Better: The Book of Hebrews, part 14
Last time we closed out the first 12 verses of Hebrews 11 by observing how faith manifested itself in the lives of some of faith’s heroes. Abel’s faith illustrated faith’s worship, Enoch illustrated faith’s walk, Noah faith’s obedience, Abraham faith’s trust, and Sarah faith’s quickening power.
Next, you will note that beginning in Hebrews 11:13 and going through verse 16 the writer takes a break, and instead of giving examples of saints who expressed faith, he comments on the nature of the faith he’s been illustrating in these individuals.
Hebrews 11:13 NKJV
“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.”
“At this point, the writer of Hebrews sets aside the palette of paints he had been using to fill his canvas with examples of faith. He steps back, as it were, gestures at the procession of personalities he’s been painting (Abel, Enoch, Noah, and particularly Abraham and Sarah), and makes a sweeping statement: “All these,” he says, “died in faith, without receiving the promises.”
~Chuck Swindoll
But wait . . . didn’t Abraham make it to the Promised Land? Didn’t Sarah have her promised child, Isaac? Yes, but what they experienced in this life was merely a foretaste, a shadow of things to come.
Abraham didn’t receive the full promise, just a down payment. Abraham and Sarah had only one child—the promise was for descendants “innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore” (Hebrews 11:12 NKJV).
The land in which he sojourned was indeed the Promised Land, but he, Sarah, Isaac, and all their household lived there as “strangers and exiles on the earth” (Hebrews 11: 13 AMP).
Notes
And last but not least, Abraham had died looking forward to “the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Hebrews 11:10 NKJV)—this, of course, speaking of heaven!
Thus, when he and Sarah died, most of these things had not yet been fulfilled. Yet look at how Abraham’s faith manifested itself: “but having seen them (the fulfillment of the promises) from afar off were assured of them, embraced (or welcomed) them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on this earth” (vs. 13 NKJV).
Hebrews 11:14-16 NKJV
“For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. 15 And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.”
Notes
Hebrews 11: 39-40 NKJV
“And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, 40 God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.”
What is the “better thing” God provided for us without which the OT saints could not be made perfect?
The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ!
Notes
Luke 16:23-26
“And being in torments in Hades, he (the rich man) lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
24 Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. 26 And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’”
Notes
Between the time when Jesus died on the Cross and rose again, the Bible says:
Ephesians 4:9 NKJV
“… He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth?”
1 Peter 3:18-19 NKJV
“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, 19 by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison …”
1 Peter 4:6 NKJV
“For this reason the gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.”
Notes
The Bible goes on to suggest that they were carried by Jesus to heaven following His resurrection:
Ephesians 4:8 NKJV
“… When He (Jesus) ascended on high,
He led captivity (those in Hades) captive,
and gave gifts to men.”
Matthew 27:51-53 NKJV
“Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, 52 and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53 and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.”
Notes
Hebrews 11:17-22 NKJV
“By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, 18 of whom it was said, ‘In Isaac your seed shall be called,’ 19 concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.
20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.
21 By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.
22 By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones.”
Notes
Hebrews 11:23-29 NKJV
“By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s command.
24 By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, 26 esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.
27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible. 28 By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he who destroyed the firstborn should touch them.
29 By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned.”
Notes
Hebrews 11:30-35 NKJV
“By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days. 31 By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace.
32 And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: 33 who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. 35 Women received their dead raised to life again.”
Notes
But as the chapter winds to a close we come to another group of faith walkers. These saints of God did not receive miracle deliverances, healings, or breakthrough. These faith walkers endured suffering and death BY FAITH!
Hebrews 11:35-40 NKJV
“Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. 36 Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned (Stephen), they were sawn in two (Isaiah), were tempted, were slain with the sword (James). They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented— 38 of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth.
39 And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, 40 God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.”
Notes
Next Time: The Race of Faith and God’s Discipline