The
author now turned to encourage the believers. He reminded them of their past
faithfulness and how they had endured great conflict of suffering. Apparently,
the readers had a good beginning in their faith journey and showed great
resilience in the face of persecution. They remained steadfast in the trying
circumstances and had proven to be faithful in severe trials of their faith.
They were unshaken when encouraged to abandon their faith. Besides, they had
withstood public shame and persecution for their belief and had unashamedly
supported other believers who had undergone persecution in the same way. Now
the author was asking them to recall those moments.
In
the 1st century, prisoners had very difficult times. Little provisions were
made for them and they had to depend on friends for the supplies of even basic
necessities such as food. Hence, it was a meritorious act for Christians to
visit prisoners. However, this kind act invited some risk for the visitors.
They would be identified with the prisoners. Yet the readers of this epistle
did not recoil from those charitable acts. They endured much embarrassment
personally for their kind gestures, besides having to endure the shame of being
put in the same category as the prisoners. Verse 34 tells us that they
empathized with the prisoners so much so that they were even willing to bear
confiscation of their properties. Why? They were looking forward to a better
and more lasting inheritance in the future in eternity. Hence, they were not
only able to suffer their losses willingly and not grudgingly, but also
joyfully.
In
order to help the readers to stay confident and not to abort their faith, the
author turned now to get them to focus on their reward. In verses 35-36, he
told them to look forward to the reward awaiting them. This would motivate them
to keep on going. The author was in essence telling them that they were
entitled to receive a reward for all that they had done. Hence, they should not
be faint hearted and throw everything away now. This tells us that the readers
were believers undergoing trying circumstances and not unbelievers. If they
were unbelievers the author would have talked about salvation rather than
endurance. Obviously, what they needed was to persevere in the race in the face
of tough time. In verses 37-38, the writer gave the readers a peep into the future
when they would receive their reward. Quoting Isaiah 26:20 and then Habakkuk
2:3-4 the author anticipated the Second Coming of Christ. He indicated here
that at the right moment, the Lord shall return and there will be no delay. The
moment of His Coming can never be too early or too late, it will be very
precise. Meanwhile the believers were exhorted to walk by faith, for if they
should abandon the faith, God would not be pleased. The words “shrinks back”
suggest apostasy.
The
writer was confident that he and his readers did not belong to the category
that would apostatize. In using the word “destruction” the author was probably
thinking about eternal damnation in hell. This would be in keeping with the
force of all that he was saying in these verses. Some felt that the author could
be concerned that his readers would become the object of God’s discipline. In
this case, the word “waste” would be an appropriate replacement for the word
“destruction.” It would give the idea that a believer who would not walk by
faith, but return to his old ways would waste his life. Conversely, verse 39,
promises the believer who does not backslide but persevere in faith would
preserve his soul and ultimately receive his rewards. Let us lean on the
promises that Christ had made and keep on keeping on to the end.
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