Hebrews 11 -- Teaching The Hebrews Something They'd Missed

The writer of Hebrews now wants to show his Jewish audience something they’ve apparently missed for centuries.  They’d read the stories, and they’d been taught them since they were young.

Abel was good, but what had he gotten for it?  Sure, there were men like Enoch who pleased God and didn’t die, and Noah, who listened to God and lived.

They seemed to have fixated, though, on Abraham being called out and given the land (even though he never really received it and didn’t see all the descendants God had promised would live on it.  They seemed to only care that they’d maintained their genealogy records so that they could lay claim to the land, and they also somehow believed that being Abraham’s descendant was going to guarantee future blessings for them, as well as a piece of that land.

But the writer tells quite a different story – Abel didn’t lose.  Enoch’s belief did make a difference.  Noah’s belief did, too.  And it wasn’t about being Abraham’s physical descendant, but his spiritual apprentice.  I wasn’t as much about what God did for Israel as it was about what Israel believed about God.

Perhaps the telling verse is verse 39:  “All these people are known for their faith, but none of them received what God had promised.”  That statement wasn’t saying anything bad about God.  Instead, we have to go back to verse 13 for the answer:  “All these great people died in faith.  They did not get the things that God promised His people, but they saw them coming far in the future and were GLAD.”

Their happiness came from having seen God at work in their lives and knowing He was using them to fulfill His plan.  They were happy enough to have been given a part.  And their faith told them that centuries later what they had believed about God and acted upon as a result of that faith would have made a difference, not only in their own lives, but in the lives of countless others as well.

Father, for me, too, it will be enough to know that I trusted You fully in this life, despite all outcomes, knowing in my heart that You have Your absolute best planned for me, even despite my sins.  It’s not about this world and what happens here in the long run, Father.  I know that.  Despite everything, it’s enough to know You love me and want me beside You for eternity!

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford