Jesus the pioneer & perfecter of our faith

Let me pick up what I left behind two days ago.
And all these, though well attested by their faith, did not receive what was promised,
since God had foreseen something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect (Hebrews 11:39-40).
The author of Hebrews was ambiguous with "all these" in verse 39. Did he mean all those prominent figures of the Old Testament he had mentioned? Did he mean just the unnamed prophets? This is a project worth doing. First of all, find out exact what promise God had given to each one of them. This isn't easy at all because those promises might not be found in the Hebrew Scripture but in Jewish legends and folklore. I can only select a few I know.
For Abraham, God promised him descendants like stars in heaven (Genesis 15:5) and to these descendants a vast portion of land (Genesis 15:18-21). Of course, Abraham died and was buried, leaving behind Isaac, Ishmael and a few more sons (Genesis 25:9). He did not receive all that was promised.
Moses did not enter the Promised Land. The kingdom of David's son Solomon, was divided and conquered. His throne did not last forever as promised.
When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.
He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever (2 Samuel 7:12-13).
God did not keep His promises. The author of Hebrews explains that God has prepared something better. But this something better cannot come true without "us", the Christians in the New Testament.
Then, the author of Hebrews turns to the present. He speaks to his readers.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses νέφος μαρτύρων, 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 (Hebrews 12:1-2).
The word "cloud νέφος" appears only once in all the 27 books of the New Testament. Perhaps it was an idiom at that time, figuratively meaning "a great crowd". These Old Testament figures are witnesses to the promises made by God. They are not yet the recipients. We have to wait until some future time to cash these promises. But in order to cash these promises, the author of Hebrews advises us to lay aside every weight and sin. He conjures up a familiar image of running a race. Furthermore, he puts Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith τὸν τῆς πίστεως (faith) ἀρχηγὸν (beginner) καὶ τελειωτὴν (and completer) in front of us to look up to.
In particular, the author made Jesus a runner, the cross and shame his track and the seat at the right hand of God his prize. So, let us follow Jesus.

Dear Lord, You are our pioneer and perfecter. Let us run a lighter race by unloading our sins. Let us meet at the finishing line. Amen.