In our
last chapter we came to the matter of
"completeness" as the governing object of the
faith of all those mentioned in Hebrews 11. "Apart
from us they should not be made perfect (complete)."
Now we take that up in relation to the clause which
precedes it. "God having provided (foreseen) some
better thing concerning us." We pointed out that
this being "made perfect" or complete had to do
with justification or righteousness by faith.
"All... had witness borne to them through their
faith", ("Abraham believed God, and it was
reckoned unto him for righteousness",
"Wherefore... it was reckoned unto him for
righteousness"; Romans 4:3,22, etc.) thus making
them "just men" (Hebrews 12:23) first
potentially through faith, and then actually when the
object of faith, the Christ, had come and made the work
of righteousness perfect. We now have to carry that faith
further as to its results.
In an
earlier chapter we have dealt with 'sonship' as the
supreme Divine revelation, brought out so much in this
letter to the Hebrews. We have to return to that for a
little while in our present connection. It is
tremendously impressive how much referred to in chapter
11 directly relates to Christ in type and figure, and
then how large a place sonship has there.
No one
will dispute the typical factor of Abel, as to the virtue
of the blood of Christ (12:24); of Isaac, as he that was
raised from the dead; of Joseph, as he who was exalted to
"the right hand of the Majesty on high" - three
stages in the course of Christ. But sonship lies either
patent or latent in so much. We shall not take this up in
detail, but instances are clear in the case of Abraham
and Isaac; of Jacob and Joseph; of the birth of Moses,
etc. The point, however, is that sonship and spiritual
fullness are the same thing, and that is what this letter
is all about. Faith is shown to be the basis of spiritual
completeness and therefore it leads to sonship.
To
indicate something of the nature of this sonship we take
one person out of chapter 11 - David. No doubt David's
faith is there connected with "obtaining
promises" (verse 33). See II Samuel 7:11-12; I
Chron. 22:9, etc. These promises had to do with a son,
one Divinely marked out from among many sons (I Chron.
28:5). This son was going to be the fullest example in
type of God's thoughts as to sonship that the Bible
contains. But there was a point of transition in David's
life. After many years of chastening - child-training -
numerous and varied experiences of suffering and trial
and proving the Lord's faithfulness, the point was
reached where the one passion of his life came
immediately into view. For this he had prayed, longed,
and planned. For this he had been in quest, and it had so
possessed him as to make him determine not to go up into
his bed, nor give sleep to his eyes until his quest was
successful. We might truly say that for David to live was
that house for God. And now, at long last, he divulges to
Nathan the prophet what was in his heart. Nathan, knowing
that God was with David, gave him instant encouragement
to do all that was in his heart, only to have to go back
a little later at the Lord's command and withdraw that
encouragement and tell David that he was not to be
allowed to fulfil his desire nor carry out his life
ambition for the Lord. What a blow! What a
shattering disappointment! What an opportunity for being
offended with the Lord! And what an occasion for faith to
freeze, and for despair to overwhelm him! Not he, but his
son, should build the house. If this whole matter had
been a personal interest, if it had been for his own
gratification, well might he have been embittered and
spent his closing days in brooding over and nursing his
disappointment. But no! He is too big a man for that. So
long as the Lord gets the house it matters not who builds
it, nor whether David is allowed to have any hand in it.
Moreover, he will give his own treasure to help it
forward. What a magnificent triumph over the smallness of
man!
David Passes To Sonship
So David
passes from the child-training through faith's ultimate
test into sonship; and no one, after all, ever thinks of
David without that grand issue of his life - the Temple
and its service; and no one ever thinks of Solomon
without remembering that he was the son of David. And
more, how often is Christ referred to as "son of
David."
Thus we can see something of the nature of
sonship; it is spiritual stature, measure, greatness. It
is fullness born out of discipline. Carry this back into
Hebrews 11 and 12. Spiritual stature is determined very
largely by disinterested devotion to the Lord's
interests, by how little we come into the picture, and by
how much we are ready to serve the Lord's ends without
any gratification to ourselves, without having our hand
in it. "By faith... David... obtained
promises."
What we have said above forms a fitting
setting for what we have as the application of the
message as found in verses 1-3 of chapter 12.
