Who were your heroes as you were growing up? Perhaps it was an athlete, a musician, a celebrity, or a family member you sought to emulate. While the supply of heroes never quite seems to meet the demand for them in our modern-day world, we can find some genuine heroes within the pages of Hebrews chapter eleven. This portion of Scripture has often been referred to as the Bible’s “Faith Hall Of Fame” for its list of heroic individuals who stood for God in the midst of tremendous obstacles.
As we consider the experiences of these men and women, we can learn much about God’s character and His ability to work within our lives. But before we begin our look at this chapter, we must start by acknowledging that the people we will meet here were faithful individuals, not perfect individuals. These include…
- A man who once got drunk and passed out naked (Noah).
- A person who lied about his wife to protect himself (Abraham).
- A woman who laughed at God’s stated intent (Sarah).
- A man who tried to circumvent God’s will (Isaac).
- A deceptive cheater (Jacob).
- A murderer (Moses).
- A fearful individual who felt inadequate to fulfill God’s call upon his life (Gideon).
- A prostitute (Rahab).
- A violent, uncontrollable alpha-male (Samson).
- A man who was an illegitimate child (Jepthah).
- A king who once sent a man to his death so he could marry his wife (David).
- A God-honoring man whose sons were wicked and dishonorable (Samuel).
Nevertheless, these faithful individuals received God’s approval, despite their obvious shortcomings. Therein lies an important lesson for readers of this epistle. While it is often natural to focus upon our personal faults and deficiencies (and those of others), this chapter reminds us that we must weigh such assessments against the premium that God places upon faith.
Hebrews chapter eleven also benefits us in another way. You see, this chapter should relieve us of the notion that God only employs the best and the brightest human beings to accomplish His will. Instead, this portion of Scripture will demonstrate the fact that God doesn’t always select the most talented, popular, smartest, wealthiest, or physically capable individuals to fulfill His purposes. Instead, He may choose to work through ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things through them.
This was true of many of those we will meet in Hebrews chapter eleven. The same may also be true of us as we place our faith in Christ to fulfill His purposes for our lives.