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"The things that are behind forgetting, on the one hand, and on the other hand
stretching out the things that are before, according to a mark I pursue for the prize of the
high calling of God in Christ Jesus."
We have referred the reader many times to the epistle to the Hebrews as illustrating
the principle, though not dealing with the same prize that obtains in Phil. 3:, and once
again we draw attention to that epistle in order that we may see a parallel and an
illustration.
In Heb. 5: 8-12, and 6: 1 the apostle writes:--
"Though He was a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things which He suffered;
and having perfected, He became unto all that obey Him the author of aionian salvation;
named of God a high priest after the order of Melchisedec, of whom we have many
things to say and hard of interpretation, seeing ye are becomes dull of hearing; for when
by reason of the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need again that some one teach you
what are the elements of the beginning of the oracles of God. . . . Wherefore leaving
the word of the beginning of Christ, let us go on unto perfection."
There we have a parallel with the "forgetting" and the "stretching out to" of Phil. 3:
The historical illustration supplied by Hebrews is found in chapters 3: and 4: The
failure of Israel in the wilderness is largely connected with their fickleness of memory.
While it could have been written of them after the mighty redemption from Egypt, "they
soon forgat His works", we find that they "remembered the fish which they did eat in
Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the
garlic" (Num. 11: 5), and accordingly after the spies had made their report, and after they
had seen the bunch of grapes from Eschol (note the contrast to fruits of Egypt) "they said
one to another, Let us make a Captain, and let us return into Egypt". It is significant that
the word "Captain" in the LXX is the same as that name of Christ in Hebrews, and the
contrast is vitally connected with the two attitudes of mind expressed in "leaving" and
"going on unto", "forgetting" and "stretching out to". The Israelites' failure to "leave"
and "go on" was used by the apostle to impress his teaching in the epistle to the Hebrews,
and it will have the same effect in the epistle to the Philippians.
In Luke 9: 61, 62 we read:--
"And another also said, I will follow Thee Lord, but first suffer me to bid farewell to
them that are at my house, but Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the
plough, and looking back, is well disposed for the kingdom of God."
The case of Lot's wife, saved indeed from the destruction that came upon Sodom, yet
turned into a pillar of salt outside simply for looking back is also another solemn
illustration.
We shall all, doubtless, have to supply in particular what constitute "the things
behind", and what would be to one a hindering "weight" may have no power on another.
The parable of the Sower, in that section which speaks of the thorny ground, seems to
give an indication of some of the "things that are behind" that hinder "perfection".