I
Hebrews chapter thirteen presents us with several practical exhortations to Godly living. Those exhortations are delivered in a rapid-fire manner over the first seventeen verses of this chapter before closing with a benediction and a few personal comments. The following commentary offers a brief overview  of Hebrews 13 that will help prepare us to enter the final section of this great Biblical book…

“This final chapter is a composite of admonitions which covers a wide range of topics. The author has finished the main thrust of the epistle. In chapter 13 he focuses upon the particular needs and problems of those to whom he is writing. These admonitions cluster around the basic topics of love, leadership, and last words” _(1).

So, the last chapter of Hebrews opens with a word of encouragement in verse one: “Let brotherly love continue.” This familiar reference to brotherly love is expressed by the word philadelphia in the original language of this verse. Several other Biblical passages render this word in a similar manner, including Romans 12:10, 1 Thessalonians 4:9 and 1 Peter 3:8.

“Philadelphia” is subsequently derived from the ancient Greek word phileo. “Phileo” is a word that conveys several related meanings, including…

• To approve of.
• To like.
• To treat affectionately or kindly.
• To welcome or befriend. ₍₂₎

Phileo describes the kind of love that is found among those who share common interests. For instance, this type of love reflects the affection, acceptance, fondness, and camaraderie that exists among a close group of friends who gather for a time of social interaction. Other words that help define this idea include fraternity, community, and brotherhood, among others.

These definitions take on added significance when we consider the following insight from the Biblical epistle of 1 John…

“If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?” (1 John 4:20).

Finally, we can look to the attributes of love that are recorded for us in the Biblical epistle of 1 Corinthians for guidance in putting this exhortation into practice…

“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7 ESV).

(1) Edward E. Hindson and Woodrow Michael Kroll, eds., KJV Bible Commentary (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1994), 2580.

(2) G5368 phileo Thayer’s Greek Definitions https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?t=kjv&strongs=g5368

II

“Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters” (Hebrews 13:1 NIV).

In addition to the characteristics of love that are given to us in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, the Scriptures also provide us with several other elements that should guide our understanding of Hebrews 13:1. For instance…

“Be humble and gentle in every way. Be patient with each other and lovingly accept each other. Through the peace that ties you together, do your best to maintain the unity that the Spirit gives” (Ephesians 4:2-3 GW).

“Never act from motives of rivalry or personal vanity, but in humility think more of each other than you do of yourselves” (Philippians 2:3 Phillips).

“Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing” (1 Peter 3:8-9 NIV).

Together with these Scriptural precepts, we can also say that love is a quality that seeks another person’s highest good from a Biblical perspective. Taken together, these insights can help us put this directive from Hebrews 13:1 into practice.

These distinctions are important, for some expressions of “love” may be driven by physical attraction, emotional need, or a desire for self-gratification. Nevertheless, we can express genuine love whenever we “…give preference to one another in honor” (NASB) as we’re told in Romans 12:10.

Jesus was also quoted as saying, “…the greatest love is shown when a person lays down his life for his friends” (John 15:13 TLB). While external displays of affection may signal the presence of love, the reality may be far different. Instead, we will find a far more reliable indicator of authentic love in the actions we choose to take on behalf of others. The following commentators encourage us to adopt a mature definition of love that goes beyond the mere external…

“We may not like all the brethren, but there is something in each of them that Christ loves. Let us try to discover it, or love them for His sake. We can love people with our mind and think for them, or with our strength and serve them, even though the heart is somewhat reluctant.” ₍₁₎

“You must have fervent charity towards the saints, but you will find very much about the best of them which will try your patience; for, like yourself, they are imperfect, and they will not always turn their best side towards you, but sometimes sadly exhibit their infirmities. Be prepared, therefore, to contend with ‘all things’ in them.” ₍₂₎

(1) Meyer, Frederick Brotherton. “Commentary on Hebrews 13”. “F. B. Meyer’s ‘Through the Bible’ Commentary”. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/fbm/hebrews-13.html. 1914.

(2) Charles. H. Spurgeon, Love’s Labours (1881) https://www.ccel.org/ccel/spurgeon/sermons27.iv_1.html

III

“Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels” (Hebrews 13:2).

Earlier in verse one, the author of Hebrews instructed his audience to “Let brotherly love continue.” He will now move forward with a few strategies to implement that directive beginning in the following verse: “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers…” (ESV).

While some may associate this reference to “entertaining strangers” with the modern-day hospitality industry, such amenities were unavailable to the original audience for this epistle. In fact, there were few good options for overnight accommodations during that era, for the “inns” of that time were not like the professionally managed lodging places of today.

You see, the inns of the first century were often undesirable places to stay. One source tells us, “Well-to-do Romans avoided inns if possible, and either set up their own tents or stayed with friends. Roman writers… uniformly criticized inns for their adulterated wine, filthy sleeping quarters, extortionate innkeepers, gamblers, thieves, and prostitutes.” ₍₁₎ In addition, road conditions were typically poor during that time and travelers were often faced with the dangers posed by thieves and predatory animals.

Because of this, local hospitality was something that was very important from a cultural standpoint. Since many first-century Christians had been deprived of their homes and livelihoods through persecution, hospitality involved more than simply entertaining guests at a social function. Therefore, traveling ministers and Christians who were fleeing oppression often had to rely on help from other Godly men and women who lived where they stopped for the night.

However, hospitality could also be abused. The Old Testament book of Proverbs touches upon this subject in a straightforward manner: “Don’t set foot too frequently in your neighbor’s house, lest he become weary of you and hate you” (Proverbs 25:17 ESV). First-century audiences also received some common-sense instruction on this subject from an early document known as the Didache. That commentary was written to provide the ancient church with ethical direction concerning various aspects of the Christian life. A portion of that work applies to our discussion of this passage…

“Let every apostle, when he cometh to you, be received as the Lord; but he shall not abide more than a single day, or if there be need, a second likewise; but if he abide three days, he is a false prophet. And when he departeth let the apostle receive nothing save bread, until he findeth shelter; but if he ask money, he is a false prophet.” ₍₂₎

(1) Edwin M. Yamauchi, On the Road with Paul, Christian History magazine, Issue 47 “Paul and His Times.”

(2) See Didache 11.4-6

IV

“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares” (Hebrews 13:2).

The act of extending hospitality to strangers offers another potential benefit that goes beyond simple courtesy: “…by doing this some have been hosts to angels without knowing it” (CEB). One Biblical example involves Abraham, the Old Testament patriarch. Abraham once entertained three men (who turned out to be God, accompanied by two angelic beings) when they unexpectedly arrived at his place of residence (see Genesis 18:1-33).

Later on, those same two angelic beings appeared to Abraham’s nephew Lot. Since Lot resided in the infamous town of Sodom, he pressed his visitors to remain within his home rather than face the dangerous prospect of an overnight stay in the town square. That approach was commendable but not successful, and Lot soon learned that his angelic guests were considerably more than they appeared.

One author provides some additional insight concerning this passage and its reference to angels…

“Though angels are normally invisible, they can nevertheless appear as men (Matthew 1:20; Luke 1:26; John 20:12). Their resemblance to men can be so realistic, in fact, that they are actually taken to be human beings (Hebrews 13:2). Recall from the Old Testament that Abraham welcomed three ‘men’ in the plains of Mamre (Genesis 18:1-8). These ‘men’ walked, talked, sat down, and ate -just like normal men- but they were not men; they were angels (see Genesis 18:22; 19:1).

Now, we have no scriptural evidence that angels need food for sustenance. But apparently they can appear as men and eat like men during the course of fulfilling their assigned task in the realm of humanity. Thus, it is altogether possible that a particular person who helped you during a time of need in your past was actually an angel who appeared as a human. There is no reason to suggest that such appearances cannot occur today just as they did in biblical times.” ₍₁₎

Nevertheless, we should guard against the tendency to view every stranger as a potential angel in disguise. One source encourages us to take a reasoned view of this passage that allows for a natural interpretation: “He is not necessarily encouraging his readers to expect that those whom they entertain will turn out to be supernatural beings travelling incognito; he is assuring them that some of their visitors will prove to be true messengers of God to them, bringing a greater blessing than they receive.” ₍₂₎

(1) Rhodes, Ron, Angels Among Us Copyright © 1994 by Harvest House Publishers [pp. 79-80]

(2) The New International Commentary On The New Testament – The Epistle To The Hebrews, F. F. Bruce, General Editor © Copyright 1964, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. Grand Rapids, Michigan [pg. 391]

V

“Remember the prisoners as if chained with them–those who are mistreated–since you yourselves are in the body also” (Hebrews 13:3).

As mentioned earlier in our study of Hebrews chapter ten, the penitentiaries of the New Testament era were not like the prisons that exist in many modern-day societies. A prison of that time did not typically serve as a place of criminal incarceration. Instead, prisons were generally used to confine the accused before they were executed or put on trial.

These penal institutions were usually cold, damp, and dirty. There were no windows, beds, toilets, showers, or meals offered there. The only amenities given to a prisoner were those that were brought by others who came to visit- if there were any. This meant that prisoners who had no external means of support often faced the prospect of death unless someone provided for their needs.

The observations made by the following source regarding these conditions are worth repeating…

“Prisoners who had no means of their own were liable to starve unless their friends brought them food and whatever other form of help they required; throughout the whole age of imperial persecution of the Church the visiting of their friends who were in prison was a regular, though dangerous, duty of Christian charity.” ₍₁₎

Given the worsening political climate that existed for Christians of that era, it was dangerous to be recognized as a known associate of a prisoner. Therefore, these Hebrew Christians took a substantial risk in visiting those who had been incarcerated. Nevertheless, if we can imagine the prospect of sitting alone in a cold, damp prison cell for an extended period, we can appreciate this exhortation.

Finally, one author encourages us to consider this passage in a broader sense…

“The second example of brotherly love is to visit those in prison. Prison is an ugly place today; it was far uglier then. We naturally try not to think about prisoners. It takes discipline to visit saints who are in prison. When the faithful Ethiopian Ebed-Melech visited Jeremiah in prison, he had to go to a pit. Ebed-Melech interceded for Jeremiah, and the prophet was rescued before he expired (Jeremiah 37–38).

Faithful believers in prison need our prayers, but they also need the encouragement of visits. We have other ‘prisons’ today. Convalescent homes and hospitals are two examples. To some extent such institutions are necessary. But how easy it is for us to forget the people who are there. Often they feel imprisoned. The author of Hebrews enjoins us to visit them. It is our chance to play the role of ‘angels’ for other people.” ₍₂₎

(1) The New International Commentary On The New Testament – The Epistle To The Hebrews, F. F. Bruce, General Editor © Copyright 1964, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. Grand Rapids, Michigan [pg. 270]

(2) Sproul, R. C. (1994). Before the face of God: Book 4: A daily guide for living from Ephesians, Hebrews, and James (electronic ed.). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House Ligonier Ministries.

VI

“Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge” (Hebrews 13:4).

In considering our text from Hebrews 13:4, it’s important to note what this passage says, as well as what it doesn’t say. Let’s take the phrase “Marriage is honorable among all…” This tells us that marriage is a reputable institution and should be held in esteem by everyone. In fact, marriage is the oldest human institution, having its origin in the Garden of Eden.

It was there that, “The LORD God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone…’” (Genesis 2:18 NIV). Genesis 2:22 then goes on to tell us how God addressed that deficiency: “…the LORD God made a woman… and he brought her to the man” (Genesis 2:22 NIV). Therefore, we can say that the institution of marriage is not a human construct. Instead, marriage is something that was initiated and ordained by God for the benefit of His creation.

That benefit is identified in Genesis 2:24: “…For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh” (NIV). Jesus reaffirmed that message in the following teaching from the Gospel of Mark…

“…at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate’” (Mark 10:6-9 NIV).

So Jesus drew our attention to God’s initiative in establishing the marital union. He also established the framework for sexual relationships by way of these quotations from Genesis 1:27 and Genesis 2:24. Those parameters involve a God-initiated, monogamous relationship between one genetic male and one genetic female who have joined in marriage as husband and wife.

The term “one flesh” expresses the fulfillment, satisfaction, intimacy, pleasure, enjoyment, and unity that reflects God’s intent for marital relationships. That intent is further reflected in our passage from Hebrews 13:5: “…the bed [is] undefiled.” Since “the bed” serves as a euphemism for the sexual relationship between a husband and wife, this passage offers Scriptural support for the physical intimacy that should exist within marriage.

That brings us to what our passage from Hebrews 13:4 doesn’t say. Notice that “the bed” is undefiled, but only within the context of a marital relationship. When a physical relationship occurs outside that framework, God no longer accepts it as honorable.

VII

“Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral” (Hebrews 13:4 NIV).

By endorsing the physical aspect of a marriage relationship, Hebrews 13:4 addresses those who believe that sensuality -in and of itself- is incompatible with Biblical spirituality. This portion of Scripture thus confirms that sexual intimacy is pure and honorable before God within a Biblically valid marital partnership.

This portion of Scripture also serves to protect that aspect of a marriage relationship from the belief that it is somehow more spiritual for husbands and wives to abstain from physical intimacies. Instead, the New Testament epistle of 1 Corinthians endorses the opposite approach: “The husband should fulfill his wife’s sexual needs, and the wife should fulfill her husband’s needs” (1 Corinthians 7:3 NLT).

The only exception is given to us in 1 Corinthians 7:5: “Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.” In light of this, we can say that each marriage partner should provide for the others’ needs except as noted above.

Unfortunately, we may become so engaged in the demands of everyday life that we sometimes fail to prioritize such needs. While family concerns, employment obligations, and other responsibilities often permit less time for sexual intimacy than we may desire, each marriage partner should make a genuine effort to recognize his or her spouse’s physical and emotional needs and work to fulfill them.

We can also look to an effective Biblical principle from Romans 14:23 for guidance in this area: “…whatever does not proceed from faith is sin” (ESV). This Biblical precept is useful for governing all that takes place within the marriage bed, subject to the couple’s prayerful and mutual consent. As another translation renders that passage, “…whatever is done without a conviction of its approval by God is sinful” (AMPC).

A couple who finds common ground in this area can often avoid misunderstandings that limit their satisfaction and enjoyment. The husband or wife who is prayerfully willing to study, learn, and accommodate the needs of his or her spouse will surely reap the benefit of a fulfilling and satisfying relationship over time. Since this portion of Scripture assures us that the marriage bed is undefiled, husbands and wives should seek to enjoy God’s gracious provision in this area.

VIII

“Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous” (Hebrews 13:4 AMP).

The creation account from the Biblical book of Genesis expresses God’s intent for marriage relationships by establishing a “one man – one woman” benchmark (see Genesis 2:22). That portion of Scripture thus confirms monogamy as God’s standard and eliminates the possibility of pre-marital, extra-marital, polygamous, or polyamorous physical relationships as legitimate options for a man or woman of God.

Nevertheless, some may validate their decision to engage in those relationships with an appeal to their belief that such partnerships “feel right.” However, “feelings” are a notoriously poor foundation for good decision-making, and it is possible to feel right about something that is far outside the will of God.

In addition to what we read here in Hebrews 13:4, the Scriptures offer several admonitions regarding these types of relationships (see Leviticus 18:20, Romans 1:26-27, 1 Corinthians 6:9, Ephesians 5:3, 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5, and Revelation 21:8 for some examples). While these alternative relationships fall short of God’s design for marriage, there is another reason to avoid engaging in such behaviors: “Sexual activity in a marriage is pure, but any sexual activity outside marriage brings one under divine judgment” ₍₁₎

Therefore, we would be wise to subject our feelings to these Biblical tenets instead of the other way around. This leads us into a look at the word “immoral” from this passage. That word is a form of the word porneia in the original language of this verse and refers to any type of sexual relationship that takes place outside a Biblically sanctioned marriage partnership. Jesus expanded upon that definition to include internal expressions of sexual immorality as well…

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:27-28).

Therefore, the physical aspect of a male/female relationship is reserved exclusively for a man and a woman who have each made a permanent commitment to one other. That commitment is expressed by the act of marriage, where each marital partner publicly vows to forsake all others in favor of one. Since “Marriage is honorable among all” (GNV), it is important to support and encourage this institution, even among those who do not recognize or accept the God of the Scriptures.

(1) John F. MacArthur Jr., The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006), Heb 13:4.

IX

“Marriage must be honored among all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge sexually immoral people and adulterers” (Hebrews 13:4 HCSB).

The Scriptures define an honorable marriage as a monogamous relationship between one man and one woman, who are legally and exclusively committed to one another as husband and wife. But why are sexual expressions in other types of relationships wrong from a Biblical perspective?

To address that question, let’s consider the example of two singles who live and/or sleep together but remain unmarried. If the couple in our scenario is reluctant to commit to one another in marriage, the question becomes, why? One possible answer is that one or both partners are seeking to determine if they are sexually compatible before they commit to one another in marriage.

In this instance, it seems fair to ask how many “tests” will be necessary in order for the couple to reach a conclusion regarding their compatibility. A related question involves the length of time their “research project” will last. And what if one partner finds another person who appears to be sexually preferable during that period? What then?

Of course, those who are engaged in such relationships may like the fact that they are unencumbered by a marriage commitment. They may appreciate the advantage of a sexual relationship without the obligations and responsibilities that go along with a marriage vow. Others many simply enjoy the convenience that accompanies a “friend with benefits.” Unfortunately, those realities unmask a sobering truth that often lies below the surface of such relationships.

Even if one or both partners believe they are in love with one another, those who adopt such attitudes are really engaged in more of a business arrangement. Much like an unwritten understanding between two business entities, the couple may stay together as long as it serves their mutual benefit. At worst, one or both partners may simply be using the other for various reasons.

While many 21st century cultures recognize and accept these types of domestic partnerships, Hebrews 13:4 takes a decidedly different view. This explains why the author of Hebrews reminded his audience that they will be held accountable for their choices in this area. Paul the Apostle issued a similar reminder to the churches of Galatia regarding such behaviors as well: “…Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:21 NLT).

X

“Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you’” (Hebrews 13:5).

“Covetousness” is a word that encompasses a wide variety of inappropriate desires. Covetousness is closely associated with the word “greed” and conveys an intense desire to possess someone or something that belongs to someone else. It may also contain an element of exploitation (see 2 Peter 2:1-3).

A person who is driven by a covetous desire to accumulate wealth and possessions is usually motivated to make inappropriate choices that are consistent with that goal. This is why Hebrews 13:5 cautions us to guard against this attitude. This admonition is closely aligned with the Tenth Commandment, and as we’re reminded in the New Testament book of Ephesians, “For this you know, that no… covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God” (Ephesians 5:5).

Jesus also provided us with some specific warnings regarding covetousness. Those warnings address the misguided philosophies that often motivate our desire to accumulate wealth and/or possessions:

“…’Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses’” (Luke 12:15).

“Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Luke 12:33-34 NIV).

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money” (Luke 16:13 NIV).

Finally, one commentator offers some practical counsel in this area…

“Christians are not to be covetous. They are not to be greedy. They are not to be anxious (double-minded) worrying over food, clothing and shelter (Matt. 6:25-34). They are to remember they brought nothing into the world neither can they carry anything out and so be content with food and clothing (I Tim. 6:6-10).

They are not to set their hopes on uncertain riches, but to do good, be rich in good deeds, liberal and generous (I Tim. 6:17-18). Christians are to provide necessities for their own families (I Tim. 5:8). The Lord expects Christians to maintain their personal lives financially and materially in such sufficiency as permits them to minister to Christ’s kingdom and the needy to the best of their capabilities (I1 Cor. 9: 8-1 3).”₍₁₎

(1) Paul T. Butler. The Bible Study Textbook Series, Studies In Second Corinthians (College Press) [p. 285] Copyright ® 1988 College Press Publishing Company https://archive.org/stream/BibleStudyTextbookSeriesSecondCorinthians/132Corinthians-Butler_djvu.txt

XI

“Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you’” (Hebrews 13:5 ESV).

One of the primary concerns related to the love of money involves idolatry. While idolatry may take many forms, we can associate an idol with anything we love, fear, or depend on more than God. When something takes the place of God in our lives, that thing (whatever it is) effectively becomes an idol. Since the accumulation of financial wealth represents the most important thing in life for many, this may help to explain the admonition we find here in Hebrews 13:5.

In addition to its idolatrous nature, the love of money is much like a race with an illusionary finish line. No matter how much money we make, there is always more to be gained- if we are willing to make the sacrifices necessary to procure it. Those sacrifices demonstrate our true priorities, for we generally make choices that align with the things we desire most.

The Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes points to another concern regarding the love of money- we can’t take it with us when we go…

“Once again I saw that nothing on earth makes sense. For example, some people don’t have friends or family. But they are never satisfied with what they own, and they never stop working to get more. They should ask themselves, ‘Why am I always working to have more? Who will get what I leave behind?’ What a senseless and miserable life!” (Ecclesiastes 4:7-8 CEV).

One commentator ties these thoughts together…

“The love of money springs from sinful discontent with one’s status in life, his possessions, the extent of his luxuries and comforts, or his lack of the power money might bring; but there is a corollary of that discontent, namely, a lack of trust in the providence of God. …In the last analysis, covetousness, or the love of money, is idolatry (Col. 3:5). It makes ourselves, or what may be accumulated by us, to be the center of trust, and not the Lord, thus supplanting him in the very center of one’s affections.” ₍₁₎

If we adopt a temporal perspective without regard for God or the afterlife, then our financial priorities will reflect that mindset. If we embrace an eternal perspective that acknowledges God’s provision for our financial success, then our pursuit of monetary riches will find its proper place. That leads us into the subject of consumerism, a topic that we will consider next.

(1) Coffman, James Burton. “Commentary on Hebrews 13”. “Coffman’s Commentaries on the Bible”. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/bcc/hebrews-13.html. Abilene Christian University Press, Abilene, Texas, USA. 1983-1999

XII

“Your conduct must be free from the love of money and you must be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you and I will never abandon you.’ So we can say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper, and I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?’” (Hebrews 13:5-6 NET).

Two sources offer a helpful perspective on the subject of consumerism that relate to our passage from Hebrews 13:5-6…

“Consumerism, for the purpose of this article, is a preoccupation with consuming more and more goods, merchandise, and services. Consumerism’s focus is on having the latest, buying the best, and getting the most. It discards last year’s model in favor of the newest, fanciest, and shiniest. It’s the attitude behind the statement ‘He who dies with the most toys wins.’

Consumerism goes beyond maintaining a healthy economy, which depends upon active trade and the production and consumption of new goods, and enters the realm of materialism. Because a consumerist mentality can lead to chronic dissatisfaction and covetousness, Christians should beware its spiritual impact. ₍₁₎

…God wants us to have a balanced perspective on money. The Bible does not condemn possessions or riches per se. It is not a sin to be wealthy. (Some very godly people in the Bible -Abraham and Job, for example- were quite wealthy.) Rather, God condemns a love of possessions or riches (Luke 16:13; 1Timothy 6:10; Hebrews 13:5). A love of material things is a sign that a person is living according to a temporal perspective, not an eternal perspective.” ₍₂₎

With these insights in mind, our text from Hebrews 13:5-6 reminds us that God will never abandon (GW) or desert (CEV) us. The original language of this passage emphasizes these assurances, thus providing the security that allows us to escape the love of money. Finally, we can meditate upon the following verses to help promote a God-honoring mindset in this area…

“…If riches increase, Do not set your heart on them” (Psalm 62:10).

“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that” (1 Timothy 6:6-8 NIV).

“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness” (1 Timothy 6:10-11).

(1) GotQuestions.org, “What does the Bible say about consumerism?” Retrieved 22 June, 2023 from https://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-consumerism.html

(2) Ron Rhodes, The Complete Book Of Bible Answers, Copyright © 1997 Harvest House Publishers Eugene, Oregon [pg. 347]

XIII

“Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct” (Hebrews 13:7).

Hebrews 13:7 exhorts us to remember and consider the conduct of church leaders. Depending on the author’s intent, there are several ways we might understand and apply this passage. For instance, Hebrews 13:7 might serve as a reference to departed ministers, including those who may have perished as a result of persecution. The Good News Bible adopts this perspective in its translation of this passage…

“Remember your former leaders, who spoke God’s message to you. Think back on how they lived and died, and imitate their faith.”

If such was the case, then these leaders served to exemplify our author’s reference to Abel in Hebrews 11:4: “…even though he is dead, he still speaks through his faith” (CSB).

Another possibility is that our author had active, living members of the church leadership in view. If so, then Hebrews 13:7 offers several standards we can apply today. First, we can say that good leaders are synonymous with those who speak the Word of God. In short, good leaders teach God’s Word. In light of this, we should be alert to those who substitute their interests, agendas, or opinions for the expository study of God’s Word.

Sermons that routinely stray from a Biblical text (or feature no Biblical text), should thus serve as warnings. In the words of one commentator, “…There are various ways to use the word of God deceitfully, or to tamper with it. Using a Bible text to preach a ‘sermon’ that has little or nothing to do with the Bible is one of the common ways of doing it.” ₍₁₎

Then we have the admonition to consider “the outcome of their conduct.” In every relationship, there are those who lead by example and teach us what to do. There are others who also lead by example and teach us what not to do. The vast majority of us teach both lessons. Therefore, we should emulate those leaders who serve as good role models. But if a leader’s conduct has been poor in certain areas, then we must consider the outcome of their conduct and avoid repeating it.

We should temper this approach with a look at the men whom Jesus chose as His apostles. Those individuals were fallible human beings who made significant mistakes in certain instances. Would they be the type of people you might choose to represent you if you were in Jesus’ position? Perhaps not. But Jesus did.

The same is true for those who rule over us within the church. We might not select certain individuals for leadership positions if given the choice. But Jesus has. Therefore, we should seek to be charitable and gracious as we learn from their successes and failures.

(1) Paul T. Butler, The Bible Study Textbook Series, Studies In Second Corinthians (College Press) [p. 93] Copyright © 1988 College Press Publishing Company https://archive.org/stream/BibleStudyTextbookSeriesSecondCorinthians/132Corinthians-Butler_djvu.txt

XIV

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).

An old maxim tells us that change is the only constant in life. For example, it is often surprising to see how people change over time. If we happen to meet someone we’ve lost touch with, we may be surprised to find that he or she has grown to become someone who looks and acts differently from the person we once knew. Such examples serve to remind us of the impermanence of life.

There are those who seek to fulfill their longing for permanence in a person or thing. For instance, we might attempt to fulfill that desire through a relationship, a home, a tradition, or a philanthropic endeavor. While such things are often good in themselves, the problem is that relationships eventually end, homes and traditions grow obsolete, and philanthropies inevitably run out of money.

With these things in mind, let’s consider this reference to Jesus from Hebrews 13:8: “…[He is] the same yesterday, today, and forever.” As mentioned earlier, we use the word “immutable” to define this characteristic. This passage thus testifies to Jesus’ eternal, unchanging nature and serves as the foundation for the following insight…

“The great difference between God and us is that we are mutable and he is immutable. In other words, we change, but he does not. How do we change? We grow older, for one thing. We have changing emotions, and we must learn new skills to grow intellectually. But God does not change. He has no weaknesses or defects that demand improvement or lead to decay. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever…” ₍₁₎

In His divine nature, Jesus is unchanging; therefore, He is entirely dependable. We need never be concerned that Jesus will grow tired of us or change His mind about us. He is completely reliable, trustworthy, and will always be gracious, loving, and compassionate to those who accept Him. And since Jesus’ divine, unchanging nature resides with His human nature, He is completely familiar with the struggles and challenges associated with the human condition.

Thus, as we read earlier in Hebrews 4:14-16…

“We have a great high priest, who has gone into heaven, and he is Jesus the Son of God… Jesus understands every weakness of ours, because he was tempted in every way that we are. But he did not sin! So whenever we are in need, we should come bravely before the throne of our merciful God. There we will be treated with undeserved grace, and we will find help” (CEV).

(1) Sproul, R. C. (1992). Before the face of God: Book 1: A daily guide for living from the book of Romans (electronic ed.). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House; Ligonier Ministries. Page 25.

XV

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8 ESV).

While the people, places, and things that bring us happiness may pass from the scene, our hope for the future is anchored to the immutable Christ. Nevertheless, this passage has important implications for our understanding of Jesus’ divinity. You see, the fact that Jesus “…is the same yesterday and today and forever” identifies Him as God by necessity.

For example, some believe that Jesus was a man who became a god. Other groups teach that Jesus was an angel, or a created being. But if any of those beliefs were true, then Jesus could not be “…the same yesterday and today and for all time” (Mounce). The idea that a person “becomes” something implies that he or she has changed. Therefore, if Jesus became a god, or lived as an angel, or came into existence at some point, then He cannot be the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Instead, Hebrews 13:8 tells us that Jesus was, is, and will always be God. One commentator expands upon this idea with the following observations…

“The unchanging nature (which theologians call immutability) of Jesus Christ could be inferred from His deity, even if it were not explicitly stated. God doesn’t change over the ages, so neither does Jesus, who is God.” ₍₁₎

Another source adds…

“The fundamental declaration of Scripture about God is that God cannot change. He is immutable, changeless. He cannot change. As James puts it, ‘with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning,’ (Jam 1:17 KJV)… If you have a being who can change, then you do not have a God at all. That is what the pagans discovered, and why the pagan world is always a world of uncertainty, doubt and fear. Changelessness is fundamental to the idea of a God who is truly God.” ₍₂₎

Our final commentator links this quality with God’s character…

“When James adds that there is no ‘shadow of turning’ with God, it is not enough to understand this merely in terms of God’s unchanging or immutable being. This reference is also to God’s character. Not only is God altogether good, He is consistently good… God’s goodness refers both to His character and His behavior. His actions proceed from and flow out of His being. He acts according to what He is. Just as a corrupt tree cannot bear incorrupt fruit, neither can an incorrupt God produce corrupt fruit.” ₍₃₎

So if Jesus is truly “…the same yesterday and today and forever,” then He must be God as a matter of necessity.

(1) Guzik, David, Hebrews 13 – Living A Positive Christian Life [13:8] © Copyright – Enduring Word https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/hebrews-13/

(2) Excerpted with permission from The Unthinkable Thought © 1967 by Ray Stedman Ministries. All rights reserved. Visit www.RayStedman.org for the complete library of Ray Stedman material. Please direct any questions to webmaster@RayStedman.org

(3) Sproul, R. C. (1992). Essential truths of the Christian faith. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House. [pp 34-35]

XVI

“Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them” (Hebrews 13:9).

This cautionary reference to “…various and strange doctrines” is just as relevant today as it was when this warning first appeared. In fact, this message takes on greater significance today, for those who promote such doctrines have the benefit of 21st century technology to market their teachings to a broader audience.

