Heroes of Faith
Faith's
Foundations
This is the victory
that overcometh the world, even our faith.—1 John 5:4
A verse-by-verse study
in Hebrews 11
Holy
men of old were noted for their strong faith. Their faith was not built on
wishful thinking or hearsay evidence, but on deep-rooted convictions based
on solid evidence. There is no place in holy writ where these foundations
for faith are more observable than in the catalog of Old Testament heroes in
Hebrews 11.
Faith
Defined—Hebrews 11:1
Now
faith is a confident assurance of that for which we hope, a conviction of
the reality of things which we do not see. (Weymouth)
The Greek word hupostasis, aptly
translated “well-grounded assurance,” literally means a foundation, that
which stands below. The second definition, “a conviction of reality” is
from the Greek elegcho. One lexicographer, commenting on this word,
says it “means to rebuke with sufficient cause, and also effectually, so
as to bring the one rebuked to a confession or at least a conviction of sin.
In other words, it means to convince.”
Thus faith differs from mere belief in that
it is well-grounded and has sufficient reason to be thoroughly convinced of
that which cannot be perceived by the human senses. While true faith seeks
substantiation for what it holds to be true, it does need irreversible
proof, basing its conclusions on the bulk of the evidence.
A
Good Report—Hebrews 11:2
For
by it the elders obtained a good report.
Faith was the one common denominator that
bound the champions of old together. They were imperfect men. They made
mistakes. But they believed—and it was this intense personal belief, this
faith, which justified them in the sight of Jehovah God. While the term
“ancient worthies,” a phrase used often in Bible Student vocabulary,
does not appear in the Bible, this expression comes very close. The
“elders” were “ancient” and their faith made them “worthy” in
the eyes of their Creator.
With these two introductory verses, the
writer of Hebrews begins a litany of such heroes. The sixteen specific
names, along with others who appear grouped by their deeds, do not represent
all whose faith shone out on the pages of history. There may well have been
thousands of such faithful ones. Paul implies as much when he speaks of
7,000 such chosen ones “according to the election of grace” (Romans
11:4,5).
Faith
Grasps the Invisible—Hebrews 11:3
By
faith we understand the ages to have been prepared by a saying of God, in
regard to the things seen not having come out of things appearing.
(Young’s Literal Translation)
Although it is true that the literal earth
was formed by the commandment of God, the allusion in this verse is not to
the act of creation but to the structuring of great dispensational ages
(Greek, aions) in the carrying forward of the plans and purposes of
the Almighty. The earth itself was not made of invisible ingredients, but
the grand progression of ages and dispensations is comprehended, not by
human sight, but by the inner eye of faith.
The apostle Peter styles the three major time
divisions as “the world that then was,” the “heavens and the earth,
which are now,” and a “new heavens and a new earth” (2 Peter 3:6,
7,13). Each of these dispensations has different rulership—angels, Satan,
and Christ, respectively. Within the present dispensation are three ages
where God deals with different groups of people—the patriarchs, the nation
of Israel, and the Christian church. When faith grasps this outline, the
human mind begins to comprehend the “stately steppings of our God” (Studies
in the Scriptures, vol. 1, p. 75).
Abel—Hebrews
11:4
By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain,
by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his
gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.
The phrase “God testifying of his gifts”
suggests a possible base for the faith Abel manifested. It is certainly
suggestive that the manner of God’s accepting Abel’s offering rather
than Cain’s was in a visible manner, possibly by the fire which consumed
the offering being miraculously lit by God himself.
Both Abel and Cain offered logical
sacrifices. Both gave of the fruitage of their labors. Abel, being a
shepherd, offered an animal, while Cain, a tiller of the ground, offered an
oblation of his tillage. It might be well to inspect an ambiguous verse
concerning these two offerings.
Rotherham’s translation of Genesis 4:7
reads, “Shall it not, if thou do right, be lifted up? But if thou do not
right, at the entrance a sin-bearer is lying, Unto thee, moreover, shall be
his longing, though, thou, rule over him.” While most translations suggest
that it was sin crouching at the door, Rotherham rightly notes that the
Hebrew chattah, translated sin, can with equal ease be translated
“sin offering”or “sin bearer.”In fact the Authorized Version so
translates it that way in 116 of the 296 places it appears in the Old
Testament.
