Titled - "Heroes of Faith"
Written by: Pastor Bob Lawrenz
We finish up the 11th chapter of Hebrews today. We left off in the middle of the story of Moses, at verse 27. As the leader of the Jews that God chose to bring them out of Egypt, Moses continues in faith. He kept the Passover. And the Passover itself was done by faith, because that is what the Lord told Moses to tell the people that they should do to save their firstborn.
Except that it was directed by God, what could a lamb’s blood possibly do when splashed on the doorposts and lintel over the doors of Jewish homes? But here is a question for us today: Does the Holy Spirit see the Blood of the Lamb on our doorposts and lintel of our lives? If we give our hearts to the worship of God’s Son, then the sacrifice of Christ Jesus is at work in us.
This is the Faith that God looks for in us. He sees the evidence of our faith by our actions of faith that He sees in us. It is His perfecting work in us! Following Jesus’ manner of living, He will take note of us being a new creature in Christ, His Son. Submitting ourselves to Jesus’ commands is what makes our invisible faith have substance, and that substance is meant to grow and perfect us ‘til the day of the Lord. The Apostle Paul wrote of this promise in Philippians 1: 6 – “Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”
He begins it; He performs it; He completes that good work. His work on the cross is sufficient for our salvation, and that of the whole world! Faith is His gift to us! It is invisible to the natural man, but to Jesus, it has substance. It is Spiritually discerned, and He knows our hearts.
The writer continues in his journey through the heroes of faith: Moses and Joshua, and then continues but in reverse chronological order. Through faith they subdued kingdoms, endured hardships and persecutions of many kinds: from mockery to death, and received the promises made to their fathers.
Their combined experiences show us the way to receiving the same promises of salvation, deliverance, and eternal life.
“It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” - John 6:63
Bobservations' Column: Audio Version
Sunday Morning Message:
Hebrews 11:27-40 - "Heroes of Faith"
Summary/Additional Commentary & Definitions:
Through this chapter, we see examples of ordinary people who accomplished extraordinary things through their unwavering faith. From Abraham to Moses, and from Rahab to David, these heroes of the faith demonstrate what’s possible when we fully surrender to God’s will.
Remember, the book of Hebrews was written to Jews who had professed faith in Christ but were experiencing persecution that could be avoided if they would simply go back to the Old Testament system of law and sacrifice. In the first century, this may have been the result of direct Jewish persecution, but it may also have been the result of Roman persecution.
The writer of Hebrews warns that there is no going back, now that Christ has come. Relationship with God has always been by God’s grace through faith, and has ultimately always relied on Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection (Romans 4:1–16; Ephesians 2:1–10). The Old Covenant pointed to Christ, and He is the fulfillment of it. A proper understanding of the Old Testament will not draw anyone back to Judaism and the temple and the law and the sacrifices. Rather, it will push one forward to faith in Christ.
The testimony of those in the Hall of faith should encourage all of us to press on, even in the face of persecution. God is faithful and always has been.
Sunday Morning Audio Message:
Key Words and Definitions with Reference:
Reproach of Christ (11:26) - Moses considering the suffering and disgrace he faced for God and his people as a greater treasure than the riches of Egypt. Moses suffered reproach for the sake of Christ in the sense that he identified with Messiah's people in their suffering (v.25).
Seeing Him (11:27) - Moses' faith was such that he responded to God's commands as though God were standing visibly before him. This was the basis for his faithfulness to God, and it should be every believer's example for faithfulness.
Passover (11:28) - Passover (Pesach in Hebrew) is a Jewish festival celebrating the exodus from Egypt and the Israelites’ freedom from slavery to the Egyptians. See Exodus 12.
Red Sea (11:29) - See Exodus 14, 15. When the Israelites reached the shores of the red sea they feared for their lives until hearing Moses's pronouncement of God's protection (Exodus 14:13). God's word is powerful, and His people went forward in faith.
Jericho (11:30) - See Joshua 6. Simple obedience to God's instruction in faith. They didn't have to pick up a weapon; God toppled the walls of Jericho.
Rahab (11:31) - See Joshua 2:1-24; 6:22-25; Matthew 1:5; James 2:25. Rahab is considered a hero of faith for her act of believing in God, hiding Israelite spies in Jericho, and disobeying her own king, which saved her and her family.