A similar admonition appears in the Biblical epistle of 1 Timothy…

“As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work–which is by faith” (1 Timothy 1:3-4 NIV).

We can identify such doctrines by measuring them against the New Testament Scriptures. For instance, if the doctrine in question…

• Was not taught by Jesus within the Gospels,
• Was not practiced by the early church as seen in the book of Acts,
• Is not referenced by the authors of the New Testament Epistles,

…then we would be wise to exercise caution before we accept it.

Hebrews 13:9 also provides valuable guidance when addressing non-essential elements of the Christian faith. There are many areas where Christians of good conscience may reach different (but Biblically valid) conclusions on peripheral aspects of belief and practice. Unfortunately, a non-essential doctrine may effectively become an essential element of the faith for those who are heavily invested in their particular subject of interest.

Those differences may devolve into contentious online criticisms where others with different views are ostracized and portrayed as dangers to the Christian community. Sadly, those who engage in such tactics provide an excellent venue for outsiders to mock and disparage the church. That leads us to an important reminder here in Hebrews 13:9: “…it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace” (KJV).

While the context of that reminder involves religious dietary restrictions, we can apply this principle to other non-essential elements of the Christian faith as well. For example, before we “like” or re-post a disparaging criticism, we would be well-advised to ask two questions…

• Does the speaker demonstrate grace toward other Christians who disagree?
• Does the speaker display the fruit of the Spirit in evaluating another Christian’s view regarding a non-essential element of the Christian faith?

As we’re told in Colossians 4:6, “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.”

XVII

“Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them” (Hebrews 13:9 ESV).

One commentator offers a helpful synopsis of the issue raised in Hebrews 13:9…

“Evidently one of the ‘strange’ teachings, prevalent when this letter originated, was that eating certain foods, or abstinence from certain foods, resulted in greater godliness (cf. Col. 2:16; 1 Tim. 4:1-5). This was, of course, what Judaism taught too. Judaism taught that eating food ‘strengthened the heart,’ in the sense that when the Jews ate, they also gave thanks to God, and thus brought Him into their experience (cf. Ps. 104:14-15). _[a] However, Jesus’ death on the cross is the source of both the saving, and the sustaining, ‘grace of God,’ by which we experience strengthening.” ₍₁₎

Paul the Apostle also addressed this subject in the Biblical book of 1 Corinthians…

“But food does not commend us to God; for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse” (1 Corinthians 8:8).

We should also note our author’s subtle aside in this passage: “…those who obey these rules have not been helped by them” (GNT). Jesus explained why those who adhered to such restrictions failed to receive a benefit from them…

“‘The food that you put into your mouth doesn’t make you unclean and unfit to worship God. The bad words that come out of your mouth are what make you unclean.’

After Jesus and his disciples had left the crowd and gone into the house, they asked him what these sayings meant. He answered, ‘Don’t you know what I am talking about by now? You surely know that the food you put into your mouth cannot make you unclean. It doesn’t go into your heart, but into your stomach, and then out of your body.” By saying this, Jesus meant that all foods were fit to eat.

Then Jesus said: ‘What comes from your heart is what makes you unclean. Out of your heart come evil thoughts, vulgar deeds, stealing, murder, unfaithfulness in marriage, greed, meanness, deceit, indecency, envy, insults, pride, and foolishness. All of these come from your heart, and they are what make you unfit to worship God’” (Mark 7:15-23 CEV).

Our final commentary ties these ideas together…

“Legislation concerning clean and unclean foods was designed to produce ritual cleanness. But this is not the same thing as inward holiness. A man might be ceremonially clean and yet be filled with hatred and hypocrisy. Only God’s grace can inspire and empower believers to live holy lives. Love for the Savior who died on account of our sins motivates us to ‘live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age’ (Tit 2:12). After all, endless rules concerning foods and drinks have not profited their adherents.” ₍₂₎

(1) [a] William L. Lane, Word Biblical Commentary series. Dallas: Word Books, 1991, Hebrews 9—13, pp. 533-36, quoted in, Constable, Thomas. DD, Notes on Hebrews 2023 Edition “Instructions regarding religious duties 13:7-19” [13:9] https://www.planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/html/nt/hebrews/hebrews.htm

(2) William Macdonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary Edited by Arthur Farstad, Thomas Nelson Publishers [13:9]

XVIII

“We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat. For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp” (Hebrews 13:10-11).

Our text from Hebrews 13:10-11 reminds us that the book of Hebrews was originally written for the benefit of a Jewish audience. That audience was undoubtedly familiar with the imagery given to us in the passage quoted above, and it serves as a foundation for the application that follows in verses twelve and thirteen.

For those who do not share that same cultural heritage, the Old Testament book of Leviticus identifies two conditions where the remains of a sacrificial offering were to be taken outside the community for disposal…

1. If a spiritual leader committed an unintentional sin.
2. If the community at large engaged in an unintentional sin.

Under those conditions, the remains of the offering were removed to a ceremonially clean area where they were incinerated on an ash heap. So how does this apply to Jesus’ sacrifice? Well, first we’re told, “We have an altar from which those who minister at the tabernacle have no right to eat.” This tells us that those who seek to get right with God by following a set of rules and regulations no longer have a place at God’s table under the New Covenant.

In addition, this reference to an altar points to Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross for our sins. Those who approach God by that altar have abandoned their efforts to make their own sacrificial offerings. Instead, they recognize and accept the fact that an offering has been made once for all through Jesus’ death on the cross.

Finally, we should remember that Israel’s spiritual leadership had rejected Jesus, along with a large percentage of the first-century Jewish populace. Much like the sacrificial offering detailed in Leviticus chapter four, Jesus had been put “outside the camp” by those individuals, so to speak. Therefore, anyone who sought to follow Jesus had to join Him there.

Those who had been ostracized for their decision to follow Christ might also recognize this reference to “outside the camp” as an allusion to Jesus’ message from John 12:25-26: “He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.”

The same is true for us today. Much like the original audience for this epistle, we must also be willing to “go outside the camp” of this world and its values if we seek to follow Christ.

XIX

“We have an altar that those who serve in the tabernacle have no right to eat from. For the bodies of those animals whose blood the high priest brings into the sanctuary as an offering for sin are burned outside the camp” (Hebrews 13:10-11 NET).

Hebrews chapter nine featured a lengthy discussion regarding the tabernacle and those who served there. That discussion culminated in the conclusion we read in the opening verses of chapter ten…

“The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship.

If they could have provided perfect cleansing, the sacrifices would have stopped, for the worshipers would have been purified once for all time, and their feelings of guilt would have disappeared. But instead, those sacrifices actually reminded them of their sins year after year. For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Hebrews 10:1-4 NLT).

Our text from Hebrews 13:10-11 returns to that imagery to make some important points. First, “The priests who officiated over various sacrifices were entitled to eat the portion of that sacrifice designated for the priests (Lev 6:14–30).” ₍₁₎ However, those who continued to serve in the Old Testament sacrificial system (represented by the Tabernacle) sought to approach God through their offerings and not through Jesus’ sacrifice. Therefore, “Those still under the Old Covenant (‘who serve the tabernacle’) had ‘no right’ to partake of Him for spiritual sustenance and fellowship with God, since their confidence (faith) was still in the Old Covenant.” ₍₂₎

However, this is not to say that we have no altar under the New Covenant. As mentioned previously, that altar is the cross of Christ, where Jesus’ sacrifice was made. ₍₃₎ In light of this, “We have no need of the temple altar for we have an altar, that on which Christ offered himself, to which those who cling to the tabernacle service have no right. Christ’s altar implies the abolition of the tabernacle and the old covenant. Those who cling to these show their lack of faith in Christ.” ₍₄₎

Hebrews 13:10-13 represents the last time our author will turn to the Old Testament sacrificial system to illustrate the superior nature of the New Covenant. Having served its purpose in that regard, our author will make one final point before moving to some practical instructions and personal asides to close this letter.

(1) John D. Barry et al., Faithlife Study Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), Heb 13:10.

(2) Constable, Thomas. DD, Notes on Hebrews 2023 Edition “Instructions regarding religious duties 13:7-19” [13:10] https://www.planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/html/nt/hebrews/hebrews.htm

(3) See G2379 thysiasterion https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g2379/kjv/tr/0-1/

(4) Johnson, B. W., The People’s New Testament [Hebrews 13:10]. Public Domain https://www.ccel.org/j/johnson_bw/pnt/PNT19-13.HTM

XX

“Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate. Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach” (Hebrews 13:12-13).

Much like the concrete blocks that establish a sturdy foundation, this portion of Scripture makes use of several block-like elements that build towards a wide-ranging application.

Our first building block returns us to chapter four of the Old Testament book of Leviticus. That portion of Scripture tells us that the remains of a sin offering were carried beyond the perimeter of Israel’s encampment (Leviticus 4:21). In like manner, John 19:17-18 records Jesus’ own experience in that regard: “And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha, where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side, and Jesus in the center.”

“Outside the camp” (or outside the city limits of Jerusalem, in this instance) represented the place of rejection, separation, and exclusion. Thus, as one source concludes, “…just as the body of the sacrificial animal, slain on the Day of Atonement, was taken outside the camp and burned, so Jesus was taken outside the city gate to suffer for and sanctify His people by His death (11-12).” ₍₁₎

That leads to our next building block: “Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp…” Then, as now, Jesus’ followers should be willing to join Him in that place of rejection and separation wherever it may be. As Jesus Himself once said to His followers…

“Students are not greater than their teacher, and slaves are not greater than their master. Students are to be like their teacher, and slaves are to be like their master. And since I, the master of the household, have been called the prince of demons, the members of my household will be called by even worse names! But don’t be afraid of those who threaten you. For the time is coming when everything that is covered will be revealed, and all that is secret will be made known to all” (Matthew 10:24-26 NLT).

Finally, we can be secure in the knowledge we have an eternal home that awaits us. That promise enables us to join with Christ and bear His reproach, as we’re told here in Hebrews 13:13. In the words of 2 Peter 3:13, “…we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” Our author will explore that promise at greater length next.

(1) New International Bible Commentary general editor G. C. D. Howley, consulting editors F. F. Bruce, H. L. Ellison. Copyright© 1979 by Pickering &Inglis Ltd [pp. 1530-31].

XXI

“For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come” (Hebrews 13:14).

Despite its brevity, Hebrews 13:14 offers a hidden wealth of practical application. With this in mind, today’s message marks the beginning of a four-part miniseries that will examine various aspects of this verse.

We can begin with the prevailing theme of this passage: the people of God are citizens of another realm. Although God’s people live and work within this world, they are citizens of heaven as represented by this reference to “…the city that is still to come” (CEB). This corresponds to what we read earlier in Hebrews 11:10 concerning “…the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.”

Thus, “Christians should be characterized by looking forward to the future. We should not be attached to this world, because all that we are and have here is temporary. We should not love our present home so much that we lose sight of God’s future blessing.” ₍₁₎ However, we should also consider the possibility that there was a far more immediate concern behind this reference to “…no continuing city.”

As mentioned earlier, the ancient Roman army marched upon the city of Jerusalem shortly after the Epistle to the Hebrews was completed. A contingent of 30,000 soldiers took part in that campaign in an effort to eliminate the remaining pockets of resistance to Roman governance. That five-month military operation began in A.D. 69 and continued into A.D. 70 as Roman military units leveled the city of Jerusalem, along with the Temple and every other major building within that area. That offensive also resulted in the estimated loss of one million lives.

It’s likely that the Epistle to the Hebrews had started to enter into circulation around the time when this incursion took place. Those who subsequently read this epistle in the late first and early second centuries were thus reminded of a graphic event within their lifetimes that served to illustrate this idea of “no continuing city“.

Much like our author’s earlier reference to “…those things that are being shaken” in Hebrews 12:27, the destruction of Jerusalem offered a vivid depiction of our author’s premise. In the words of one commentary, “Here is a foreboding of Jerusalem’s imminent destruction. Even if there was no prophetic intent within the author’s statement, God is about to remove the temptation for Jewish Christians to return to the sacrificial ritual of the Jerusalem temple.” ₍₂₎

(1) Life Application Study Bible NKJV [Hebrews 13:14] Copyright © 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1996, 2004 by Tyndale House Publishers

(2) Edward E. Hindson and Woodrow Michael Kroll, eds., KJV Bible Commentary (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1994), 2582.

XXII

“For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come” (Hebrews 13:14 ESV).

In addition to what we read here in Hebrews 13:14, the New Testament book of Philippians offers the following reminder: “…our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20). We also have Jesus’ promise of an eternal place in heaven as well…

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:1-3).

As we seek to represent Jesus faithfully over the course of our daily lives, it’s important to recognize that Christians are sojourners (1 Peter 2:11) in a world that has little use for Christ. Thus, we should prioritize our relationships, occupations, and material possessions with a view towards eternity. Consider Jesus’ counsel in this regard…

“If you want to be My disciple, you must hate everyone else by comparison–your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters–yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26 NLT).

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21).

We can illustrate the alternative in another of Jesus’ parables…

“The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.’

But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God” (Luke 12:16-21 NIV).

XXIII

“For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come” (Hebrews 13:14 NLT).

The Scriptures record an event in the life of Jacob, the famous Old Testament patriarch, that serves to illustrate our text from Hebrews 13:14. When Jacob’s son Joseph brought him to meet Pharaoh, the Egyptian king, Genesis chapter forty-seven details a portion of the conversation that took place between them…

“Then Joseph brought in his father Jacob and set him before Pharaoh; and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. Pharaoh said to Jacob, ‘How old are you?’ And Jacob said to Pharaoh, ‘The days of the years of my pilgrimage are one hundred and thirty years; few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.’ So Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh” (Genesis 47:7-10).

When Pharaoh inquired about Jacob’s age, we should notice that Jacob began his response by saying, “The years of my pilgrimage…” or, “The years of my sojourning…” (ESV). Those words convey the image of a traveler. This indicates that Jacob viewed himself as someone who was on a journey through life. In other words, he viewed the days and years of his earthly existence as a pilgrimage on the way to his future destination. That leads us to some important questions: “Where was Jacob headed on that pilgrimage and what was his ultimate destination?”

Well, Jacob’s ultimate destination was an eternal home with the God who had spoken with him before he entered Egypt (see Genesis chapter 46). His place was with the God who appeared to him in a dream according to Genesis 28:10-19. Jacob’s eternal residence was with the One who once wrestled with him throughout the night in Genesis 32:24-30.

Jacob was destined to travel to Egypt, but his future was not there. Instead, Jacob’s future was with the God who had protected him, blessed him, and provided for him throughout the various stages of his life. This explains why Jacob saw himself as someone who was on a journey through life- and what was true for Jacob is also true for us as well.

At the risk of sounding pedantic, our lives are also like roads we travel. That journey begins at conception and concludes with our physical death, or the end of our material existence in respect to this life. We’ll complete our look at this concept in the conclusion of this miniseries next.

XXIV

“For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come” (Hebrews 13:14 NIV).

Hebrews 13:14 serves as a reminder that encourages us to reflect upon the road we are traveling in life and where that road ultimately ends. Consider Jesus’ famous counsel from the Gospel of Matthew…

“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:13-14).

The problem is that it is often challenging to travel a road that honors God in this life. Because of this, many prefer to take the path of least resistance and postpone any real consideration of their destination in the afterlife. Unfortunately, there are many “broad ways” in life that eventually lead to destinations where the bridge is out, so to speak (see Galatians 5:19-21).

Because of this, it is important to remember that every human being is someone who is passing through life on the way to another place. Everyone is a sojourner, a traveler, or a pilgrim in this sense. While the road of Christ is not necessarily an easy one, it is the right road that leads to the right destination.

This may explain why the Scriptures often make use of the word “walk” as a figure of speech to refers to our general conduct or behavior. The best known example of that imagery might be found in the Psalm 1:1-2 where we read, “Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.”

“Walking” implies movement, progression, and advancement in a literal or figurative sense. As these passages remind us, we can walk in the counsel of the Godly, or we can go in another direction. We can walk in the path of sinners, or we can walk in the path of the righteous. We can travel the broad way that leads to destruction, or we can enter by the narrow gate.

Thus, two different roads present themselves to us, each leading to its own destination. One road is narrow and ultimately leads to an enduring city that is yet to come. The other road is broad and ultimately leads to ruin and destruction.

XXV

“Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name” (Hebrews 13:15).

We can often tell if someone is living a Christ-oriented life by examining the fruit of their words and actions. Just as we can tell the differences between fruit trees by the type of fruit they produce, we can often discern much about others by considering the “fruit” their words and/or deeds produce in their lives and the lives of others.

For instance, a person who seeks to honor God is someone who should be thankful for His daily blessings, for a thankful attitude is one that bears good fruit. Unlike those who seemingly look for areas of criticism or complaint, we should instead look to God in thankfulness for the blessings He extends to us each day.

This is not to say that the problems we experience are not real. Nor can we say that it is wrong to grieve at the tragedies and painful experiences we endure. However, we should note that praise to God is something that often represents a sacrifice, just as we read here in Hebrews 13:15. Thus, we offer “the sacrifice of praise to God,” even in the adversities, misfortunes, frustrations, and annoyances of daily life.

In such circumstances, we do not praise God because we feel like it. We praise God because He is worthy of it. Consider the following commentary on King David’s sinful experience with Bathsheba…

“After David sinned with Bathsheba and was confronted with his sin and repented, he prayed, ‘You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart’ (Ps. 51 :16, 17). God is interested in our praise, but He wants it to be from the heart. This is why our praise for God is a sacrifice.

Often I don’t feel like praising God. Oh, there are certainly times when praise for God just overflows from my life, and I can hardly contain it. But there are other times when praise is difficult. It is especially important that I praise God in those times, from the heart. You see, He doesn’t need anything from us. But praise is something that He wants from us. What an incredible privilege to be able to give something to God that He really wants! The sacrifices of praise.” ₍₁₎

(1) Chuck Smith, The Word For Today Bible, study note on Hebrews 13:15, pg. 1629

XXVI

“Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name” (Hebrews 13:15 ESV).

The following commentary on Hebrews 13:5 offers several important insights that are worthy of a lengthy excerpt…

“Hebrews 13:15 says, ‘Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.’ The terms sacrifice and praise might seem to be opposites. We think of sacrifice as offering something at great cost to ourselves. Praise, on the other hand, sounds joyful as it bubbles from a grateful heart. However, in the spiritual realm, sacrifice and praise are intertwined.

Praise does not always cost us something. We praise our dogs for fetching the ball and people for a job well done. Praise is often our response to some action that directly benefits us, and we feel generous because we extend it. We often find it easy to praise God from the same motivation. When He has blessed us, helped us, and protected us, we feel generous toward Him. We can sing, worship, and talk about how good He is because we can see it. That kind of praise, although worthwhile, does not cost us anything. It is not a sacrifice.

Then there are those times when God did not come through the way we thought He would. The medical test comes back positive. The spouse wants a divorce. A child is wayward. The mortgage company calls in the loan. God seems very far away, and praise is the last thing to bubble up from our hearts. We can’t see His goodness, and circumstances scream that He has forgotten us.

To praise God in those times requires personal sacrifice. It takes an act of the will to lay our all on the altar before a God we don’t understand. When we bring a ‘sacrifice of praise,’ we choose to believe that, even though life is not going as we think it should, God is still good and can be trusted (Psalm 135:2; Nahum 1:7). When we choose to praise God in spite of the storms, He is honored, and our faith grows deeper (Malachi 3:13-17; Job 13:15).

The command in Hebrews 13:15 says that this sacrifice is to be offered ‘continually.’ …Real praise continues regardless of circumstances. It flows continually from a worshiping heart in good times and bad (Acts 16:23-25).” ₍₁₎

(1) GotQuestions.org, “What does it mean to give a sacrifice of praise (Hebrews 13:15)?” Retrieved 08 July, 2023 from https://www.gotquestions.org/sacrifice-of-praise.html

XXVII

“But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased” (Hebrews 13:16).

The need to do good and share with others is one of the first things a good parent seeks to teach a young child. Such lessons are important, for even small children can exhibit the characteristic qualities of greed, selfishness, or envy. Unfortunately, those attributes do not fade away in the lives of those who fail to learn such lessons. They simply become more sophisticated in disguising them as they grow older.

Thus, we have this reminder from Hebrews 13:16: “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have…” (ESV). This directive aligns with a similar passage from 3 John 1:11 where we are told, “He who does good is of God…” It also corresponds with another portion of Scripture in Galatians 6:10: “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.”

In addition, Hebrews 13:16 illustrates the realistic nature of the Scriptures when it comes to various aspects of human nature. For instance, this passage clearly acknowledges the fact that doing good and sharing may involve a sacrifice. Nevertheless, we can take comfort in knowing that such sacrifices are pleasing to God. We should also note that Jesus leads by example in this area, as illustrated by His teaching from the Beatitudes…

“But I tell you this: Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you. In this way you show that you are children of your Father in heaven. He makes his sun rise on people whether they are good or evil. He lets rain fall on them whether they are just or unjust” (Matthew 5:44-45 GW).

Finally, the Biblical book of 1 Peter identifies the practical effect of these qualities on a specific group of individuals: “For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people” (1 Peter 2:14 ESV). One source offers the following insight in commenting on a related concept from Galatians 6:10…

“Christians have a measure of responsibility to all people to do good, when the occasions arise. When Jesus fed the 5,000, both saved and unsaved participated. So the benevolence of Christians should not be restricted, except that believers are to have the priority. As in a home, family needs are met first, then those of the neighbors.

This passage then speaks clearly about Christian social responsibility, but it should be noted that it is addressed to individual believers. The church is not an agency for social work, though individual Christians are charged to minister in this way as they are able and have opportunity (cf. Rom_12:17-21)” ₍₁₎

(1) John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, Bible Knowledge Commentary [p.610]

XXVIII

“Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you” (Hebrews 13:17).

Hebrews 13:17 is a passage that requires careful and thoughtful consideration. For instance, a dishonorable or misguided leader might use this admonition to “Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive” as a means of silencing those who raise legitimate doctrinal or behavioral concerns. Therefore, it is important to exercise discernment as we look to apply this verse in our interactions with spiritual leaders and others within the church.

We can begin by examining some of the primary leadership responsibilities that God has entrusted to His people…

“And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers” (Ephesians 4:11).

The following verse explains why God has established these leadership positions…

“for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12).

With these responsibilities in mind, we can say that obedience and submission to spiritual authorities presumes they are acting in accord with these verses from the book of Ephesians. Since a church leader is responsible to build, strengthen, and prepare others to perform the work that God has given them to do, we are thus responsible to follow such leaders as they teach and speak on the authority of His Word.

Therefore, we can say that the words and actions of a good spiritual leader should go hand-in-hand with the accurate communication of God’s Word. We should also recognize that good spiritual leaders are those who prepare others to submit to God first. Jesus saved some of His harshest criticism for the religious authorities of His day who abandoned that concept…

“For Moses commanded, ‘Respect your father and your mother,’ and, ‘If you curse your father or your mother, you are to be put to death.’ But you teach that if people have something they could use to help their father or mother, but say, ‘This is Corban’ (which means, it belongs to God), they are excused from helping their father or mother. In this way the teaching you pass on to others cancels out the word of God. And there are many other things like this that you do” (Mark 7:10-13 GW).

In light of this, we should affirm the authority of those who rule over us as they lead in harmony with God’s Word.

XXIX

“Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you” (Hebrews 13:17 ESV).

From the perspective of a church leader, Hebrews 13:17 carries special importance in light of the following reminder: “They keep watch over you as men who must give an account” (NIV). This accountability is something that lays heavily upon an honorable minister.

One day God will call every spiritual leader to account for his or her life and ministry. That accounting will involve an examination of the minister’s teaching, doctrine, finances, and lifestyle. God will also examine every leader’s use of their time, ministry endeavors, and interactions with those who were entrusted to their care. Those responsibilities are clearly reflected in the following Biblical passages…

“And now beware! Be sure that you feed and shepherd God’s flock– his church, purchased with his blood– for the Holy Spirit is holding you responsible as overseers” (Acts 20:28 TLB).

“My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment” (James 3:1).

“Be conscientious about how you live and what you teach. Persevere in this, because by doing so you will save both yourself and those who listen to you” (1 Timothy 4:16 NET).

“Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock” (1 Peter 5:2-3 NIV).

For these reasons, we should recognize the burden that Pastoral ministers carry. For instance, a Godly minister must live with the knowledge that even sincere and well-meaning leaders can cause spiritual and/or emotional damage in the lives of others. One indiscretion, one moment of frustration, or one poorly worded response, no matter how small, may serve to discredit years of productive ministry.

In addition. Pastoral leaders are often on call 24 hours a day to provide spiritual and emotional support to others. They must respond graciously to the criticisms of those who hold unrealistic or unattainable expectations, as well as the personal attacks that often accompany an online presence. In light of the great accountability that accompanies a leadership position within the church, there is a mutual responsibility that exists between congregations and their leaders. We’ll examine that mutual responsibility in greater detail next.

XXX

“Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls and will give an account for their work. Let them do this with joy and not with complaints, for this would be no advantage for you” (Hebrews 13:17 NET).

The faith and love displayed by the New Testament-era churches at Philippi, Thessalonica, and Colossae led Paul the Apostle to express his thankfulness to God for them. Paul’s attitude toward those congregations captured the spirit of our text from Hebrews 13:17: “Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit” (NLT).

Modern-day readers of this epistle also possess the ability to inspire others to maintain an attitude of thankfulness to God. For instance, we can motivate others to thank God by the way we live and the choices that we make. Therefore, we should prayerfully seek to become the kind of people who inspire others to say, “Thank God for him/her” whenever they think of us.

While the world may be filled with those who do little to inspire others to thank God, we can be different. Much like those who attended the churches at Philippi, Thessalonica, and Colossae, we should strive to inspire others to thank God for the impact we make upon their lives.

This leads us back to our passage from Hebrews 13:17. While problems and disagreements are inevitable, every Christian carries a general obligation to act courteously and respectfully when interacting with those in positions of spiritual leadership. This does not mean that we cannot be realistic about the strengths and weaknesses of such leaders, nor does it mean that we are obligated to blindly and unquestionably follow others in positions of authority. However, it does mean that we should seek to maintain a gracious attitude that minimizes the potential for strife, division, or gossip.

One source helps us strike the proper balance in this regard…

“This word of encouragement to submit to Christian leaders is much needed in our day of disrespect for authority of any kind, and an overemphasis on the rights and powers of the individual. God has placed some as leaders among His people (note Num. 16:3-5). We honor them because of their call, training, commitment, and service.

However, there is an opposite ‘ditch.’ God’s calling has been abused by some authoritarian personalities. There must be a balance, a mutual respect, a co-operative spirit between God’s people and God’s leaders. All believers are called to be subject to one another out of respect for Christ (cf. Eph. 5:21).” ₍₁₎

(1) Dr. Bob Utley, Hebrews 13 [13:17] Copyright © 2014 Bible Lessons International https://www.freebiblecommentary.org/new_testament_studies/VOL10/VOL10_13.html

XXXI

“Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit” (Hebrews 13:17 NLT).

In 1 Corinthians 4:1-2, Paul the Apostle wrote the following message to the New Testament-era church at Corinth: “This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed. Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful” (NIV).

In one sense, the imagery employed by Paul within that passage is reminiscent of a manager. Just as a manager is responsible for supervising others, Paul saw his ministry as a stewardship that was entrusted to him by Christ. That responsibility involved overseeing, and caring for the church, the household of God (1 Timothy 3:15).

A modern-day pastoral minister is similarly accountable for overseeing those who are entrusted to his care. While every Christian is individually responsible to manage his or her God-given talents, skills, and opportunities, these spiritual leaders are tasked with the added responsibility to oversee others as well as themselves. With this in mind, we would do well to reflect upon the the kind of accounting that our spiritual leaders offer to God concerning us. To borrow a phrase from our text in Hebrews 13:17, will they do so with joy, or with sorrow?

That obligation represents a weighty responsibility for any Pastoral leader. Thus, our awareness of that responsibility is one that should influence our relationship with these congregational ministers. Consider the realistic, common-sense counsel offered by the following commentator on this subject…

“In the end, obediently submitting to our leaders by living lives of faithful graciousness in the church is a commitment of faith in God because He has placed these leaders in your church. By submitting to God-appointed authorities, we submit to God. No, the pastor isn’t perfect. No, he doesn’t always get things right. Yes, he too is a sinner—just like you. But when we know this and submit anyway, we give God glory and our pastor grace. This is good for us. We may not be immediately interested in our leaders’ joy, but if we are interested in our own spiritual advantage, we will repent of our selfishness and seek our leaders’ joy.” ₍₁₎

(1) Jarad C. Wilson, “Encourage Leaders With Faithful Graciousness” Tabletalk Magazine, May, 2014 [pg. 67]

XXXII

“Pray for us; for we are confident that we have a good conscience, in all things desiring to live honorably. But I especially urge you to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner” (Hebrews 13:18-19).

As the author of Hebrews approaches the end of this letter, his inspired pen will turn to subjects of a more personal nature. First among those subjects is a prayer request. As we consider this passage, it’s interesting to note that our author began with a plural reference: “Pray for us…”. While there may be some uncertainty regarding our author’s location during this time, we do know one thing: he was not alone.

It’s equally interesting to observe our author’s transition back to a singular reference as he expressed what he hoped to achieve through their prayers: “…that I may be restored to you the sooner.” Whether our author was on a journey (or perhaps incarcerated), this likely tells us two things…

• The author of Hebrews was in the company of those who did not share a personal acquaintance with the recipients of this letter.
• He had a personal connection with the members of his original audience and held a deep desire to be reunited with them.

Thus, our author may have been an exile in exile. Not only was he an earthly sojourner who was “looking forward to a home yet to come” (Hebrews 13:14 NLT), he was also among other companions who were unknown to the circle of friends he left behind.

This exhortation to prayer also reminds us of three important qualities that we should ask of God as we seek His provision for our daily lives…

• Wisdom (or knowing what to do in response to the realities of daily life).
• Perception (a truthful assessment of a given situation, or an accurate understanding of how others perceive us).
• Discernment (or the ability to see and understand things as they really are).

These qualities can help us make good, God-honoring choices. They can also help us identify those areas where our words and actions may have an unintended (or negative) effect. Therefore, we would be well-advised to seek God’s provision for these qualities in prayer each day.

Finally, we should note our author’s firm belief in the efficacy (or effectiveness) of prayer. The author of Hebrews genuinely believed that the prayers of his audience would prompt God to enable his speedy return. This passage thus serves as another Biblical example that should encourage to seek God in prayer regarding the circumstances and situations we encounter (see Romans 15:30-32. 2 Corinthians 1:10-11, Philippians 1:19, and Philemon 1:22 for some additional examples).