The suggestion is that if Cain had observed
God’s acceptance of Abel’s offering, there was another animal, a
“sin-offering,” crouching at the tent door and it was available to Cain
for the taking.
One of faith’s strong foundations comes
from the observance of God’s favorable dealings with others of his
servants and the meek acceptance of the lesson to improve one’s own
service. Frequently, however, the temptation with us is toward jealousy, as
it was with Cain.
Enoch—Hebrews
11:5
By
faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found,
because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this
testimony, that he pleased God.
The Scriptural account of Enoch is too
sketchy to draw a strong conclusion as to his specific act of faith. The two
clues we are given are that he “was translated that he should not see
death” and that prior to that act God had manifested acceptance of
Enoch’s faithfulness.
Since the writer of Hebrews summarizes his
first group of faith warriors by saying “these all died in faith,” it
seems highly unlikely that Enoch escaped the death sentence. More likely,
dying at 365 years of age, roughly one-third of a normal life span at that
time, his death may have been in the vigor of his relative youth, without
experiencing the decaying effects of the death process in his body.
It was before this that God had given
testimony to his faithfulness. The only specific act of Enoch of which we
know is furnished in the New Testament: “Enoch also, the seventh from
Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten
thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all
that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have
ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have
spoken against him” (Jude 14,15).
Here Enoch is classified as a prophet
predicting a time of judgment. While this undoubtedly has reference to the
time of the Lord’s second advent, it likely had a more direct
application to the end of “the world that was.”
That prophecy must have been greatly
disturbing to this righteous man. His faith in it evoked an emotion common
to any parent who loves his child: “May my child escape that judgment.”
That prayer seems echoed in the naming of Enoch’s son. He called his name
Methuselah, meaning “after he dies may it happen.” Perhaps God
manifested his appreciation of Enoch’s faith by assuring Enoch that this
prayer would be answered. And so it was: Methuselah died the year of the
flood, before the judgment Enoch had predicted.
The Necessity of
Faith—Hebrews 11:6
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he
that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of
them that diligently seek him.
To believe in the existence of God is not
sufficient. Many scientists and philosophers, with but little faith, grasp
that tenet by applying reasoning and empirical evidence. James notes that
“the devils also believe, and tremble” (James 2:19). So strong is the
evidence that the psalmist claims that it is the fool that says in his
heart, “there is no God” (Psalm 53:1).
It is not the reality of a supreme creator,
but the confidence that this being is one who is not only all-powerful but
also all-caring—a personal God. It is faith that goes beyond the rationalist
view of a creator who abandoned his masterpiece to its own devices, but who
maintains enough personal interest in its minutiae to be “a rewarder
of them that diligently seek him.” This is the quality of faith which mark
the individuals in this catalog of holy men of old.
Noah—Hebrews
11:7
By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as
yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the
which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is
by faith.
Rain was an uncommon phenomenon before the
flood. Irrigation in antediluvian times was generally accomplished by a mist
that went up from the earth and watered the ground (Genesis 2:5,6). If there
had been any rainfall, it certainly was not of such massive proportions as
to inundate the ground. Therefore the announcement by God of such an
impending catastrophe must have sounded incredible. A world-wide flood
appears equally incredible to many skeptics today. Yet it is attested to in
writings of most major civilizations. Among similar accounts of a deluge in
which a single family is saved are accounts by Berosus of Chaldea,
Hieronymus of Egypt, Mnaseas the Phoenician, Nicolaus of Damascus, Abydenus
the Assyrian and the famous Roman, Ovid, in his "Metamorphosis".
(See Gill's Commentary for still other references to Noah.) Yet, he not only
believed but demonstrated his conviction by two outstanding actions.
First, he set upon the unprecedented task of
building an ark of sufficient size to accommodate every species of land
animal. Second, he boldly proclaimed the message of the coming deluge as a
warning to the populace around him (2 Peter 2:5). The massive boat which he
and his sons built became the instrument of condemnation to the unbelief of
the surrounding peoples.
