The great cloud of witnesses

Heb 12:1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

The witnesses, of course, are those listed in Hebrews 11, the great Hall of Faith. Their number includes Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Moses. Gideon is there, as well as Samuel, David and Samson. There are also a number of unnamed people some of whom saw miracles, while others died as martyrs. Some did mighty deeds, others apparently lived in poverty and humiliation.

As we read their accounts in Hebrews 11, and the stories in the Old Testament of their lives we are inspired and amazed, thrilled and shocked, convicted and humbled. These were ordinary people like us who allowed God to use them in mighty ways. Often, however, we like the thought of ‘mighty’, but not necessarily the ‘ways’. For God to give them such exalted praise, He had to drag them through the depths of despair. As an example, suppose we are inspired and encouraged by the story of Samson, who is mentioned in Heb.11:32. we become excited at the prospects of God using us to defeat the spiritual (or maybe physical) enemies that surround us. We realise with gratitude that God does not insist on perfection before He pours His Holy Spirit on someone. This inspires us to lay aside our weights and sins (Heb.12:1) in submission to His mercy. Everything is going well until we realise that Samson still suffered the consequences of his sins, and in fact the time when God used him the most was after he’d had his eyes brutally gouged out and then had been imprisoned by his enemies to work in slavery for them. We realise that serving God does not guarantee that we become sinless, it does not mean that things will go our way or that we will be spared suffering.

Samson looks us in the face right out of the Bible and says, “God is the Sovereign Lord”. In other words, He is Master and we have no right to tell Him how to run His business. We bow before Him and accept all from His hands in humility and gratitude. Samson knows what he’s talking about, so we listen.

We turn through the pages of the Bible until we come to another story, that of Abraham. The testimonials to his faith thrill us: ‘He went out, not knowing where he was going’. (Heb 11:8) We think, that must be the ultimate in faith, to have such implicit trust in God, such a direct connection to Him, that we can hear His voice and obey without worrying about the results. What faith! As we continue reading, however, we are startled by Abraham’s voice in the Bible speaking to our heart. His voice is sad and heavy as he corrects us for our shallowness. Going out not knowing his destination was not the measure of his faith. Rather it was when God told him to plunge a knife into his beloved son’s heart. As we read, we are shocked and humiliated by our own refusal to yield all to God’s sovereign hand.

Abraham and Samson witness to us through their actions, which are recorded in the Bible for us to read. They inspire us through the accounts of their lives and the mighty things God did for them through faith, and they correct our shallow thinking when we assume life will be all beer, roses and winning lotto tickets. One thing becomes clear as we read: God is Lord. There is no other way we will have strength to ‘run the race’. It is only as we realise that Jesus is Christ, to Whom is given all power and all authority, that we will know that running the race is worth it.

Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, Samson and all the rest of them witness to us from the pages of the Bible where their stories are recorded.

Does Hebrews 12:1 mean they are actually standing next to us in the spirit witnessing to us, talking to us?

No, to assume that interpretation is to separate Hebrews 12:1 from Hebrews chapter 11. Hebrews 11 goes into great detail about the events recorded in the Old Testament which inspire us to run with patience and endurance the race that is set before us. They witness to us as we read their stories. The Bible is a living book and the testimonies of faith burn in our hearts especially when we realise our race-running patience is wearing thin. We cannot read something into Hebrews 12:1 something that is not there. We cannot interpret it to mean that these Old Testament heroes are floating around the room whispering in our ears, (or screaming and yelling, depending on our spiritual receptivity!) The Bible just does not say that. This verse does not say that. These heroes of faith witness to us from the pages of the Bible where their stories are recorded.

Well, are we witnessing to them? Are they physically surrounding us, watching us, getting inspired by our samples? No, they have gone to their rest, they don’t need us, they’re already in heaven! Again, we must not read something into the verse that is not there.

Think about this: are we physically running a race? Hebrews 12:1 says we are to run with endurance, with patience the race that is set before us. The Family picture we have of this verse is us victoriously loping around an Olympic track, broom, saucepan or lit in hand as thousands of angels and spirit helpers cheer ecstatically, while the theme from ‘Chariots of Fire’ plays in the background. Should we literally apply this verse to mean that thousands of spirit helpers are watching us? The answer is obvious: only if we literally apply this verse to mean that we are actually, really, physically sprinting around the Olympic stadium! We cannot apply one half of a verse literally, and the other half of the same verse metaphorically. That’s just poor Bible interpretation. Running the race refers to our journey through life, and the great cloud of witnesses are the stories of faith that inspire us as we allow the Bible, as the living Word of God to change us and encourage us.

Does this verse give us permission to call on the heroes of faith? Not at all, not a hint of communication is mentioned, not the slightest mention that these now-departed people are standing next to us waiting for us to chat with them. We should be very careful before we build doctrines around fanciful interpretations of the metaphorical pictures with which God’s Word is resplendent.