XXXIII

“Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen” (Hebrews 13:20-21).

After respectfully exhorting the members of his audience to pray on his behalf, the author of Hebrews led by example in praying for his readers here in the passage quoted above…

“In a lovely benediction which captures a number of the major themes of the epistle (e.g., peace, blood, covenant, Resurrection, Shepherd, equip), the writer expressed confidence in our Lord Jesus as the Great Shepherd of New-Covenant people, through whom God was able to effect His will (equip is katartisai, ‘to prepare, make ready for use’; cf. Eph 4:12) in the readers and in himself. This indeed is what he prayed for his readers.” ₍₁₎

In addition to this reference in Hebrews 13:20, the New Testament Scriptures identify God as the “God of Peace” on several other occasions (see Romans 15:33. Philippians 4:9, and 1 Thessalonians 5:23 for additional examples). That list includes the following quote from Romans 16:20…

“The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you” (CEB).

For some, these references to the “God of peace” coupled with the act of crushing an enemy, may seem inconsistent. Here is how one source addresses that objection…

“Skeptics often object that God cannot be a ‘God of peace’ since the OT portrays Him as a God of war who ordered people to be killed. These characteristics, however, are not incompatible. The Lord loves peace, but He also combats unrighteousness and those who act contrary to His purposes. People can be the same way—peaceful by nature but willing to fight when times call for it.” ₍₂₎

Finally, this portion of Hebrews also contains the only direct mention of Jesus’ death and resurrection within this epistle. While our author has alluded to Jesus’ sacrificial death at several points within this letter, this explicit reference serves as a final reminder to his audience to persevere in the face of adversity. Then, as now, the God of peace who can raise the Lord Jesus from the dead is certainly capable of acting on behalf of those who face opposition in its various forms.

(1) John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, Bible Knowledge Commentary [p.812]

(2) Ted Cabal et al., The Apologetics Study Bible: Real Questions, Straight Answers, Stronger Faith (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2007), 1838.

XXXIV

“Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen” (Hebrews 13:20-21 ESV).

This reference to the “…Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep” recalls Jesus’ famous self-designation from the New Testament Gospel of John…

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep” (John 10:11-15).

In addition to these references to Jesus as “the good shepherd” in John 10:11, and “the great shepherd of the sheep” here in Hebrews 13:20, 1 Peter 5:4 identifies Jesus as “the Chief Shepherd” as well. One source ties each of these descriptions together for our benefit…

“As the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ died for the sheep (John 10:11). As the Great Shepherd, He lives for the sheep in heaven today, working on their behalf. As the Chief Shepherd, He will come for the sheep at His return (1 Peter 5:4). Our Shepherd cares for His own in the past, present, and future. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever!” ₍₁₎

These references also allow us to contrast the differences between those who emulate Jesus’ self-sacrificial example and those who don’t. For instance…

• A good shepherd feeds the flock. A poor shepherd fleeces the flock.
• A good shepherd works for the benefit of the flock. A poor shepherd believes the flock works for the benefit of the shepherd.
• A good shepherd leads the flock. A poor shepherd drives the flock.
• A good shepherd seeks to give the flock his best. A poor shepherd pursues self-interested priorities.
• A good shepherd gives to the flock. A poor shepherd takes from the flock.

Thus, we should seek to follow Jesus’ good example in our lives and look for leaders who do so as well. As Jesus Himself concluded in John 10:17, “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life…”

(1) Wiersbe, Warren W. The Bible Exposition Commentary. 2 vols., 2:330, Wheaton: Scripture Press Publications, Victor Books, 1989, quoted in, Constable, Thomas. DD, Notes on Hebrews 2023 Edition “Doxology 13:20-21” [13:20] https://www.planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/html/nt/hebrews/hebrews.htm

XXXV

“May the God of peace provide you with every good thing you need in order to do his will, and may he, through Jesus Christ, do in us what pleases him. And to Christ be the glory forever and ever! Amen” (Hebrews 13:21 GNB).

There is something about the restoration process that seems to hold a great deal of appeal for many. For instance, there are video and television shows, “how to” guides, and dedicated organizations that focus upon the restoration of homes, automobiles, electronics, furniture, appliances, farming equipment, timepieces, and practically anything else imaginable. If someone built it in the past, the odds are good that someone is probably interested in collecting and restoring it today.

As mentioned earlier, there is an inherent appeal in taking an object that has ceased to function and returning it to a state where it can serve its intended purpose once more. There is also a great deal of satisfaction for the restorer when he or she takes something that is seemingly beyond all hope of recovery and refurbishes it to a point where it is just as good, or better, than new.

That brings us to a question related to our text from Hebrews 13:21. If human beings take pleasure in recovering and restoring such things, is it implausible to consider the possibility that God takes similar pleasure in recovering and restoring human beings who are created in His image? Perhaps this is what Hebrews 13:21 is referencing when it speaks of the One who can “Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight” (KJV).

But perhaps even more significant from a human perspective is the opportunity for God’s people to participate in this restoration process. The following paraphrase of 2 Corinthians 5:18-21 discusses that privilege…

“All these new things are from God who brought us back to himself through what Christ Jesus did. God has given us the privilege of urging everyone to come into his favor and be reconciled to him. For God was in Christ, restoring the world to himself, no longer counting men’s sins against them but blotting them out. This is the wonderful message he has given us to tell others. We are Christ’s ambassadors…” (TLB).

Thus we can say along with the following commentary, “The prayer, then, is that the people addressed may be spiritually equipped for every form of good work, and thus fulfill God’s will as He operates in them ‘both to will and to work, for his good pleasure’, as Paul would put it (Phil. 2: 13).” ₍₁₎

(1) The New International Commentary On The New Testament – The Epistle To The Hebrews, F. F. Bruce, General Editor © Copyright 1964, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. Grand Rapids, Michigan [pg. 412]

XXXVI

“And I appeal to you, brethren, bear with the word of exhortation, for I have written to you in few words” (Hebrews 13:22).

There may be a bit of humor to be found here in this exhortation from Hebrews 13:22. Having already penned more than six thousand words within this epistle, our author now concludes by saying, “…I’ve only written a short letter to you!” (CEB). But then again, considering the nature of the subjects he has addressed throughout this letter, he surely could have written more.

In fact, the constraints of time have weighed upon our author at various points throughout this epistle. For instance…

“Above the Ark were the cherubim of divine glory, whose wings stretched out over the Ark’s cover, the place of atonement. But we cannot explain these things in detail now” (Hebrews 9:5 NLT).

“And what more can I say? Time is too short for me to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets” (Hebrews 11:32 CSB).

Nevertheless, those who have studied this letter have learned a great deal, especially concerning the person and work of Christ. For instance…

• Chapter one: Jesus is superior to any angelic being.
• Chapter two: “in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people” (Hebrews 2:17).
• Chapter three: We should not repeat the mistake that Old Testament Israel made in turning away from God in unbelief.
• Chapter four: “…the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” Hebrews 4:12).
• Chapter five: Jesus is our High Priest who represents us before God.
• Chapter six: The importance of spiritual growth.
• Chapter seven: The superior characteristics of Jesus’ priesthood.
• Chapter eight: The New Covenant.
• Chapter nine: Jesus, the mediator of the New Covenant.
• Chapter ten: The just shall live by faith.
• Chapter eleven: The faith “Hall Of Fame.”
• Chapter twelve: The importance of spiritual discipline.
• Chapter thirteen: Exhortations to Godly living.

So, if (as some commentators believe), the Epistle to the Hebrews was originally a sermon that was adapted for the benefit of our author’s original audience, the previous verse marks the end of the author’s homily while this portion of Scripture begins his personal remarks.

XXXVII

“Know that our brother Timothy has been set free, with whom I shall see you if he comes shortly” (Hebrews 13:23).

The author of Hebrews continued his closing remarks to his audience with some information regarding their mutual friend Timothy. Timothy was certainly an important figure within the early church as evidenced by the fact that his name appears at least two dozen times within the pages of the New Testament.

Based on what we know from the Biblical book of Acts, it appears that Timothy was a native of a town named Lystra, a village that was located within the modern-day country of Turkey. He presumably became a Christian through Paul’s evangelistic efforts and later went on to accompany him on his second missionary journey.

Timothy also served as a kind of troubleshooting emissary for Paul at various points throughout his ministry. For instance, Paul sent Timothy to work with the church at Corinth with the following recommendation: “…I have sent Timothy to you, who is my dear and faithful son in the Lord. He will remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church” (1 Corinthians 4:17 NET). Paul also sent Timothy to assist the churches of Macedonia (Acts 19:21-22), the church at Thessalonica (1 Thessalonians 3:1-2) and may have sent him to work with the church in the ancient city of Philippi as well (Philippians 2:19).

So this brief update offers some clues regarding the author of this letter. First, Timothy was obviously someone who was known to both the sender and the recipients of this letter. He likely was (or had been) a companion of the author. However, it seems they were separated by a considerable distance during this time, as indicated by our author’s pending travel plans: “If [Timothy] comes here soon, I will bring him with me to see you” (NLT).

For these reasons, many believe that Paul the Apostle is the author of this letter to the Hebrews. Since Paul mentioned Timothy in most of his New Testament letters, this view has widespread support. However, that conclusion is hardly definitive, for Timothy undoubtedly knew many leaders within the early church.

With these things in mind, one source offers a possible scenario: “Because Timothy was recently freed (Heb_13:23) and the work was apparently written from Italy (Heb_13:24), we may assume that Timothy was arrested in Rome during the Neronian persecution (probably shortly after he came to see Paul—2Ti_4:21) and freed when Nero (and his policy) died in A.D. 68.” ₍₁₎

(1) Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary, [Hebrews- Introduction] Copyright © 1993

XXXVIII

“Greet all those who rule over you, and all the saints. Those from Italy greet you. Grace be with you all. Amen” (Hebrews 13:24-25).

The author of Hebrews closes his letter with the following salutation: “Those from Italy greet you.” While commentators differ greatly in their interpretation of this passage, it seems reasonable to assume that the members of his original audience must have lived somewhere other than the country of Italy. Of course, this might also imply that the author was in Italy at the time of this letter as well.

Nevertheless, one source counsels us to avoid reading too much into this brief remark in seeking to determine the author of this letter…

“Both Vincent and Expositor’s say that it is wrong to determine the location of the writing of the letter by the words ‘They of Italy salute you.’ Expositor’s quotes Winer as saying  ‘A critical argument as to the place at which the Epistle was written should never have been founded on these words.’ Vincent says the expression, ‘They of Italy’ may mean ‘those who are in Italy send greeting from Italy,’ or, ‘those of Italy (Italian Christians with the writer at the time) send greeting from the place at which the letter was written.’ He says, ‘The phrase affords no reliable indication as to the residence of the persons addressed.’” ₍₁₎

Another commentary offers a similar cautionary message regarding the authorship of the epistle…

“The letter closes with the words ‘Grace be with you all’ (Hebrews 13:25), which is the same closing found in each of Paul’s known letters (see Romans 16:20; 1 Corinthians 16:23; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Galatians 6:18; Ephesians 6:24; Philippians 4:23; Colossians 4:18; 1 Thessalonians 5:28; 2 Thessalonians 3:18; 1 Timothy 6:21; 2 Timothy 4:22; Titus 3:15; and Philemon 25). However, it should be noted that Peter (1 Peter 5:14; 2 Peter 3:18) used similar—though not identical—closings. It is also possible that it was simply customary to close letters like this with the words ‘Grace be with you all’ during this time period.” ₍₂₎

Thus, we end our look at this great epistle with the following summary…

“The book of Hebrews teaches us that we have a better covenant, a better Mediator, a better hope, better promises, a better homeland, a better priesthood, and better possessions-better than the best that Judaism could offer. It assures us that we have eternal redemption, eternal salvation, an eternal covenant, and an eternal inheritance… The Epistle to the Hebrews encourages true Christians to walk by faith and not by sight because this is the life that pleases Christ. It also encourages us to bear up steadfastly under sufferings, trials, and persecutions in order that we might receive the promised reward.” ₍₃₎

(1) Kenneth S. Wuest, Word Studies in the Greek New Testament [Hebrews 13:24-25] Copyright © 1942-55 by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

(2) GotQuestions.org, Who wrote the Book of Hebrews? Who was the author of Hebrews? Retrieved 24 July, 2023 from https://www.gotquestions.org/author-Hebrews.html

(3) William Macdonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary Edited by Arthur Farstad Thomas Nelson Publishers p.2294

I

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1).

After providing us with an extensive list of faithful individuals in the previous chapter, the author of Hebrews will now follow with some important conclusions here in chapter twelve…

“Chapter 12 contains three resources that encourage and enable us to run the Christian race with endurance. They are: the example of Jesus (vv. 1- 4), the assurance of the Father’s love (vv. 5-13), and the enablement of God’s grace (help; vv. 14-29).” ₍₁₎

So this chapter opens with a reference to those “heroes of the faith” who comprise this gathering of witnesses. In this context, the word “cloud” conveys the image of a great multitude. The “witnesses” are those who provide testimony regarding the things they’ve seen or experienced. This word-picture thus portrays a large contingent of faithful individuals who serve to inspire and motivate God’s people today.

One question that often arises from this passage is this: “Can this cloud of witnesses view events on earth today much like a group of spectators in a stadium?” Two sources address that question from opposing perspectives…

“The fact that Hebrews 12:1 says, ‘We are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,’ just after an entire chapter spent on the discussion of the faith of Old Testament saints who had died (Heb. 11) and the fact that the author encourages us to run the race of life with perseverance because we are surrounded by this great cloud of witnesses both suggest that those who have died and gone before have some awareness of what is going on in the earth. Scripture says very little about this, probably because it does not want us to pray to those who have died or to contact them in any way (note Saul’s great sin in 1 Sam. 28 :7-25). Nonetheless, Hebrews 12:1-2 does give us this slight hint, probably as an encouragement to us to continue also to be faithful to God as were those who have died and gone to heaven before us.” ₍₂₎

“The deceased people of chap. 11 give witness to the value and blessing of living by faith. …The great crowd is not comprised of spectators but rather is comprised of ones whose past life of faith encourages others to live that way (cf. 11:2, 4, 5, 33, 39).” ₍₃₎

(1) Constable, Thomas. DD, Notes on Hebrews 2023 Edition “3. The consequences of apostasy 12:25-29” [12:28-29] https://www.planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/html/nt/hebrews/hebrews.htm

(2) Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine, Second Edition. (Grand Rapids, Ml: Zondervan Academic, 2020)

(3) John F. MacArthur Jr., The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006), Heb 12:1

II

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1 ESV).

On one level, we might associate this passage with the image of a stadium that is filled with heroes of the faith who cheer us on as we run “…the race that God has planned for us” (NLV). However, we should also consider the possibility that these examples are given to us for a different purpose.

For example, if a reckless, alpha-male (Samson), a frightened, reluctant warrior (Gideon), a prostitute (Rahab), a son of a prostitute (Jephthah), and two men who were guilty of pre-meditated murder (Moses and David) can be counted among these members of the “faith hall of fame,” then we can as well. As one source observes, “It is not so much they who look at us as we who look to them- for encouragement. They have borne witness to the faithfulness of God…” ₍₁₎

In light of this, we are encouraged to “…throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles… [and] run with perseverance the race marked out for us” (NIV). This illustration was just as familiar to ancient audiences as it should be to modern-day readers of this epistle. Just as today’s professional athletes train with weighed equipment, runners of the first century also trained with weighted attachments that were removed prior to competition.

This athletic imagery should prompt us to consider those spiritual weights that may restrict our growth in Christ today. While such hindrances might take the obvious form of sinful behavior, there may be other possibilities as well. For instance, something that is ordinarily good might easily devolve into something bad if it prevents us from moving forward on God’s agenda for our lives. Jesus provided us with a few such examples in His parable of the sower…

“…they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful” (Mark 4:18-19).

Therefore. “‘The Christian runner must rid himself even of innocent things which might retard him. And all that does not help, hinders. It is by running he learns what these things are. So long as he stands he does not feel that they are burdensome and hampering.’” _(a) Thus, the word ‘weight’ has the idea of ‘encumbrance.’” ₍₂₎

(1) The New International Commentary On The New Testament – The Epistle To The Hebrews, F. F. Bruce, General Editor © Copyright 1964, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. Grand Rapids, Michigan [pg. 346]

(2) (a) Nicoll, William Robertson, M.A., L.L.D. “Commentary on Hebrews 12”. The Expositor’s Greek Testament [Hebrews 12:1]. Quoted in, Kenneth S. Wuest, Word Studies in the Greek New Testament (Hebrews 11:1) Copyright © 1942-55 by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. [Hebrews 12:1]

III

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, we must get rid of every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and run with endurance the race set out for us” (Hebrews 12:1 NET).

Our look at Hebrews 12:1 continues with an analysis of the weights or encumbrances mentioned in this verse…

“The weight (Gr ogkos—used only here) refers to that which impedes or burdens by weighing one down. For a runner it could either refer to clothing or his own excessive body weight (Hughes, pp. 519–520). Obviously, for the Christian it would involve not wicked but weighty things. It would include anything that could hinder his effectiveness for service.

These are not things which are inherently wrong, but for the diligent runner or the faithful Christian they are an impediment that must be removed. The Christian is not allowed to be selective regarding these weights; he will remove them. He must put off every weight. Whatever does not aid in the race is a weight and must be cast aside.” ₍₁₎

Another source adds, “It may well be that what is a hindrance to one entrant in this spiritual contest is not a hindrance to another; each must learn for himself what in his case is a weight or impediment.” ₍₂₎

This brings us to the reference to “sin” within this passage. It’s probably safe to say that most people associate the word “sin” with something bad or wrong. However, the Biblical definition of sin also conveys the image of “missing the target,” much like an archer who fails to hit a designated mark. As mentioned earlier in our look at Hebrews chapter nine, sin involves a failure to live up to the perfect standard that God established when He created humanity.

Hebrews 12:1 reminds us that sin is capable of “easily entangling” those who engage in it. We can illustrate this idea with the image of a bola, a weapon used by the indigenous peoples of North and South America. A bola served as a hunter’s weapon and comprised two or more lengths of cord that were tied together. Each cord was then secured with a weight on the other end. A hunter used a bola by throwing it to entangle the legs of his prey and immobilize it.

In one sense, sin is like a bola, for it serves to entangle and incapacitate its victim. Thus, we are encouraged to “…strip off anything that slows us down or holds us back, and especially those sins that wrap themselves so tightly around our feet and trip us up” (TLB).

Image Credit: Pearson Scott Foresman, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

(1) Edward E. Hindson and Woodrow Michael Kroll, eds., KJV Bible Commentary (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1994), 2575.

(2) The New International Commentary On The New Testament – The Epistle To The Hebrews, F. F. Bruce, General Editor © Copyright 1964, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. Grand Rapids, Michigan [pg. 349]

IV

“Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us” (Hebrews 12:1 HCSB).

While our natural, God-given talents and abilities are good and beneficial, we should always be alert to the potential influence of sin in those areas. Just as a cross-country runner must be attentive to the obstacles that lay ahead, we should humbly acknowledge our personal strengths and prayerfully assess the vulnerabilities they may present.

Those who come to Christ later in life should also be alert to the presence of detrimental thoughts, attitudes, memories, and/or behavior patterns that may have developed earlier. Since Hebrews 12:1 associates the Christian life with a race (as opposed to a sprint), this passage reminds us that an attitude of patient endurance may be required to overcome such things in Christ.

Finally, we should recognize our potential faults and weaknesses and their potential to allow sinful behaviors to gain a foothold in our lives. Just as a tenacious weed may exploit a fissure in the surface of a rocky cliff to germinate and grow, sin may also exploit those faults that may exist within our character. Israel’s king David touched upon this concern in Psalm 139…

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24).

These prayerful self-evaluations may be challenging, for they often compel us to face difficult and unpleasant truths about ourselves. However, we should note that professional athletes, business executives, and those from other walks of life must also engage in various types of self-assessments in order to grow and improve. Therefore, we would do well to take the initiative in following David’s example in this passage from Psalm 139.

This approach also finds Biblical support in the New Testament book of 1 Corinthians…

“But if we evaluated and judged ourselves honestly [recognizing our shortcomings and correcting our behavior], we would not be judged. But when we [fall short and] are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined [by undergoing His correction] so that we will not be condemned [to eternal punishment] along with the world” (1 Corinthians 11:31-32 AMP).

Hebrews 12:1 thus prepares us to approach the subject of God’s discipline that occurs later in this chapter. Therefore, we would be well-advised to consider the following admonition…

“Each of us has habitual ‘besetting sins’ we find it hard to imagine living without. Such sins are idols. We shall strive against such sins throughout life on earth, but they are the individual sin-challenges that God puts before each of us. Working on your besetting sin is the particular project God has given you.” ₍₁₎

(1) Sproul, R. C. (1994). Before the face of God: Book 4: A daily guide for living from Ephesians, Hebrews, and James (electronic ed.). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House; Ligonier Ministries.

V

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us” (Hebrews 12:1 NIV).

As we close our look at Hebrews 12:1, we will take a moment to consider this reference to “…the race marked out for us.“ This terminology implies that every individual Christian follows a personalized spiritual course that is specifically designed for him or her. While there may be similarities in our individual courses, every race is held on a different track, so to speak.

We can gain further insight into this concept with a brief survey of Jesus’ parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard. That parable relates the account of a landowner who went out very early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. He then hired additional laborers at 9am, noon, 3pm, and 5pm. When evening came, the landowner instructed his manager to pay the laborers for their work. He then provided a day’s wage to each worker, even those who were hired late in the day.

The workers who were hired first then began complain about their compensation. However, the landowner was ready with his response…

“…’Friend, I am not treating you unfairly. Didn’t you agree with me to work for the standard wage? Take what is yours and go. I want to give to this last man the same as I gave to you. Am I not permitted to do what I want with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?’” (Matthew 20:13-15 NET).

For application purposes, we might say that our personal vineyard is comprised of the life and work that God has given us. The tools of our trade include the talents, skills, abilities, and/or opportunities that God has provided. Just as every human being is different, so is the type and volume of work that God has given us in our individual vineyards.

Because of this, we may be tempted to look at others’ vineyards to offer suggestions, criticisms, ideas, or opinions regarding what they ought to do. To be fair, this may be appropriate if God has placed us in a supervisory capacity, or if we encounter a teaching or behavior that is clearly misaligned with God’s Word. Nevertheless, it is usually best to focus upon our own “vineyard” and the work that God has given us. ₍₁₎

It is often difficult to produce quality work for Christ when we are focused on the work of others. Since God has marked out an individual plan for every man and woman of God (as implied here in Hebrews 12:1). we would do well to concentrate upon those areas of responsibility He has assigned to us.

(1) Also see Paul the Apostle’s comment to the Corinthian church in 2 Corinthians 10:13

VI

“looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).

The Biblical “heroes of the faith” mentioned earlier in Hebrews chapter eleven serve to challenge, inspire, and motivate us to follow God’s path for our lives. Undoubtedly, there are some who choose to approach the challenges they encounter along that path with a determination to simply “do better” in those areas where they may be falling short. But much like a New Year’s resolution that falls by the wayside, that approach is destined to fail.

The solution is to look unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith, as we’re told here in Hebrews 12:2. Just as the ancient Magi fixed their gaze upon the Star of Bethlehem to guide them to their destination, we can stay the course of God’s direction for our lives if we continually focus upon Christ.

While the faithful men and women of Hebrews chapter eleven encourage us to live a life of faith, Jesus enables us to live a life of faith. Since Jesus is one upon whom “…our faith depends from beginning to end” (GNB), we are empowered to live faithfully as we look to Him. The Apostle Peter once discovered the importance of this truth in a dramatic fashion.

After feeding thousands of people with two fish and five loaves of bread, Jesus sent His disciples across the Sea of Galilee on the way to their next destination while He dismissed the crowds. It was later that night when Jesus walked across the surface of the water and approached the disciples as they struggled to navigate against a boisterous wind. The disciples were understandably terrified at this sight, but Jesus moved quickly to reassure them: “Don’t worry! It’s me! Don’t be afraid” (Matthew 14:27 ERV).

That led Peter to make a request: “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water” (Matthew 14:28). Jesus granted Peter’s request, but shortly after Peter left the boat, he began to sink beneath the waves as he grew fearful of the tumultuous winds. It was then that “…Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:31).

Peter’s experience thus serves as an object lesson that should encourage us to “…focus on Jesus, the source and goal of our faith” (GW).

VII

“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2 KJV).

One Biblical scholar draws our attention to the significance of the word “author” in this passage…

“The word ‘author’ is the translation of archegon… The word is made up of ago ‘to lead,’ and arche, ‘the first.’ The compound word means ‘the chief leader, one that takes the lead in anything and thus furnishes the example.’” ₍₁₎

Thus, we can say that Jesus stands at the starting line as we begin the course of faith that God has set before us and awaits us as we reach the finish line. As a merciful and faithful high priest who has been made like His brothers and sisters in every way, we can look to Him for strength and encouragement as we traverse the curves, obstacles, and hazards we encounter over the course of our lives.

This passage also offers insight into Jesus’ mindset during the period of His earthly ministry: “He endured the cross, ignoring the shame, for the sake of the joy that was laid out in front of him…” (CEB). So Jesus viewed His crucifixion as more than just a sacrificial offering; instead, He endured the shame of the cross with an eye towards the joy that awaited Him.

However, that joy was not for Jesus’ benefit alone…

“It is not difficult to trace an affinity between the joy of which our author speaks here and the joy to which Jesus Himself makes repeated reference in the upper room discourses of the Fourth Gospel. He tells His disciples there of His desire that His joy may be in them, so that their joy may be complete (John 15: 11; cf. 16:20, 21, 22, 24); and in His high-priestly prayer He asks the Father ‘that they may have my joy made full in themselves’ (John 17: 13).

So here, ‘the joy that was set before him’ is not something for Himself alone, but something to be shared with those for whom He died as sacrifice and lives as high priest.” ₍₂₎

So “the author and finisher of our faith” endured the cross for the joy of others, as well as Himself. Finally, Jesus emphasized the practical aspect of His work on the cross in some of His last words to His disciples…

“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain” (John 12:24).

(1) Kenneth S. Wuest, Word Studies in the Greek New Testament (Hebrews 12:2) Copyright © 1942-55 by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

(2) The New International Commentary On The New Testament – The Epistle To The Hebrews, F. F. Bruce, General Editor © Copyright 1964, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. Grand Rapids, Michigan [pg. 353]

VIII

“looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2 ESV).

Although crosses are often sold as various forms of jewelry in many areas of the world, some who display crosses in this manner may be unfamiliar with the shame that accompanied the act of crucifixion. In Jesus’ case, the humiliation inflicted upon Him began long before He reached the site of His crucifixion…

“Then the soldiers led Him away into the hall called Praetorium, and they called together the whole garrison. And they clothed Him with purple; and they twisted a crown of thorns, put it on His head, and began to salute Him, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ Then they struck Him on the head with a reed and spat on Him; and bowing the knee, they worshiped Him” (Mark 15:16-19).

The Praetorium served as the place of residence for the Roman troops in that area. It was there that the soldiers in charge of Jesus mocked His kingship by spitting upon Him and dressing Him in purple, the color of royalty. These men created a crown made from thorns in a caricature of sovereign authority and gave Him a cane to serve as a kind of “royal scepter.” An entire garrison of soldiers witnessed this humiliating scene.

“They took Jesus therefore, and He went out bearing His own cross, to the place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha” (John 19:17 RSV).

Regarding the act of crucifixion, one source makes the following observation: “Although the Romans did not invent crucifixion, they perfected it as a form of torture and capital punishment that was designed to produce a slow death with maximum pain and suffering. It was one of the most disgraceful and cruel methods of execution and usually was reserved only for slaves, foreigners, revolutionaries, and the vilest of criminals.” ₍₁₎

Yet now we’re told, Jesus “…is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne” (NLT). One source explains this imagery behind this reference…

“…the idea being that He, after His work of providing a salvation was finished, sat down, and remains seated. He need never arise and repeat His work on the Cross for sinners. It is a finished work. He is not only seated, but He occupies the position of preeminence, at the right hand of God.” ₍₂₎

(1) “Christ Died Quickly On The Cross” William D. Edwards, quoted in “The Book Of Jesus” edited by Calvin Miller pg 388

(2) Kenneth S. Wuest, Word Studies in the Greek New Testament (Hebrews 12:2) Copyright © 1942-55 by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

IX

“For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls” (Hebrews 12:3).

Like any good leader, Jesus is someone who leads by example. For instance, we would do well to consider the various acts of hostility that were inflicted upon Jesus whenever we face conflict with others. Those examples run like a thread throughout the New Testament gospel of John…

“Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God” (John 5:18).

“After these things Jesus walked in Galilee; for He did not want to walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill Him” (John 7:1).

“[Jesus said] I know that you are Abraham’s descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you” (john 8:37).

“Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by” (John 8:59).

“Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. Jesus answered them, ‘Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?’ The Jews answered Him, saying, ‘For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God’” (John 10:31-33).

“The Jews answered [Pontius Pilate], ‘We have a law, and according to our law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God’” (John 19:7).

Some of our conflicts may grow out of relationships with disagreeable spouses, antagonistic co-workers, unreasonable employers. disruptive neighbors, or contentious family members. Others must deal with the hostilities imposed by government entities, business organizations, religious movements, or groups that are averse to Christianity.

When such things occur, we would be wise to “Think about the one who endured such opposition from sinners so that you won’t be discouraged and you won’t give up” (CEB). We might also consider Jesus’ cautionary message from John 15:20: “Do you remember what I said to you, ‘The servant is not greater than his master’? If they have persecuted me, they will persecute you as well, but if they have followed my teaching, they will also follow yours” (Phillips).

Thus, as one source concludes, “…if we would look to Christ’s example instead of looking at our own afflictions, we would not become so weary or fainthearted. Are you unhappy over your sacrifice? Take a new look at His!” ₍₁₎

(1) Edward E. Hindson and Woodrow Michael Kroll, eds., KJV Bible Commentary (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1994), 2576.

X

“For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, so that you won’t grow weary and lose heart” (Hebrews 12:3 HCSB).

No matter how difficult life becomes, we can be secure in knowing  that Jesus is familiar with the problems and issues we face. For instance, what if we were to compare the pressures of our lives to Jesus’ experience in the Garden of Gethsemane? Remember that it was there where His perspiration became like drops of blood as he prayed and contemplated the immediate future that awaited Him. Thus, it seems unlikely that our challenges exceed the struggles Jesus faced in respect to His approaching crucifixion.

