Heb 12:16-17 | KingComments | STEP | . The word “therefore” with which this section starts, indicates the connection with the previous part. By this the writer says that you can take courage, because the discipline is for your benefit and it serves a wonderful purpose. Your hands, knees and feet can be strengthened again to continue the path of faith to the wonderful goal ( ). Should your hands hang down feebly, discouraged by so much contradiction and resistance, then you know now that God uses the difficulties to put you back to work for Him. Through physical exercise you get stronger muscles. Through spiritual exercise you get more spiritual resilience. Instead of feeble knees you get strong knees. Strong knees you can bow to pray and stretch to walk. . If you have feeble knees your feet cannot make “straight paths”. You will not be able to make firm footsteps on the right course to the goal. It is necessary for your own walk that you establish your way ( ). But your established walk is also necessary for others who are limping. He who is limping cannot have an established walk. Such a person rather stumbles. If you also shuttle hither and thither helplessly, you surely cannot offer the limping one any support. On the contrary, your wavering can have the result that the limping one totally gets paralyzed and powerless. But if you follow the right path you are of support to those who cannot make it through on their own. If there are good examples that follow the right course, then the limping ones will not drop behind further, but they will continue their way with new courage. There is not only mention of power but also of healing. Only on the path that God has for us, power and (spiritual) health are to be found. We should walk there where He can be with us. . In the spiritual race we need one another. On the one hand you should walk individually as if you are the only one who could win the prize ( ). On the other hand you walk together with others who pursue that same prize. They are not competitors whom you should be ahead of all the time, but they are fellow fighters with whom you want to cross the finish line together. Regarding your efforts, you should walk as if you are on your own, but what the goal concerns you should realize that you are on the way together with others. You are dependent on them and they are dependent on you. We need one another. We need to care for one another and for the whole companionship of Christians with whom we are on the way. If you are aware of that you will see that not everyone is at the same pace and also that not everyone is following the same course. If we lose sight of that, there is a great danger that it will cause distance, which means that it will drive a spiritual wedge between the brothers and sisters. That danger can be eliminated by pursuing “peace with all men” ( ). Then the runners will slow down a little bit to encourage those who lag behind and support them in any way it is necessary. In that way the whole will stay together. So you are able to show your connection with your fellow believers by seeking peace with them. But there is one more thing you should pursue and that is “sanctification”. In seeking peace you are focused on others, in pursuing sanctification you are focused on God. It is about your relation to others on the one side, the other thing is about your relation to God. Sanctification indicates an action. It means that you are totally dedicated to God and therefore you separate yourself from everything that is in contrast with God. If you continue to tolerate things in your life that are in contrast with God’s holiness, then they will hinder your sanctification. Sanctification concerns the nature of God ( ); sanctification has to do with dedication to the service of God. . Interaction with one another is also shown in something else and that is if we carefully see to it “that no one comes short of the grace of God”. ‘To see to’ has some character of the shepherd; it has got to do with overseers who look after the flock ( ). The awareness of God’s grace is essential to keep on going on the path of faith. If someone gets disconnected from that and doesn’t pay attention to grace anymore, then the reverse of pursuing will happen. Such a person will quit and give up the race; he will no longer join the Christian companionship. ‘To come short’ has got to do with to lag behind, missing the connection, that a person ultimately will not reach the finish with the platoon. The point is that you look around to see if everyone is still partaking of the Christian company by keeping the connection with the grace of God. If someone among the Hebrews would be impressed by the opposition in such a way that he lost sight of God’s grace, then he would come short. He would therefore run the risk to fall back in Judaism. If you or someone else misses the connection with the grace of God, then the danger is great that you return to the world. By speaking with one another about that grace and by pointing one another to that, we encourage each other that the grace of God is most present in the darkest moment. If someone falls away from the grace of God and pays no attention to it anymore, because he feels to be tossed to and fro by the hardships he can only see, then a root of bitterness will arise ( ). A root has the character of growing. If this root is not radically removed by paying attention again to the grace of God, it will exercise a corruptible influence. Such a root causes troubles and defilement that grab around more and more. Many people will be infected by it. A root of bitterness does not only separate from God, but it also introduces immoral practices. . Therefore the next step in this process is immorality or fornication. Corporal fornication is an unacceptable and condemnable sexual unification of a man or a woman outside marriage. God will judge that ( ). Spiritual fornication is the connection of the believer with the world in a way that God is set aside ( ). Therefore it is not surprising that after immorality comes “a godless person like Esau”. The profanity of Esau is that he despised the blessings of God concerning the future and preferred a momentary fleshly enjoyment. He was not interested in the future. He wanted to enjoy here and now. Therefore he gave up his birthright and all the additional privileges. The example of Esau was meant to have a terrifying effect on the readers of the letter. . The writer reminds the readers of Esau’s end. This example says: He who rejects the blessing regarding the future in favor of a momentary pleasure, will later seek the blessing in vain, no matter the tears there are shed. The Hebrews are warned in that way, so that they will not fall away from the living God. He who falls away from the living God, will once realize which blessings he has given up and will want to put everything back in order. But then it will be too late for ever. Esau had no remorse. He didn’t want to repent, he wanted the blessing. Each person who draws near to God with repentance, will surely receive forgiveness. However, Esau did not cry because he was remorseful about selling his birthright, but because he had lost the blessings that went together with the birthright. He didn’t cry because he was a sinner, but because he was a loser. Such tears will be found in hell. . After the serious words about the consequences of falling away from the grace of God, the writer starts to encourage again. To illustrate his encouragement he uses the picture of two mountains. A mountain is a symbol of power. The one is Mount Sinai, which stands for the power of the law and represents the old covenant. The other is Mount Zion, which stands for grace and represents the new covenant. They did not come to Mount Sinai, as Israel did in former days ( ). To that mountain horror, terrifying weather phenomena and death threats were connected. The unbelieving Israel, whom the Hebrews left, was spiritually still there and is still abiding there. But the Hebrews did not need to be afraid of the words of God. They could fearlessly draw near to God to speak with Him. Under the new covenant there is no fear to enter a territory that could cause them to die. . Under the old covenant even Moses was impressed by the sight and was full of fear and trembling. The fear of both Moses and the people was prompted by the fact that a righteous God, Who made His holy demands known to the people, would come to them with wrath and judgment, if they trampled on those demands. This indeed happened when the people made the golden calf and worshiped it. Now read again Hebrews 12:12-21. Reflection: In what way will you be able to pursue and look after the things mentioned?

