericho was an impossible city to conquer. Joshua’s first act of faith was not the defeat of the city, but the crossing of the Jordan River. By faith, the nation crossed the river just as the previous generation had crossed the Red Sea. This was a witness and a warning to the Canaanite nations that Israel was marching forward by the power of God. Rahab was a harlot, an unlikely person to put faith in the true God of Israel. She was saved by grace, because the other inhabitants of the city were marked of death. God in His mercy and grace permitted Rahab to live. But she was saved by faith. She was saved unto good works. True faith must always show itself in good works (James 2:20-26).

Not only was Rahab delivered from judgment, but she became a part of the nation of Israel. She married Salmon and gave birth to Boaz who was an ancestor of King David. Imagine a pagan harlot becoming a part of the ancestry of Jesus Christ! That is what faith can do! Rahab is certainly a rebuke to unsaved people who give excuses for not trusting Christ. “I don’t understand very much of the Bible; I’m too bad to be saved; what will my family think?” are some of the excuses I often hear. Rahab knew very little spiritual truth, but she acted on what she did know. Rahab was a condemned heathen harlot! Rahab’s first concern was saving her family, not opposing them. She stands as one of the great women of faith in the Bible.

Various heroes of faith (vv. 32-40): Faith can operate in the life of any person who will dare to listen to God’s Word and surrender to God’s will. Gideon was a frightened farmer whose faith did not grow strong right away (Jud. 6:11-7:25). Barak was a resounding victory over Sisera, but he needed Deborah the prophetess as his helper to assure him (Jud. 4:1-5:31). Both Gideon and Barak are encouragements to us who falter in our faith. It’s not possible for us to examine each example of faith, and even the writer of Hebrews stopped citing names after he mentioned David and Samuel, who were great men of faith.

Man’s estimate of these heroes of faith was a low one; so men persecuted them, arrested them, tortured them, and in some cases killed them. But God’s estimate is entirely different. He said that the world was not worthy of these people. Faith enables us to turn from the approval of the world and seek only the approval of God. If God is glorified by delivering His people, He will do it. If He sees fit to be glorified by not delivering His people, then He will do that. But we must never conclude that the absence of deliverance means a lack of faith on part of God’s children. Faith looks to the future, for that is where the greatest rewards are found. “Without faith it is impossible to please God” (v. 6). But this kind of faith grows as we listen to His Word (Rom. 10:17) and fellowship in worship and prayer. Faith is possible to all kinds of believers in all kinds of situations. It is not a luxury for a few “elite saints.” It is a necessity for all of God’s people. Lord, increase our faith!

Hebrews 11:4-40 Reflection Questions:

Where in the gospels does Jesus use Noah’s experience to warn people to be ready for His return?

Which of the patriarch’s faith do you admire the most?

How much do you trust in God versus trusting in yourself?

What are some of your excuses for not trusting Christ fully?

This chapter introduces the final section of the epistle (Heb. 11-13) which I like to call “The Superior Principle – Faith.” The fact that Christ is a superior Person and that He exercises a superior Priesthood ought to encourage us to put our trust in Him. The readers of this epistle were being tempted to go back into Judaism and put their faith in Moses. Their confidence was in the visible things of this world, not the invisible realities of God. Instead of going on to perfection (maturity), they were going “back to perdition [waste]” In Hebrews 11 all Christians are called to live by faith. In it, the writer discusses two important topics relating to faith.

This is not a definition of faith but a description of what faith does and how it works. True Bible faith is not blind optimism or a manufactured “hope-so” feeling. Neither is it an intellectual assent to a doctrine. It’s certainly not believing in spite of the evidence! That would be superstition. True Bible faith is confident obedience to God’s Word in spite of circumstances and consequences. Read that sentence again and let it soak into your heart and mind.

This faith operates really quite simply. God speaks and we hear His Word. We trust His Word and act on it no matter what the circumstances may be. The circumstances may be impossible, and the consequences frightening and unknown; but we obey God’s Word just the same and believe Him to do what is right and what is best.