A few minutes spent with a work such as Foxe’s Book Of Martyrs may also bring a fresh perspective to our view of the stresses we experience in life. This is important when we consider the natural human tendency to magnify the intensity of our personal struggles. The standard we use to measure their severity influences the accuracy of our perception.

This is not to say that our challenges are insignificant, or illusionary. Nor does it mean that we should ignore the problems we experience in life, or pretend they don’t exist. Instead, we can ensure that we accurately assess such things when we measure them against the example Jesus set for us.

The New Testament epistle of 1 Peter approaches this idea from a different perspective…

“For what credit is it if you sin and are mistreated and endure it? But if you do good and suffer and so endure, this finds favor with God. For to this you were called, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving an example for you to follow in his steps” (1 Peter 2:20-21 NET).

Much like a weary athlete who continues to press on towards the finish line, the knowledge that Jesus has set an example for us helps provide us with the proper mindset. The Apostle Paul also touched upon this idea in his letter to the Galatian church: “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart” (Galatians 6:9).

Paul echoed a similar theme in his letters to the churches at Corinth and Thessalonica as well…

“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58).

“But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good” (2 Thessalonians 3:13).

Therefore, we can find strength in the counsel given to us here in Hebrews 12:3 whenever we grow weary of the trials and oppositions we encounter.

XI

“You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin” (Hebrews 12:4).

The members of the original audience for the Biblical book of Hebrews had undoubtedly suffered for their decision to follow Christ. Yet none had “…resisted to the point of bloodshed” (NET). The implication carried over from the previous verse is clear: “If you are becoming weary and discouraged, consider what Jesus endured. You have not yet suffered bloodshed, as He suffered on our behalf.”

So, the author of Hebrews encouraged the members of his original audience (and modern-day readers by extension) to expand their perspective beyond their personal hardships and discouragements. In the words of one Biblical scholar, “The readers have known persecution, but nothing as serious as what Jesus suffered, or indeed, what has been cataloged in 11:35–38. It is not time for them to think of giving up.” ₍₁₎

The following excerpt from the New Testament Gospel of Mark details a portion of Jesus’ experience that can help us put our afflictions in the proper perspective…

“Pilate wanted to please the crowd, so he set Barabbas free. Then he ordered his soldiers to beat Jesus with a whip and nail him to a cross” (Mark 15:15 CEV).

With Pilate’s authorization, the Roman military personnel in charge of Jesus whipped Him repeatedly in advance of His crucifixion. Roman soldiers generally administered this beating (variously referred to as a scourging, or flogging depending on the translation), as part of a criminal sentence.

A “scourge” was a type of whip that was comprised of a wooden handle with multiple lashes or strips of leather. Sharp-edged pieces of bone, metal, and/or lead were commonly attached to these lashes. During this process, the condemned prisoner was first stripped of his clothes. His hands were then tied above his head to a support column. Two soldiers (called lichtors) then positioned themselves on either side of the prisoner and took alternate turns whipping the victim. In doing so, the embedded objects within the scourge slowly tore into the prisoner’s body, removing small bits of flesh with every strike.

The act of scourging a convicted criminal was primarily designed to eliminate his ability to resist the act of crucifixion. This horrific form of punishment continued until the prisoner was close to death. While the Jewish people were limited to thirty-nine lashes in scourging a prisoner, ₍₂₎ the only condition placed upon a Roman lichtor was that the prisoner had to be kept alive to carry his cross to his place of execution.

(1) R. C. Sproul, ed., The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) (Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2015), 2218.

(2) See the historical reference in 2 Corinthians 11:24

XII

“In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood” (Hebrews 12:4 ESV).

Hebrews 12:4 draws a comparison between the sufferings inflicted upon the members of the original audience for this epistle and those that were inflicted upon Jesus. The Gospel of Mark offers an account of the suffering Jesus endured before He reached the cross…

“They put a purple cloak on him and after braiding a crown of thorns, they put it on him. They began to salute him: ‘Hail, king of the Jews!’ Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Then they knelt down and paid homage to him” (Mark 15:17-19 NET).

In a grotesque parody of a golden crown worn by a king, the soldiers guarding Jesus placed a crown made from the branches of a sharp thorny plant upon His head prior to His crucifixion. Mark’s Gospel also tells us that the Roman soldiers struck Jesus repeatedly on the head during this time. This act was certain to produce severe bleeding as the crown of thorns was driven into His scalp.

Although the Gospels do not provide us with an extensive physical description of Jesus’ condition during this time, that may be due to the fact that this information was detailed prophetically in advance…

“I gave My back to those who struck Me, And My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard; I did not hide My face from shame and spitting” (Isaiah 50:6).

“…His visage was marred more than any man, And His form more than the sons of men” (Isaiah 52:14).

But these things were just a prelude to Jesus’ actual crucifixion…

“And when they crucified Him, they divided His garments, casting lots for them to determine what every man should take” (Mark 15:24).

A condemned prisoner was typically stripped of his clothing upon arrival at the site of his crucifixion. He was then bound with ropes or nailed to the crossbar (or “patibulum”) he carried to his execution. Those who were nailed to their crosses (as Jesus was), were typically secured with large spikes that were approximately seven inches (18 cm) long, and 1/3 inch (.75 cm) wide at the head. These spikes were likely driven into the wrist area at the base of the hand. After this, the crossbar was fastened onto a vertical pole (or “stipe”). Finally, the victim’s feet were nailed into the vertical portion of his cross.

While these descriptions are painful to read, the author of Hebrews encourages us to bring these facts to our remembrance to help in maintaining the right perspective on the sufferings we endure.

XIII

“In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood” (Hebrews 12:4).

In context, this reference to “shedding your blood” refers to the account of Jesus’ crucifixion. We can find an echo of that awful form of death in the modern-day word “excruciating.” This word is used to describe an exceedingly painful condition and finds its origin in a word that means “of the cross.” ₍₁₎

Despite our natural reluctance to engage this difficult topic, a comparative look at Jesus’ death can help us measure the true severity of our own life experiences. For instance, consider the fact that a crucified prisoner had to push himself up against the nail that held his feet in order to breathe as he hung upon his cross. If he failed to do so, death by suffocation would result. Crucified victims also experienced severe thirst and muscular cramping. Blood loss was extensive, and the nails used in securing the victim generated severe pain from severed or irritated nerve endings.

One medical commentator makes some additional observations regarding the act of crucifixion…

“When the cross was erected upright, there was tremendous strain put on the wrists, arms and shoulders, resulting in a dislocation of the shoulder and elbow joints… The arms, being held up and outward, held the rib cage in a fixed end inspiratory position which made it extremely difficult to exhale, and impossible to take a full breath.

The victim would only be able to take very shallow breaths (This may explain why Jesus made very short statements while on the cross). As time passed, the muscles, from the loss of blood, last of oxygen and the fixed position of the body, would undergo severe cramps and spasmodic contractions.” ₍₂₎

This is how the crucified spent their final hours of life. As another commentator bluntly observed, “Romans were grimly efficient about executions. Victims did not escape with their lives.” ₍₃₎

However, the Gospel of John adds an additional detail related to Jesus’ crucifixion: “…one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water” (John 19:32). One source alerts us to the significance of this detail…

“Clearly, the weight of historical and medical evidence indicates that Jesus was dead before the wound to his side was inflicted and supports the traditional view that the spear, thrust between his right ribs, probably perforated not only the right lung but also the pericardium and heart and thereby ensured his death.” ₍₄₎

(1) See “Excruciating.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/excruciating. Accessed 11 Apr. 2023.

(2) Terasaka, David M.D. Medical Aspects of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ http://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/terasaka_david/misc/crucify.cfm Accessed 12 Apr. 2023.

(3) Paul L. Maier, In the Fullness of Time: A Historian Looks at Christmas, Easter, and the Early Church [pg. 195]

(4) Edwards, William & Gabel, W & Hosmer, F. (1986). On the Physical Death of Jesus Christ. JAMA : the journal of the American Medical Association. 255. 1455-63. 10.1001/jama.1986.03370110077025. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/19648788_On_the_Physical_Death_of_Jesus_Christ Accessed 11 Apr. 2023.

XIV

“And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, ‘My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son’” (Hebrews 12:5-6 NIV).

If this passage from Hebrews 12:5-6 seems familiar, it may be due to the fact that a similar concept appears in the Biblical books of Job and Proverbs…

“Behold, happy is the man whom God corrects; Therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty” (Job 5:17).

“My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor detest His correction; For whom the Lord loves He corrects, Just as a father the son in whom he delights” Proverbs 3:11-12).

These references serve to prepare us for the next point of emphasis in the book of Hebrews…

“In the next section (5-24) the writer explains the meaning of suffering and hardship as the discipline (not ‘chastisement’ or ‘punishment’) of a loving Father (cf. 6), whose purpose in it is to educate (Gk. paideuein) his child. Thus in the case of the Christian, suffering is God’s educational process by which he is fitted to share God’s holiness (10).

It is a necessary element in the Father-child relationship as the writer establishes from his book of proofs- the OT (Prov. 3: 11 f.), and from the analogy of human parenthood (8-9). If you are not being educated you are not a legitimate son (8).” ₍₁₎

With these things in mind, this portion of Scripture encourages us to exercise discernment in respect to the difficult events that enter our lives. For instance, God may permit such experiences as a means of identifying an attitude or behavior that requires attention. Or perhaps He may allow the circumstances we encounter to assist us in developing character and perseverance. He might also use those developments to prepare us for the future.

Thus, it is important to recognize that every Christian is (or should be) enrolled as an apprentice in the “School of Christ.” Each grade level in this academic institution features a curriculum that is tailored to every individual student. While Jesus used this student-teacher analogy in addressing His followers on several occasions, there is a strong familial element that is present here in our passage from Hebrews. We’ll explore that aspect of our relationship with the Lord in greater detail next.

(1) New International Bible Commentary general editor G. C. D. Howley, consulting editors F. F. Bruce, H. L. Ellison. Copyright© 1979 by Pickering & Inglis Ltd [pg. 1529].

XV

“Have you forgotten the encouraging words which God speaks to you as his children? ‘My child, pay attention when the Lord corrects you, and do not be discouraged when he rebukes you. Because the Lord corrects everyone he loves, and punishes everyone he accepts as a child’” (Hebrews 12:5-6 GNB).

One source defines this reference to discipline (CSB), or chastening (GNV) with a look at the original language of this passage…

“The latter word is paideia, which was used of the whole training and education of children. It speaks also of whatever in adults cultivates the soul, especially by correcting mistakes and curbing the passions. It speaks also of instruction which aims at the increase of virtue. The word does not have in it the idea of punishment, but of corrective measures which will eliminate evil in the life and encourage the good.” ₍₁₎

Unlike some who ascribe the negative events of life to the unpredictable elements of “luck,” “fate,” “chance,” or “karma,” there is no need for despair amid those circumstances. Instead, we can gain insight from these conditions by asking some important questions such as…

• What may God be seeking to teach me through this circumstance?
• What does my response to this situation tell me about myself?
• How can I apply this experience in the future?

However, there is another aspect of this passage that warrants our attention. You see, it is appropriate to consider any role we may have played in eliciting God’s correction in our lives. In other words, we should consider the possibility that our behaviors have prompted God to engage in an act of loving discipline. The Scriptures offer several admonitions in this regard…

“Some of the redeemed had been sitting in darkness and deep gloom; they were prisoners suffering in chains because they had disobeyed God’s instructions and rejected the Most High’s plans. So God humbled them with hard work. They stumbled, and there was no one to help them… Some of the redeemed were fools because of their sinful ways. They suffered because of their wickedness” (Psalm 107:10-12, 17 CEB).

“An evil man is held captive by his own sins; they are ropes that catch and hold him” (Proverbs 5:22 NLT).

“Have you not brought this on yourselves by forsaking the Lord your God when he led you in the way?… Your wickedness will punish you; your backsliding will rebuke you” (Jeremiah 2:17, 19 NIV).

So while the Lord chastens and corrects us, we should prayerfully seek to ensure that we have not deliberately prompted those corrective measures. As 1 Corinthians 11:32 reminds us, “…when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.”

(1) Kenneth S. Wuest, Word Studies in the Greek New Testament (Hebrews 12:5-6) Copyright © 1942-55 by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing

XVI

“And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as His children? He said, “My child, don’t make light of the LORD’s discipline, and don’t give up when He corrects you. For the LORD disciplines those He loves, and He punishes each one He accepts as His child” (Hebrews 12:5-6 NLT).

While the concept of “God’s discipline” may evoke any number of inferences, it’s important to consider the purpose behind the type of discipline mentioned in the passage quoted above. For instance, these disciplinary measures are designed to be corrective, not punitive. They are not motivated by a sense of retribution, but a sense of love and concern for the best interests of God’s children.

As mentioned in our previous study, these actions serve a specific purpose: “…we are judged and punished by the Lord, so that we shall not be condemned together with the world” (1 Corinthians 11:32). We should also note that Jesus made use of a related concept in John 15:1-5…

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you.

No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (NIV).

A good horticulturist knows that various trees or flowering plants must be pruned occasionally to ensure they remain strong and healthy. This process helps protect such plants from overgrowth and minimizes the potential for damage caused by insects or diseases. It also enables the plant to product higher quality fruit or flowers in greater abundance.

A familiar passage from the Biblical book of Galatians serves to identify the type of fruit God seeks to develop through this approach…

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23 NIV).

Therefore, we can find comfort, and encouragement whenever we experience God’s discipline in our lives. As Jesus reminded the New Testament-era church of Laodicea, “I am the one who corrects and disciplines everyone I love…” (Revelation 3:19 NLT).

XVII

“And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? ‘My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives’” (Hebrews 12:5-6 ESV).

As the author of Hebrews continues his exposition of Proverbs 3:11-12, we should note an important point of emphasis within this passage. Unlike a servant who lacks the familial bond that unites the other members of a household, this portion of Scripture employs the word “son” to identify those who are subject to the Lord’s discipline.

Jesus identified those members of God’s family in the Gospel of Luke…

“And it was told Him by some, who said, ‘Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see You.’ But He answered and said to them, ‘My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it’” (Luke 8:20-21).

This brings us to something that warrants careful consideration: a person who can engage in sinful behaviors without any apparent repercussion is someone who should be greatly concerned. For instance, a father does not typically discipline a child who belongs to someone else. Therefore, anyone who can engage in Biblically inappropriate behaviors without apparent consequence might question his or her status as a legitimate son or daughter of God.

On the other hand, God may choose to discipline His sons and daughters to help facilitate their growth. We’ll discuss this topic at greater length in an upcoming study, but for now, let’s consider the circumstances that God might use for this purpose and how those circumstances may deepen our fellowship with Him.

For example, we may have experience with others who have been unfaithful to us in various ways. God has been through that experience as well. Perhaps we have graciously provided for those who were unappreciative of our efforts. God knows that feeling, too. Maybe we’ve been hurt by individuals who abandoned us when they had no further need for us. God is also familiar with that response.

Perhaps we know the weariness of interacting with those who will not do what they should unless they are given a specific set of rules to follow along with consequences for breaking those rules. God had to take that approach with His people as well. Finally, we may know the pain of a betrayal committed by someone who was once close to us. Jesus is all too familiar with that experience.

Deep camaraderie between individuals can only develop among those who have lived through shared experiences. Thus, we should recognize that God may have this objective in mind whenever we encounter His disciplinary efforts within our lives.

XVIII

“If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons” (Hebrews 12:7-8).

It is often difficult to receive discipline and correction, and even more difficult to endure the circumstances that accompany them. As our author will observe later in this chapter, “No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful….” (Hebrews 12:11 CSB). But rather than view the subject of God’s discipline through the horizontal lens of our experience, what if we were to consider this matter from God’s perspective?

For example, the book of the Old Testament prophet Hosea directs our attention to the emotional component of God’s relationship with His people. Unlike those who view God as an impersonal authority figure, the following passage of Scripture characterizes Him as a gracious parent whose children were less than appreciative of His provision for their needs…

“The Lord says, ‘When Israel was a child, I loved him and called him out of Egypt as my son. But the more I called to him, the more he turned away from me. My people sacrificed to Baal; they burned incense to idols.

Yet I was the one who taught Israel to walk. I took my people up in my arms, but they did not acknowledge that I took care of them. I drew them to me with affection and love. I picked them up and held them to my cheek; I bent down to them and fed them’” (Hosea 11:1-4 GNT).

This passage reminds us that our view of God’s discipline should be tempered by our recognition of His love as a Father to His children. Those who seek to avoid the pain associated with the corrective circumstances that God allows to enter our lives may fail to acknowledge the loving motivation behind them. If we attempt to circumvent those lessons now, we may find that God will later enroll us in a far more rigorous course of study in the School of Christ.

These actions also reflect God’s investment in His children. While everyone is subject to the common trials that are typical of the human experience, some are open to the lessons that God seeks to communicate through such things while others reject them. With this in mind, we can say that a legitimate son or daughter of God looks for evidence of God’s tutelage in the circumstances of life as he or she seeks to grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ.

XIX

“Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?” (Hebrews 12:9).

This common-sense observation from Hebrew 12:9 is hardly new. In fact, the importance of loving discipline in the life of a child is a topic that stretches back to the Old Testament book of Proverbs…

“Those who spare the rod of discipline hate their children. Those who love their children care enough to discipline them” (Proverbs 13:24 NLT).

“Discipline your children while they are young enough to learn. If you don’t, you are helping them destroy themselves” (Proverbs 19:18 GNT).

“To discipline a child produces wisdom, but a mother is disgraced by an undisciplined child” (Proverbs 29:15 NLT).

“If you correct your children, they will bring you peace and happiness” (Proverbs 29:17 CEV).

So if God’s Word promotes loving parental discipline in the life of a child, it should not surprise us when God adopts this approach in the lives of His people as well.  For instance, an undisciplined child often reflects poorly upon his or her parents. Just as we respect a parent who properly administers loving discipline in the life of a son or daughter, so we should also respect the God who does so in the lives of His children.

That leads us to this reference to “…the Father of spirits” from this passage. This phrase appears here in Hebrews 12:9 but nowhere else within the New Testament Scriptures. As mentioned previously, the word “spirit” finds its origin in the word “pneuma” in the original language of this passage. A remnant of this word exists today in regard to a pneumatic tire, air tool, or gas. In a larger sense, this word is used to express the idea of a breeze, a gust of wind, an air current, or the act of breathing.

Much like the movement of air through various places, the spirit is also invisible and immaterial. Therefore, the word “spirit” is used to represent the intangible part of every human being that continues following the death of his or her physical body. Once that physical separation takes place, the Biblical book of Ecclesiastes tells us, “…your spirit will return to God who gave it” (Ecclesiastes 12:7-8 NCV).

This passage thus serves to contrast our biological parents (who have disciplined and corrected us on a limited basis), with our heavenly father who always disciplines us with our best interests in mind. The following verse will explore that aspect of God’s discipline in greater detail.

XX

“For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness” (Hebrews 12:10).

A child who has enjoyed the privilege of growing up in a home with a loving father often looks back fondly at that experience. Yet even the most loving human father is an imperfect father.

You see, a good parent rarely has all the information necessary to provide perfect guidance for a child. For example, there may be extenuating circumstances, or other factors that are beyond a parent’s knowledge. In fact, a child may sometimes exploit that lack of information to his or her advantage.

Parents are also limited by time. As children grow and mature, a good parent must constantly adapt to the changing needs of the child. He or she must account for the child’s growing knowledge (or lack of it), the child’s experience (or lack of it), his or her emotional characteristics, and any potential vulnerabilities the child may possess. As the child grows towards adulthood, a parent must then assume less of a supervisory role and more of a mentorship position in the child’s life.

Finally, a parent is also limited by his or her own fallibility. For example, a parent may find it difficult to separate his or her emotional involvement in a disciplinary situation. A good parent might also suffer from fatigue, various forms of stress, or other variables that may affect his or her capacity to discipline a child properly. These limitations help explain why the New Testament book of Galatians offers the following word of encouragement…

“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord” (Galatians 6:4 NLT).

We can contrast these limitations with the infinite wisdom of our spiritual Father. Unlike an imperfect human being, God’s discipline is always perfect. It is never more or less than we need, and is perfectly tailored to the situation at hand. And while an earthly parent may have something less than a child’s best disciplinary interest in mind, God always “…disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness” (ESV).

Thus, we can distill this passage into one summary observation…

“Our earthly fathers may sometimes have been mistaken in their estimate of the discipline that we needed; our heavenly Father, in the perfection of His wisdom and love, can be relied upon never to impose any discipline on us that is not for our good. The supreme good that He has in view for His children is this, that they should share His holiness.” ₍₁₎

(1) The New International Commentary On The New Testament – The Epistle To The Hebrews, F. F. Bruce, General Editor © Copyright 1964, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. Grand Rapids, Michigan [pg. 359]

XXI

“Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:11).

A good athlete, student, or musician knows that proficiency and achievement in those areas isn’t always easy. A person who seeks to excel in those areas must be willing to accept the challenges associated with instruction, study, practice, and correction. At best, a person who rejects those disciplines may fail to perform during a game, test, or concert. At worst, they may embarrass themselves (and others) when their lack of discipline is revealed.

The point is that a good athlete, student, or performer understands the importance of discipline and correction. The same holds true for our spiritual lives as well. However, there is another perspective to consider regarding this subject.

Imagine if you had a coach or a teacher who never trained, instructed, or corrected you. Think about the prospects for a student, athlete, or musician under the leadership of a coach or teacher who didn’t care enough to discipline those individuals to be their best. With this in mind, we can reasonably conclude that coaches and teachers who fail to instruct, train, and discipline the people who are entrusted to their care will not remain in their positions for very long.

A good teacher or coach will work to motivate, correct, and discipline a student or athlete to be the best he or she can be. The passage quoted above tells us that God does much the same in our spiritual lives as well. But just as an athlete or musician does not look forward to the prospect of a grueling practice session, the process of spiritual correction and discipline is rarely easy. Nevertheless, we can often see the positive changes God produces in us when He has completed that work.

We can turn to the Old Testament book of Proverbs once again to find support for this New Testament idea…

“To learn, you must love discipline; it is stupid to hate correction” (Proverbs 12:1 NLT).

“If you reject discipline, you only harm yourself; but if you listen to correction, you grow in understanding” (Proverbs 15:32 NLT).

“Whoever stubbornly refuses to accept criticism will suddenly be destroyed beyond recovery” (Proverbs 29:1 NLT).

As our author reminded us earlier in Hebrews 10:38. “…the just shall live by faith.” Therefore, we should faithfully trust that God has a purpose behind those periods of spiritual discipline we experience and will ultimately bring something beneficial from them.

XXII

“Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed” (Hebrews 12:12-13).

In keeping with the author’s practice throughout his letter to the Hebrews, this portion of Scripture contains an allusion to an important Old Testament idea. For instance, the call to action given to us in the passage quoted above draws upon an image that would have been familiar to the original audience for this epistle…

“Surely you have instructed many, And you have strengthened weak hands. Your words have upheld him who was stumbling, And you have strengthened the feeble knees” (Job 4:3-4).

“Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who have an anxious heart, ‘Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you’” (Isaiah 35:3-4 ESV).

Thus, the author of Hebrews made use of this imagery for the benefit of his readers, both ancient and modern: “Strengthen your listless hands and your weak knees refers to the readers’ need for renewed resolve and fresh strength in their struggles (cf. Heb 10:36-39; Heb 12:1-3).” ₍₁₎

So, much like an athlete who battles fatigue as he or she nears the end of a long-distance race, this passage encourages us to renew our commitment to finish the course that God has set for us. We can finish that course by continually looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, as mentioned earlier in Hebrews 12:1-2. There, we will find the inspirational motivation that we need to address the challenges associated with a life of faith and make a straight path for others to follow.

We’ll explore the significance of this imagery in greater detail in our next study. But for now, we can say that those who follow this counsel, “…understand that the circumstances of their lives are dictated by God who directs their destinies through His unfailing omniscience, and whose all-loving nature actively promotes their highest welfare” ₍₂₎ We can also draw fresh encouragement from Paul the Apostle’s common-sense guidance to the members of the ancient church at Philippi…

“…I am still not all I should be, but I am bringing all my energies to bear on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God is calling us up to heaven because of what Christ Jesus did for us” (Philippians 3:13-14 TLB).

(1) NET Bible notes on Hebrews 12:12 https://classic.net.bible.org/bible.php?book=Heb&chapter=12&mode=print

(2) New International Bible Commentary general editor G. C. D. Howley, consulting editors F. F. Bruce, H. L. Ellison. Copyright© 1979 by Pickering & Inglis Ltd [pg. 1529]

XXIII

“Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong” (Hebrews 12:13 NLT).

Much like a mineworker who extracts valuable ore from a productive mine, the author of Hebrews has consistently returned to the Old Testament (and the book of Proverbs in particular) to unearth important spiritual truths for his audience. In this instance, Proverbs 4:26 provides the underlying imagery for the “straight path” referenced here in Hebrews 12:13: “Carefully walk a straight path, and all your ways will be secure” (GW).

In a spiritual sense, we can “mark out a straight path” by prayerfully removing those obstacles that might cause us to deviate from God’s course for our lives. Those who do so receive a dual benefit. First, this approach minimizes the possibility that we might stumble as we travel the road that God has prepared for us. Next, it serves to protect the weaker or more vulnerable areas of our lives from injury (as represented by the word “lame” in the passage quoted above).

While “making a straight path” is relatively straightforward in theory, it is likely to be much more difficult in practice. For instance, this might require us to re-evaluate the relationships, activities, entertainment choices, or other pursuits that restrict our ability to follow God’s path.

In a larger sense, there are three primary obstacles that often inhibit our ability to follow this counsel. The first obstacle involves the pressures that are exerted upon us by a modern-day world that functions as if God did not exist.

We find the second obstacle in our own natural tendency to think and act in ways that are misaligned with God’s intent for us. The third obstacle lies in the form of a powerful, unseen spiritual enemy who seeks to overthrow the Creator and subjugate His creation. Taken together, these three obstacles are commonly known as “the world, the flesh, and the devil.”

The difficulties we encounter as a result of these common obstacles are often little more than variations in the time, place, and method of obstruction. Whenever we face such challenges, we would do well to remember the future that God has prepared for those who love Him. We should also remember Jesus’ own message of encouragement from John 16:33…

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

XXIV

“Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14 NIV).

While this verse implies that it may be impossible to live in peace with everyone, that should not prevent us from attempting to do so. For example, “living in peace with everyone” may sometimes require us to overlook faults, ignore slights (intentional or unintentional), and pardon others, even in those circumstances where they are clearly wrong.

You see, a God-honoring person who has been wronged must weigh their options in choosing how to respond. For instance, we may choose to retaliate against those who are responsible for our injuries. Or we can accept the fact that we have been wronged and prayerfully move forward. In other words, we can choose to forgive, or we can choose to pursue a different course. We can choose to reflect God’s mercy towards us in Christ, or we can seek to enforce our rights without regard for the way that choice might reflect upon Christ.

It has been said that it takes two to keep the peace, but a man or woman of God must not be the one who is responsible for breaking it. In certain situations, we might be well advised to simply “…put up with injustice” (HCSB) as we’re told in 1 Corinthians 6:7. Sometimes, it may be preferable to simply accept the loss (whether real or perceived) and move on.

The book of Romans offers another perspective to consider…

“Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord” (Romans 12:19 NIV).

If we have been treated unfairly, this passage tells us that God will come to our defense if we permit Him do so in His own time and way. Of course, the challenge involved in taking this approach is that it often requires us to exercise (or develop) the qualities of patience, humility, and perseverance. This may explain why God sometimes chooses to allow such circumstances to enter our lives.

As one commentator concludes, “Thus in the case of the Christian, suffering is God’s educational process by which he is fitted to share God’s holiness.” ₍₁₎ As Jesus also reminded us in the New Testament Gospel of Matthew, “Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9).

(1) New International Bible Commentary general editor G. C. D. Howley, consulting editors F. F. Bruce, H. L. Ellison. Copyright© 1979 by Pickering & Inglis Ltd [pg. 1529]

XXV

“Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14).

As we continue our look at the subject of peace from Hebrews 12:14, we can turn once again to the Biblical book of Proverbs for guidance. The book of Proverbs contains a wealth of practical counsel that can help us manage conflict in a way that honors God. In fact, a look through this Old Testament book of wisdom reveals a surprising amount of content that is devoted to this subject.

For instance, consider the following passages and the insight they offer as we seek to “Pursue peace with all people“…

“A patient person shows great understanding, but a quick-tempered one promotes foolishness” (Proverbs 14:29 HCSB).

“A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare” (Proverbs 15:1 NLT).

“Hot tempers cause arguments, but patience brings peace” (Proverbs 15:18 GNT).

“When a man’s ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him” (Proverbs 16:7 ESV).

“Better to be slow to anger than to be a mighty warrior, and one who controls his temper is better than one who captures a city” (Proverbs 16:32 NET).

“Starting a quarrel is like opening a floodgate, so stop before the argument gets out of control” (Proverbs 17:14 GW).

“Sensible people control their temper; they earn respect by overlooking wrongs” (Proverbs 19:11 NLT).

“Honor belongs to the person who ends a dispute, but any fool can get himself into a quarrel” (Proverbs 20:3 CSB).

“Patience and gentle talk can convince a ruler and overcome any problem” (Proverbs 25:15 CEV).

In addition, the New Testament book of James adds some additional insight: “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace” (James 3:17-18). Thus, we are reminded of an important reality: if our vertical relationship with God is right, our horizontal relationships with others will benefit as well.

This does not mean that we are obligated to avoid conflict at all costs, or seek “peace at any price.” Nevertheless, we will be well on our way to a proper application of this verse if we consider what will make for peace in our relationships with others. While there may be any number of things that provoke irritation, annoyance, or hostility towards others, such feelings must defer to the counsel given to us in Colossians 3:15: “Let the peace that Christ gives control your thinking” (ERV).

XXVI

“Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14 ESV).

The author of Hebrews has already issued several cautionary messages over the course of this letter. Now, as we approach the end of this great Biblical epistle, he issues one final warning: “…without holiness no one will see the Lord.” Unfortunately, the word “holy” is one that people often seem to use without concern for its meaning.

For instance, some use the word “holy” as part of an exclamation or expression of surprise. Nevertheless, those who use this phrase in a careless or disrespectful manner might be more hesitant to do so if they were aware of its true meaning.

You see, the word “holy” expresses the qualities of moral purity and ethical perfection, especially in relation to God. It also describes a person or thing that has been consecrated or set apart in a spiritual sense. When used appropriately, the word “holiness” conveys God’s moral perfection and complete separation from anything that is wrong, corrupt, immoral, or impure.