Abraham—Hebrews
11:8-10
By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a
place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went
out, not knowing whither he went. By faith he sojourned in the land of
promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and
Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: For he looked for a city
which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
While Abram was still in Ur of the Chaldees,
God had offered to make of him a great nation if he would relocate to a land
God would show him. “Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from
thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew
thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and
make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing”(Genesis 12:1,2). There
is no record, however, of God informing him where the land was. How was he
to know?
At age seventy-five he made a fateful
decision to relocate to the land of Canaan, afterwards to be known as “the
promised land” (Genesis 12:4,5). Was there a basis for this choice of
location on the part of Abram? We suggest there was, and that it is found in
a promise given by Noah shortly after the flood. “And he said, Cursed be
Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren. And he said,
Blessed be the LORD
God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant. God shall enlarge Japheth, and
he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant”
(Genesis 9:25-27). A contemplation of this prophecy may well have revealed
to Abram that, as a patriarch of the house of Shem, Canaan was to be his
servant, and therefore the land of Canaan was the land to which God had sent
him.
It takes faith to claim such a promise on
such tenuous evidence. But if it took faith to so claim the land, it
required additional faith to refuse to claim that promise when seemingly
proffered. At the death of his wife, Sarah, the patriarch sought a burial
place for her. Ephron, a Hittite, owned a fitting spot—the cave of
Macphelah —and offered it free of charge to Abraham. The bereaved old man
refused to take it for free and purchased the land for 400 pieces of silver
(Genesis 23:7-20).
Why would Abraham refuse a free offer of land
within the country promised him by God? The answer lies in Genesis 15 where
God affirmed his covenant to give the land to Abraham and his seed after
him. There he was informed that this gift would only come after four
generations had passed (Genesis 15:16). Thus, in sharp contrast, the
patriarch moved to the promised land by the exercise of faith, and with that
same faith refused to claim it for himself in his own lifetime, choosing
rather to dwell in it as a sojourner and migrating itinerant.
Sara—Hebrews
11:11,12
Through faith also Sara herself received strength to
conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because
she judged him faithful who had promised. Therefore sprang there even of
one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude,
and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.
Sara is seldom honored for her response to
the news that she was to bear a child in her old age. She is depicted as
laughing at the news and then denying the laugh when she was accused
(Genesis 18:12-15). The writer of Hebrews suggests a different scenario. He
states, “she judged him faithful who had promised.” Such an evaluation
indicates that her laughter was not one of unbelief, but of belief. It was
not a scornful laugh but the sudden outburst of a heart filled with joy by
the astounding news of the impending birth.
Not only is her faith credited with being
causative of the miraculous birth, but as overruling the effects of age on
Abraham’s body—“as good as dead.” To this agrees the words of Paul:
“And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead,
when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s
womb” (Romans 4:19).
The
Prospect of Faith—Hebrew 11:13-16
These all died in faith, not having received the
promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and
embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the
earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a
country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence
they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now
they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not
ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.
In summary of the examples of faith treated
so far, the writer of Hebrews suggests their motivation. They sought “a
better country, that is, an heavenly.” The most direct interpretation of
these words is that they held a hope for a heavenly salvation. Such a
suggestion was put forward by Pastor Russell: “What is more reasonable
than to suppose that at the close of the Millennial age when their service
upon the earthly plane shall have ended, the latter class [the ancient
worthies] also will be received to the heavenly plane?” (Reprints,
p. 4389).
On the other hand, it may be that the
heavenly city they looked for is the “New Jerusalem, coming down out of
heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband”
(Revelation 21:2, NASB).
This city represents the spiritual government of Messiah’s kingdom
reigning on earth.
In any case, the motivation for these
faithful men of old was a solid grasp of the prospects of a better life
beyond their current existence.
Abraham
Again—Hebrews 11:17-19
By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac:
and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, Of
whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: accounting that
God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he
received him in a figure.
Perhaps the greatest act of faith in this
incredible catalog is that of the willingness of Abraham to offer his
beloved Isaac on the altar of sacrifice. Surely he knew of the tragic use of
human sacrifices of surrounding nations and the fact that God considered
these as abominations.