The unsaved world does not understand true Bible Faith, probably because it sees so little faith in action in the church today. The world fails to realize that faith is only as good as its object, and the object of our faith is God. Faith is not some “feeling” that we manufacture. It is our total response to what God has revealed in His Word. There are three words in verses 1-3 that summarize what true Bible faith is: substance, evidence, and witness.

The word translated “substance” means literally “to stand under, to support.” Faith is to a Christian what a foundation is to a house: it gives confidence and assurance that he will stand. The word evidence simply means “conviction.” This is the inward conviction from God that what He has promised He will perform. Witness is an important word in Hebrews 11. It occurs not only in verse 2, but twice in verse 4, once in verse 5, and once in verse 39. The summary in Hebrews 12:1 calls this list of men and women “so great a cloud of witnesses.” They are witnesses to us because God witnessed to them. In each example cited, God gave witness to that person’s faith. This witness was His divine approval on their lives and ministries.

The writer of Hebrews makes it clear that faith is a very practical thing (v. 3), in spite of what unbelievers say. Faith enables us to understand what God does. Faith enables us to see what others cannot see. As a result, faith enables us to do what others cannot do! The best way to grow in faith is to walk with the faithful.

Hebrews 11:1-3 Reflection Questions:

How much confidence are you putting in the visible things of this world versus the invisible kingdom of God?

Are you obedient to God’s Word regardless of the consequences and circumstances?

Journal on what and when God‘s divine approval on your life and ministry has been to built your faith.

How could reading the Bible daily build your faith? Do you?

No Old Covenant worshiper would have been bold enough to try to enter the holy of holies in the tabernacle. Even the high priest entered the holy of holies only once a year. The thick veil that separated the holy place from the holy of holies was a barrier between people and God. Only the death of Christ could tear that veil and open the way into the heavenly sanctuary where God dwells.

A gracious invitation (vv. 19-25): “Let us draw near…Let us hold fast…Let us consider one another.” This threefold invitation hinges on our boldness to enter into the holiest. This boldness rests on the finished work of Christ; on the Day of Atonement, the high priest could not enter the holy of holies unless he had the blood sacrifice. But our entrance into God’s presence is not because of an animal’s blood but because of Christ’s shed blood. This open way into God’s presence is “new” and not part of the Old Covenant that “grows old and is ready to vanish away”. It is “living” because Christ “ever lives to make intercession” for us. Christ is the new and living way! On the basis of these assurances – that we have boldness to enter because we have a living High Priest – we have an “open invitation” to enter the presence of God. The Old Covenant high priest visited the holy of holies once a year, but we are invited to dwell in the presence of God every moment of each day. What a tremendous privilege!

A solemn exhortation (vv. 26-31): This is the fourth of the five exhortations found in Hebrews. It is written to believers and follows in sequence with the other exhortations. The believer who begins to drift from the Word will soon start to doubt the Word. Soon, he will become dull toward the Word and become “lazy” in his spiritual life. This will result in despising the Word, which is the theme of this exhortation. The evidence of this “despising” is willful sin. This exhortation is not dealing with one particular act of sin, but with an attitude that leads to repeated disobedience. How does an arrogant attitude affect a believer’s relationship with God? It is as though he trods Jesus Christ underfoot, cheapens the precious blood that saved him and insults the Holy Spirit.

What should a believer do who has drifted away into spiritual doubt and dullness and is deliberately despising God’s Word? He should turn to God for mercy and forgiveness. There is no other sacrifice for sin, but the sacrifice Christ made is sufficient for all sins. It is a fearful thing to fall into the Lord’s hands for chastening, but it is a wonderful thing to fall into His hands for cleansing and restoration. David said, “Let me fall now into the hand of the Lord; for very great are His mercies” (1 Chron. 21:13).

An encouraging confirmation (vv. 32-39): In case any of his readers should misinterpret his exhortation, the writer followed it with words of encouragement and confirmation. His readers had given every evidence that they were true Christians. He did not expect them to despise God’s Word and experience the chastening of God. The readers had been willing to suffer reproach and persecution, even to the spoiling of their goods. At that time they had great confidence and hope; but now they were in danger of casting away that confidence and going back into their old religion.