In light of this, a person who uses the word “holy” in a way that dishonors God’s sacred character is someone who should carefully weigh this admonition. However, this idea also encompasses other aspects of our spiritual lives as well…

“…we should remind ourselves that holiness is used of believers in at least three different ways in the NT. First of all, the believer becomes positionally holy at the time of his conversion he is set apart to God from the world (1Co 1:2 1Co 6:11). By virtue of his union with Christ, he is sanctified forever…

Then there is a practical sanctification (1Th 4:3 1Th 5:23). This is what we should be day by day. We should separate ourselves from every form of evil. This holiness should be progressive, that is, we should be growing more and more like the Lord Jesus all the time.

Finally, there is complete or perfect sanctification. This takes place when a believer goes to heaven. Then he is forever free from sin. His old nature is removed, and his state perfectly corresponds to his standing.

Now which holiness are we to pursue? Obviously it is practical sanctification that is in view. We do not strive after positional sanctification it is ours automatically when we are born again. And we do not strive after the perfect sanctification that will be ours when we see His face. But practical or progressive sanctification is something that involves our obedience and cooperation we must cultivate this holiness continually. The fact that we must follow it is proof that we do not fully attain it in this life.” ₍₁₎

(1) William Macdonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary Edited by Arthur Farstad, Thomas Nelson Publishers [pg. 2286]

XXVII

“Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness, for without it no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14 NET).

We have already seen a form of the word “holiness” earlier in Hebrews 10:10 where a related word was translated “sanctification.” In fact, there are several Biblical versions of Hebrews 12:14 that use the word “sanctification” in their translations of this passage. This provides us with an opportunity to revisit this important spiritual concept.

You see, the word “sanctification” conveys the idea of separation from sin and dedication to God. This is reflected in the following definition of this word: “the act or process by which people or things are cleansed and dedicated to God…” ₍₁₎ Thus, the word “sanctification” and the related word “holiness” each serve to emphasize the qualities of devotion and consecration unto God.

These concepts are more important than they may appear at first glance. For instance, Romans 6:19 draws our attention to the real-life implications of these ideas: “…Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness” (NIV). So much like a stone tossed into a lake, these characteristics should produce a ripple effect that influences other areas of our lives.

As we examine our financial transactions, leisure activities, personal interactions, entertainment choices, online activities, and other endeavors of daily life, we might consider how closely those preferences are governed by these teachings from Hebrews 12:14 and Romans 6:19. Ideally, our internal separation and dedication to God in Christ should guide our external choices as we live in the midst of a fallen world.

Jesus also emphasized this internal-external relationship in a teaching from the Gospel of Luke…

“The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45 NIV).

However, Jesus also reserved some of His strongest criticisms for those whose “holiness” was merely outward…

“Woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs that look beautiful on the outside but inside are full of the bones of the dead and of everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you look righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness” (Matthew 23:27-28 NET).

So Hebrews 12:14 offers an important (and practical) reminder that will benefit us today and in the future, for “…without holiness no one will see the Lord” (NIV).

(1) New Dictionary of Theology, (Leicester/ Downers Grove: Inter-Varsity, 1988) pg. 613

XXVIII

“looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled” (Hebrews 12:15).

As we saw earlier in our look at Hebrews chapter four, “grace” involves God’s unmerited favor towards undeserving members of the human family. It represents God’s favor towards us without regard to our talents, skills, capabilities, possessions, and/or social standing. Since grace involves God’s unmerited favor, we cannot earn it by performing good deeds or adhering to a set of external rules or regulations.

In one sense, Hebrews 12:15 restates our author’s earlier concern regarding those who might draw back from a life of faith in Christ (see Hebrews 10:38). Paul the Apostle voiced a similar concern in the Biblical book of 2 Corinthians when he wrote, “We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain” (2 Corinthians 6:1).

One commentator draws our attention to the sobering nature of these verses with some additional background information regarding this reference to “falling short”: “…[this implies] ‘a falling away from something previously possessed’ (cf. Heb. 6:4-6 10:23,38-39 12:25). Apostasy was a real possibility in this cultural situation… The warnings are serious, challenging, and real.” ₍₁₎

Since we cannot earn our way to a right standing with God through our efforts, God’s grace towards us in Christ enables us to enter a genuine, personal relationship with Him. However, we may fall short of that grace if we presume upon it to condone or dismiss Biblically inappropriate behaviors. In other words, God’s grace does not bestow us with a license to sin without impunity.

Paul addressed this subject in the Biblical book of Romans by way of a rhetorical question: “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?” (Romans 6:1). His response to that question was direct and to the point: “That’s unthinkable! As far as sin is concerned, we have died. So how can we still live under sin’s influence?” (Romans 6:2 GW).

If we seek to continue in sin so that grace might increase, then “grace” becomes little more than an exploitation of God’s unmerited favor. Those who desire to test God in that manner might benefit from the following reminder: “Do not be deceived. God will not be made a fool. For a person will reap what he sows” (Galatians 6:7 NET). Therefore, we must see that we respond appropriately to the grace that God extends to us in Christ to ensure that we do not fall short of it.

(1) Dr. Bob Utley, Free Bible Commentary Hebrews 12 [12:15] Copyright ©2014 by Bible Lessons International http://www.freebiblecommentary.org/new_testament_studies/VOL10/VOL10_12.html

XXIX

“See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God that no ‘root of bitterness’ springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled” (Hebrews 12:15 ESV).

While the original language of the New Testament contains many nuanced words that may benefit from a closer analysis, the word translated “bitterness” in the passage quoted above is not one of them. Instead, this word is defined exactly as we might expect: “acridity (especially poison), literally or figuratively” ₍₁₎ In addition to what we read here in Hebrews 12:15, the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy made use of this idea as well…

“Make sure that no man, woman, family, or tribe standing here today turns from the Lord our God to worship the gods of other nations. This would be like a root that grows to be a bitter and poisonous plant” (Deuteronomy 29:18 GNT).

These passages illustrate an important principle: cultivating an intimate knowledge of God through His Word serves to align our thoughts and behaviors. As we draw closer to God through the Biblical Scriptures, we will surely find it to be “…alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (NIV) as we read earlier in Hebrews 4:12.

In this instance, the penetrating nature of the Scriptures can help us identify some common roots of bitterness before we sow them. Some examples might include…

• Excessive negativity towards others.
• A sense of disapproval when others are blessed or successful.
• Holding grudges against others.
• Viewing the circumstances of life through a prism of the things we feel we deserve, but haven’t received.
• An overly defensive attitude.
• Recruiting others to sympathize, justify, and reinforce our bitter feelings.
• Gossip.
• A desire to hold on to our sense of resentment instead of making changes that might help resolve the issues involved.

When faced with these rooted behaviors in our lives, we may prefer to rationalize or justify them. However, the corrective nature of the Scriptures will not permit us to take that course of action, for Hebrews 12:15 reminds us that such attitudes “…cause trouble and defile many” (NIV). If we do not wish to become a source of defilement for others, we will work to identify these behaviors (and others like them) as we prayerfully seek God’s help in addressing them.

As one source reminds us, “Bitterness is a characteristic of the ungodly (Ro 3:14) but should never characterize Christians (Ep 4:31-32 Jam 3:14-15).” ₍₂₎

(1) G4088 pikria Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g4088/kjv/tr/0-1/

(2) Institute for Creation Research, New Defender’s Study Bible Notes Hebrews 12:15 https://www.icr.org/bible/Hebrews/12/15/

XXX

“Make sure that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no root of bitterness springs up, causing trouble and by it, defiling many” (Hebrews 12:15 HCSB).

Have you ever tried to eliminate a weed by attempting to mow it down? While it may seem as if we have destroyed a weed through the act of mowing, most weeds are likely to reappear again after doing so. This annoying characteristic reminds us that we must destroy the roots of a weed in order to eliminate the weed itself.

Hebrews 12:15 uses the term “bitter root” to describe those weed-like attitudes that are sinful, unhealthy, and/or destructive. Just as bitter roots produce bitter fruit, such attitudes produce sinful, unhealthy, and destructive behaviors if left unchecked. For example, Ephesians 4:26-27 identifies one particular type of bitter root and the trouble that springs from it…

“If you are angry, don’t sin by nursing your grudge. Don’t let the sun go down with you still angry– get over it quickly for when you are angry, you give a mighty foothold to the devil” (Ephesians 4:26-27 TLB).

So anger represents a seed that might grow into a bitter root if we fail to deal with it properly. For instance, a God-honoring person knows that anger is an appropriate response if we are confronted with injustices that have been perpetrated against others. As we are told in another Biblical passage on the subject of anger, “Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still” (Psalm 4:4).

Nevertheless, righteous anger can grow into sin unless we take the steps that are necessary to manage it properly. Our passage from Ephesians tells us that the right way to handle anger is to deal with it quickly before it has an opportunity to grow into an outburst of uncontrolled aggression. We can start that process by seeking God in prayer regarding the individuals or circumstances that anger us.

In doing so, we can approach God with complete honesty, secure in knowing that He is fully aware of our situation and the way we feel about it. God sees our circumstances with complete clarity, and He can help us deal with those circumstances constructively. But if we fail to take those steps, anger may produce a bitter root “…which is not only bad in itself but can also poison the lives of many others” (Phillips).

We should also recognize that bitter roots come in several varieties. The author of Hebrews will illustrate some of those varieties by re-introducing a Biblical personality from earlier within this epistle next.

XXXI

“lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright” (Hebrews 12:16).

Hebrews 12:16 presents us with two behavioral characteristics that are unsuitable for those who claim to follow God in Christ. The first reference involves “fornication,” a word that largely seems to have fallen out of use among contemporary audiences.

The word “fornicator” is translated from the word pornos in the original language of this passage. As you might suspect, pornos is a form of the word from which we derive our modern-day word “pornography.” In a general sense, this word refers to sexual activity that takes place outside a Biblical marriage covenant. Here in Hebrews 12:16, it specifically addresses two unmarried persons who are engaged in a physical relationship with one another.

With this in mind, it may be difficult to see how this characteristic exemplified Esau, a man who appeared to be legally married (Genesis 26:34). To address that question, we should note that Esau’s wives were members of a people group known as the Hittites. As mentioned earlier, the Hittites were a tribal society that worshiped several different pagan gods during the Old Testament era.

Unfortunately, there is no indication that Esau had any interest in the moral character or spiritual beliefs held by these women before he married them. In light of this, it should not surprise us to learn that Esau’s wives made life miserable for his parents (Genesis 26:35). So while Esau may not have been guilty of physical immorality, we might say that he displayed a type of spiritual immorality. Unlike the positive example set by his grandfather Abraham, Esau demonstrated his spiritual indifference through his choice of marriage partners.

Esau also neglected the spiritual inheritance he possessed as the eldest son, for he sold his birthright for a morsel of food. Nevertheless, Esau’s irreligious attitude did not stop him from pursuing the material blessings that God made available through that inheritance. When Esau finally realized what he had lost in treating that heritage so carelessly, he expressed remorse, but did not acknowledge his need to repent.

In this respect, Esau fits the profile of someone who practices fornication. Much like those who seek the advantage of a sexual relationship without the encumbrance of a marriage commitment, Esau wanted the blessings God could offer without the commitment of a relationship with Him. Since “morality” describes what we ought to do, Esau’s spiritual immorality provides us with an example to avoid.

XXXII

“Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright” (Hebrews 12:16 KJV).

In addition to this reference to Esau as a fornicator, Hebrews 12:17 also describes him as a “profane” individual. This word describes an irreligious person who holds little concern for his or her Creator and is disinterested in the things of God. While “profanity” is typically associated with inappropriate language, the word “profane” identifies someone like Esau, a man who conducted his life as if God did not exist.

The Amplified Bible uses the words “godless” and “sacrilegious” to add context to this description. The following commentary provides us with some additional insight into this passage…

“Beware of the profane person. This profanity (Gr bebelos) involves far more than one’s speech. It is a quality of one’s life. The author sees that quality exemplified within Esau, even though Esau was not a vile man. In fact, he was less of a crook than his brother Jacob. The author accurately focuses upon the one area that revealed Esau as profane—the selling of his birthright.

To profane is to regard something as unhallowed, to make something sacred to be common. Esau took that which God considered sacred and made it common. Being so totally concerned with his temporary and material needs, he gave them priority over his rights as the first-born son and his responsibilities as heir to the blessing of the Abrahamic covenant (Gen 25:29–34).

Every Christian must beware lest he count as unimportant what God considers sacred. The result in Esau’s life was that afterward, when he wanted that blessing, he was rejected. He repented with tears, but the situation was irrevocable.” ₍₁₎

In light of these things, we should remember Jesus’ counsel from Matthew 6:33 as we prioritize the choices and decisions of life: “…seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” Judging from his decision to sell his birthright for a bowl of stew, we can say that Esau’s thought process was likely driven by questions like these…

• Does this seem right to me at this moment?
• How does this align with what I want?
• Does this meet my immediate need?

If we follow a similar decision-making process, we will surely imitate Esau’s poor example. As another commentator observes, “Esau is the biblical example of a profane person who forfeited the grace and blessing of God, an attitude common to hedonistic humanity even today (see Ge 25:29-34).” ₍₂₎

(1) Edward E. Hindson and Woodrow Michael Kroll, eds., KJV Bible Commentary (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1994), 2578.

(2) Walters, John. “VII. Sixth Point: “Do Not Lose Heart” (12:3-13:19)” In Asbury Bible Commentary. 1166. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, © 1992.

XXXIII

“For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears” (Hebrews 12:17 ESV).

We often think we know what’s good or best for us in life. But let’s consider those concepts for a moment. Things like “good” or “best” are only as reliable as the information they are based on. If more information becomes available later, then our idea of what is “good” or “best” may radically change. This explains why people are often heard to say, “If I only knew then what I know now…” after they’ve made a poor decision.

Esau likely expressed that sentiment as he endured the consequences that arose from the sale of his birthright. However, Esau was not the only person who was affected by that decision. The late author and apologist Norman Geisler alerts us to several important considerations regarding this verse and its reference to repentance…

“There are two important things to observe about this passage. First, the statement ‘no place for repentance’ may refer to his father’s inability to change his mind about giving the inheritance to Jacob, and not to Esau’s change of mind. At any rate, the circumstances did not afford Esau the opportunity to reverse the situation and get the blessing.

Second, tears are not a sure sign that a person has genuinely repented. One can also have tears of regret and remorse that fall short of true repentance or change of mind (cf. Judas, Matt. 27:3). Finally, this text is not talking about spiritual blessing (salvation), but earthly blessing (inheritance). God always honors the sincere repentance of sinners and grants them salvation (Acts 10:35; Heb. 11:6).” ₍₁₎

Much like an unrepentant thief who laments the fact that he or she got caught, Esau was deeply saddened by the loss of his inheritance. However, Esau’s sorrow did not prompt him to change his mind or behavior. Indeed, we’re later told that Esau comforted himself with the thought of killing his brother for what he had done. So even though Esau could not reverse the sale of his birthright, he never sought to learn from that decision by committing to honor God in his future choices.

We can thus conclude that Esau did not demonstrate the type of genuine repentance that is characterized by a change in mind that leads to a corresponding change in behavior. Another source ties these ideas together with an important application: “The author uses this as a warning to the recipients of the letter. He wants them to make a decision for Christ now while there is time and then to persevere in that new relationship with Christ because there is no second chance (cf. Heb. 6:6; 10:26).” ₍₂₎

(1) When Critics Ask: A Popular Handbook on Bible Difficulties [Hebrews 12:17] (Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books, 1992). © 2014 Norman Geisler and Thomas Howe.

(2) Dr. Bob Utley, Hebrews 12 [12:17] Copyright © 2014 Bible Lessons International http://www.freebiblecommentary.org/new_testament_studies/VOL10/VOL10_12.html

XXXIV

“For you know that later when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no opportunity for repentance, although he sought the blessing with tears” (Hebrews 12:17).

Esau was the type of person who made decisions based on what seemed right at the moment. However, Esau’s example reminds us that what seems right may not be right. If our decisions are not informed by a God-honoring conscience, it may be difficult to distinguish between something that appears to be right, but is really something else.

For instance, Esau took advantage of the opportunity to exchange his birthright for a bowl of stew. But let’s look at the account of another Biblical personality who was given an opportunity that seemed even better. That incident occurred during a period when Israel’s King Saul was pursuing Israel’s future King David through the countryside in an attempt to end David’s life…

“At the place where the road passes some sheepfolds, Saul went into a cave to relieve himself. But as it happened, David and his men were hiding farther back in that very cave! ‘Now’s your opportunity!’ David’s men whispered to him. ‘Today the Lord is telling you, ‘I will certainly put your enemy into your power, to do with as you wish.’’

So David crept forward and cut off a piece of the hem of Saul’s robe. But then David’s conscience began bothering him because he had cut Saul’s robe. He said to his men, ‘The Lord forbid that I should do this to my lord the king. I shouldn’t attack the Lord’s anointed one, for the Lord himself has chosen him.’ So David restrained his men and did not let them kill Saul…” (1 Samuel 24:3-7 NLT).

David could have easily taken advantage of the opportunity to eliminate the man who was seeking to kill him. In fact, there were many who encouraged David to take that very course of action. But unlike Esau, David did not make his decision based on what seemed best at the moment. Instead, his God-honoring conscience prevented him from taking Saul’s life when he had the chance to do so.

Therefore, we would do well to remember the following counsel from the Biblical book of Proverbs: “There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death” (Proverbs 14:12 NLT). If we prayerfully seek to honor God and His Word as we consider our options, we can avoid choices that seem right at the moment, but later give us cause for regret.

XXXV

“For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them” (Hebrews 12:18-19 ESV).

Just as we have seen throughout the Biblical book of Hebrews, our passage from Hebrews 12:18-19 carries a great deal of Old Testament symbolism. In this instance, our text from this passage chronicles God’s engagement with the people of Israel as He presented them with the Old Testament Law at Mount Sinai…

“On the morning of the third day, thunder roared and lightning flashed, and a dense cloud came down on the mountain. There was a long, loud blast from a ram’s horn, and all the people trembled. Moses led them out from the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. All of Mount Sinai was covered with smoke because the Lord had descended on it in the form of fire. The smoke billowed into the sky like smoke from a brick kiln, and the whole mountain shook violently” (Exodus 19:16-18 NLT).

This imagery was undoubtedly familiar to the members of our author’s first-century audience. It also forms the basis for a comparison that will follow later in verse twenty-two. But for now, we can say that this awe-inspiring scene had a profound effect upon the people of Israel …

“When the people heard the thunder and the loud blast of the ram’s horn, and when they saw the flashes of lightning and the smoke billowing from the mountain, they stood at a distance, trembling with fear. And they said to Moses, ‘You speak to us, and we will listen. But don’t let God speak directly to us, or we will die!’” (Exodus 20:18-19 NLT).

Moses subsequently explained God’s purpose behind His appearance to the people in this manner: “…God has come in this way to test you, and so that your fear of him will keep you from sinning!” (Exodus 20:20 NLT). While the fear of God will certainly help keep us from sin, one type of fear is emotionally affirming while another type of fear serves a different purpose.

The first type of fear grows from our love and respect for Jesus and intimacy with God through His Word. Just as we are fearful of hurting those whom we love, our love for Christ should prompt us to fear those actions or behaviors that bring Him pain. The other type of fear grows from our reverence and recognition of God’s holiness and His position as the all-powerful, sovereign Creator who holds our lives in His hands. We’ll explore this latter aspect in greater detail next.

XXXVI

“For they heard an awesome trumpet blast and a voice so terrible that they begged God to stop speaking. They staggered back under God’s command: ‘If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.’ Moses Himself was so frightened at the sight that he said, ‘I am terrified and trembling’ (Hebrews 12:19-21 NLT).

The Old Testament book of Exodus tells us that God’s descent upon Mount Sinai was accompanied by billowing smoke, fire, and a violent earthquake (Exodus 19:16-18). This was nothing like the elaborate pyrotechnic display that one might see at a concert, sporting event, or theatre presentation. Instead, this was terrifyingly real, and it had a profound effect upon those who witnessed it…

“When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, ‘Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.’ Moses said to the people, ‘Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.’ The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was” (Exodus 20:18-21 NIV).

To grasp the significance of this event, let’s consider the effect of that experience upon the senses of those who were in attendance….

• The people could see the lightning.
• They could smell the smoke.
• They could feel the earthquake.
• They could hear the thunder and the sound of the horn.

Those sensory experiences clearly had a deep emotional impact upon those who were there. Nevertheless, the context of Hebrews 12:18-21 emphasizes the temporal nature of that experience. This reference to Mount Sinai serves to express that idea, for while Mount Sinai may be large and foreboding, it will eventually meet its end, just like the covenant it represents.

Another important aspect of this passage is its emphasis upon fear. While fear can help us develop a reverent attitude toward God, it should prompt us to respond to Him with love and respect in recognition of His holiness. Unfortunately, the people of Israel had need of a different motivation…

“In Exo_20:18-21, when God had given the Ten Commandments, the people were afraid of God’s awesome holiness. They wanted Moses to mediate for them, fearing that if God spoke to them directly, they would die (Exo_20:19; Deu_5:25-27), for he came as a consuming fire (Deu_4:24; Deu_5:24-25). But God’s purpose was to scare enough sense into them to get them to stop sinning (Exo_20:20).” ₍₁₎

(1) Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary [Hebrews 12:19]

XXXVII

“the blast of a trumpet, and the sound of a voice. When the people heard the voice, they begged not to hear another word, because they could not bear the order which said, ‘If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.’ The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, ‘I am trembling and afraid!’ (Hebrews 12:19-21 GNB).

The restrictions that accompanied God’s descent upon Mount Sinai even included the animals that inhabited that area. Any contact with the mountain in the midst of God’s presence meant certain death for the person or creature that did so. This produced a highly instructive response in the hearts and minds of the ancient Israelites…

“God had been very severe in His restrictions regarding even the slightest touching of Mount Sinai (Ex 20:18–21). If even a beast should touch the mountain, they were forbidden to touch the beast, but must rather immediately stone it or shoot it with an arrow.

Such stringent regulations did not produce a proper, positive response in the hearts of the Israelites. Rather, they entreated God to call the whole thing off; and instead, they spoke to Moses privately. The verb (Gr paraiteomai) could also be translated to require or to beg. More significantly, it can also mean to refuse, which is its translation only several verses later: See that ye refuse not him that speaketh (vs. 25).” ₍₁₎

When confronted with the reality of God’s presence, it appears there were some among the Israelites who preferred to maintain their distance from Him. It also prompted them to approach Moses to act as an intermediary on their behalf. However, Moses was facing a concern of his own: “Moses himself was so frightened at the sight that he said, ‘I am terrified and trembling’” (NLT).

So Moses received a privileged invitation to approach God on Mount Sinai. Yet even though God’s presence was veiled by billowing clouds of heavy smoke, Moses was still afraid. This brings us to an important question: if Moses trembled at the prospect of approaching God on Mount Sinai, how much more shall it be for those who are unprepared to meet Him?

This passage thus illustrates the privilege we enjoy under the New Covenant. As the author of Hebrews reminded us earlier…

“…since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess… Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:14, 16 NIV).

(1) Edward E. Hindson and Woodrow Michael Kroll, eds., KJV Bible Commentary (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1994), 2578–2579

XXXVIII

“By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones” (Hebrews 11:22).

The Old Testament account of Joseph is fairly well-known, even to many who are unfamiliar with the Scriptures. For instance, some may know about the injustice that was inflicted upon Joseph when he was sold into slavery. Others may be acquainted with the account of Joseph’s ascendance to a prominent position within the Egyptian government. Perhaps some may be familiar with Joseph’s coat of many colors, or how he was determined to honor God despite the seductive advances of his employer’s wife, a decision that eventually sent him to prison on false charges.

Despite these well-known aspects of Joseph’s life, his final act of faith may be less familiar. That account is easy to find because it is the very last thing we read in the Biblical book of Genesis…

“‘Soon I will die,’ Joseph told his brothers, ‘but God will surely come and get you, and bring you out of this land of Egypt and take you back to the land he promised to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.’ Then Joseph made his brothers promise with an oath that they would take his body back with them when they returned to Canaan. So Joseph died at the age of 110, and they embalmed him, and his body was placed in a coffin in Egypt” (Genesis 50:24-26 TLB).

This portion of Scripture tells us that Joseph never received a final burial following his death in Egypt. Instead, his coffin remained there for approximately four hundred years until the nation of Israel carried it out with them when they departed from that area…

“Moses took the bones of Joseph with him because Joseph had made the sons of Israel swear an oath. He had said, ‘God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up with you from this place’” (Exodus 13:19 NIV).

So how did Joseph know this exodus would occur? Well, the answer is given to us here in Hebrews 11:22: Joseph believed the words God had spoken to his great grandfather Abraham by faith…

“Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions… In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here…” (Genesis 15:13-14, 16 NIV).

XXXIX

“But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering” (Hebrews 12:22 ESV).

To the author of Hebrews, Mount Zion was more than just a physical location. Just as Mount Sinai serves to represent the Old Covenant, Mount Zion serves to represent the New Covenant, the realm of heaven, and the kingdom of God. The Old Testament book of Psalms directs our attention to the use of Mount Zion in this sense…

“Remember Your congregation, which You have purchased of old, The tribe of Your inheritance, which You have redeemed— This Mount Zion where You have dwelt” (Psalm 74:2).

“Those who trust in the Lord Are like Mount Zion, Which cannot be moved, but abides forever” (Psalm 125:10).

“For the Lord has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling place: ‘This is My resting place forever; Here I will dwell, for I have desired it’” (Psalm 132:13-14).

More significantly, the New Testament epistle of 1 Peter cites the Old Testament prophet Isaiah in relating Mount Zion to Jesus, the cornerstone of our faith…

“For in Scripture it says: ‘See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame’” (1 Peter 2:6 NIV).

So while Zion represents a physical location, it also symbolizes “the city of the living God.” And unlike the fearsome specter of God’s presence on Mount Sinai, Mount Zion is populated with “…countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering” (NLT). One author builds upon that contrast with the following observation…

“As opposed to Mt. Sinai, where God gave the Mosaic law which was foreboding and terrifying, Mt. Zion here is not the earthly one in Jerusalem, but God’s heavenly abode, which is inviting and gracious. No one could please God on Sinai’s terms, which was perfect fulfillment of the law (Gal 3:10–12). Zion, however, is accessible to all who come to God through Jesus Christ (cf. Ps 132:13, 14; Is 46:13; Zec 2:10; Gal 4:21–31).” ₍₁₎

Finally, we should also note our author’s use of the phrase, “…you have come” to Mount Zion. In other words, those who place their trust in Christ have already arrived in the city of the living God through Jesus’ sacrifice on their behalf. In light of this, the author of Hebrews encourages us “…not to go back to the First Testament, to Sinai, and judgment, and exhorts them to go on to the New Testament and join this vast multitude composing this festal gathering.” ₍₂₎

(1) John F. MacArthur Jr., The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006), Heb 12:22.

(2) Kenneth S. Wuest, Word Studies in the Greek New Testament (Hebrews 12:22-24) Copyright © 1942-55 by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

XL

“to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect” (Hebrews 12:23).

This passage returns to the use of a concept that made an earlier appearance in chapter one of this epistle: “firstborn.” In the culture of that era, the eldest son (or firstborn) typically held a privileged position among his other family members. In a similar manner, the word “firstborn” conveys the idea of a favored or elevated position when used in this context. Here, the “church of the firstborn” identifies the assembly of those who share in the spiritual inheritance of Christ.

This passage also reminds us that “firstborn” is not necessarily synonymous with “born first.” The rights of a firstborn son were transferable, as was the case with Joseph’s son Ephraim (Genesis chapter 48), Israel’s King David (Psalm 89:27), and Isaac’s son Jacob, whose experience with Esau was referenced earlier in this chapter.

One Biblical scholar thus reminds us that the term firstborn “…must be understood from the background of first-century Jewish culture. From this vantage point we can see that the term firstborn refers to Christ’s exalted status as the heir of the Father. Just as the firstborn son usually received the patriarchal inheritance, so Jesus as the divine Son receives the Father’s kingdom as His inheritance…” ₍₁₎

Another author presents this concept in very practical terms…

“Notice that the following description, written to believers alive on Earth, is in the present perfect (not future) tense, which expresses a completed action: ‘You have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect’ (Hebrews 12:22-23).

In a metaphysical sense, we’ve already entered Heaven’s community. By seeing ourselves as part of the heavenly society, we can learn to rejoice now in what Heaven’s residents rejoice in… Heaven, then, isn’t only our future home. It’s our home already, waiting over the next hill. If we really grasp this truth, it will have a profound effect on our holiness. A man who sees himself seated with Christ in Heaven, in the very presence of a God to whom the angels cry out, ‘Holy, holy, holy,’ won’t spend his evenings viewing Internet pornography.” ₍₂₎

(1) Sproul, R. C. (1992). Essential truths of the Christian faith. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House p.53

(2) Randy Alcorn, Heaven, Copyright © 2004 Eternal Perspective Ministries [pp. 192-193]

XLI

“to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel” (Hebrews 12:24).

Hebrews 12:24 represents the third and final reference to Jesus’ role as a mediator within this epistle. These passages are important to contemporary readers of this letter, especially when we consider the variety of opinions that others hold regarding Jesus. For instance, let’s consider a question that seems relatively simple: “Who is Jesus?” That question might elicit many different answers, each with varying degrees of accuracy.

For example, some might acknowledge Jesus as a teacher, leader, mentor, or social reformer, but nothing more. Others may recognize Jesus as a great man of God, or believe that He showed us the way to live a better life. Finally, there are those who believe that Jesus was simply one person in a long line of others who attained a higher transcendental state.

With these beliefs in mind, we can say that our opinions of Jesus may spring from many sources. Some of those sources may be accurate, while others are less so. We must also contend with the natural human tendency to focus our view of Jesus through the lens of our personal experience.

The problem is that our opinion of Jesus may say little or nothing about the person He truly is. However, it does say much about who we are. Therefore, it is important to build our image of Christ upon the right foundation, lest He become a projection of our desires, influences, or opinions.

That foundation is the Jesus we encounter in the Biblical Scriptures. If our image of Jesus is based on something other than the Biblical record, then there may come a time when we are surprised to learn that He is someone who is very different from the person we expected.

This portion of Scripture thus reminds us that anyone who seeks to be accepted by God must approach Him through the mediator He has established. That mediator is Christ, as we’re told here in Hebrews 12:24. The Biblical epistle of 1 Peter explains how that mediation took place: “Christ also has suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18).

Jesus accepted the death penalty associated with our sin and opened the way that enables us to approach God and establish a relationship with Him. As Jesus Himself once said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

XLII

“and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel” (Hebrews 12:24 ESV).

