Study inHebrews

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Examples Of Faith And

Perseverance 3 Chap 11v23-39

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Introduction

The writer is continuing to provide examples of persevering faith and the faith of Moses’ parents is next commented upon. Theirs was a defiant faith. They put their lives on the line? They acted as they did not simply driven by parental instincts to protect their child but because they recognised God had a purpose for him. We are not told how they came to that conviction but the chief motivation for their courageous behaviour was that they believed the child to be an instrument of God’s deliverance od his people from Egypt.

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Moses Faith

Faith often has important choices to make. Note the importance of the choice Moses made in v24 concerning status, sinful pleasures, and possessions - the choice was between short term satisfaction and long term gain. Notice what contributed to Moses perseverance, ‘seeing him who was invisible’ [cf. 11v1].

Our attention is then drawn to Moses’ obedience to the directions given for the Passover meal. Why was this such a great act of faith? It was N.T. equivalent placing faith in Christ the Pascal lamb for salvation. In both instances the writer saw faith in the blood sacrifice as seminally important.

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Israel’s Faith

Note too that two acts of faith are attributed to Israel in v29-30. They acted in defiance of nature and in the face of ridicule to the command of God. They obeyed under pressure and the implication is so too should the readership of this epistle.

Rahab is the last named heroine to merit mention in the list. Why is she singled out? Unlike every other inhabitant of Jericho, she alone refused to put her trust in Jericho’s strong walls. She believed that it was inevitable that Jericho would fall.

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Why did Rahab believe this? Because the true and living God, who had shown himself to be faithful to his people had promised them the land of Canaan.

By trusting in the God of Israel she put a great deal on the line. She sacrificed her rational instincts that argued that the city walls were very strong. She endangered her life by hiding the Hebrew spies. She trusted herself to what was a foreign people and a foreign God because she was persuaded that this God kept his promises. cf. Josh. 2v1ff which describes her turning her back on her neighbours and her city.

Rahab’s Faith

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This is a remarkable display of faith for someone who at that time was outside of the covenant of promise; a Gentile and a prostitute. Where true faith is found a person’s, nationality, and sinful past are of no consequence to God. God’s blessing is for those who realise they are sinners and are anxious to turn from their sin. It is not sin which ultimately keeps people from the blessing of God but self- righteousness! cf. Matt. 21v31ff. God rewards faith and Rahab’s was wonderfully rewarded. It took not only the form of physical deliverance when Jericho was destroyed, but included a place in both God’s plan of salvation and in the city whose builder and maker is God.

Rahab’s Faith

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However, I wonder if there is something else which the writer intends us to see as part of Rahab’s reward. cf. Matt. 1v5-6. She was the great-great-grandmother of King David and therefore also part of the messianic line.

The church has also viewed Rahab as an example of the ingathering of the Gentiles, confirming both the universal scope of the gospel, and the depth of God’s grace which extends to the most degraded of sinners.

Rahab’s Faith

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The writer’s survey could have been more comprehensive . In v32-38 he lumps a great number of heroes together. He has made his point there is no need for further individual examples. He has shown that faith can overcome all and obstacles and by so doing receives its own reward.

The names in v32 mark the period of Judges, and Kings, while the prophets themselves are described generically in the term ‘David, Samuel and the prophets’. The writer provides us with nine classifications in v33-34 of splendid achievements but also of great suffering v35ff

Others’ Faith

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1. ‘conquered kingdoms’: the judges, David and some of the O.T. kings.

2. ‘administered justice’: Samuel [1Sam.12v3-5], David [2Sam.8v15], Solomon [1Kin 10v9].

3. ‘gained what was promised’: would involve messianic promises and also those not realised in the recipients own lifetime. [Josh. 21v.43ff] cf. covenant promises cf. Elijah [1Kings 17v1]

4. ‘who shut the mouths of lions’: Daniel [Dan 6v22].

5. ‘quenched the fury of the flames’: Shadrach, Meshach and Abednigo. [Dan.3v17]

Others’ Faith

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6. ‘escaped the edge of the sword’: think of David and Saul, Elijah and Jezebel, Elisha and the King of Syria

7. ‘whose weakness was turned to strength’: Samson destroying the Philistine temple, David killing Goliath, Esther interceding for her people.

8. ‘became powerful in battle’: King Asa, [2 Chron. 14v11]

9. ‘routed foreign armies’ : Hezekiah and Sennacherib [2 Chron. 32.9-22]. Think too of the Maccabean resistance in the days of Antiochus Epiphanes.

Others’ Faith

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The history of the Maccabees contains no account of women who received their dead by resurrection though otherwise the persecutions mentioned here are reminiscent of the suffering experienced by faithful Jews at that period.

For receiving dead by resurrection think of Abraham cf. Heb. 11v19 see also 1 Kings 17v17ff ,2 Kings 4v8ff, not to mention Jn. 11v1ff. Faith which suffers and endures is not always seen to be rewarded in this life but will be in the life to come.

Others’ Faith

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Many of those mentioned who suffered for their faith are not named but nevertheless each one is known to God. Cf. 2 Cor. 6v9. Think of the suffering of Jeremiah the weeping prophet. cf. Jer. 20v1.

Verses 37-38 list the catalogue of sufferings endured by the people of God. Jewish tradition tells us that Jeremiah was stoned to death in Egypt and the Talmud and early fathers describe the way in which Isaiah met his death by being sawn in two with a wooden saw. We see the savagery to which God’s people have regularly been exposed listed here.

Sufferings Endured

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Conclusion

The common denominator of all these heroes was that they looked forward to another world for their reward v39. We too are called upon to exercise that forward look. What does the author means when, speaking of these O.T. heroes, he says, “apart from us they should not be made perfect”? Surely that each believer in needed to make complete the jig-saw of persevering faith under trial,

Commenting on this chapter Calvin writes,“A tiny spark of light led them to heaven, but now that the sun of righteousness shines on us what excuse shall we offer if we still hold to the earth.”