The Race, The Runners, The Witnesses,
The Captain
Before we can proceed we must correct a
possible doctrinal error. The Apostle truly employs a
common spectacle as his illustration. The stadium, the
course, the runners, the onlookers, and the captain. But
he would not have us to think that he means that the
"cloud of witnesses" are those "with
Christ" who are all conscious of and interested in
our lives here in this world. There is nothing in the
Scriptures to support this idea, and we can only believe
that it would not be "far better" if they knew
all about our wavering faith and impersistent progress.
Put yourself in their place! Rather would the Apostle
have us think of them as having borne witness in their
lives, and in some way linked with us in the way of
faith, so that their ultimate interests and ours are one.
But conscious observers of our course - No! They
do say that, in all ages, not only in this age, faith has
been the law and governing factor. Faith links all ages
in one goal - fullness. Well then, this is a course to be
run, and everything that makes for weakness in the
running must be repudiated.
We have already pointed out that in the
context of the whole letter the "weight" is the
legal system. "They bind heavy burdens and grievous
to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders" (Matt.
23:4). This refers to the endless definitions and
interpretations of the Law made by the scribes or
lawyers, which just keep men bound to burdens of legal
impositions. No one can move freely in legalism, Jewish
or Christian. The "sin which doth so easily
beset" we have seen may represent the formalism
which is lifeless, and to which religion is so
persistently and easily susceptible.
But it may be of wider application.
Weights may be anything which has the effect of bearing
us down. Seeing that it is the spirit that is
the object of fullness the weight would be whatever hangs
heavily upon our spirit. There are many things of
spiritual anxiety and strain for which God has provided a
remedy, and this letter refers to some of them.
All-inclusively union with Christ is to find "rest
unto your souls." "My burden is light."
"There is... no condemnation to them that are in
Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ
Jesus made... free from the law of sin and of
death." "We who have believed do enter into...
rest." What burdens your spirit so that you cannot
run? There is something somewhere in God's Word that will
relieve you of that.
"The sin which doth so easily
beset." I find that these last five words are what
is required in English to express one Greek word. That
word means "standing round about." Linked with
the race course it may refer to people or things which
are not really a part of the race, but just stand around
and - because they are not in the business - get in the
way of those who are. They are "sins" in the
sense that they would weaken faith and slow down
spiritual progress. What is there in our lives, having an
influence upon our spiritual progress, which really does
not belong to this business? We must each answer that
question as to our own case. The Lord's word is "lay
aside every weight" and thrust away the unrelated
hindrances, like a runner brushing aside the obstructing
people on or around the course. Do not be put off or put
back. Faith is the test of all. What effect has this or
that on faith? That will decide what is to be done with
it.
The Captain
When the Apostle bids his readers to look
unto Jesus, the author and finisher of (our) faith, he
really says more and other than our translations convey.
Firstly, it is looking beyond or onward
unto Jesus." In 11:26 Moses is said to have
looked 'beyond' (same preposition) unto the recompense of
reward.
Then it
is "unto Jesus." This is the title of
the incarnation and earthly life, and its use here
indicates - as the next words show - that this faith
course was taken up and completed in One Who was "in
all points tempted like as we, sin apart." A Man in
utter dependence upon God, never employing His deity for
His own support, has compassed the whole course of faith
triumphantly; and inasmuch as He did it by the same
Eternal Spirit as is given to us - no more, no less - it
shows that it can be done, and there is no need
for failure.
"The
author and perfecter of faith." There is no
"our" in the original text. Literally it is "the
foremost leader of faith." This
word is the same as in 2:10 - "to make the foremost
leader of their salvation perfect through
sufferings." "Perfect through sufferings."
Now we are back to our word "perfect"
(=complete), and He Who has been made complete along the
same way of faith as we are called to traverse is our
"perfecter," i.e., the One Who makes complete.
In Him this faith way was initiated, and in Him it is
completed.
Now
then, the exhortation, so full of doctrine. If we look at
the way, or the difficulties, or at ourselves, and become
occupied with them, we shall not finish the course; and
even if we do, it will be slow and jerky. The focal point
of faith here is to link ourselves by it with the
Triumphant Lord, with His perfected work, and reckon His
triumph ours. It is not abstract and merely
psychological, but there is a definite Divine Object - a
Living Person - Whose work the Holy Spirit is ready to
make good in us. When the Apostle comes to his
benediction in 13:20 he will use the phrase "Make you
perfect (complete) in every good thing." We leave
that for the moment, with but this remark - faith
fastened upon Jesus and His embodiment of a perfect work
is the basis upon which "the God of peace"
makes us perfect.