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NOVEMBER 19
that Moses said, “I am exceedingly afraid and
trembling.”)
But you have come to Mount Zion and to
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the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusa- 12:29 consuming fire. See Deuteronomy
lem, to an innumerable company of angels, to 4:24.God’s law given at Sinai prescribed many
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the general assembly and church of the first- severe punishments,but the punishment is far
born who are registered in heaven, to God the worse for those who reject His offer of salva-
Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made tion through His own Son, Jesus Christ (Luke
perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new 3:16,17).
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covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that
speaks better things than that of Abel.
See that you do not refuse Him who the removal of those things that are being shak-
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speaks. For if they did not escape who refused en, as of things that are made, that the things
Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we which cannot be shaken may remain.
not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks 28 Therefore, since we are receiving a king-
from heaven, whose voice then shook the dom which cannot be shaken, let us have
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earth; but now He has promised, saying, “Yet grace, by which we may serve God acceptably
once more I shake not only the earth, but also with reverence and godly fear. For our God is
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heaven.” Now this, “Yet once more,” indicates a consuming fire.
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DAY 18: How does Hebrews 12:1 represent a crucial transition for its readers?
“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses.”This is a very
crucial transition word offering an emphatic conclusion to the section which began in 10:19. The
deceased people of chapter 11 give witness to the value and blessing of living by faith. Motivation
for running “the race” is not in the possibility of receiving praise from “observing” heavenly saints.
Rather, the runner is inspired by the godly examples those saints set during their lives. The great
crowd are not comprised of spectators but rather are ones whose past life of faith encourages oth-
ers to live that way (11:2,4,5,33,39).
“Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”The reference is to those Hebrews
who had made a profession of Christ, but had not gone all the way to full faith. They had not yet
begun the race,which starts with salvation.The writer has invited them to accept salvation in Christ
and join the race.“Let us lay aside every weight.”Different from the “sin”mentioned next,this refers
to the main encumbrance weighing down the Hebrews which was the Levitical system with its sti-
fling legalism.The athlete would strip away every piece of unnecessary clothing before competing
in the race.The outward things emphasized by the Levitical system not only impede,they “ensnare.”
“And sin.” In this context, this focuses first on the particular sin of unbelief—refusing to turn away
from the Levitical sacrifices to the perfect sacrifice, Jesus Christ (John 16:8–11), as well as other sins
cherished by the unbeliever. The athletic metaphor presents the faith-filled life as a demanding,
grueling effort.The English word “agony”is derived from the Greek word used here for “endurance.”
“Looking unto Jesus” (v. 2).They were to fix their eyes on Jesus as the object of faith and sal-
vation (11:26,27;Acts 7:55,56;Phil.3:8).“The author…of our faith.”The term means originator or pre-
eminent example.“The finisher…of our faith.” The term is “perfecter,” having the idea of carrying
through to perfect completion (John 19:30). Jesus persevered so that He might receive the joy of
accomplishment of the Father’s will and exaltation (1:9; Ps. 16:9–11; Luke 10:21–24).

“Behold, I am against you,
November 19 O Pharaoh king of Egypt,
O great monster who lies in the midst
of his rivers,
Who has said, ‘My River is my own;
Ezekiel 29:1–30:26
I have made it for myself.’
In the tenth year, in the tenth month, on 4 But I will put hooks in your jaws,
29 the twelfth day of the month, the word And cause the fish of your rivers
of the LORD came to me, saying, “Son of man, to stick to your scales;
2
set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, I will bring you up out of the midst of
and prophesy against him, and against all your rivers,
3
Egypt. Speak, and say, ‘Thus says the Lord And all the fish in your rivers will stick
GOD: to your scales.
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