It takes faith to believe an unbelievable
request. It takes greater faith to believe and obey when it involves the
sacrifice of something as dear as your beloved son. But the greatest faith
believes and obeys even when the command seems contrary to all that nature
and one’s understanding of what God’s moral law has always been.
Upon what did Abraham base such faith? It
would require implicit and unwavering belief in the promise that God had
made of producing a great nation through his son. Only such a faith could
grasp the concept that if he were to be slain the God who had ordered such
an act could make it turn out for good. Such an outcome could only logically
come about through a resurrection. Jesus testified on him that he saw “my
day, and was glad” (John 8:56). It was undoubtedly beyond his greatest
expectations to discover how God would work it out by staying his hand in
the process of the sacrifice and providing a ram in substitute.
Isaac—Hebrews
11:20
By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things
to come.
It did not require faith for Isaac to bless
one of his children. That was normal. But the act of faith was in the
blessing of both of them. The two blessings, found respectively in
Genesis 27:28,29 and Genesis 27:39,40, are almost identical but with
significant differences. Jacob’s was obviously the superior, but Esau was
promised a time when he would come into his own special favor.
Since Isaac had a preference for Esau, the
fact that Jacob had claimed the blessing by deception, though he had
legally purchased it, must have offended him. Nevertheless, the writer
of Hebrews says that the bestowal of the second blessing was not out of
favoritism, but as an act of faith.
Most probably Isaac based his faith on a
similar circumstance in connection with his own blessing by Abraham. When
God had given his promise to Abraham to have a son through Sarah, that
patriarch had one fear. What would happen to Ishmael, whom he had come to
love? In Genesis 17:18 we heard him cry out, “And Abraham said unto God, O
that Ishmael might [also] live before thee!” And God responded favorably
to that request, “And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have
blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly;
twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation”
(Genesis 17:20).
Therefore the precedent was set and Isaac
based his faith for blessing both on a solid basis.
Jacob—Hebrews
11:21
By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the
sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff.
Jacob’s choice of Joseph, the blessings of
both of his sons indicating the two-fold blessing of the first-born, is the
next described act of faith (Deuteronomy 21:15-17).That same law also
prohibited counting the son of a beloved wife as the firstborn over the
older children of a less loved spouse. While Jacob mentions specific reasons
for not choosing his three oldest children (Genesis 49:2-5), there still
remained eight other children older than Joseph.
E. W. Bullinger in his Companion Bible
suggests the following meaning to the Hebrew text: “By faith, Jacob, on
his death bed, blessed the two sons of Joseph, basing that decision on the
height of his (Joseph’s) staff.” Noting, when his sons gathered for
their final blessings, that Joseph had the staff of the grand vizier of all
Egypt, he concluded that if God had so blessed this son, then he should act
in harmony with that blessing by making him the firstborn of his children.
Joseph—Hebrews
11:22
By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the
departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his
bones.
Much of the force of this verse is lost in
translation. The Hebrew verb translated “make mention” is used 22 times
in the Old Testament and on every occasion except two is more properly
translated “remembered.”
Joseph’s act of faith in commanding that
his bones be carried back to Canaan (Genesis 50:25) was based on an act of
memory. It is probable that he remembered the promise made to his
great-grandfather Abraham in Genesis 15:16, that in the fourth generation of
captivity they would return to Canaan, the land of their inheritance.
As with Joseph, so with the Christian: faith
has a firm foundation in searching out and frequently calling to mind the
exceedingly precious promises of our God.
Amram
and Jochebed—Hebrews 11:23
By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of
his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not
afraid of the king's commandment.
It is natural to assume from the Old
Testament record that Jochebed hid Moses because she feared he would be
killed if discovered. The author of Hebrews makes a different assumption. He
writes, “They were not afraid of the king's commandment.”
The Hebrews account also attributes the plans
for the child to his physical beauty. We are not to understand that they
would have had less love for a less attractive baby. Rather, the implication
was that his good looks lay at the base of their ultimate plan to place the
child in a basket in the river Nile. It would not be unreasonable to suppose
that they realized that the area of the Nile where they deposited their
human treasure would cause him to pass by the spot where Pharaoh's daughter
was accustomed to go and that his good looks would appeal to her innate
sense of motherhood. It may well have been a good use of the old rule that,
if you want to hide something, hide it in plain sight. Likewise Christians
do well to be ever on the alert to detect the providences of God in the
exercise of their faith. Such faith, properly exercised, may yield similar
outstanding results.