The secret of victory was in their faith and patience (“courageous endurance”). The believer who lives by faith will “go into perfection”. But the believer who lives by sight will “draw back unto perdition”. What is perdition in this context? To put it simply; a believer who does not walk by faith goes back into the old ways and wastes his life. “The saving of the soul” is the opposite of “waste”; to walk by faith means to obey God’s Word and live for Jesus Christ. We lose our lives for His sake – but we save them (see Matt. 16:25-27)! We can be confident, as we walk by faith, that our Great High Priest will guide us and perfect us!

Hebrews 10:19-39 Reflection Questions:

What is the gospel verse that talks about the tearing of the veil between the holy place and the holy of holies at Christ’s death?

What does it mean to you to dwell in the presence of God every moment of each day? Do you do it?

The major theme of Hebrews is “God has spoken – how are you responding to His Word”?

The tenth chapter of Hebrews emphasizes the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ, in contrast with the imperfect sacrifices that were under the Old Covenant. Our Lord’s superior priesthood belongs to a better order – Melchizedek’s and not Aaron’s. It functions on the basis of a better covenant – the New Covenant – and in a better sanctuary, in heaven. But all this depends on the better sacrifice, which is the theme of this chapter.

The need for a better sacrifice (vv. 1-4): Sin, of course, is man’s greatest problem. It has been said well that, “We are not sinners because of sin. We sin because we are sinners.” So, why were the Old Covenant sacrifices inferior? After all, they were ordained by the Lord; and they were in force for hundreds of years. The very nature of the Old Covenant sacrifice made them inferior. The Law was only “a shadow of good things to come” and not the reality itself. The sacrificial system was a type or picture of the work our Lord would accomplish on the cross. This meant that the system was temporary, and therefore could accomplish nothing permanent. The very repetition of the sacrifices day after day, and the Day of Atonement year after year, pointed out the entire system’s weakness.

The provision of the better sacrifice (vv. 5-9): It was God who provided the sacrifice and not man! The verses in Psalm 40:6-8 makes it clear that Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the Old Covenant sacrifices. Each of the offerings typified the sacrifice of Christ and revealed some aspect of His word on the cross (see Lev. 1-7). Twice in these verses (see Heb. 10:6, 8) the writer stated that God “had no pleasure” in Old Covenant sacrifices. This does not suggest that the old sacrifices were wrong, or that sincere worshipers received no benefit from obeying God’s Law. It only means that God had no delight in sacrifices as such, apart from the obedient hearts of the worshipers. No amount of sacrifice could substitute for obedience. Jesus came to do the Father’s will. This will is the New Covenant that has replaced the Old Covenant. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus Christ has taken away the first covenant and established the second.

The effectiveness of the better sacrifice (v. 10): Believers have been set apart (“sanctified”) by the offering of Christ’s body once for all. No Old Covenant sacrifice could do that. An Old Covenant worshiper had to be purified from ceremonial defilement repeatedly. But a New Covenant saint is set apart finally and completely.

Christ’s sacrifice need not be repeated (vv. 11-18): Again the writer contrasted the Old Covenant high priest with Jesus Christ, our Great High Priest. The fact that Jesus sat down after He ascended to the Father is proof that His work was completed. The ministry of the priests in the tabernacle and temple was never done and never different: they offered the same sacrifices day after day. This constant repetition was proof that their sacrifices did not take away sins. What tens of thousands of animal sacrifices could not accomplish, Jesus accomplished with one sacrifice forever!

The phrase “sat down” refers us again to Psalm 110:1. Christ is in the place of exaltation and victory. When He returns, He shall overcome every enemy and establish His righteous kingdom. Those who have trusted Him need not fear, for they have been “perfected forever” (v. 14). Believers are complete in Him (Col. 2:10). We have a perfect standing before God because of the finished work of Jesus Christ. How do we know personally that we have this perfect standing before God? Because of the witness of the Holy Spirit through the Word (vv. 15-18). The witness of the Spirit is based on the work of the Son and is given through the words of Scripture. The New Covenant believer can say that his/her sins and iniquities are remembered no more. There is “no more offering for sin” (v. 18) and no more remembrance of sin!