Hebrews 12:24 presents us with a comparison between Jesus and Abel, the man who was slain by his brother, Cain. In making this comparison, we can say that both men offered sacrifices that were acceptable to God. Each man was also subjected to an unjust execution. Yet one man’s death cried out for retribution while the other Man’s death facilitated our reconciliation to God.

We surveyed the account of Abel and his brother Cain earlier in our look at Hebrews chapter eleven. In Hebrews 11:4, we were told, “Faith led Abel to offer God a better sacrifice than Cain’s sacrifice. Through his faith Abel received God’s approval, since God accepted his sacrifices. Through his faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead” (GW).

While Abel’s act of faith speaks to us today, God’s response to Cain regarding his brother’s murder also speaks to us as well: “Why have you done this terrible thing? Your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground, like a voice calling for revenge” (Genesis 4:10 GNT). In this context, ‘blood” is a reference to the injustice committed against Abel, an act that provoked a call for retribution. However, there are some important differences between Abel’s murder and the death that Jesus suffered…

“Although Abel’s blood cried loudly and clearly, it spoke insufficiently. The New Testament tells us, however, that the blood of Christ speaks a better word than the blood of Abel (Heb. 12:24). While Abel’s blood cried out for revenge and retribution, the blood of Christ cries out for redemption. When the blood of Jesus hit the ground, it cried not for revenge but for the redemption of the world.” ₍₁₎

Another source adds…

“Abel’s sacrifice was pleasing to God because it was offered in faith and obedience (cf. 11:4), but it had no atoning power. Jesus’ blood alone was sufficient to cleanse sin (cf. 1Jn 1:7). The sacrifice of Christ brought redemption (9:12), forgiveness (9:26), and complete salvation (10:10, 14).” ₍₂₎

So while Biblical passages such as Ephesians 1:7, Colossians 1:13-14, 1 Peter 1:18-19, and Revelation 5:9 emphasize the redemptive qualities of Jesus’ sacrifice, we should not neglect this aspect of His death. While the injustice committed against Abel cried out for vengeance, Jesus’ unjust death spoke something very different. We can illustrate that difference with a look at some of Jesus’ final words from the cross: “…Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34 KJV).

(1) Carter, Anthony J, Blood Work: How the Blood of Christ Accomplishes Our Salvation © 2013 by Anthony J. Carter, Reformation Trust [pg. 9]

(2) John F. MacArthur Jr., The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006), Heb 12:24

XLIII

“See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven” (Hebrews 12:25).

We may gain a deeper appreciation for this passage if we view this portion of Scripture from the perspective of our relationships with others. For instance, imagine a scenario where one person extends his or her hand to another person in an expression of greeting, friendship, or acceptance. If the second individual in our illustration dismisses that gesture, the first person is likely to be insulted by such disrespect.

In a sense, God has “extended His hand” to humanity in a gesture of reconciliation through Jesus’ sacrificial death on our behalf. In light of this, it is important that we respond appropriately to that gracious act of propitiation. To encourage his readers in this regard, the author of Hebrews returned to Israel’s experience at Mount Sinai for use as an illustration.

If thunder, lightning, an earthquake, and billowing clouds of thick smoke accompanied the Old Covenant when it was presented to the people of Israel, we must pay greater attention to the New Covenant that has been delivered by the One who speaks from heaven. This brings us back to the passage that opened the book of Hebrews…

“God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds…” (Hebrews 1:1-2).

So God continues to speak to us today through His Son; therefore, we must ensure that we do not refuse Him. Hebrews 12:15 underscores the critical nature of this directive with the expression, “See to it…” (NIV), a phrase that presents us with an imperative action. This represents more than just a suggestion or a good idea; it implies a mandatory response by the reader.

The author of Hebrews further emphasizes the crucial nature of that response with this reference to an escape. Our author will expand on this idea in the final verses of this chapter, but for now, we might ask, “escape from what?” The Gospel of John presents us with the answer to that question: “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” (John 3:36).

XLIV

“Take care not to refuse the one who is speaking! For if they did not escape when they refused the one who warned them on earth, how much less shall we, if we reject the one who warns from heaven?” (Hebrews 12:25 NET).

In light of Israel’s failure to heed God’s direction following their departure from Egypt, the author of Hebrews encouraged his readers to avoid replicating their poor example. This recalls our author’s historic reference from earlier in this epistle…

“Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, ‘Oh, that today you would listen as he speaks! “‘Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, in the day of testing in the wilderness. There your fathers tested me and tried me, and they saw my works for forty years’” (Hebrews 3:7-9 NET).

The example set by the ancient Israelites thus provides us with an object lesson that directs us toward a universal truth: choices lead to consequences. The people of Israel made the wrong choice in refusing the One who spoke to them during that period. That choice led to some painful and irreversible consequences…

“…Then the Lord said ‘…not one of these people will ever enter that land. They have all seen my glorious presence and the miraculous signs I performed both in Egypt and in the wilderness, but again and again they have tested me by refusing to listen to my voice. They will never even see the land I swore to give their ancestors. None of those who have treated me with contempt will ever see it… The only exceptions will be Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.’” (Numbers 14: 22-23, 30 NLT).

This passage also reinforces a cautionary message that appeared in Hebrews chapter ten…

“…anyone who refused to obey the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Just think how much worse the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God, and have treated the blood of the covenant, which made us holy, as if it were common and unholy, and have insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit who brings God’s mercy to us. For we know the one who said, ‘I will take revenge. I will pay them back.’ He also said, ‘The Lord will judge his own people.’” (Hebrews 10:28-30 NLT).

Therefore. we would do well to remember these historical lessons to help avoid repeating them. In the words of one author, “God’s voice speaking the gospel must be heard with even greater attention and faith than the law spoken at Sinai (2:1–4; 3:1–5; 10:28, 29).” ₍₁₎

(1) R. C. Sproul, ed., The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) (Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2015), 2220

XLV

“whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, ‘Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.’ Now this, ‘Yet once more,’ indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain” (Hebrews 12:26-27).

The passage quoted above calls upon an image from one of Israel’s less prominent (but equally authoritative) prophets…

“For thus says the Lord of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land. And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord of hosts” (Haggai 2:6-7 ESV).

However, the Old Testament prophet Haggai was not the only prophetic voice to employ this imagery…

“Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken out of its place, at the wrath of the Lord of hosts in the day of his fierce anger” (Isaiah 13:13).

The New Testament epistle of 2 Peter also expresses a similar idea in an apocalyptic framework…

“The day of the Lord will come like a thief. On that day heaven will pass away with a roaring sound. Everything that makes up the universe will burn and be destroyed. The earth and everything that people have done on it will be exposed. All these things will be destroyed in this way. So think of the kind of holy and godly lives you must live as you look forward to the day of God and eagerly wait for it to come. When that day comes, heaven will be on fire and will be destroyed. Everything that makes up the universe will burn and melt” (2 Peter 3:10-12 GW).

Thus, we have four Biblical witnesses who testify to the approach of this all-encompassing, catastrophic event. That event will ultimately lead to the complete dissolution of the universe, along with every material thing we know today. To borrow an illustration from our text in Hebrews 12:27, everything that can be shaken, will be shaken during that time.

Nevertheless, that future reality should not provoke a sense of dread, fear, or apprehension among God’s people. Instead, we should join in the triumphal declaration of 2 Peter 3:13: “But, according to his promise, we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness truly resides” (NET).

XLVI

“At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, ‘Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.’ This phrase, ‘Yet once more,’ indicates the removal of things that are shaken–that is, things that have been made–in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain” (Hebrews 12:26-27 ESV).

Our text from Hebrews 12:26-27 represents good news or bad news, depending on your perspective. For instance, let’s consider this passage from an analytic viewpoint…

“Scientifically, the end of the world must be viewed as a foregone certainty. Whether from the failure of its energies when the sun is at last burned out, or by the cataclysmic engulfment of the earth by the sun, one or the other being certain to come eventually, the earth must be viewed as having a terminator at the end of its course. There can be no scientific projection of an eternity for our earth.” ₍₁₎

While that clinical outlook is rather bleak, we can take no solace from an overview of history either…

“What does this world depend upon? Governments, politics, administration, education, legislation? These things are the fundamentals of history – the things men reckoned on, rested on, and counted on to keep human life going – but every one of them is something that can be shaken.” ₍₂₎

The same may be said of our political institutions….

“Men want to make the world safe, but no man can make this world safe, nor can any world organization such as the United Nations make it safe. It is not even safe for me to walk at night down the street on which I live.” ₍₃₎

The good news is that eternity will be far different from these assessments of our world today. Instead, the value system of eternity will exemplify the virtues of “…a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13). This echoes Jesus’ encouraging message from Matthew 5:6: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied” (NET).

So in view of God’s promise to “shake not only the earth but also the heavens,” we would do well to adopt the spiritual perspective reflected in our passage from Hebrews 12:26-27…

“According to Haggai 2:5-7, all things in the world will be ‘shaken’ in the coming judgment period, but the things which cannot be shaken will remain -that is, God’s kingdom (12:28), His salvation (Is 51:6), Christ’s words (Ma 24:35), and those who do God’s will (1 Jo 2:17).” ₍₄₎

(1) Coffman, James Burton. “Commentary on Hebrews 12”. “Coffman’s Commentaries on the Bible”. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/bcc/hebrews-12.html. Abilene Christian University Press, Abilene, Texas, USA. 1983-1999. [verse 27]

(2) Ray C. Stedman and James D. Denney, Adventuring through the Bible: A Comprehensive Guide to the Entire Bible (Discovery House, 1997).

(3) J. Vernon McGee, Thru The Bible with J. Vernon McGee, “Hebrews 12:15-29  Danger Signal: The Peril Of Denying” Copyright 1981 by J. Vernon McGee

(4) Institute for Creation Research, New Defender’s Study Bible Notes Hebrews 12:27 https://www.icr.org/bible/Hebrews/12/27/

XLVII

“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear” (Hebrews 12:28).

This reference to a kingdom that “cannot be shaken” calls our attention to Jesus’ parable of the two builders from the Gospel of Matthew…

“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall” (Matthew 7:24-27).

We considered this parable briefly in our earlier look at Hebrews chapter eleven, but there are certain other elements that relate to our text from Hebrews 12:28. For instance, this parable clearly points to something other than bad weather and sensible construction principles. So what do these builders, their houses, the foundations they built on, and the bad weather represent?

Well, we can apply this parable by placing ourselves in the role of these builders. Their homes represent our lives. We “build” those lives through the choices and decisions we make. The solid rock foundation represents Jesus and His teachings from the Scriptures. As we’re told in 1 Corinthians 3:11, “…no one can ever lay any other real foundation than that one we already have– Jesus Christ” (TLB).

Those who build their lives on God’s Word are building on a solid foundation, both now and in eternity. To use our terminology from Hebrews 12:28, that foundation is one that cannot be shaken. The sand foundation represents a life that is built on something other than Jesus and His teachings. Those who hear these teachings but decline to act upon them are like a shortsighted contractor who builds a home on the sand without a sound foundation.

That second home may look good on the outside and endure for a while. But much like a structure that has not been built upon a reliable base, it is certain to collapse when its foundation is shaken. In light of this, our text from Hebrews 12:28 encourages us to “…be grateful and worship God in a way that will please him, with reverence and awe” (GNT).

XLVIII

“Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, (Hebrews 12:28 ESV).

The fleeting nature of life is a realization that often catches up with us over time. For instance, we can see the transitory character of life in the rise and fall of nations throughout history. We can see it in the neighborhoods and landscapes that have changed over the years. We can see it in the machinery and appliances that break down, wear out, or become obsolete. Then there are the personal and emotional challenges that come with the prospect of life without a friend, mentor, or loved one who has passed away.

We may awake one day to find that musical tastes have changed, the language of the next generation is different, or the familiar landmarks of youth have ceased to exist. As cultures change and new generations rise up to replace the old ones, we may eventually come to feel as if we are living in a world that has become increasingly remote and unfamiliar.

For some, these hard realities may prompt a desire to return to a past where life was supposedly better. But as appealing as that may seem, the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes offers an important word of advice: “Don’t long for ‘the good old days.’ This is not wise” (Ecclesiastes 7:10 NLT). Those words were composed almost three millennia ago, and they are still relevant today.

Even if the “good old days” were better in certain respects, they were still populated by fallible human beings who acted in accord with their fallen natures. Because of this, the “good old days” were probably not as good as we remember. Thus, we may seek to return to a history that never really existed in our desire to turn back the clock. In the words of Ecclesiastes 7:10, that is not wise.

This, along with our text from Hebrews 12:28, should encourage us to look forward and not back. While there is a place for nostalgia and pleasant memories of days gone by, this passage should encourage us to adopt a far more beneficial mindset…

‘”Let us be thankful,’ he says, ‘that the kingdom which we receive is unshakable; and in that spirit of thankfulness let us offer acceptable worship to God.’ To the grace of God the proper response is a grateful heart, and the words and actions that flow from a grateful heart are the sacrifices in which God takes delight.” ₍₁₎

(1) The New International Commentary On The New Testament – The Epistle To The Hebrews, F. F. Bruce, General Editor © Copyright 1964, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. Grand Rapids, Michigan [pg. 384]

XLIX

“For our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:29).

Earlier in Hebrews 4:13, our author shared an important truth: “…no creature is hidden from God, but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must render an account” (NET). He then followed with an encouraging message for those who have accepted Christ: “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

That bold confidence allows us to enter a loving, trusting relationship with our Creator, secure in knowing that we are approved by Him in Christ. Nevertheless, our author will not permit us to adopt a shallow, syrupy view of that relationship. Thus, Hebrews 12:29 establishes an important balance that should temper of view of the sovereign God who is a “consuming fire.”

Consider the following insight from the pen of the well-known author C. S. Lewis…

“God is the only comfort, He is also the supreme terror: the thing we most need and the thing we most want to hide from. He is our only possible ally, and we have made ourselves His enemies. Some people talk as if meeting the gaze of absolute goodness would be fun. They need to think again. They are still only playing with religion. Goodness is either the great safety or the great danger—according to the way you react to it. And we have reacted the wrong way.” ₍₁₎

Thus, we should recognize that our relationship with our heavenly Father is held in tension….

• We must recognize the truth that underscores Isaiah 53:6: “All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” To adopt Lewis’ terminology, we have reacted the wrong way and the Lord laid our punishment upon Christ.
• We also recognize the truth of Romans 8:15: “…you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, ‘Abba, Father.’” (NLT).

So while the Scriptures teach us to adopt a childlike faith, there is a difference between “childlike” and “childish.” Therefore, in the words of Hebrews 12:28, “Let us be grateful and worship God in a way that will please him, with reverence and awe” (GNT). That mindset reflects “…a wholesome regard for a holy God and His standards and requirements, which if a person violates, he must suffer the consequences.” ₍₂₎

(1) C S Lewis, Mere Christianity New York : MacMillan Pub. Co., 1952. [p 38]

(2) Kenneth S. Wuest, Word Studies in the Greek New Testament (Hebrews 12:27-29 ) Copyright © 1942-55 by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

L

“For our God is indeed a devouring fire” (Hebrews 12:29 NET).

In addition to what we read here in Hebrews 12:29, this reference to a consuming (or devouring) fire also appears in several Old Testament passages (see Deuteronomy 4:24, Deuteronomy 9:3, and Exodus 24:17 for some examples).

The New Testament epistle of 1 Peter presents us with a similar idea: “In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed” (1 Peter 1:6-7 NIV).

These trials and afflictions exert a purifying effect, one that is mirrored in other areas of life. For example, a self-cleaning oven operates at high levels of heat in order to melt away impurities. In a similar manner, we sometimes heat metals to a liquid state to refine and purify them. Impurities that rise to the top of these liquefied metals are then skimmed away and discarded.

The heat of a trial or affliction serves to produce a similar effect. This helps explain why the New Testament epistle of James offers the following counsel…

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:2-4).

James 1:12 later continues by saying, “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” Such difficulties may serve as an incubator for spiritual growth or the means by which God polishes our character to help us reflect the image of Christ.

The following commentator ties these ideas together with our passage from Hebrews 12:29…

“As someone has well pointed out, fire will destroy what it cannot purify, but it purifies what it cannot destroy… We are passing through the fire which is designed either to destroy that which can be destroyed, or to purify that which can never be destroyed …God is leading us through these trials and through the difficulties of our day, in order that we may learn to cry with old Job, back there in the oldest book of the Bible, ‘He knoweth the way that I take, when he has tried me I shall come forth as gold,’ (Job 23:10 KJV).” ₍₁₎

(1) Excerpted with permission from Never Give Up © 1965 by Ray Stedman Ministries. All rights reserved. Visit www.RayStedman.org for the complete library of Ray Stedman material. Please direct any questions to webmaster@RayStedman.org

I

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.

II

Before we begin our look at the heroes of the faith from Hebrews chapter eleven, let’s see what made them special…

“What is faith? It is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead” (Hebrews 11:1 TLB).

“Faith” represents “a belief in or confident attitude toward God, involving commitment to His will for one’s life.” ₍₁₎ Faith involves the confident expectation that God is who He says He is, and will do what He says He’ll do, even in those instances when we don’t understand why things have transpired as they have within our lives.

In the Scripture quoted above, we’re told that “faith is… certain of what we do not see.” This makes good sense, for there is little need for faith in regard to the things we can see. Faith is necessary for those things we can’t see.

This brings us to the word “substance.” This word conveys the image of a foundation or structural component. Just as we ordinarily cannot see the framework that provides for the structural integrity of a home or building, faith is the unseen substance that undergirds our trust in the God who possesses the ability to make “…all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 828).

One Biblical scholar adds to our understanding of this concept by dissecting this word in the original language of this passage…

“The word ‘substance’ deserves careful treatment. It is hupostasis, made up of stasis ‘to stand,’ and hupo ‘under,’ thus ‘that which stands under, a foundation.’ Thus it speaks of the ground on which one builds a hope.” ₍₁₎

Another commentator offers a familiar analogy to help communicate this idea…

“When faith is biblical faith, the object of your faith is unseen, but there is evidence that supports the conviction that the unseen object is there. It is like the aroma of a favorite meal that you have not yet seen, but the aroma is evidence that the meal is about to be served. Therefore, a good definition of faith might be: ‘Faith is an act of belief in something, or Someone, you cannot see, which is based on evidence.’” ₍₂₎

These definitions will assume greater importance in our next study. There, we will examine the difference between “faith” and “blind faith” in the context of Hebrews chapter eleven.

(1) “Faith” Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Copyright © 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers

(2) Kenneth S. Wuest, Word Studies in the Greek New Testament (Hebrews 11:1) Copyright © 1942-55 by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

(2) Dick Woodward, Mini Bible College Study Booklet #15 Hebrews, James, I and II Peter, I, II, III John, Jude and The Revelation [pg.6] https://mbc.icm.org/

III

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony” (Hebrews 11:1-2).

We can add to our understanding of genuine Biblical faith by examining what it is not. For instance, some think that faith involves belief without evidence. We might associate that view with “blind faith,” a phrase that describes the kind of faith that has no basis in reality. However, we should not mistake genuine Biblical faith for blind faith. Former homicide detective and Christian case-maker J. Warner Wallace addresses that difference in the following manner…

“Blind Faith: Believing in something WITHOUT any evidence. We hold a blind faith when we accept something even though there is no evidence to support our beliefs. We don’t search for ANY evidence that either supports or refutes what we are determined to believe.

Reasonable Faith: Believing in something BECAUSE of the evidence. We hold a reasonable faith when we believe in something because it is the most reasonable conclusion from the evidence that exists

The Bible repeatedly makes evidential claims. It offers eyewitness accounts of historical events that can be verified archeologically, prophetically and even scientifically. We, as Christians are called to hold a reasonable faith that is grounded in this way.” ₍₁₎

Faith is also not a tool that we might use to get something we want. While some may promote “faith” as the pathway to greater financial wealth or material possessions, the New Testament epistle of James explains the problem with that kind of “faith”…

“…You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures” (James 4:2-3 NIV).

Finally, genuine Biblical faith is not faith in the amount of faith we possess. We might refer to this as “faith in our faith.” That ideology serves to prioritize the measure of our faith rather than the God who serves as the object of our faith. Real Biblical faith is not an end to itself; instead, it puts the focus upon the Person in whom we place our faith. As Jesus once said…

“‘…Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you’” (Matthew 17:20 NIV).

(1) J. Warner Wallace, Is the Christian Faith Evidentially Reasonable? Retrieved 5 December 2022 from https://coldcasechristianity.com/writings/is-the-christian-faith-evidentially-reasonable/

IV

“By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible” (Hebrews 11:3).

Although Hebrews chapter eleven will largely focus upon the “Heroes of the Faith,” it is significant to note that our author begins this chapter by speaking of something rather than someone. That “something” involves the physical universe: “By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible” (CSB).

There were no scientific means of validating that statement when the Biblical book of Hebrews was originally written. But today we know that everything we see is comprised of an unseen atomic structure, thus affirming the legitimacy of this teaching. Nevertheless, this reference to the “…things that are not visible” (CSB) raises a question that takes several forms.

For instance, what if the universe is just an illusion? What if “reality” is nothing more than a dream? How do we know that everything we experience isn’t just the product of an unseen fantasy, mirage, or simulation?

We can address those objections by first defining an illusion as a false perception of reality. With that in mind, let’s consider the following question: “Is my existence real?” If the answer is no, then we should note that a person must actually exist in order to question his or her existence. Just as a desert mirage cannot offer water to a thirsty traveler, a non-existent being does not possess the ability to question its own existence. Therefore, this objection fails because the question is self-defeating.

We can also address these objections from a skeptic’s perspective. Let’s take the example of someone who doubts that everything is real. In that scenario, what is the one thing that a skeptic cannot doubt? Well, the one thing that a skeptic cannot doubt is the fact that he or she is doubting. In other words, one cannot be skeptical about his or her doubt- that has to be real.

That leads us to the following progression…

• If our doubt is real, then our thoughts must be real because we must have the ability to think before we can doubt.
• If our thoughts are real, than our minds must exist because one cannot think without a mind.
• If our minds exist, then we must really exist because one cannot have a mind that thinks without a brain.
• Therefore, our existence must be real.

In summary, we might respond to those who say, “Everything is an illusion” by asking, “Is that thought an illusion?” If such a thought is real, then everything cannot be an illusion. This approach was first developed by the seventeenth- century philosopher Rene Descartes who formulated the famous precept, “I think, therefore, I am.” Therefore, it cannot be true that “everything is an illusion” because some things are demonstrably real.

V

“By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible” (Hebrews 11:3 ESV).

A common objection to passages such as Hebrews 11:3 is found in the following question: “Isn’t it possible that the universe came into existence through random chance?” This objection finds its origin in the belief that the universe might have come into existence through an arbitrary (or random) process. But this premise runs into trouble if we stop to examine it closely.

In this context, the word “chance” describes the likelihood that something will occur. In other words, “chance” conveys the statistical probability that something will take place. While these definitions have many valid applications, the issue is that “chance” cannot do anything. This creates a problem when we try to apply this theory to the creation of the universe.

To illustrate that problem, let’s say that two people are engaged in a card game. Player number one shuffles the deck of cards and then deals several cards to player number two. Given this scenario, let’s ask some questions: did “random chance” influence the cards that player two received? Did “random chance” manipulate, change, or alter that card sequence? Did “random chance” have the power to ensure that player number two received one card over another?

Well, the answer to those questions is no. “Chance” simply describes the statistical probability that player two will receive one type of card instead of another. This helps to explain why “random chance” cannot be responsible for the existence of the universe. Chance doesn’t make things happen- it only describes the probability that something will happen.

Here’s another way to demonstrate this concept. Let’s say that someone flips a coin into the air. In this instance, the chance that a coin will land on “heads” is 50%. ₍₁₎ However, “chance” doesn’t make a coin land on heads. Instead, that outcome will depend on several different variables.

For instance, the size, shape, and weight of the coin will affect the end result. The number of revolutions that a coin makes before it lands will also influence that outcome. Environmental conditions represent another contributing factor, along with the surface upon which the coin lands. It will also be affected by the decision to catch the coin in midair or let it fall to the ground.

The point is that “chance” does not make a coin land on heads or tails- that result is determined by many different factors. Chance only describes the statistical probability that a coin will land in a particular way. In a similar manner, the belief that “random chance” brought the universe into existence cannot be accurate because chance has no power to “do” anything.

(1) For the purpose of this illustration, we will discount the nominal possibility that a coin will land on its edge after it is flipped.

VI

Some may be familiar with the quote from the 19th century author Henry David Thoreau, who poetically observed, “If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer.” ₍₁₎ Hebrews 11:4 begins our introduction to a group of individuals who kept pace with a drumbeat that differed from that of the rest of the world. In doing so, they served as living examples of God-honoring faith…

“By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks” (Hebrews 11:4)

While the Biblical account of Cain and Abel is fairly well known, there is more to their story than Cain’s famous question, “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

Cain and Abel’s Scriptural record begins in Genesis chapter four. Following Adam and Eve’s dismissal from the Garden of Eden, Eve gave birth to a son named Cain. Later, she gave birth to another son named Abel (Genesis 4:1-2). We’re also told that Cain and Abel went on to pursue two different occupations: “Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.”

So Abel became a rancher and managed the family’s livestock. Cain became a farmer and helped produce food for his family. But while these men were moving in different occupational directions, they were also moving in different spiritual directions as well…

“And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell” (Genesis 4:3-5).

Now, before we continue, let’s consider this passage more closely. Cain and Abel each brought their offerings to God. Cain brought some of his farm produce and Abel made an offering to God from among his animals. However, God approved of Abel’s gift but did not have respect for Cain’s offering. The question is, why?

We can find one potential answer by paying close attention to the description of each offering. For instance, notice that we’re told, “Cain brought an offering…” but the following verse tells us, “Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat.” This is significant, for the fat portion was considered to be the best part of the animal- that was the portion Abel presented to God.

We’ll consider the effect of those decisions next.

(1) Thoreau, Henry David, Walden, chapter 18, p. 430 (1966). Originally published in 1854.

VII

“Cain and Abel both offered sacrifices to God. But Abel offered a better sacrifice to God because he had faith. God said he was pleased with what Abel offered. And so God called him a good man because he had faith. Abel died, but through his faith he is still speaking” (Hebrews 11:4 ESV).

In addition to the fat portion that comprised Abel’s offering, we’re also told that Abel’s gift came from among the firstborn of his flock in Genesis 4:3-5. As a result, we can say that Abel offered his best to God. In other words, Abel offered God something that was worthy of Him.

However, Cain’s offering was different. Unlike Abel, Cain did not necessarily give his first and best to God; we’re simply told that he brought some fruits of the soil as an offering. The difference was that Cain brought “some” to God while Abel offered his first and best. Therefore, these gifts tell us something important about each of these men and their respective attitudes towards God.

The author of Hebrews highlighted those differences in the passage quoted above: “It was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God than Cain did. Abel’s offering gave evidence that he was a righteous man, and God showed his approval of his gifts. Although Abel is long dead, he still speaks to us by his example of faith” (Hebrews 11:4 NIV).

We should not rush past this statement, for there may be no higher compliment than to say that God looks upon someone with respect or approval. Abel’s external offering provided evidence to support the existence of his internal righteousness. Unfortunately, Cain’s offering (and his subsequent response) said something very different.

When God rejected Cain’s offering, Cain could have said, “God did not respect my offering. I need to reconsider this so I can bring God something that is acceptable to Him.” Unfortunately, Cain did not take that approach. Instead, Cain’s response is chronicled in the second part of Genesis 4:5: “So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.”

In the original language of Genesis chapter four, the word translated “angry” means, “to be hot, furious, [to] burn.” ₍₁₎ This tells us that Cain was more than simply troubled about this situation; his internal fury was visibly reflected in his face. This tells us a lot about Cain’s internal attitude towards God- and that internal attitude would soon lead to a tragic result.

(1) H2734 charah, Thayer’s Greek Definitions, https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h2734/kjv/wlc/0-1/

VIII

“By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead” (Hebrews 11:4 NIV).

To illustrate the internal issue with Cain’s offering to God, let’s set up a hypothetical example. Let’s say that you bring a gift to someone you love, but he or she rejects your gift. In that scenario, how would you likely feel? Would you feel sorrow? Disappointment? Sadness? Confusion? Regret? Perhaps a combination of those emotions? Well, those are the responses we would normally expect to see in a person whose gift is rejected by a loved one.

Now, let’s take a different scenario. Let’s say that we are interacting with someone we dislike. If that person rejects our gift, how are we likely to respond? Well, in that situation, we are likely to respond with indifference, apathy, or anger. In other words, our internal dislike for someone who rejects our gift will provoke a different response than the person in our first example.

In both instances, our internal attitude towards someone will influence our response. The same was true of Cain as well. When Cain became angry over the fact that God did not look favorably upon his gift, his emotional response demonstrated the truth regarding his internal attitude toward God.

“So the Lord said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it’” (Genesis 4:6-7).

In a similar manner, God’s response to Cain tells us something important about Him as well. For instance, notice that God did not react toward Cain in the same way Cain reacted towards God. The Scriptural record does not say that God became angry at Cain. It does not say that God responded to Cain by saying, “Why can’t you be more like your brother?” Instead, God responded graciously to him.

We can paraphrase that gracious response in the following manner: “If you do what is right, then everything will be OK between us.” However, God also issued a warning: “…if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master” (Genesis 4:7 NLT).

“Sin” can be defined as, “a path, a life-style, or act deviating from that which God has marked out.” ₍₁₎ So, God warned Cain about the potential danger that was lurking just outside his door, so to speak. Unfortunately, we’re about to find that Cain chose to neglect that warning.

(1) Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, Copyright © 1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers [pg 364]

IX

“By faith Abel offered to God a better sacritfice than Cain did. By faith he was approved as a righteous man, because God approved his gifts, and even though he is dead, he still speaks through his faith” (Hebrews 11:4)

Genesis 4:8 tells us how Cain ultimately expressed his anger over the fact that God did not respect his offering…

“Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him” (Genesis 4:8).

Jesus provided us with some insight into that spiritual mindset when He said…

“…the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ‘unclean.’ For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what make a man ‘unclean’…” (Mathew 15:18-20).

God warned Cain about the consequences that would follow his choices by saying, “…if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it” earlier in Genesis 4:6-7. Unfortunately, Cain chose to disregard that warning. In one sense, God continues to repeat this admonition to us through the pages of His Word. In addition to what we read here in Hebrews 11:4, the Biblical book of Galatians tells us…

“When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:19-21 NLT).