Moses—Hebrews
11:24-28
By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be
called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction
with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt:
for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward. By faith he forsook
Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who
is invisible. Through faith he kept the Passover, and the sprinkling of
blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them.
The Hebrews account of Moses’ heroism
leaves quite a different impression than that found in the book of Exodus.
Three particular acts in Moses’ life are singled out as emblematic of his
faith:
1. Refusing to be called the
son of Pharaoh’s daughter. In fact Hebrews suggests that he identified
with his people well before the incident of the Egyptian taskmaster.
2. Fleeing Egypt, stating
this was because of his faith and not for fear of reprisal. The stated
reason for his faith on this occasion was that he saw “him who is
invisible.” The suggestion is strong that he saw that it was God’s plan
for him not to come to the aid of his Hebrew brethren at that point in time.
Then, when the time did come, he was at first reluctant to answer the call,
claiming his own unworthiness (Exodus 3:11; 4:10).
3. Keeping the Passover.
The Nation of
Israel—Hebrews 11:29,30
By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land:
which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned. By faith the walls of
Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.
Again, it is surprising that God credits the
crossing of the Red Sea to the nation of Israel rather than to Moses. The
Exodus account indicates that the people were fearful of the approaching
Egyptian army and did not expect the waters to part. Nor, indeed, does the
Hebrew account dispute this fact. It was not in either the expectation nor
cause of such a miracle that the Israelites were credited with faith, but in
the utilization of that miracle by going forward into the breach caused by
the parting sea. While they saw a path before them, the distance across was
considerable and it required faith to progress despite the possibility that
the receding waters might again come together.
The generation of Israelites which entered
the promised land was not the same as had left Egypt some 40 years earlier.
These appear to have readily marched under Joshua’s command in the
encirclement of Jericho on seven successive days, culminating in the
seven-fold march on the seventh day when the blowing of trumpets coincided
with the collapse of the walled fortifications of that mighty city.
Rahab—Hebrews
11:31
By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that
believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.
Rahab is the only Gentile listed among these
faith heroes. Hers was not a faith based on the promises made to Israel. Her
faith was based on a conclusion drawn from the history of the Jewish people
over the previous forty years: “And she said unto the men, I know that the
LORD hath
given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the
inhabitants of the land faint because of you. For we have heard how the LORD
dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt;
and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other
side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed. And as soon as we had
heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more
courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth
beneath” (Joshua 2:9-11).
Evidently traveling caravans had brought the
news of the Jewish conquests to Jericho. Therefore many knew these facts,
but it was Rahab alone who grasped their significance! The God of Israel was
the true God and he had given the land of Canaan to the Israelites.
Her faith not only provided salvation for her
entire household, but gave her the privilege of becoming the first Gentile
proselyte to Judaism in the promised land and eventually resulted in her
marriage to Salmon, the head of the tribe of Judah.
Other
Named and Unnamed Heroes—Hebrews 11:32-38
And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to
tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also,
and Samuel, and of the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought
righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, Quenched the
violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made
strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.
Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured,
not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: and
others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds
and imprisonment: they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted,
were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins;
being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (of whom the world was not worthy:)
they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the
earth.
The faithfulness of some of the listed names,
such as Gideon, Jephthae, David, and Samuel, seems obvious. However
questions may arise concerning Barak and Samson. In the Old Testament
account of the battle of Deborah and Barak against Sisera (Judges 4) it
would appear that Deborah, not Barak, was the real hero of faith. The Hebrew
list, however, suggests that while Deborah had great faith in the Lord, she
enkindled that same kind of faith in Barak. She inspired the faith, but it
was Barak who had to face the enemy in battle.
Samson is more often known for his weaknesses
than his faith. There is reason to believe that, even in some of his
weaknesses, the Lord had commanded him to act the way he did. For example,
in the case of his first intended wife, of whom his parents strongly
disapproved because she was not Jewish, we read, “But his father and his
mother knew not that it was of the LORD,
that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the
Philistines had dominion over Israel” (Judges 14:4).