Hebrews 10:1-18 Reflection Questions:

How does it make you feel knowing what Jesus did on the cross for you?

Do you have complete trust in what Jesus did or are you trying to earn your way to redemption?

Knowing what Christ has done, how free do you feel and what are going to do with that freedom?

The Old Testament system, which provides the prefigurement for Christ’s sacrifice, was a gory affair indeed. During the thousand-plus years of the old covenant, there were more than a million animal sacrifices. So considering that each bull’s sacrifice spilled a gallon or two of blood, and each goat a quart, the old covenant truly rested on a sea of blood. Why the perpetual sea of blood? For one main reason – to teach that sin demands the shedding of blood. It demonstrates that sin both brings and demands death. Steaming blood provided the sign – even the smell – of the old covenant. Thus, the devout worshiper of the old covenant came with a definite awareness, first, that sin requires death – second, that such a sacrifice required a spirit of repentance – third, that he was pleading the mercy of God – and, fourth, in some cases, that a great sin-bearer was coming.

Of course, the old covenant system was flawed in that, by design, it could only deal with sins of ignorance and could never completely clear one’s conscience. But then came Jesus with the new covenant in His own blood – a superior blood sacrifice that completely atoned for sins and completely cleared the conscience. Jesus was no uncomprehending, unwilling animal, but rather a perfect God-man who consciously set His will to atone for our sins. He is therefore a superior Savior and priest. With this being understood, the logic of verse 15 and the following verses becomes clear.

The job of mediator is to arbitrate in order to bring two parties together; here, the Holy God and sinful humanity. As the Father’s mediator, it is Christ’s job to bridge the vast gulf and obtain entrance for us into God’s holy presence. His sacrifice is the medium of arbitration, because His shed blood is both retroactive and proactive in bringing forgiveness for sins. The point in verses 16-17 is that Christ’s death activated His incredibly rich will – a fact alluded to by Paul in 2 Corinthians 8:9. Think of the benefits we enjoy because of Christ’s death: forgiveness, a clear conscience, peace, purpose, and ultimately eternal life in Heaven! All this is impossible apart from His death. And it is all activated by His death.

The writer wants his readers to understand that the old covenant law was initiated with a pronounced spilling of sacrificial blood that prefigured Christ’s blood in initiating the new covenant. The noun “blood” is used six times in verses 18-22. The old covenant sailed on a sea of blood, for two fast reasons. First, to emphasize the seriousness of sin; the Bible takes sin seriously, more than any other religious scripture. Sin alienates one from God; sin is rooted in the hearts of humanity. Sin cannot be vindicated by any self-help program. Sin leads to death – and it will not be denied. The second reason is the costliness of forgiveness; death is the payment. It will either be Christ’s life or our life!

Having demonstrated the importance of blood/death in the old covenant, the writer now describes the surpassing effect of Christ’s sacrifice in establishing the new covenant. He begins by stating that the better sacrifice of Christ brings better purity (v. 23). Next, the writer expresses that Jesus’ blood grants us a better representation before the Father (v. 24), and as a further evidence of the superiority of Jesus’ shed blood is its efficacy (vv. 25-28a). Christ’s sacrifice was sufficient and thus needed no repeating. He is our constant priest, but this in no way suggests that He is perpetually offering Himself. The sacrifice was so monumental and efficacious that it could only be once-for-all. His blood is totally sufficient. The sufficiency of Christ’s atoning death is the centerpiece of our salvation.

Finally Christ’s blood gives us a better hope that He “will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for Him” (v. 28b). Here we have a brilliant fresh perspective on the return of Christ. Our Lord Jesus entered the heavenly sanctuary “to appear in the presence of God on our behalf” (v. 24), and He “will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for Him” (v. 28). Hallelujah! – He is coming again as both King and Priest. The blood of Christ may be a stumbling block to a lost world. But for the heart that knows the depth of its sin and its lostness, the metaphor of the sea of blood is sweet because it means Jesus gave His life for us.

Hebrews 9:15-28 Reflection Questions:

What were your thoughts of the “sea of blood” before this study? Was it disgusting or is it sweet because of what it represented?

What stands out for you in this study?