See the Bible Through Jewish Eyes BIBLE STUDY WITH DR. RICH FREEMAN
Hebrews 12:12-17
OBLIGATIONS OF A MATURE BELIEVER
This study begins with an exhortation regarding the
obligations of a mature believer in Hebrews 12:12:
“Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and
the knees that are feeble.” Since discipline from
the Lord is intended to help believers to bear
“the peaceful fruit of righteousness” (v. 11), the
stronger, more mature believer
has an obligation to help
strengthen the weaker believer.
This weaker believer would be
someone who is struggling in
their faith because of a constant
barrage of difficult and harsh
circumstances. Their faith is
eroding, they are overwhelmed,
and being tempted to fall away.
The writer of Hebrews uses
three illustrations of the human
body as a means of helping us
to understand how it is done. I
believe this is a continuation of
the thought in 12:1, to run the
race with endurance.
The weaker believer is pictured
as a marathon runner who is
running out of gas and is barely
able to stand, let alone run. In
a race, “hands that are weak,”
or “hands that hang down,”
are an indicator that the runner
is tired and about to give
up. When we read, “knees that
are feeble or tottering,” picture
legs that are unable to run properly. It becomes the
privilege as well as the obligation of the mature believer,
the one “running the race with endurance,”
to identify those that are weak, and impart some
strength to them. And then, when making “straight
paths,” the more mature one will enable the weaker
one not to veer off course and drop out but rather
to finish the race.
In Hebrews 12:14, the writer now deals with the
mature believer’s obligation to himself. “Pursue
peace with all men, and the sanctification without
which no one will see the Lord.” Peace with all men
is a two-way transaction, which brings to mind
what Paul says in Romans 12:18, “If possible, so far
as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.” The
6 The Chosen People | SEPTEMBER 2019
sanctification without which no one will see the
Lord is positional sanctification—that which all
believers in Messiah receive upon salvation. One
pursues that through practical sanctification, seeking
to live holy lives in Messiah as He conforms us
to the image of Himself.
Lastly, in verses 15–17, the writer
sees three dangers that might
challenge believers. The first is a
failure to continue to grow toward
maturity. There is a danger
that a believer might become so
preoccupied with negative situations
and circumstances that
he will not take refuge in God’s
grace to enable him to endure
the adversity. Therefore, that
believer might face a second
danger, that is, he may become
embittered. That “root of bitterness”
would not only affect
the believer, it would very likely
influence others to become bitter,
as well.
Finally, this would likely lead to
a third danger, best illustrated by
the life of Esau. In order to satisfy
his physical appetite, hunger,
Esau voluntarily surrendered
every privilege to which he was
heir as a son. The physical gratification
from the food he received
from Jacob was very brief,
whereas the benefits he would have received, had he
held on to the promised blessings, would have been
eternal. The decision he made to exchange God’s
blessings for physical gratification determined Esau’s
future. The comparison is that these Jewish believers
who are being warned, like Esau, were willing to exchange
incredible spiritual blessings of a mature faith
in Messiah for physical gratification, in this case momentary
relief from persecution and suffering. Just
as Esau found no place for repentance, Isaac could
not withdraw the blessing on Jacob and give the
blessing to Esau. Immature believers who go back to
the traditional Judaism of the day have been warned
that they will lose blessings available to them in this
life and rewards in the life to come.
Dr. Rich Freeman, D. Min.
serves as the Vice President
for Church Ministries and
Conferences with Chosen
People Ministries and
lives in South Florida
with his wife, Julia.
HEBREWS 12:12-17 NASB
12 Strengthen the hands that
are weak and the knees that
are feeble, 13 and make straight
paths for your feet, so that
the limb which is lame may
not be put out of joint, but
rather be healed. 14 Pursue
peace with all men, and the
sanctification without which
no one will see the Lord. 15 See
to it that no one comes short
of the grace of God; that no
root of bitterness springing up
causes trouble, and by it many
be defiled; 16 that there be no
immoral or godless person
like Esau, who sold his own
birthright for a single meal.
17 For you know that even
afterwards, when he desired
to inherit the blessing, he was
rejected, for he found no place
for repentance, though he
sought for it with tears.