In any event, we have the assurance of the
author of Hebrews that all of these named individuals were indeed heroes of
faith and most probably among the group affectionately known as “ancient
worthies.”
From The Herald of
September/October 1993, p. 26, we read: “The three pairs given [in the
first entries in the list below] are each in reverse chronological order
which suggests that pairs are intended. In the first pair, Barak needed
reassurance but then acted with full assurance of faith to subdue
kingdoms. It was likely only a few weeks later when Gideon did likewise,
probably strengthened also by Barak’s successful step of faith.”
subdued kingdoms
Gideon—Judges 7:1-25
Barak— Judges 4:4-23
wrought righteousness
Samson—Judges 14-16
Jephthah—Judges 11:11-33
obtained promises
David—1 Samuel 16:13; 2 Samuel
7:25-29
Samuel—1 Samuel 3:19-21; 7:3-15
stopped the mouths of lions
Daniel—Daniel 6:(1-)16-24
quenched the power of fire
Shadrach, Meshach, Abed-nego—
Daniel 3:(1-)16-27
escaped the edge of the sword
Elisha —2 Kings 6:8-19
from weakness was made strong
Elijah—1 Kings 18:20-40; 19:1-8
waxed mighty in war
Abijah—2 Chronicles 13:3-21
turned to flight the armies of
the alien
Asa—2 Chronicles 14:9-13
women
received their dead by a resurrection
widow of Zarephath—1 Kings 17:17-24
woman of Shunem—2 Kings 4:32-37
others were tortured
Jeremiah—Jeremiah 20:2-9;
37:15-21; 38:3-6
Summation—Hebrews
11:39, 40
And
these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the
promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us
should not be made perfect.
Summarizing
the outstanding faith of these men of old, we are told that even such great
faith did not qualify them for the promise of being the primary, the
heavenly, seed of Abraham. This was reserved for the saints who lived after
Jesus opened up the “new and living way” through the sacrifice of his
flesh (Hebrews 10:20).
Jesus
makes much the same point concerning John the Baptist: “Verily I say unto
you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than
John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven
is greater than he” (Matthew 11:11).
Even the resurrection of these holy men cannot occur until the
resurrection of the church, for it is the church which shall make them
perfect. The apostle Peter noted this fact concerning David, one of these
heroes: “Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch
David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto
this day” (Acts 2:29).
This
privilege of the church is spoken of in symbolic language in Psalm 45:16,
“Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children, whom thou mayest make
princes in all the earth.”
Therefore, as these holy ones demonstrated their faith in the
presence of many witnesses, we are encouraged to do the same: “Wherefore
seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of
witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily
beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us”
(Hebrews 12:1).
ON
THE OTHER HAND
The wording of Hebrews 11:29,30 contains some ambiguity. It might
be inferred that the crossing of the Red Sea was credited either to the
faith of Israel or of Moses. Exodus 14:11-14 indicates it was Moses rather
than the nation of Israel that had faith God would deliver them from the
Egyptians, although it is true that the Israelites proceeded into the water
after Moses stretched out his hand and the waters parted (Exodus 14:21,22).
Israel’s baptism into Moses in the cloud and the sea suggests Moses’
long-demonstrated faith was the reason for this deliverance.
According to the definition of faith, it would not imply a
momentary decision or action at the last minute, but a deeply rooted
conviction that had been evidenced well before being put to the test.
Israel’s constant murmuring and rebellion after crossing the Red Sea is
well documented in Scripture. It does not appear plausible Israel could be
included in Hebrews 11:29 as having a good report through faith when, with
few exceptions, the adults wandered in the wilderness and died, failing to
enter the promised land.
In Hebrews 11:30, Joshua, who was the chosen successor to Moses,
would appear to be the one whose faith had long been manifest throughout the
wilderness wanderings and was credited with the triumph over Jericho. In
obedience to God’s instructions, he utilized a unique battle strategy that
caused the walls of Jericho to fall, thereby gaining the victory over
Israel’s enemies. Thus it is written, “So the LORD was with Joshua and
his fame was noised throughout all the country” (Joshua 6:27).
—Homer Montague
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