Morning Manna | Hebrews 12:1-2 | Let us Run

Hebrews 12:1-2

"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."

So Great a Cloud of Witnesses

Who are these witnesses spoken of in Hebrews 12:1-2? They are the Old Testament saints who, by faith, lived, conquered, and died—never having seen the full fulfillment of the promise for which they waited. No saint of old saw in full color the coming of our Lord Jesus, His person, His work, and His sacrificial death, yet they believed the promises of God concerning His coming. God counted this faith as righteousness to their accounts. Not only were they justified by faith, but it was by this faith that they served God to their dying day.

Consider the exploits their faith inspired—building an ark in a world that had never seen rain, a lifetime journey across uncharted territory, the conquest of barbaric giants, and many more mighty feats of valor. Consider also the miracles wrought on behalf of their faith—the blood of a dead man speaking, the rapture of Enoch, the conception of Isaac in Sarah’s "dead womb" (a foreshadowing of the resurrection). If such wonders and works were wrought in the lives of men and women who had never seen Christ in the flesh or heard the story of the cross and resurrection, how much more should our faith be firm? We not only have their testimonies to strengthen us, but we have the very fulfillment of the promise they longed for—Jesus Christ.

Let us Run

Since we are surrounded by these witnesses and have their experiences as inspiration, and since we can see in full the fulfillment of God’s promises in Jesus Christ, we have no excuse—we must run! Not walk, but run the race set before us. The same race Abraham ran, the race Noah ran, the race that all these men and women of faith ran before us. But while it is a race, we must run it with patience. These saints set an example of endurance in their race of faith. This is not a 100-meter dash; this is a lifelong endurance race. There will be seasons of uphill battle and seasons of valley walking—so have patience, take the course as it comes, and run, but run with patience.

Lay Aside Every Weight

Pack lightly for this race of faith. Notice how all these Old Testament saints had to leave their burdens behind. Abraham had to leave Ur, then Terah and Haran, then Lot, then Hagar and Ishmael, and was even required to give up the son of promise, Isaac. Noah lived for the world to come—he preached of it, labored for it, and when the day came, he and his immediate family alone escaped the old world of sin and sailed into the new world of salvation.

You, too, must leave behind the sins that weigh you down. Not just the obvious, burdensome sins, but also the hidden ones—those tucked deep in your pack, unseen by others, yet heavy enough to slow your race. Some sins you have carried so long that you have forgotten their true weight and the toll they take on your endurance. So shake out your pack and lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily besets you.

Keep Your Eyes on the Goal

These men and women of faith fixed their eyes on the promise, and so must we. Abraham looked for a city with foundations. Sarah believed in the resurrection in type—her dead womb bringing forth the son of promise. Abraham looked forward to the resurrection in type when he took Isaac to the altar, fully confident that God could raise him from the dead. Each of these saints endured their own cross—the sufferings and reproaches of this world—for the joy set before them. They knew, by faith, that no matter how horrible this world’s afflictions, the promise of God would be more than sufficient to wipe away the agony of a million crosses. As Paul said, "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." (Romans 8:18)

Dear Christian, we have a well-beaten path laid before us. Consider the feet that have trod this path—Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and so many more. Consider who it was that cut this trail through life for us—Jesus, the Forerunner, the Leader of this great caravan through the wilderness. What weight or sin is so great that you would allow it to hinder your race of faith? With such a marvelous path, such faithful companions, and such a wonderful Captain, press on!

In every hour of weakness, look unto Jesus. See how He endured, and find strength for your race. Consider the reward at the end—eternity with the saints, eternity with the Savior, eternal rewards, eternal glory in Glory!