Hebrews 12:12-17: Run the Race and Be Wary of Counterfeits

Introduction

Scripture

Hebrews 12:12–17 ESV

12 Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. 14 Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; 16 that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. 17 For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.

Outline

Hebrews 1-2 - Jesus is Greater Than the Angels

Hebrews 1:1-4 - God has Spoken

Hebrews 1:5-14 - The Son is Superior to the Angels

Hebrews 2:1-4 - A Warning

Hebrews 2:5-9 - Lowliness to Crowning Glory

Hebrews 2:10-18 - Jesus has Delivered His Brothers

Hebrews 3:1-4:13 - Jesus is a Greater Rest

Hebrews 3:1-6 - Jesus is Worthy of More Glory Than Moses

Hebrews 3:7-19 - Disobedience After the Exodus

Hebrews 4:1-13 - A Sabbath Rest for God’s People

Hebrews 4:14-7:26 - Jesus is Greater than Melchizedek

Hebrews 4:14-16 - Jesus is the Great High Priest

Hebrews 5:1-10 - Jesus is the High Priest After the Order of Melchizedek

Hebrews 5:11-6:20 - Warning and Exhortation

Hebrews 5:11-14 - Failure to Mature

Hebrews 6:1-8 - Pursue Maturity

Hebrews 6:9-12 - Loving Motivation

Hebrews 6:13-20 - The Promise of God’s Word and God’s Oath

Hebrews 7:1-10 - The Greatness of Melchizedek

Hebrews 7:11-19 - Jesus’ Priesthood is Needed

Hebrews 7:20-28 - Jesus Guarantees a Better Covenant

Hebrews 8:1-10:18 - Jesus is the Greater Covenant

Hebrews 8:1-6 - Jesus Mediates a Better Covenant

Hebrews 8:7-13 - The Promise of the New Covenant

Hebrews 9:1-10 - The Earthly Tabernacle Points to What Would Come

Hebrews 9:11-14 - Christ is The Mercy Seat

Hebrews 9:15-22 - Blood is Necessary for Forgiveness

Hebrews 9:23-28 - Christ’s Sacrifice Permanently Removes Sin

Hebrews 10:1-10 - Christ’s Sacrifice Replaces the Law

Hebrews 10:11-18 - Christ's Sacrifice Fully Forgives Sin

Hebrews 10:19-12:29 - Assurance of Faith

Hebrews 10:19-25 - Because of Christ's Sacrifice Let us...

Hebrews 10:26-31 - A Warning Against Apostasy

Hebrews 10:32-39 - A Warm Encouragement

Hebrews 11:1-11:40 - Faith

Hebrews 11:1-7 - Faith Before the Patriarchs

Hebrews 11:8-22 - The Faith of the Patriarchs

Hebrews 11:23-31 - Faith in the Midst of Danger

Hebrews 11:32-40 - The Faith of the Future Hope

Hebrews 12:1-3 - Jesus our Great Example

Hebrews 12:4-11 - The Discipline of the Lord

Hebrews 12:12-17 - Run the Race and Be Wary of Counterfeits

Hebrews 12:12-13 - Run Encouraged

Hebrews 12:14-17 - Strive for Peace and Holiness

Purpose of Book

Christ, who has accomplished salvation through His atoning sacrifice, is greater than all things; therefore, persevere in true faith and encourage others to do likewise

Main Point

Though exhausted from the race, the author encourages the congregation to continue running and to be on guard against sinful people who lead others away from Christ

Hebrews 12:12-13 - Run Encouraged

Hebrews 12:12–13 ESV

12 Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.

Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.

Therefore

Jesus as the great example

God as the loving Father using persecution to train/correct for holiness - discipline is GOOD

Now, here’s how to live this out with joy

Lift your drooping hands and strengthen your week knees

Imagery of a person who is exhausted - tired, exhausted, beaten, DO NOT GIVE UP THE FIGHT AGAINST A HOSTILE WORLD BECAUSE THE HEAVENLY ZION IS COMING

Isaiah 35:3–5 ESV

3 Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. 4 Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.” 5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped;

Isaiah is not condemning the Israelites, but reminding them of the coming of the Lord their divine warrior as they return to Zion from exile

Remember the eschatological theme

Hebrews 10:25 ESV

25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

When the Lord comes He will both judge and deliver

Hebrews 10:30–31 ESV

30 For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Hebrews 10:37–38 ESV

37 For, “Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay; 38 but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.”

This signifies both strengthening and straightening

Make straight paths for your feet

Proverbs 4:26 ESV

26 Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure.

Slight revision - you -> plural

Communal effort - help one another end the race as they journey towards Zion in faithfulness

Level

Removed from sin and anything that could hinder holiness

Straight

Run towards the finish line and not to be distracted by things that could lead you astray from the end goal

So that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed

A runner who was lamed could incur greater injury if they did not take care of themselves

A Christ-follower who is running lame is running contrary to sound biblical truth (apostasy) can cause further damage to themselves or others

Healing these individuals is calling them to repentance/restoration so they run the race with faithfulness

Hebrews 12:14-17 - Strive for Peace and Holiness

Hebrews 12:14–17 ESV

14 Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; 16 that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. 17 For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.

Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.

Strive for peace with everyone

Strive (peace & holiness) - command that is the main point for vss. 14-16 revealing how to run the straight path of endurance

Peace with EVERYONE

Matthew 5:9–11 ESV

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. 10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.

Galatians 5:22 ESV

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

For the holiness without which no one will see the Lord

Hebrews 12:10 ESV

10 For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness.

Holy living reveals a holy status where the community/individual is being transformed by God

Secular living reveals a secular life and those individuals will not have a relationship with the Lord

God will have you Christ-like or not have you at all - Alan Hirsch

A holy life is the center of a Christ-follower

A peaceful and holy life should be the reflection of the church to a world that is unbelieving

Striving for peace and holiness is the opposite of those who shrink back

See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal.

***Three threats are given against striving for peace and holiness***

Deuteronomy 29:18–21 LES2

18 Is there no one among you, man or woman or family or tribe, whose mind has turned from the Lord your God to go forth serving the gods of those nations? Is there no one among you who is a root growing upwards in gall and bitterness? 19 And it shall be if he hears the words of this curse and utters in his heart saying, ‘May holiness come to me, for in the error of my heart I shall walk’—lest the sinner should destroy the innocent. 20 God will not wish to be merciful on him; rather the anger of the Lord and his zeal will burn out then in that person, and all the curses of this covenant that are written in this book will cling unto him, and the Lord shall wipe out his name from under the heavens. 21 And the Lord will set him apart for evil from all sons of Israel, according to all the curses of the covenant that have been written in the book of this law.

See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God

See to it

1 Peter 5:1–2 ESV

1 So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: 2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly;

The church as a community exercises oversight over one another ensuring everyone strives for peace and holiness

Three types of sinful people the congregation needs to be aware of, confront, and ultimately remove if there is lack of repentance

These sinful people are not weak hands and knees needing encouragement, but covenant breakers threatening the very survival of the congregation

Fails to obtain the grace of God

This sinful person falls short of God’s grace and will face judgment on the Day of the Lord

Hebrews 4:1 ESV

1 Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it.

Matthew 7:21–23 ESV

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

That no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble and by it many become defiled

This sinful person defiles others

Deuteronomy 29:19 ESV

19 one who, when he hears the words of this sworn covenant, blesses himself in his heart, saying, ‘I shall be safe, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart.’ This will lead to the sweeping away of moist and dry alike.

This individual is arrogant and is in rebellion against God Himself

This person believes that since they are “in the covenant” they can sin and will incur no judgment against God, but in reality they have rejected the core of the covenant

This type of person can infect the entire congregation and lead others into a sinful life

That no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal

This sinful person is compared to Esau - immoral

Sexually immoral

Genesis 26:34–35 ESV

34 When Esau was forty years old, he took Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite to be his wife, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite, 35 and they made life bitter for Isaac and Rebekah.

Unholy

Esau is a picture of unfaithfulness and secular living

Sold his birthright for a single meal

Genesis 25:29–34 ESV

29 Once when Jacob was cooking stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was exhausted. 30 And Esau said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am exhausted!” (Therefore his name was called Edom.) 31 Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright now.” 32 Esau said, “I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?” 33 Jacob said, “Swear to me now.” So he swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.

Esau did not believe the promises of God and sought to gratify himself immediately instead of holding on to the eternal inheritance

For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.

For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected

The blessing

Genesis 27:30–38 ESV

30 As soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, when Jacob had scarcely gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, Esau his brother came in from his hunting. 31 He also prepared delicious food and brought it to his father. And he said to his father, “Let my father arise and eat of his son’s game, that you may bless me.” 32 His father Isaac said to him, “Who are you?” He answered, “I am your son, your firstborn, Esau.” 33 Then Isaac trembled very violently and said, “Who was it then that hunted game and brought it to me, and I ate it all before you came, and I have blessed him? Yes, and he shall be blessed.” 34 As soon as Esau heard the words of his father, he cried out with an exceedingly great and bitter cry and said to his father, “Bless me, even me also, O my father!” 35 But he said, “Your brother came deceitfully, and he has taken away your blessing.” 36 Esau said, “Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has cheated me these two times. He took away my birthright, and behold, now he has taken away my blessing.” Then he said, “Have you not reserved a blessing for me?” 37 Isaac answered and said to Esau, “Behold, I have made him lord over you, and all his brothers I have given to him for servants, and with grain and wine I have sustained him. What then can I do for you, my son?” 38 Esau said to his father, “Have you but one blessing, my father? Bless me, even me also, O my father.” And Esau lifted up his voice and wept.

For he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears

Esau desired the authority that came with the blessing, but his heart never changed

Esau’s harden heart reveals he never lived in covenantal relationship with God - He is not a part of the true Israel

Main Point

Though exhausted from the race, the author encourages the congregation to continue running and to be on guard against sinful people who lead others away from Christ