Cain’s example reminds us that consequences are sure to follow our spiritual choices. While it may be easy to assume that those consequences are limited to the person making those choices, the truth is that they often affect others as well.

For instance, Abel’s death undoubtedly had an effect upon his parents, Adam and Eve. Remember that Cain and Abel were the first two children born to them. Now one of their children was gone. Thus, Adam and Eve knew the pain felt by a parent who outlives a son or daughter.

We should also remember that Cain was Adam and Eve’s first child. Like any good set of parents, they surely had great hopes for him. Unfortunately, Cain left a dreadful legacy, for the first person born in the history of humanity also became the first criminal in human history.

X

“Faith led Abel to offer God a better sacrifice than Cain’s sacrifice. Through his faith Abel received God’s approval, since God accepted his sacrifices. Through his faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead” (Hebrews 11:4 GW).

Perhaps Cain felt that the remote site of his brother’s murder would cover the criminal act he had committed against him (see Genesis 4:8). However, Cain was about to find that nothing can ever be hidden from God…

“Then the Lord said to Cain, ‘Where is Abel your brother?’ He said, ‘I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?’” (Genesis 4:9).

We should note that God did not begin His conversation with Cain by making an accusation. Instead, He asked a simple question: “Where is your brother Abel?” (CSB). However, that question may prompt a question of our own: “If God knows everything, then why did He question Cain about the whereabouts of his brother? Didn’t God already know what Cain had done to Abel?”

In response, we should remember that questions are often designed for different purposes. In this instance, God’s question did not represent a request for information. Instead, this question presented Cain with a choice. He could choose to be honest with God about what he had done, or he could choose to respond in some other manner. Unfortunately, Cain made a poor decision in choosing his response.

Instead of responding to God in a manner that demonstrated respect for his Creator, Cain issued a sarcastic reply: “…’How should I know?’ Cain retorted. ‘Am I supposed to keep track of him wherever he goes?’” (Genesis 4:9 TLB). Once again, we can say that Cain’s disrespectful attitude toward God was reflected in his arrogant response.

“And He said, ‘What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground. So now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth” (Genesis 4:10-12).

So, Cain was condemned to a bitter future- a future of drifting from region to region, looking for a place of his own, but never quite finding that place.

“And Cain said to the Lord, ‘My punishment is greater than I can bear!” (Genesis 4:13).

Cain’s reply offers another insight into his attitude toward God. One translation of Genesis 4:13 tells us that Cain responded to God’s judgment by saying, “This punishment is too hard!” (CEV). In other words, Cain didn’t feel bad about the fact that he did something wrong- he felt bad about the punishment he received for what he had done.

XI

“It was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God than Cain did. Abel’s offering gave evidence that he was a righteous man, and God showed His approval of his gifts. Although Abel is long dead, he still speaks to us by his example of faith” (Hebrews 11:4 NLT).

We can end our look at the Biblical account of Cain and Abel by noting Cain’s response to the sentence he received for murdering his brother. Genesis 4:13-14 tells us that Cain did not express contrition, remorse, or sorrow for his act of homicide. Instead, he lamented the fact that he was made to suffer the consequences for what he had done.

The Old Testament book of Proverbs characterizes that response by reminding us, “He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13). Cain also serves as a living example of 2 Corinthians 7:10: “…godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.”

In addition, Cain’s experience reminds us that our choices and decisions give birth to real consequences. For instance, God warned Cain that he was heading for trouble but Cain refused to listen. In a similar manner, we also make real choices that lead to real consequences that carry a real eternal impact. The Biblical book of James touches upon this subject, as does the book of Ephesians…

“Be very careful, then, how you live-not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is” (Ephesians 5:15-17 NIV).

Those choices and decisions contribute to the history of our lives and influence others for better or worse. Cain thus offers an object lesson in this cause-and-effect relationship. If Cain’s attitude toward God had been right, then the offering that ultimately led him on the path to his brother’s murder would have been right as well. This explains why the New Testament book of 1 John tells us…

“Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous” (1 John 3:12 NIV).

This has also led one commentator to observe…

“Moffatt finely comments: ‘Death is never the last word in the life of a righteous man.’ When a man leaves this world, he leaves something in it. He may leave something which will grow and spread like a canker; or he may leave something fine which blossoms and flourishes without end. He leaves an influence of good or ill; every one when he dies still speaks. May God grant to us to leave behind not a germ of evil but a lovely thing in which the lives of those who come afterwards will find blessing.” ₍₁₎

(1) Barclay, William. William Barclay’s Daily Study Bible, “The Faith Of The Acceptable Offering (Heb_11:4)”

XII

“By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, ‘and was not found, because God had taken him’; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God’” (Hebrews 11:5).

Enoch is a man of great mystery. Outside of his appearance here in Hebrews 11, virtually everything we know about Enoch is derived from one Biblical chapter: Genesis chapter five. For instance, Genesis 5:18 tells us that Enoch’s father was 162 years old when he was born. A little later in that chapter, we also read the following…

“When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. And after he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Enoch lived 365 years. Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away” (Genesis 5:21-24 NIV).

Of all the people who have found their way into the Biblical record, only Enoch and the prophet Elijah departed their earthly lives in this manner. So why would God take this action in Enoch’s life? Well, the Genesis account simply tells us that “…Enoch walked with God.”

We can draw one application from this passage in saying that Enoch steadily moved forward in his relationship with the Lord, just as one does when he or she is walking. In other words, Enoch did not sprint, nor did he lag behind. He did not choose an alternate path for himself, nor did he stop and start- he simply walked with God. This is analogous to something we read in the Old Testament book of Micah…

“…O people, the LORD has already told you what is good, and this is what He requires: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8 NLT).

Hebrews 11:5 also tells us that Enoch was known as someone who pleased God before he was taken away. Therefore, we can say that those who seek to please God must faithfully walk the road God travels. The features of that path include righteousness, mercy, and humility, just as we see in the passage quoted from Micah 6:8 above.

So, Enoch walked with God by faith and received the privilege of departing this life in an extraordinary manner. Thus, we leave this account of Enoch’s life with the encouraging message of 1 Thessalonians 4:1…

“Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more” (NIV).

XIII

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).

“Acceptance” is something that is often difficult to find. For instance, people often fail to gain acceptance within a social group because they lack the qualities that other individuals possess. But such distinctions are irrelevant when it comes to faith. After all, we need not be talented, athletic, popular, wealthy, or intellectually gifted in order to exercise faith.

In light of this, Hebrews 11:6 reminds us that every circumstance of life offers an opportunity to exercise faith. Consider the following message from Paul the Apostle as recorded in the New Testament book of 1 Timothy…

“I give thanks to Christ Jesus our Lord who has strengthened me, because he considered me faithful, appointing me to the ministry” (1 Timothy 1:12 CSB).

While it may be easy to overlook Paul’s brief expression of thankfulness, this portion of Scripture highlights our passage from Hebrews in an important way. For instance, Paul did not say that Jesus found him to be good-looking, talented, athletic, wealthy, or popular with others. Instead, He considered Paul to be faithful and appointed him to the ministry.

Paul’s example thus provides us with a pattern to follow. For instance, if we are faithfully executing the responsibilities associated with our current station in life, then perhaps God will enable us to move forward into greater areas of responsibility. And even if He chooses not to do so, at least we can be secure in knowing that our faithfulness is pleasing to Him, just as we see here in Hebrews 11:6.

However, if we are not faithful in the things that God has already given us, then why He would entrust us with anything further? Jesus’ teaching from Luke 16:10 is both sobering and instructive in this regard…

“If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities” (NLT).

So, if we truly believe that God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him, then we should live our lives in faithful recognition of that belief. Such faith does not simply believe that a divine being or “higher power” exists. Instead, genuine Biblical faith exemplifies confidence in the God who is reflected in the pages of the Biblical record.

XIV

“By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith” (Hebrews 11:7).

We can illustrate the idea of genuine Biblical faith by turning to the example of a superior athlete. You see, a person of great athletic talent does not need to inform others of his or her athletic ability. Instead, an outstanding athlete confirms the reality of those talents by demonstrating them on the field, on the court, or in the rink. In a similar manner, genuine faith is something that we should demonstrate through our actions.

Noah, the well-known Biblical personality, offers another good example. In Genesis 6:13-14, God gave the following message to Noah: “…’I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out’” (NIV).

If we continue reading that account, we find that Noah faithfully acted upon God’s instructions. Thus, we can say that Noah’s faith in God moved him to act upon God’s directive, even though his decision may have seemed pointless or foolish to others. Because of this, Noah was ready when God’s Word came to pass, just as He said it would.

However, we would be remiss if we did not mention a less auspicious event from Noah’s life…

“And Noah began to be a farmer, and he planted a vineyard. Then he drank of the wine and was drunk, and became uncovered in his tent” (Genesis 9:20-21).

Today, Noah is rightfully viewed as a great man of God. In addition to his appearance here in the Hebrews 11 “Faith Hall Of Fame,” the Biblical book of 2 Peter also identifies him as a preacher of righteousness (2 Peter 2:5). Nevertheless, the passage quoted above reminds us that faithful, God-honoring people can still fail very badly. In this instance, alcohol abuse led to this unfortunate event in Noah’s life.

Modern-day medical professionals recognize alcohol’s role as a depressant. As such, alcohol serves to depress one’s capacity for self-control, good judgment, and wise decision-making. This (along with Noah’s experience from Genesis chapter nine), serves to confirm the Biblical counsel regarding alcohol abuse from the book of Ephesians: “And don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless actions, but be filled by the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18 HCSB).

XV

“By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going” (Hebrews 11:8).

Hebrews 11:8 marks the emergence of Abraham, one of the more prominent Biblical figures in the Hebrews 11 “Faith Hall Of Fame.” However, this is not Abraham’s first appearance in the Biblical book of Hebrews. For instance, the author of Hebrews highlighted God’s promises to Abraham earlier in Hebrews chapter six when he wrote the following…

“For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, ‘Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you’” (Hebrews 6:13-14).

Here in Hebrews 11, the focus will shift from God’s promises to Abraham to Abraham’s faithful decision to act upon those promises. In the words of one commentator, “Abraham’s faith was so great, that he was not particularly concerned as to what the nature of the country was. His faith displaced all worry as to his future in that country. He did not trouble to think upon the matter.” ₍₁₎

The book of Genesis tells us that Abraham (then known as Abram), accepted those promises, took God at His word, and “…departed as the Lord instructed him…” He continued on that lengthy journey until he finally reached the land of Canaan (Genesis 12:4-8). The following verses of Hebrews chapter eleven pick up Abraham’s account from there…

“By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Hebrews 11:9-10).

Although Abram was quite wealthy by the time he arrived in Canaan (Genesis 13:2), he was an aged man in an unfamiliar environment with relatively few friends and many prospective enemies. Those enemies included several potentially hostile neighbors, including the Canaanites and another local people group known as the Perizzites (Genesis 13:7).

So, other than his servants, his possessions, and a nephew named Lot (who would later make an ill-fated decision to leave his uncle and establish a new residence near Sodom), Abraham had little more than a promise from God- a promise that he accepted and believed by faith. Because of this, Genesis 15:6 tells us that “(Abraham) believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness” (NIV).

(1) Kenneth S. Wuest, Word Studies in the Greek New Testament [Hebrews 11:8] Copyright © 1942-55 by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

XVI

“By faith [Abraham] went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God” (Hebrews 11:9-10).

Some Biblical translations (such as the King James Version, among others) use the word “sojourned” to describe Abraham’s experience in the land of Canaan. This word identifies someone who lives as a temporary resident in a foreign location.

Today, we might use the term “resident alien” or “foreign national” to describe Abraham’s status in Canaan; he lived in the land of Canaan, but he was not a citizen of that land. In light of this, we might say that Abraham was “from” Canaan, but he was not “of” Canaan. In other words, his real citizenship was held elsewhere.

Abraham’s experience as a sojourner in Canaan is rich in applications that are worthy of our consideration. For instance…

• God placed Abraham in Canaan according to His sovereign will (Genesis 12:1-3).
• Abraham accepted and believed God’s promise of a permanent, future home (Genesis 13:14-15, Hebrews 11:10).
• Abraham conducted himself as a God-honoring citizen as he made legal arrangements with governmental leaders and working to resolve local issues during his temporary residence in Canaan (Genesis 21:22-34).
• The resident people groups of Canaan recognized Abraham and held him in high regard (Genesis 23:1-6).
• Abraham was forthright in his economic dealings with the people of that area (Genesis 23:7-20).
• However, Abraham had no illusions regarding the moral deficiencies of his Canaanite neighbors (Genesis 24:1-4).

The first two points highlight Abraham’s vertical relationship with God. The remaining points apply to the horizontal relationships that Abraham developed with others during his residence in that area. Thus, we can say that Abraham’s vertical relationship with God influenced his horizontal relationships as he sojourned in the land of Canaan.

So, God placed Abraham in Canaan and Abraham responded by living a God-honoring (albeit imperfect) life. Much like Abraham’s experience in Canaan, God has also placed His people as sojourners in a place that is not their permanent home (Philippians 3:20). And like Abraham, we also have the promise of a permanent, future home (John 14:1-3).

Therefore, we should follow Abraham’s good example as we live and work as representatives of Christ during our earthly sojourn. We should seek to maintain good relationships among others as much as possible, and seek to honor God in our economic activities and governmental interactions. Finally, we should recognize the secular moral and spiritual climate that pervades every generation, and thus live in a way that accurately and effectively communicates the Good News of salvation in Christ.

XVII

“By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised. Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude–innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore” (Hebrews 11:11-12).

Abraham’s wife Sarah presents us with a character study that offers several potential applications for modern-day readers of this epistle. We can begin our look at Sarah’s experience by first considering God’s promise to make Abraham into a “great nation” as described in Genesis 12:1-2. Genesis chapter fifteen then follows by documenting God’s oath to provide Abraham with a biological son to serve as his heir (Genesis 15:1-4).

Nevertheless, Abraham was still waiting upon God to fulfill those promises by the time we reach Genesis chapter eighteen. That brings us to Sarah’s experience as it relates to our passage from Hebrews 11:11-12…

“The LORD appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground…

‘Where is your wife Sarah?’ they asked him. ‘There, in the tent,’ he said. Then the LORD said, ‘I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son.’ Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him. Abraham and Sarah were already old and well advanced in years, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing” (Genesis 18:1-2, 9-11).

Before we continue, it is helpful to consider what God’s promise meant for Abraham and Sarah. First, the opportunity to have a child of their own was something they deeply desired. Then there was the lengthy period they had already spent in waiting for God to fulfill the promise of a child. It’s also easy to imagine the pain they must have felt as they watched other couples have children of their own.

Finally, we should consider the fact that God had earlier changed Abraham’s name from Abram (or “exalted father”) ₍₁₎ to “Abraham,” a name that meant “father of a multitude.” ₍₂₎ It certainly must have been difficult for Abraham to spend those years with a name that meant “father of a multitude” while he and his wife remained childless.

Yet God approached Abraham in Genesis chapter eighteen and essentially said, “I will give you a son around this time next year.” We’ll see Sarah’s response to that promise next.

(1) H87 “abram” Thayer’s Greek Lexicon https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h87/kjv/wlc/0-1/

(2) H85 “abraham” Thayer’s Greek Lexicon https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h85/kjv/wlc/0-1/

XVIII

“By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised. Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore” (Hebrews 11:11-12 ESV).

So, here is how Abraham’s wife Sarah responded to God’s announcement from Genesis 18:10: “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son” (ESV)…

“Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, ‘After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?’” (Genesis 18:12).

Notice this passage tells us that Sarah “…laughed to herself” (NIV). In other words, Sarah laughed silently as she considered God’s promise to her husband. Thus it appears that Sarah believed no one could hear her- or so she thought…

“Then the LORD said to Abraham, ‘Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really have a child, now that I am old?’ Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son’” (Genesis 18:13-14).

While it is sometimes possible to ascertain the thoughts of others by examining their facial expressions, body language, tone of voice, or other subtle clues, our internal thoughts are generally imperceptible. Because of this, it is often possible to say one thing while thinking something very different. But even though we may be able to shield those internal thoughts from others, we can never conceal them from our Creator. God clearly ascertains such things- and He knew exactly what Sarah was thinking when no one else did.

That led God to issue an important reminder: “Is anything too difficult for the Lord?” (CEB). Unfortunately, Sarah answered this question in a way that people sometimes do when they are unexpectedly confronted; she decided to lie…

“Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, ‘I did not laugh.’ But he said, ‘Yes, you did laugh’” (Genesis 18:15 NIV).

While it may be possible to fool our friends, our spiritual leaders, our family members, and others, Sarah’s experience reminds us that it is never possible to fool God. Therefore, we would do well to adopt a policy of complete honesty with God, especially since He already knows the truth about our feelings. If we fail to do so, He may call us to account for our lack of sincerity, just as He did with Sarah.

XIX

“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” (Hebrews 11:13).

Like any good writer, the author of Hebrews moderated his approach to help capture and engage his readers’ attention. Here in Hebrews 11:13, our author took a brief pause to summarize what we have read so far: “All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised…” (NIV).

So what are the promises referenced here? Well, those promises would include the arrival of God’s Savior, the One who would open the way to true fellowship with Him. Our author then went on to say, “…they only saw (those promises) and welcomed them from a distance” (NIV).

Jesus verified that statement in speaking of Abraham with the religious leaders of His day. Abraham is a prominent figure within this epistle, and Jesus offered the following insight regarding his faith in God…

” [Jesus said] ‘I tell you the truth, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death’.

At this the Jews exclaimed, ‘Now we know that you are demon-possessed! Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that if anyone keeps your word, he will never taste death. Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?’

Jesus replied, ‘If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and keep his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.’

‘You are not yet fifty years old,’ the Jews said to him, ‘and you have seen Abraham!’ ‘I tell you the truth,’ Jesus answered, ‘before Abraham was born, I am!’ At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds” (John 8:51-59 (NIV).

Although there is much to learn from this exchange, we can focus our attention on Abraham’s faith in the context of Hebrews 11:13. Even though the fulfillment of God’s promises were far distant, Abraham accepted them in recognition of the God who made them. In addition, Abraham could have returned to his country of origin (as our author will allude to next), but his faith in the God who made those promises helped motivate him to follow God’s path for his life.

XX

“For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city” (Hebrews 11:14-16 ESV).

This passage reminds us that the future reality of heaven is something that should influence our daily lives. The individuals we have already met in Hebrews chapter 11 recognized that truth as expressed in the Living Bible paraphrase of this passage…

“If they had wanted to, they could have gone back to the good things of this world. But they didn’t want to. They were living for heaven. And now God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has made a heavenly city for them.”

These verses thus serve as a fitting conclusion that connects our author’s earlier reference to God’s people as “…strangers with no permanent home on earth” (Hebrews 11:13 GW).

It also provides an important reminder to those who are seeking to find their place within this world. If we are not careful to maintain an eternal mindset, it is possible to discover that the opposite has occurred. The well-known author C. S. Lewis alerted us to this danger in observing that, “Prosperity knits a man to the World. He feels that he is ‘finding his place in it’, while really it is finding its place in him.” ₍₁₎

Therefore, we would do well to remember that life is short, eternity is long, and that Christ has gone to prepare an eternal home for His people. The individuals who appear in Hebrews chapter eleven could have turned back from following God in faith. However, they believed that God held a better place for them and were content to live with that future promise during their earthly sojourn.

Thus, as Hebrews 11:6 concludes, “…God is not ashamed to be called their God.” The same is true of those who similarly walk in faith. As one source observes, “They realized that this world was not their final home. They were content to be strangers and pilgrims, refusing the urge to nestle to make themselves comfortable. Their desire was to pass through the world without taking any of its character upon themselves.” ₍₂₎

Nevertheless, this passage also presents us with a question: “How could a person living in the Old Testament era find salvation since he or she never exercised explicit faith in Christ?” We find the answer to that question in Hebrews 11:14-16. In the words of one commentary, “Saints in the OT looked forward to the messianic hope and believed in God’s promises, which pointed to the future Messiah, Jesus.” ₍₃₎

(1) Lewis, C.S., The Screwtape Letters Copyright© MCMXC by Barbour and Company, Inc. [pg. 143]

(2) William Macdonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary Edited by Arthur Farstad, Thomas Nelson Publishers [pg. 2197].

(3) Ted Cabal et al., The Apologetics Study Bible: Real Questions, Straight Answers, Stronger Faith (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2007), 1835.

XXI

“By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, ‘In Isaac your seed shall be called,’ concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense” (Hebrews 11:17-19).

As we saw earlier in Hebrews chapter six, this portion of Scripture refers to a historic event that took place in the life of Abraham, the famous Biblical patriarch. That event involved a son who had been born to Abraham according to God’s promise (see Genesis 15:1-6). That son’s name was Isaac, and he represented the fulfillment of God’s commitment to provide Abraham with a biological heir.

However, there came a time when Isaac was involved in a significant test of Abraham’s faith…

“Then God said, ‘Take your son, your only son, whom you love–Isaac–and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you’

…When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.

But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, ‘Abraham! Abraham!’ ‘Here I am,’ he replied. ‘Do not lay a hand on the boy,’ he said. ‘Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son’” (Genesis 22:2, 9-12 NIV).

This overview forms the basis for our passage from Hebrews 11:17-19 and God’s response to Abraham’s act of faith…

“‘…By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son— blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice’” (Genesis 22:16-18).

Thus, we have God’s encouraging message through the prophet Isaiah for those of every generation…

“If you want to do right and obey the Lord, follow Abraham’s example. He was the rock from which you were chipped. God chose Abraham and Sarah to be your ancestors. The Lord blessed Abraham, and from that one man came many descendants” (Isaiah 51:1-2 CEV).

XXII

“By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac. He had received the promises, yet he was ready to offer up his only son. God had told him, ‘Through Isaac descendants will carry on your name,’ and he reasoned that God could even raise him from the dead, and in a sense he received him back from there” (Hebrews 11:17-19).

Abraham’s faithful response to Isaac’s would-be sacrifice in Genesis 22:1-19 is worthy of a closer look.

First, we should notice the way God issued His directive regarding Isaac’s sacrifice in Genesis 22:2. That portion of Scripture quotes God’s decree as follows: “…Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering…” Those phrases seems purposely designed to highlight the emotional cost to Abraham in fulfilling God’s commandment.

We should also consider what that sacrifice involved. First, Abraham had to pack for a trip that would end with the death of his son. Next, he personally split the firewood that he would use to present his beloved son as a burnt offering. Finally, we should note that God’s command did not permit Abraham to execute his son quickly. Instead, the travel time associated with God’s directive provided three long days for Abraham to think it over (see Genesis 22:3-4).

If that wasn’t enough, Isaac began to question what was taking place…

“…As they walked along together, Isaac spoke up, ‘Father!’ He answered, ‘Yes, my son?’ Isaac asked, ‘I see that you have the coals and the wood, but where is the lamb for the sacrifice?’” (Genesis 22:6-7 GW).

Isaac’s question should prompt us to meditate upon the human element that underlies this drama. For instance, consider how any loving parent in Abraham’s position might feel if confronted with a similar question. This makes Abraham’s response highly instructive, for he did not become emotionally distraught or angered in his reply to Isaac. He did not disparage God, lament his fate, or deny the reality of the situation. Instead, Abraham responded in a faithful, God-honoring manner…

“Abraham answered, ‘God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.’ Then the two of them walked on together” (Genesis 22:8 HCSB).

While Abraham’s response served to reflect his deep and abiding faith in God, the inspired author of Hebrews also provides us with a glimpse into his internal thought process as well: “Abraham reasoned that if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life again. And in a sense, Abraham did receive his son back from the dead” (NLT).

XXIII

“By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back” (Hebrews 11:17-19).

Much like the steel and concrete understructure of a bridge or roadway, Abraham’s faith in God served as the foundation for his belief that God would keep His promise to provide him with an heir. In fact, Abraham’s faith led him to conclude that God would uphold that promise,  even if it meant bringing that heir back from the dead. This is the kind of faith that truly honors God, for as we are told in Romans 1:17, “…it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith’” (NIV).

In light of this, we can say that genuine Biblical faith is focused upon the God “…who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think…” (Ephesians 3:20 NKJV). That brings us to several important insights offered by the following commentator…

“Our author’s statement that Abraham believed in God’s ability to raise the dead is not a gratuitous reading into the narrative of something that is not there. When Abraham left his servants behind while he and Isaac went to the place of sacrifice, he said to them: ‘The boy and I will go on there and worship, and we will come back to you’ (Gen. 22: 5).

The plain meaning of the text is that Abraham expected to come back with Isaac. But how could he come back with Isaac, if Isaac was to be offered up as a burnt-offering? Only if Isaac was to be raised from the dead after being sacrificed. Abraham reckoned, says our author, that since the fulfillment of the promises depended on Isaac’s survival, then God was bound (as He certainly was able) to restore Isaac’s life if his life had to be taken.

And in fact, so far as Abraham’s resolution was concerned, Isaac was as good as dead, and it was practically from the dead that he received him back when his hand was arrested in mid-air and the heavenly voice forbade him to proceed further.” ₍₁₎

So, this episode from the lives of Abraham and Isaac serves as a living parable that points the way to authentic, God-honoring faith. In the words of author and Christian apologist Josh McDowell, “The Christian faith is faith in Christ. Its value or worth is not in the one believing, but in the one believed… it doesn’t matter how much faith you have, but rather who is the object of your faith…” ₍₂₎

(1) The New International Commentary On The New Testament – The Epistle To The Hebrews, F. F. Bruce, General Editor © Copyright 1964, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. Grand Rapids, Michigan [pg. 311]

(2) McDowell, Josh. Evidence That Demands A Verdict Volume I. Here’s Life Publishers, Inc. © 1972, 1979 Campus Crusade For Christ, Inc. [pg. 4]

XXIV

“By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come” (Hebrews 11:20).

While Hebrews 11:20 is one of the shortest verses in the Epistle to the Hebrews, the Biblical account behind this passage offers several fascinating character studies. Therefore, we will take an extended look at these Biblical personalities in order to learn from their examples. But before we begin this mini-series, it’s important to understand that the account of Isaac, Jacob, and Esau referenced above is one that is filled with a great deal of family drama.

As we read about the things that take place within the lives of these individuals, we will see examples where…

• One family member lies to another family member.
• Two family members form an alliance to plot against a third family member.
• One person successfully executes an elaborate plan conceived by a second family member to deceive a third family member.
• One member of the family makes plans to murder another family member.

The motivating force behind these behaviors is not difficult to explain. As we’ll see, each family member wanted to have his or her own way without any input, guidance, or direction from God. No one within this family drama sought to pray, talk about their concerns, or ask an important question: “Am I really acting the way God would have me to act in this situation?” Therefore, it is important to pay close attention to their examples so we can identify and avoid similar mistakes.

Nevertheless, this may lead us to question how this account found its way into the Hebrews 11 “Faith Hall Of Fame.” We can address that question with a passage from the Biblical book of 1 Corinthians: “…all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition…” (1 Corinthians 10:11). Thus, the account of Isaac, Jacob, and Esau here in Hebrews 11 offers a dual benefit: it teaches us to replicate the element of faith that is present within their example while also teaching us what not to do.

Our look at this passage begins in Genesis chapter twenty-five, where we are told that Isaac’s wife Rebekah had become pregnant with twin boys. During her pregnancy, God told Rebekah that her first-born child would eventually serve the child who was born later (Genesis 25:21-23). When the time of their birth arrived, Rebekah’s first child was born with so much hair on his body that his parents named him Esau (a word that literally meant “hairy”).

The second child quickly followed his brother by grasping on to Esau’s foot during his birth. That second child was named “Jacob” (or “heel-catcher”), a name that is associated with a fast-talking, deceptive type of person. These children would later go on to become the other two players in this family drama.

XXV

“By faith Isaac invoked future blessings on Jacob and Esau” (Hebrews 11:20 ESV).

Hebrews 11:20 references an event that is recorded in Genesis chapter twenty-seven…

“One day when Isaac was old and turning blind, he called for Esau, his older son, and said, ‘My son.’ ‘Yes, Father?’ Esau replied. ‘I am an old man now,’ Isaac said, ‘and I don’t know when I may die.’ Take your bow and a quiver full of arrows, and go out into the open country to hunt some wild game for me. Prepare my favorite dish, and bring it here for me to eat. Then I will pronounce the blessing that belongs to you, my firstborn son, before I die” (Genesis 27:1-4 NLT and following).

Isaac was about 137 years old at the time of these events in Genesis chapter twenty-seven. And while Isaac would eventually go on to live for another 40 years, the act of putting his affairs in order certainly seemed like a reasonable thing for a man of his age to do. Isaac sought to accomplish that by pronouncing a blessing upon his oldest son, Esau.

While that blessing included the eldest son’s share of his father’s money and property, it also included the rights to the promises that Isaac had received from his father Abraham. Abraham received those promises directly from God, who told him, “‘…your own son shall be your heir… Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them… So shall your descendants be’” (Genesis 15:4, 5 RSV).

God later confirmed those promises to Isaac when He said, “…to you and your descendants I will give all these lands and will confirm the oath I swore to your father Abraham. I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed” (Genesis 26:3-4). These were the blessings that Isaac sought to pass down to Esau.

However, there was a problem with what Isaac wanted to do. In giving that blessing to Esau, Isaac wanted to follow the normal practice of ceding all authority to the first-born son in the family. The issue was that God had already spoken to his wife Rebekah and told her that her younger son (Jacob) would have authority over her older son, according to Genesis 25:21-23.

That should have told Isaac that God had a different plan in mind for his family. But there were some other warning signs that Isaac should have noticed as well. We’ll identify some of those warning signs next.

XXVI

“By faith also Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning the future” (Hebrews 11:20 NET).

Genesis chapter twenty-seven records Isaac’s effort to grant a patriarchal blessing to his eldest son, Esau. In his attempt to impart that blessing, Isaac sought to follow the customary practice of that era by granting leadership authority to his first-born son. However, there were several warning signs that should have alerted Isaac to the fact that Esau was not God’s choice to carry on the covenantal agreement that God initiated with his father Abraham.

One issue that bears repeating is the fact that God had earlier spoken to Isaac’s wife Rebekah regarding her sons Esau and Jacob…

“‘…The sons in your womb will become two nations. From the very beginning, the two nations will be rivals. One nation will be stronger than the other; and your older son will serve your younger son’” (Genesis 25:23 NLT).

This should have told Isaac that God had a different plan in mind for his family. However, there were some other problems with Isaac’s plan to extend this blessing to Esau.

For instance, Esau had earlier chosen to sell his birthright as detailed in Genesis 25:29-34. In this instance, that birthright included more than just money or property; it also included the spiritual inheritance mentioned earlier. Although Esau didn’t seem to care very much about his birthright. it appears that his brother Jacob saw things differently and arranged to purchase it from him in exchange for a bowl of stew.

