“God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us” (Hebrews 11:40).
Our lengthy journey through Hebrews chapter eleven has now come to an end here in verse forty. As we close our look at this portion of Scripture and prepare for our entry into Hebrews chapter twelve, the examples set by these “heroes of the faith” offer an opportunity to reflect upon Jesus’ message from the Gospel of Matthew…
“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (Matthew 6:31-34).
Finally, several commentators lend some important closing thoughts to this final verse…
“The faith of OT 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 (cf. Eph 2:8, 9).” (1)
“The Greek phrasing emphasizes this point by negating the opposite: ‘so that they would not be made perfect without us.'” (2)
“Hebrews 11 has been called faith’s hall of fame. No doubt the author surprised his readers by this conclusion: These mighty Jewish heroes did not receive all that God had promised because they died before Christ came. In God’s plan, they and the Christian believers (who were also enduring much testing) would be rewarded together.” (3)
“In the end he says a great thing. All these died before the final unfolding of God’s promise and the coming of his Messiah into the world. It was as if God had so arranged things that the full blaze of his glory should not be revealed until we and they can enjoy it together. The writer to the Hebrews is saving: ‘See! the glory of God has come. But see what it cost to enable it to come! That is the faith which gave you your religion. What can you do but be true to a heritage like that?'” (4)
“Verses 39-40 summarize the chapter by relating the list of exemplary witnesses to the audience’s experience, and they provide a transition to the argument of 12:1-13.” (5)
(1) John F. MacArthur Jr., The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006), Heb 11:40
(2) NET Bible notes on Hebrews 11:40 https://classic.net.bible.org/bible.php?book=Heb&chapter=11&mode=print
(3) Life Application Study Bible [Hebrews 11:39-40] Copyright © 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1996, 2004 by Tyndale House Publishers Inc., all rights reserved.
(4) Barclay, William. William Barclay’s Daily Study Bible, “The Defiance Of Suffering (Heb_11:35-40).”
(5) Constable, Thomas. DD., Notes on Hebrews 2023 Edition, [11:39-40] https://www.planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/html/nt/hebrews/hebrews.htm