‏ Hebrews 12:16-17

Pursue Peace and Sanctification

Heb 12:12. The word “therefore” with which this section starts, indicates the connection with the previous part. By this the writer says that you can take courage, because the discipline is for your benefit and it serves a wonderful purpose. Your hands, knees and feet can be strengthened again to continue the path of faith to the wonderful goal (Isa 35:3). Should your hands hang down feebly, discouraged by so much contradiction and resistance, then you know now that God uses the difficulties to put you back to work for Him.

Through physical exercise you get stronger muscles. Through spiritual exercise you get more spiritual resilience. Instead of feeble knees you get strong knees. Strong knees you can bow to pray and stretch to walk.

Heb 12:13. If you have feeble knees your feet cannot make “straight paths”. You will not be able to make firm footsteps on the right course to the goal. It is necessary for your own walk that you establish your way (Pro 4:26).

But your established walk is also necessary for others who are limping. He who is limping cannot have an established walk. Such a person rather stumbles. If you also shuttle hither and thither helplessly, you surely cannot offer the limping one any support. On the contrary, your wavering can have the result that the limping one totally gets paralyzed and powerless. But if you follow the right path you are of support to those who cannot make it through on their own. If there are good examples that follow the right course, then the limping ones will not drop behind further, but they will continue their way with new courage.

There is not only mention of power but also of healing. Only on the path that God has for us, power and (spiritual) health are to be found. We should walk there where He can be with us.

Heb 12:14. In the spiritual race we need one another. On the one hand you should walk individually as if you are the only one who could win the prize (1Cor 9:24). On the other hand you walk together with others who pursue that same prize. They are not competitors whom you should be ahead of all the time, but they are fellow fighters with whom you want to cross the finish line together. Regarding your efforts, you should walk as if you are on your own, but what the goal concerns you should realize that you are on the way together with others. You are dependent on them and they are dependent on you. We need one another. We need to care for one another and for the whole companionship of Christians with whom we are on the way.

If you are aware of that you will see that not everyone is at the same pace and also that not everyone is following the same course. If we lose sight of that, there is a great danger that it will cause distance, which means that it will drive a spiritual wedge between the brothers and sisters. That danger can be eliminated by pursuing “peace with all men” (Psa 34:14). Then the runners will slow down a little bit to encourage those who lag behind and support them in any way it is necessary. In that way the whole will stay together.

So you are able to show your connection with your fellow believers by seeking peace with them. But there is one more thing you should pursue and that is “sanctification”. In seeking peace you are focused on others, in pursuing sanctification you are focused on God. It is about your relation to others on the one side, the other thing is about your relation to God. Sanctification indicates an action. It means that you are totally dedicated to God and therefore you separate yourself from everything that is in contrast with God. If you continue to tolerate things in your life that are in contrast with God’s holiness, then they will hinder your sanctification. Sanctification concerns the nature of God (Heb 12:10); sanctification has to do with dedication to the service of God.

Heb 12:15. Interaction with one another is also shown in something else and that is if we carefully see to it “that no one comes short of the grace of God”. ‘To see to’ has some character of the shepherd; it has got to do with overseers who look after the flock (1Pet 5:2). The awareness of God’s grace is essential to keep on going on the path of faith. If someone gets disconnected from that and doesn’t pay attention to grace anymore, then the reverse of pursuing will happen. Such a person will quit and give up the race; he will no longer join the Christian companionship. ‘To come short’ has got to do with to lag behind, missing the connection, that a person ultimately will not reach the finish with the platoon.

The point is that you look around to see if everyone is still partaking of the Christian company by keeping the connection with the grace of God. If someone among the Hebrews would be impressed by the opposition in such a way that he lost sight of God’s grace, then he would come short. He would therefore run the risk to fall back in Judaism. If you or someone else misses the connection with the grace of God, then the danger is great that you return to the world. By speaking with one another about that grace and by pointing one another to that, we encourage each other that the grace of God is most present in the darkest moment.

If someone falls away from the grace of God and pays no attention to it anymore, because he feels to be tossed to and fro by the hardships he can only see, then a root of bitterness will arise (Deu 29:18b). A root has the character of growing. If this root is not radically removed by paying attention again to the grace of God, it will exercise a corruptible influence. Such a root causes troubles and defilement that grab around more and more. Many people will be infected by it. A root of bitterness does not only separate from God, but it also introduces immoral practices.

Heb 12:16. Therefore the next step in this process is immorality or fornication. Corporal fornication is an unacceptable and condemnable sexual unification of a man or a woman outside marriage. God will judge that (Heb 13:4). Spiritual fornication is the connection of the believer with the world in a way that God is set aside (Jam 4:4).

Therefore it is not surprising that after immorality comes “a godless person like Esau”. The profanity of Esau is that he despised the blessings of God concerning the future and preferred a momentary fleshly enjoyment. He was not interested in the future. He wanted to enjoy here and now. Therefore he gave up his birthright and all the additional privileges. The example of Esau was meant to have a terrifying effect on the readers of the letter.

Heb 12:17. The writer reminds the readers of Esau’s end. This example says: He who rejects the blessing regarding the future in favor of a momentary pleasure, will later seek the blessing in vain, no matter the tears there are shed. The Hebrews are warned in that way, so that they will not fall away from the living God. He who falls away from the living God, will once realize which blessings he has given up and will want to put everything back in order. But then it will be too late for ever.

Esau had no remorse. He didn’t want to repent, he wanted the blessing. Each person who draws near to God with repentance, will surely receive forgiveness. However, Esau did not cry because he was remorseful about selling his birthright, but because he had lost the blessings that went together with the birthright. He didn’t cry because he was a sinner, but because he was a loser. Such tears will be found in hell.

Heb 12:18-20. After the serious words about the consequences of falling away from the grace of God, the writer starts to encourage again. To illustrate his encouragement he uses the picture of two mountains. A mountain is a symbol of power. The one is Mount Sinai, which stands for the power of the law and represents the old covenant. The other is Mount Zion, which stands for grace and represents the new covenant.

They did not come to Mount Sinai, as Israel did in former days (Deu 4:11). To that mountain horror, terrifying weather phenomena and death threats were connected. The unbelieving Israel, whom the Hebrews left, was spiritually still there and is still abiding there. But the Hebrews did not need to be afraid of the words of God. They could fearlessly draw near to God to speak with Him. Under the new covenant there is no fear to enter a territory that could cause them to die.

Heb 12:21. Under the old covenant even Moses was impressed by the sight and was full of fear and trembling. The fear of both Moses and the people was prompted by the fact that a righteous God, Who made His holy demands known to the people, would come to them with wrath and judgment, if they trampled on those demands. This indeed happened when the people made the golden calf and worshiped it.

Now read again Hebrews 12:12-21.

Reflection: In what way will you be able to pursue and look after the things mentioned?