The author of Hebrews in 12:1 mentions our right motivation to continue our spiritual faith race; the right motivation in part is namely the cloud of witnesses that were mentioned in 11:4-40. The phrase “surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses” can cause some to try to place these saints of the 11th chapter in the stands above us as we run our race. A cheering section of spectators rooting for us as we make our way around the course set before us. While this may appeal to us it DOESN’T fit the picture at hand for three reasons:
1. These are not mere spectators they are those who have only just finished the race themselves.
2. They do not rest in the defined stands but instead they gather around the course set before us so numerous as to be unable to define their beginning or end.
3. Their testimony is not the indistinguishable applause or roar of an entertained crowd. But the specific exhortation of those that know the race we are presently on because they have just finished it themselves and have themselves gathered around the course to shout words of exhortation, encouragement and instruction to us.
The Greek word for cloud is NOT the detached defined cloud that we are familiar with but rather the great mass of clouds that covers the sky without definition or distinction. The only distinction is that they are known as “witnesses” and the Greek word is “martus” which means “one who testifies to what they have seen and heard.” The word doesn’t include the meaning that this was their assessment of themselves but that is what others regarded them as. They can testify of the effective way of faith to reaching the prize and goal of salvation, sanctification and the finished victory of glorification. These are NOT people who just watch others run but are instead our fellow “teammates” who know first-hand how to run the race we are currently running and to do so effectively through the long haul. These men and women all ran our same race and are examples of people who kept running no matter the cost, they through faith never gave up. We can glean much about our own race by reading about theirs and the encouragement is that the writer is saying through their life of faith; “Run like they did! You can make it if you run by faith the race the way that did. These people had less equipment and light by which to run their race of faith, if they can do it so can you!” These heroes of our faith are not “spectating fans in the stands” and we are not trying to impress them with our effort! They are there for us as witnesses of faith in the Living God whom they trusted to the end; they are our examples not our onlookers! They are NOT looking “DOWN” on us, we are looking UP at them and their lives as living examples to follow. There is a reason that we go on the internet and look up people who have successful completed projects that we are in the midst of doing….it’s because we can watch them and become encouraged to trust that if we follow the course prescribed we too will finish. We trust in the same God who “stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword and out of weakness were made strong.” Since God accomplished all of that through those before us of faith then He can do so now!