Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to JESUS the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before HIM endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of GOD.
Persevere/Perserverance: to persist in a state, enterprise, or undertaking in spite of counter influences, opposition or discouragement: steadfastness [Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary]
One of the purposes of the Hebrews letter was to encourage Christians to remain faithful to the faith, despite the hostility and dangers surrounding them. Since Greek athleticism and the Olympic Games were well-known, the author compares being a GODly believer to running a race with perseverance.
The idea of running a race with perseverance means that there will be difficulties, opposition and hard times. There will be moments when the runner may even want to give up and quit.
But despite these things, the runner must be steadfast and stay the course running toward the finish line where the ultimate prize awaits. The author states that just like in the Olympic games in a great Greek amphitheater, “faith runners” should remind themselves that they don’t run alone and that there is a great “cloud” of people (i.e. witnesses, ancestors whose prayers still sustain us) there to both cheer them on and to provide inspiration. Those “witnesses” include those great Olympians of the Old Testament---those great “Olympians of Faith.”
Hebrews Chapter 11 mentions Able, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Gideon, David and Samuel. There were women runners too, like Sarah, Abraham’s wife, and Rahab, who some called a harlot.
Sarah had faith. She had the strength and faith to carry a child through months of pregnancy and deliver, despite her old age. Rahab lived in a border town, across the river in the Jericho region. She was a working woman, who supported herself running an inn. She too had faith.
The name “Rahab” means “fierceness,” “insolence,” and “pride.” In Psalms 87:4 Egypt is poetically called “Rahab.” In Psalms 89:10 haughty Egypt is again referred to a “Rahab,” but the writer notes that GOD broke “Rahab/Egypt” “in pieces.”
One translation of “rahabh” is “storm” or “arrogance.”
Jericho Rahab, the innkeeper, was also fierce. In fact, she was probably “a force to be reckoned with.” She had to be tough and “a stand your ground” kind of woman (much like Harriet Tubman, the abolitionist, humanitarian, army scout and “conductor” on the Underground Railroad). In order to run a boarding house for men, in a male dominant society and culture, where women were generally not respected and in fact, were looked down upon as inferior, she would have had to be strong.
But, unlike Rahab/Egypt, Jericho Rahab was proud and fierce but she wasn’t foolish. She recognized there was a GOD who was greater than Egyptian and Jericho kings. Rahab understood that human rights have precedence over governments and sovereign rights. Rahab put her faith in GOD and refused to turn Joshua and the other Hebrew “refugees from Egypt” over to the immigration and customs enforcement (ICE) Jericho officials of her time. And as a result of having the faith to risk “everything” for GOD, Rahab not only is named one of the great “Olympians of Faith” in The Book of Hebrews, she even ends up in the genealogy of JESUS CHRIST. (See Matthew 1:5)
The running analogy in the Book of Hebrews and the reference to the various Old Testament Olympian faith runners is powerful. These great Olympians remind us that although they faced huge obstacles and were often ridiculed or even called bad names, like Rahab, the so-called “harlot,” they just kept running, and in the end, finished their race to victory and glory.
Running For Physical Fitness
According to Barbara Russi Samataro, “You don’t have to be an athlete—or even aspire to be one—to start running:”
Just look at Jim Scott. In January 2003, a month after he turned 60, Scott began running. That November, he finished the New York City Marathon (it took him six hours).
Scott, a radio-talk show host in Cincinnati, Ohio, didn't do much in the way of exercise before then. He played golf as often as he could but never found the time for regular workouts.
"When I turned 60, I thought it was a good time to reassess things," says Scott. "I started thinking, 'These 36-inch (waist) pants I've worn all my life are getting a bit tighter.'"
Scott decided he wanted to get in better shape, feel comfortable in his pants again, and improve his golf game. Oh, and there was one more impetus to try running: "I'm married to a marathon runner," he says.
Scott himself never intended to run a marathon. He simply wanted to go on Sunday morning runs with his wife, Donna Hartman, and keep up….
See, “Fitness Basics: Running For Your Life,” by Barbara Russi Samataro, Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD, www.webmd.com.
According to Samataro, some of the basics for starting running include the following:
1. Get Good Gear -- get yourself a good pair of running shoes.
2. Start Gradually -- before starting, consult your physician, especially if you are a man, 45 years or older or a woman 50 years or older.
"When I first started," recalls Scott, "Julie said, 'Do you think you can run for 15 minutes?' I said, 'Are you kidding me?'
"I ran about 45 seconds. I was amazed at how little I could do." But he plugged through it.
3. Stick With It – be consistent (e.g., keep a running log or journal; specify goals (by time, distance, weight loss or cholesterol; find a friend to
run with.)
"Ninety percent of running is just showing up, getting in the game, getting off the sidelines,"
Id, at www.WebMD.com.
And, study. Be sure to read about safe running, speed, stretching, hydration, clothing, training and techniques to avoid injury. But remember, physical running is not for everyone. If you have a medical condition, a disability, if running is painful or your doctor advises you not to run, ask your doctor about other forms of exercise or a fitness routine that works for you, like walking or chair exercises.
Run with Perseverance
A church member once reminded me that “life” is a “Faith Walk,” not a “Cakewalk.” Hebrews Chapter 12 further reminds us that “Faith” is not static; it is a “Race.” Our job is to run---to protect human rights, to do what is right, to trust GOD to do “the impossible”----to have faith that GOD is “able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.” Our job is to keep on keeping on and finish the race. So, run! Persevere!
Have faith and BE BLESSED!