David (11:32) - See 2 Samuel 23:1-3; Mark 12:36. David is considered a "hero of faith" because of his life of faith in God, even though he was flawed and made mistakes. Key aspects of his story include his faith as a young shepherd who defeated Goliath, his repentance and renewal after sinning, and his identity as a man after God's own heart who wrote many psalms. David is the only king mentioned in this verse. All others are judges or prophets.
Samuel and the Prophets (11:32) - Samuel was the last of the judges and the first of the prophets (cf. 1 Samuel 7:15; Acts 3:24; 13:20). He is considered a hero of the faith for his obedience to God, acting as a priest, prophet, and the last judge of Israel who anointed the first two kings, Saul and David. His story highlights the importance of listening to God's voice and being willing to respond with obedience, even from a young age. His faithfulness is also evident in his service to the people and his role as an intercessor on their behalf.
Subdued Kingdoms (11:33) - Speaking of Joshua, the Judges, David and others.
Worked Righteousness (11:33) - Righteous kings like David, Solomon, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Joash, Hezekiah and Josiah.
David (11:32) - See 2 Samuel 23:1-3; Mark 12:36. David is considered a "hero of faith" because of his life of faith in God, even though he was flawed and made mistakes. Key aspects of his story include his faith as a young shepherd who defeated Goliath, his repentance and renewal after sinning, and his identity as a man after God's own heart who wrote many psalms. David is the only king mentioned in this verse. All others are judges or prophets.
Samuel and the Prophets (11:32) - Samuel was the last of the judges and the first of the prophets (cf. 1 Samuel 7:15; Acts 3:24; 13:20). He is considered a hero of the faith for his obedience to God, acting as a priest, prophet, and the last judge of Israel who anointed the first two kings, Saul and David. His story highlights the importance of listening to God's voice and being willing to respond with obedience, even from a young age. His faithfulness is also evident in his service to the people and his role as an intercessor on their behalf.
Subdued Kingdoms (11:33) - Speaking of Joshua, the Judges, David and others.
Worked Righteousness (11:33) - Righteous kings like David, Solomon, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Joash, Hezekiah and Josiah.
Obtained Promises (11:33) - Abraham, Moses, David and Solomon.
Stopped the Mouths of Lions (11:33) - Samson, David and Daniel.
Quenched the Violence of Fire (11:34) - Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. See Daniel 3:19-30.
Escaped . . . the Sword (11:34) - See David (1 Samuel 18:4, 11; 19:9, 10). Elijah (1 Kings 19:1-3, 10), and Elisha (2 Kings 6:15-19).
Weakness (11:34) - Ehud (Judges 3:12-30), Jael (Judges 4:17-24), Gideon (Judges 6:15, 16; 7:1-25), Samson (Judges 16:21-30), and Hezekiah (Isaiah 38:1-6).
Women Received their Dead (11:35) - Widow of Zarephath (1 Kings 17:22), Woman of Shunem (2 Kings 4:24).
Women Received their Dead (11:35) - Widow of Zarephath (1 Kings 17:22), Woman of Shunem (2 Kings 4:24).
Tortured (11:35) - Beaten to death while strapped to some sort of rack.
Others (11:36) - Joseph (Genesis 39:20), Miciah (1 Kings 22:27), Elisha (2 Kings 2:23), Hanani (2 Chronicles 16:10, Jeremiah (Jeremiah 20:1-6; 37:15), and others.
Stoned (11:37) - The prophet Zechariah was killed in this fashion.
Sawn Asunder (11:37) - Sawn in two. This was the method Manasseh used to execute Isaiah.
Slain with the Sword (11:37) - Urijah the prophet died in this fashion (Jeremiah 26:23; cf. 1 Kings 19:10). However, the expression here may refer to the mass execution of God's people; several such incidents occurred during the time of the Maccabees in the 400 years between the Old Testament and the New Testament.
Some Better Thing (11:39-40) - They had faith in the ultimate fulfillment of the eternal promises in the covenant (v. 13). The faith of Old Testament saints looked forward to the promised salvation, whereas the faith of those after Christ looks back to the fulfillment of the promise. both groups are characterized by genuine faith and are saved by Christ's atoning work on the cross (Ephesians 2:8, 9).
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