Genesis chapter twenty-six then tells us how Esau decided to marry two women who were members of a local people group known as the Hittites. The Hittites were an ancient tribal society that worshiped several different pagan gods. Unfortunately, there is no indication that Esau expressed any concern regarding the moral character or spiritual beliefs held by these women before he married them. Therefore, it should not be surprising to learn that “…Esau’s wives made life miserable for Isaac and Rebekah” according to Genesis 26:35 (NLT).

So, in addition to his lack of interest in the leadership position that was available to him as the eldest son, it also seems that Esau was a spiritually unconcerned person in regard to his personal relationships. These things should have told Isaac that Esau was not the person who God had chosen to carry His spiritual covenant forward into the next generation.

Nevertheless, Isaac chose to disregard those spiritual warning signs. That decision led to a chain of negative events that were soon to follow.

XXVII

“Isaac had faith, and he promised blessings to Jacob and Esau” (Hebrews 11:20 CEV).

In view of Esau’s spiritual indifference, we may question why his father Isaac attempted to grant his patriarchal blessing to him. We might find one answer in the fact that Isaac simply liked Esau more than he liked his younger son, Jacob. For instance, Genesis 25:27-28 tells us that Esau was an outdoorsman and Isaac enjoyed eating what Esau brought back from his hunting trips. That may explain why Isaac issued the following directive…

“…get your equipment—your quiver and bow—and go out to the open country to hunt some wild game for me. Prepare me the kind of tasty food I like and bring it to me to eat, so that I may give you my blessing before I die” (Genesis 27:3-4 NIV).

Unfortunately, it seems that Isaac was willing to grant his family’s spiritual heritage to a son who didn’t really deserve it in exchange for a good meal. But what Isaac didn’t know was that a quick thinking counter-agent was monitoring that conversation. That person was now ready to make her own contribution to this family drama…

“But Rebekah overheard what Isaac had said to his son Esau. So when Esau left to hunt for the wild game, she said to her son Jacob, ‘Listen. I overheard your father say to Esau, ‘Bring me some wild game and prepare me a delicious meal. Then I will bless you in the Lord’s presence before I die.’

Now, my son, listen to me. Do exactly as I tell you. Go out to the flocks, and bring me two fine young goats. I’ll use them to prepare your father’s favorite dish. Then take the food to your father so he can eat it and bless you before he dies’” (Genesis 27:5-10 NLT).

Now, Isaac’s wife Rebekah could have reminded Esau and Isaac of what God told her while she was pregnant with Esau and his fraternal twin, Jacob. She could have told Esau that he no longer possessed his birthright as the oldest son because he earlier sold it to Jacob. But even if Rebekah didn’t want to confront them together, she could have stopped Esau before he left and spoken to Isaac privately.

Unfortunately, it appears that Rebekah was unwilling to communicate directly with Isaac and/or Esau in a truthful, loving manner. So, instead of speaking the truth in love and trusting God to handle the situation, Rebekah immediately launched a covert operation as soon as she heard what Isaac had in mind. However, we’ll soon see that Rebekah’s decision to undertake this stealth mission will actually make things worse.

XXVIII

“By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come” (Hebrews 11:20 KJV).

People who respect one another do not engage in plots and schemes like the one that unfolded between Isaac, Rebekah, Esau, and Jacob in Genesis chapter twenty-seven. You see, Rebekah immediately contacted her son Jacob after hearing of Isaac’s plan to bless Esau and said, “…listen to me as I command you” (Genesis 27:8 NASB).

Although Jacob will go on to become a willing participant in what follows, this tells us that Rebekah exercised her parental authority in an inappropriate manner by recruiting Jacob to carry out her plan to trick her elderly, blind husband. That plan to deceive Isaac involved taking some of the family’s livestock and turning it into a meal that was as good as anything her son Esau could hunt down on his own.

But even though Isaac was blind, he still maintained his other senses- and Jacob immediately brought that fact to Rebekah’s attention…

“‘But look,’ Jacob replied to Rebekah, ‘my brother, Esau, is a hairy man, and my skin is smooth. What if my father touches me? He’ll see that I’m trying to trick him, and then he’ll curse me instead of blessing me’” (Genesis 27:11-12 NLT).

It’s important to look carefully at Jacob’s response in these verses. When Rebekah told Jacob about her plan to deceive Isaac, Jacob did not respond by saying, “Is that approach just, right, or fair?” Thus, it appears that Jacob held little concern for the ethics of this plan; instead, his only concern seemed to be, “What if I get caught?”

Now, before we continue, let’s take a moment to assess the players in this family drama…

• First, we have Isaac, the family patriarch. Isaac sought to override God’s intent for his family’s spiritual heritage for one primary reason: “Isaac loved Esau because he enjoyed eating the wild game Esau brought home…” (Genesis 25:28 NLT).
• Next was Isaac’s son Esau. His lifestyle indicated that he was indifferent to the things of God. He was also willing to accept the benefits and privileges that went along with his status as the eldest son, even though he had earlier sold those rights for a bowl of stew.
• Then there was Rebekah, Isaac’s wife. She was the mastermind behind this plot to cut Esau out of the traditional share of the family inheritance by deceiving her husband.
• Finally, there was Jacob, Isaac’s other son. Jacob didn’t seem concerned about the morality of his actions as long as he could escape the negative consequences that might be associated with them.

Unfortunately, it appears that no one within this family sought to honor God or trust one another, thus leading to these negative family dynamics. However, there is another Person in this narrative who was seemingly forgotten by everyone else. We’ll meet that Person next.

XXIX

“By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. (Hebrews 11:20 HCSB).

Hebrews 11:20 offers an opportunity to consider the relationship that developed between Isaac, Rebekah, Esau, and Jacob as recorded in Genesis chapter twenty-seven. That portion of Scripture details a plot that was designed to divert Isaac’s inheritance from one son to another. However, there was a fifth Person who was present behind the scenes of that family drama, one who had been silently observing all that had taken place among these individuals. That fifth Person was God.

In seeking to engineer their preferred outcomes, each of these family members seem to have forgotten something important: if it wasn’t for God, there wouldn’t be any inheritance. Although everyone seemed to believe that “Isaac’s blessing” conferred some sort of irrevocable benefit, that did not obligate God to do anything. The reality is that Isaac could have granted his blessing to Esau (or anyone else), and it would have meant nothing if he or she was not God’s choice to receive it.

So, while each of these family members were busy pursuing their agendas, they were the ones who should have sought to get on board with God’s plan- and they were forfeiting their opportunity to honor God and fulfill His desire for their lives. We can illustrate this unfortunate reality with a look at Rebekah’s response to Jacob’s concern that his father might curse him for his role in this drama…

“But his mother replied, ‘Then let the curse fall on me, my son! Just do what I tell you…’” (Genesis 27:13 NLT).

If we were to rephrase Rebekah’s answer in contemporary terms, we might understand her meaning to be this: “If your father figures out what’s going on and decides to put a curse on you, I’ll take that curse upon myself.” Unfortunately for Rebekah, that will turn out to be a very unwise vow.

That leads us to the next part of this scheme…

“So Jacob went out and got the young goats for his mother. Rebekah took them and prepared a delicious meal, just the way Isaac liked it. Then she took Esau’s favorite clothes, which were there in the house, and gave them to her younger son, Jacob. She covered his arms and the smooth part of his neck with the skin of the young goats. Then she gave Jacob the delicious meal, including freshly baked bread” (Genesis 27:14-17 NLT).

If we stop to consider everything Rebekah did to execute this strategy, it seems clear that she came up with a very skillful plan. We’ll see just how ingenious her plan was next.

XXX

“Faith led Isaac to bless Jacob and Esau” (Hebrews 11:20 GW).

To illustrate the cleverness of Rebekah’s plan to deceive her husband Isaac, let’s consider the five senses that human beings possess: sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. In order to fool Isaac into blessing her son Jacob, Rebekah knew she would have to deliver some counterfeit information to those senses. Since Isaac was no longer able to visually identify his sons, that left four other senses to contend with.

First, Rebekah knew Isaac could pick up the outdoor scent of Esau’s clothes. She eliminated that problem by putting Esau’s clothes on Jacob. Then there was the meal she prepared- that would take care of the taste part. The goatskins on Jacob’s arms and neck would address Isaac’s sense of touch. The only potential weakness in her plan involved her inability to disguise the sound of Jacob’s voice- but perhaps that would be enough to trick Isaac into doing something he didn’t want to do…

“So Jacob took the food to his father. ‘My father?’ he said. ‘Yes, my son,’ Isaac answered. ‘Who are you—Esau or Jacob?’ Jacob replied, ‘It’s Esau, your firstborn son. I’ve done as you told me. Here is the wild game. Now sit up and eat it so you can give me your blessing.’ Isaac asked, ‘How did you find it so quickly, my son?’ ‘The Lord your God put it in my path!’ Jacob replied.

Then Isaac said to Jacob, ‘Come closer so I can touch you and make sure that you really are Esau.’ So Jacob went closer to his father, and Isaac touched him. ‘The voice is Jacob’s, but the hands are Esau’s,’ Isaac said. But he did not recognize Jacob, because Jacob’s hands felt hairy just like Esau’s. So Isaac prepared to bless Jacob.

‘But are you really my son Esau?’ he asked. ‘Yes, I am,’ Jacob replied” (Genesis 27:18-24 NLT).

There are an astonishing number of lies contained within this brief exchange. First, Jacob began by falsely identifying himself as Esau- that’s lie #1. Then he said to his father, “I’ve done as you told me…” which, of course, was another lie because Isaac didn’t tell Jacob to do anything.

Isaac then asked, “How did you find it so quickly, my son?” and Jacob responded with lie #3: “The LORD your God helped me find it” (GNB). So it wasn’t enough for Jacob to deceive his father- he had to bring God into his deception as well. But Isaac still wasn’t convinced, so he asked once more: “‘Are you really my son Esau?’ ‘Yes, I am,’ Jacob answered” (CEV). That false representation was lie #4.

As we’ll see,  Jacob will eventually secure the blessing he sought through this act of deception. However,  he will also learn the truth of the following Biblical admonition: “Make no mistake, God is not mocked. A person will harvest what they plant” (Galatians 6:7 CEB).

XXXI

“It was faith that made Isaac promise blessings for the future to Jacob and Esau” (Hebrews 11:20 GNB).

Although Jacob had managed to persuade his elderly, blind father Isaac into the belief that he was actually his brother Esau, Jacob still had some additional tests to complete…

“Isaac said, ‘Bring some of the wild game for me to eat, my son. Then I will bless you.’ So Jacob brought it to him, and he ate it. He also brought him wine, and Isaac drank. Then his father Isaac said to him, ‘Come here and kiss me, my son.’ So Jacob went over and kissed him. When Isaac caught the scent of his clothing, he blessed him, saying, ‘Yes, my son smells like the scent of an open field which the Lord has blessed’” (Genesis 27:25-27 NET).

Unfortunately, Isaac was about to base this decision to bless his son entirely upon what he could touch, smell, and taste. That leads us to an important application from this narrative. While it is true that there is a basic reliability to sense perception, it is also possible to be fooled by what our senses tell us, just as Isaac was fooled in this instance.

The problem was that Isaac never prayed or asked God to verify the truth of what his senses told him. Neither did he seek God’s guidance before making this decision to pronounce a blessing upon his son. Isaac might have avoided this deceptive trap by asking God to help him detect the truth about what was going on, but he neglected to do so.

So why did Isaac take this approach? Well, it appears that Isaac was aware of what God wanted to do, but he didn’t want to follow God’s direction in this instance. You see, Isaac was determined to give this inheritance to Esau, even though God had earlier told his wife that Jacob was the one who was to receive it. Since Esau was Isaac’s favorite son, passing that inheritance to Jacob was probably not something Isaac wanted to do. So, it’s possible that Isaac didn’t ask for God’s help because he knew (or at least suspected) that God might tell him something he didn’t want to hear.

Unfortunately, Isaac didn’t realize that it was his responsibility to bring himself into alignment with God’s plan, not the other way around. That would explain why he was vulnerable to this act of deception. And since Isaac was convinced that he was speaking to Esau (even though he wasn’t), this great Biblical patriarch was about to do something he really didn’t want to do.

XXXII

“It was by faith that Isaac knew God would give future blessings to his two sons, Jacob and Esau” (Hebrews 11:20 TLB).

Since Isaac was convinced that he was speaking to his son Esau (who was actually Jacob in disguise), he unknowingly pronounced a great blessing upon Jacob in Genesis chapter twenty-seven…

“Therefore may God give you Of the dew of heaven, Of the fatness of the earth, And plenty of grain and wine. Let peoples serve you, And nations bow down to you. Be master over your brethren, And let your mother’s sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, And blessed be those who bless you!” (Genesis 27:28-29).

Isaac clearly wanted to ensure that Esau received “the best of the best” in this blessing. Not only did this blessing provide him with a family leadership position, it also bestowed a global leadership position as well: “May many nations become your servants, and may they bow down to you. May you be the master over your brothers, and may your mother’s sons bow down to you. All who curse you will be cursed, and all who bless you will be blessed” (AMP).

So, everything worked out well from Isaac’s perspective. He enjoyed a good meal, he extended a blessing to his favorite son, and he fulfilled his responsibility to convey the inheritance he received from his father Abraham, who received it from God. However, Isaac was about to learn that things had not worked out the way he planned…

“Now it happened, as soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, and Jacob had scarcely gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting. He also had made savory food, and brought it to his father, and said to his father, ‘Let my father arise and eat of his son’s game, that your soul may bless me.’

And his father Isaac said to him, ‘Who are you?’ So he said, ‘I am your son, your firstborn, Esau’” (Genesis 27:30-32).

Isaac must have been feeling pretty good about the way things transpired- at least until Esau showed up to receive the blessing he had unknowingly given to Jacob. Now that he had been tricked into giving that blessing to someone else, Isaac began to grasp the reality of what he had done…

“Then Isaac trembled exceedingly, and said, ‘Who? Where is the one who hunted game and brought it to me? I ate all of it before you came, and I have blessed him — and indeed he shall be blessed’” (Genesis 27:33).

Isaac had an interesting response to this revelation; instead of becoming angry, we’re told that he “trembled exceedingly.” So why did Isaac become so traumatized by this news? That question will be answered next.

XXXIII

“It was by faith that Isaac promised blessings for the future to his sons, Jacob and Esau” (Hebrews 11:20 NLT).

While we might have expected Isaac to become angry over the sequence of events that took place in Genesis 27:1-29, that portion of Scripture tells us that his response was quite different from what we would normally expect…

“Isaac began to tremble uncontrollably. ‘Who was it then,’ he said, ‘who hunted game and brought it to me? I ate it all before you came in, and I blessed him. Indeed, he will be blessed!’” (Genesis 27:33 CSB).

So, why did Isaac become so traumatized that he “began to tremble and shake all over” (GNT)? Well, Isaac specifically arranged this meeting with his favorite son, Esau in order to confer his blessing upon him. But in seeking to implement his preference, Isaac chose to ignore God’s preference- and he got caught. Even though Isaac tried to manipulate these circumstances to suit his agenda, his work served to fulfill God’s purpose anyway.

The recognition of what he had done (and the ease with which his attempt was negated), must have affected Isaac to the point where he lost the ability to physically control his emotions. But while Isaac may have been emotionally shaken by what transpired, Esau had some feelings of his own…

“When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with an exceedingly great and bitter cry, and said to his father, ‘Bless me — me also, O my father!’” (Genesis 27:34).

We have already noted that Esau’s disregard for his spiritual heritage (as well as his questionable marriage partnerships) revealed something important about him. These behaviors tell us that Esau did not prioritize his relationship with God in the way it deserved. However, when it came time to receive this blessing and its associated inheritance, things were very different.

Unfortunately, Esau lost his opportunity to receive that blessing in light of his negligence to the things of God. This is one reason why the following paraphrase of Hebrews 12:16-17 will later go on to tell us…

“Watch out that no one becomes involved in sexual sin or becomes careless about God as Esau did: he traded his rights as the oldest son for a single meal. And afterwards, when he wanted those rights back again, it was too late, even though he wept bitter tears of repentance. So remember, and be careful” (TLB).

So Esau lost the blessing that his father sought to give him. But as we’ll see, it didn’t take Isaac long to identify the culprit.

XXXIV

“By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future” (Hebrews 11:20 NIV).

It didn’t take Isaac very long to identify the perpetrator in the plot to trick him into blessing someone he did not intend to bless…

“…[Isaac] said, ‘Your brother came with deceit and has taken away your blessing.’ And Esau said, ‘Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has supplanted me these two times. He took away my birthright, and now look, he has taken away my blessing!” And he said, ‘Have you not reserved a blessing for me?’” (Genesis 27:35-36).

So, Esau responded to Isaac’s disclosure by sharing his negative opinion of Jacob’s character: “When you named my brother ‘Jacob’ (meaning ‘deceiver’), you certainly picked the right name. This is the second time he has cheated me- first he took my birthright and now he has my blessing as well.” Of course, Esau conveniently overlooked one important detail from that version of events: he was the one who willingly sold his birthright for a bowl of stew. Nevertheless, that did not stop Esau from blaming Jacob for the fact that he made a poor bargain.

But even though Esau had now lost everything his father sought to give him, he decided to make one last attempt to obtain some sort of blessing- and Isaac did his best to bless Esau with what was left…

“Then Isaac answered and said to Esau, ‘Indeed I have made [Jacob] your master, and all his brethren I have given to him as servants; with grain and wine I have sustained him. What shall I do now for you, my son?’ And Esau said to his father, ‘Have you only one blessing, my father? Bless me — me also, O my father!’ And Esau lifted up his voice and wept.

Then Isaac his father answered and said to him: ‘Behold, your dwelling shall be of the fatness of the earth, And of the dew of heaven from above. By your sword you shall live, And you shall serve your brother; And it shall come to pass, when you become restless, That you shall break his yoke from your neck’” (Genesis 27:37-40).

This was certainly not the kind of blessing Esau had originally sought from his father. Unfortunately, there really wasn’t very much left since Isaac had essentially given Jacob everything he could offer. However, we’ll see that the “secondary blessing” referenced in this passage from Genesis twenty-seven eventually came to pass in our final installment of this mini-series.

XXXV

“By faith Isaac also blessed Jacob and Esau concerning their future” (Hebrews 11:20 CEB).

As we conclude our look at Genesis chapter 27 in the context of Hebrews 11:20, we find that the “secondary blessing” Esau received from his father Isaac eventually came to pass. You see, Esau’s descendants were known as the Edomites, a name that was derived from Esau’s nickname Edom (see Genesis 25:30 and 36:9).

The Edomites eventually populated some of the wilderness portions of that area and thus fulfilled Isaac’s prediction: “Your dwelling will be away from the earth’s richness…” (Genesis 27:39 NIV). The Scriptures also tell us that Esau’s descendants eventually came to oppose and revolt against the Israelites, the descendants of his brother Jacob.

For example, the Edomites once mobilized their armed forces with a threat to kill the people of Israel when Israel asked for permission to pass through a land area that was under their control (Numbers 20:14-21). Later, the people of Edom succeeded in breaking away from Jacob’s descendants and established their own government, just as Isaac predicted (see 2 Kings 8:20-22).

So, in the end, it’s clear that these family members mentioned in Genesis 27 made several mistakes. First, there was Isaac. His plan to circumvent God’s will failed miserably. Then there was Rebekah, Isaac’s wife. She was the mastermind behind this plot to deceive her husband. Even though her plan succeeded, Rebekah was shown to be a person of devious character, and she never saw her favorite son Jacob again following this incident.

Next was Esau. He lost his inheritance because he had little interest or concern about the things of God. When he realized his mistake, it was too late to regain what he had lost. Finally, there was Jacob. He got what he wanted- but at a price. You see, Jacob eventually left his home to stay with another family member named Laban. Unfortunately for Jacob, he would soon learn just how cunning, manipulative, and deceitful Laban really was.

With these things in mind, we might be tempted to look at our text from Hebrews 11:20 and struggle to identify the act of faith mentioned here. The answer is this: when Isaac discovered he had actually blessed the son God had chosen instead of his preferred son, he recognized by faith that God easily accomplished His will despite his attempts to the contrary.

So, the events of Genesis chapter twenty-seven remind us to ask God to grant us the desire to make choices that align with His will and to seek Him for His direction. As we’re told in the Biblical book of Proverbs, “In everything you do, put God first, and he will direct you and crown your efforts with success” (Proverbs 3:6 TLB). Those who follow that path can avoid the pitfalls which  befell this family.

XXXVI

“By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff” (Hebrews 11:21).

A substantial amount of time has passed in Jacob’s life between the events referenced in Hebrews 11:20 and the one mentioned here in Hebrews 11:21. Jacob was now approaching the end of his life when his son Joseph (accompanied by his sons Ephraim and Manasseh) met with him for the last time. It was during that final meeting that Jacob declared by faith that Ephraim and Manasseh would numbered among the national tribes of Israel.

Genesis chapter forty-eight provides us with that account…

“Now then, your two sons born to you in Egypt before I came to you here will be reckoned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine” (Genesis 48:5).

Reuben and Simeon were the first sons born to Jacob. So in making this statement, Jacob essentially said to Joseph, “Your two sons will receive the same recognition that my first two sons receive.” In doing so, Jacob “adopted” Ephraim and Manasseh and assigned them a portion of his inheritance along with the rest of his biological sons. This included a share in the covenantal blessings that Jacob received from his father Isaac, who inherited them from Jacob’s grandfather Abraham, who received them from God.

Jacob’s twelve sons (along with Ephraim and Manasseh) eventually became the progenitors of the people groups known as “the twelve tribes of Israel.” However, Jacob’s adoption of Ephraim and Manasseh explains why those twelve tribes are often listed in different combinations. While the addition of Ephraim and Manasseh creates fourteen people groups, they are always collectively identified as “twelve tribes” within the Scriptures.

Before we leave Hebrews 11:21, we should also take note of something unusual that occurred as Jacob was preparing to bless Ephraim and Manasseh…

“And Joseph took both of them, Ephraim on his right toward Israel’s left hand and Manasseh on his left toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them close to him. But Israel reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim’s head, though he was the younger, and crossing his arms, he put his left hand on Manasseh’s head, even though Manasseh was the firstborn” (Genesis 48:13-14 NIV).

The Biblical Scriptures employ the imagery of the “right hand” as a symbolic representation of power, authority, or favor. The eldest son generally received the blessing associated with that position at his father’s right hand. However, Jacob reversed that process in this instance. While Jacob’s physical body may have been frail and weak with age, we’ll soon see that his spiritual insight was undiminished.

XXXVII

“By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, bowing in worship over the head of his staff” (Hebrews 11:21 ESV).

In blessing Joseph’s sons, Genesis 48:13-14 tells us that Jacob set aside the common practice of blessing the eldest son at his right hand in favor of Joseph’s younger son Ephraim. Of course, this was not the first time something like that had occurred, as Jacob himself was well aware.

Although God had given Joseph a gift that enabled him to discern the meaning of dreams and their interpretations, he failed to recognize the spiritual significance behind his father’s decision to bless his younger son Ephraim instead of his older son Manasseh….

“When Joseph saw his father placing his right hand on Ephraim’s head he was displeased; so he took hold of his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. Joseph said to him, ‘No, my father, this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.’

But his father refused and said, ‘I know, my son, I know. He too will become a people, and he too will become great. Nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his descendants will become a group of nations.’

He blessed them that day and said, ‘In your name will Israel pronounce this blessing: ‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.’ So he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh” (Genesis 48:17-20 NIV).

Despite his father’s apparent mistake (at least from Joseph’s perspective), Jacob’s words eventually came to pass. According to one source, “This was fulfilled in Israel’s history. Both tribes were blessed, but Ephraim was greater as a tribe, even to the point where the name ‘Ephraim’ was used to refer to the whole northern nation of Israel.” ₍₁₎

However, there is another perspective to consider regarding Ephraim and Manasseh. You see, it is important to remember that this meeting between Jacob and Joseph took place while they were living in Egypt, the greatest nation on earth during that period. Joseph was also the second most powerful government official in Egypt at that time.

In light of this, Ephraim and Manasseh could have chosen to remain in Egypt and taken advantage of the benefits and social amenities that were available to them as sons of a high-ranking government official. Instead, they willingly chose to accept their grandfather’s adoption and join with their uncles to form what would become the nation of Israel. Therefore, we can say that each of Joseph’s sons also acted in faith, for they willingly gave up the privileges of Egypt to follow God’s destiny for their lives.

(1) Guzik, David, Genesis 48 – Jacob Blesses Joseph’s Sons https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/genesis-48/

XXXVIII

“By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones” (Hebrews 11:22).

The Old Testament account of Joseph is fairly well-known, even to many who are unfamiliar with the Scriptures. For instance, some may know about the injustice that was inflicted upon Joseph when he was sold into slavery. Others may be acquainted with the account of Joseph’s ascendance to a prominent position within the Egyptian government. Perhaps some may be familiar with Joseph’s coat of many colors, or how he was determined to honor God despite the seductive advances of his employer’s wife, a decision that eventually sent him to prison on false charges.

Despite these well-known aspects of Joseph’s life, his final act of faith may be less familiar. That account is easy to find because it is the very last thing we read in the Biblical book of Genesis…

“‘Soon I will die,’ Joseph told his brothers, ‘but God will surely come and get you, and bring you out of this land of Egypt and take you back to the land he promised to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.’ Then Joseph made his brothers promise with an oath that they would take his body back with them when they returned to Canaan. So Joseph died at the age of 110, and they embalmed him, and his body was placed in a coffin in Egypt” (Genesis 50:24-26 TLB).

This portion of Scripture tells us that Joseph never received a final burial following his death in Egypt. Instead, his coffin remained there for approximately four hundred years until the nation of Israel carried it out with them when they departed from that area…

“Moses took the bones of Joseph with him because Joseph had made the sons of Israel swear an oath. He had said, ‘God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up with you from this place’” (Exodus 13:19 NIV).

So how did Joseph know this exodus would occur? Well, the answer is given to us here in Hebrews 11:22: Joseph believed the words God had spoken to his great grandfather Abraham by faith…

“Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions… In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here…” (Genesis 15:13-14, 16 NIV).

XXXIX

“By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones” (Hebrews 11:22 ESV).

Even though God enabled Joseph to save his family from starvation by relocating them to the nation of Egypt, Joseph also knew that Egypt was not their permanent home. You see, Joseph was aware of the promises God made to his father Jacob, his grandfather Isaac, and his great-grandfather Abraham regarding a homeland for their descendants. Because of this, Joseph knew they would eventually return to the place where he was born- the land his father left to join him in Egypt.

When the time arrived for that future generation to return to their ancestral homeland, Joseph wanted to ensure that he was a part of that journey. This explains why “…Joseph made his brothers promise with an oath that they would take his body back with them when they returned to Canaan” (Genesis 50:25 TLB).

Thus, Joseph’s example provides us with some important considerations today. Even though Joseph lived for decades among the highest ranking members of Egyptian society, he never lost sight of where he began. And even though Joseph’s travels had taken him far away to a foreign land, he always knew where he really belonged.

What does this example mean for contemporary readers of Hebrews 11:22? Well, let’s consider that question in light of the problems and difficulties we often encounter. For instance, there are some who struggle to trust God and patiently endure through the challenges of life as Joseph did. Some may be reluctant to stand against the mockery of professors, co-workers, business associates, authority figures, or others who learn of their belief in the God of the Scriptures.

Then there are those who seek the comfort of conformity to a culture that finds Jesus irrelevant. Others may be negatively influenced through relationships with men and women who don’t have a spiritual foundation in Christ. Finally, there are those who may be pressured to leave their convictions and abandon the supposedly primitive idea of faith in God.

A person who succumbs to these various influences may eventually move so far away from genuine Christianity that there is little or nothing left to distinguish him or her from anyone else. Should that time arrive in our lives, the message behind Joseph’s final act of faith will point the way back home for those who have wandered away. We’ll consider that “message behind the message” next.

XL

“By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, mentioned the exodus of the sons of Israel and gave instructions about his burial” (Hebrews 11:22 NET).

Some four thousand years ago, a dying man made his final request. That request (and the reason behind it) serves as a kind of beacon from the distant past, quietly transmitting the coordinates that guide the way back for those who have journeyed far from home…

“‘Soon I will die,’ Joseph told his brothers, ‘but God will surely come to help you and lead you out of this land of Egypt. He will bring you back to the land he solemnly promised to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.’ Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear an oath, and he said, ‘When God comes to help you and lead you back, you must take my bones with you’” (Genesis 50:24-25 NLT).

Perhaps we may awake one day to find that our lives no longer have any meaning, relevance, purpose, or direction. We might find that we have gained everything we ever wanted and come to the realization that it isn’t enough. Maybe we have sacrificed our lives to support an organization, only to find that the organization never regarded us as anything more than just a number.

Perhaps we will see the wreckage that resulted from a friend or family member’s unprincipled decision. Or maybe our lives have been negatively impacted by the decisions and mistakes of others, or events that were out of our control. If we ever reach those points in our lives, we would do well to listen to the message that has been quietly broadcasting through the words of Genesis 50:24-25. That message is simple: return home.

You see, Joseph was a long way from where he started. He was far from the place where God had spoken to his ancestors. He had been immersed in a culture that had no use for the God of the Scriptures. But Joseph never forgot where he came from, and his last request expressed a desire to return home.

If the journey of life takes us far from Christ, it would serve us well to remember where we came from. Maybe we’ve traveled to a place where we shouldn’t have gone. Perhaps our life story has not unfolded as we thought it would. We may be far from the place where we first met God; but like Joseph, we can go home again. Joseph knew where he ultimately belonged- his place was among the people who believed in, and followed, the one true God. That is where we belong as well.

XLI

“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” (Hebrews 11:23).

As we continue our tour through the Hebrews 11 “Faith Hall Of Fame,” we now stop to look at a person who is surely one of the most important and influential individuals within the Biblical record. That person is Moses. While the miraculous events of Moses’ life often draw the most attention, it’s important to note that Moses’ life and ministry grew out of events that transpired long before he was born.

In previous studies, we briefly examined the life of Joseph from the Biblical book of Genesis. We saw how Joseph rose to a prominent position of leadership within the ancient Egyptian government and how he resettled his family in Egypt to save them from the effects of a devastating famine. Unfortunately, things changed over time, and a new leader arose who did not hold the same respect for Joseph, or the people of Israel…

“And Joseph died, all his brothers, and all that generation. But the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly, multiplied and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them.

Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. And he said to his people, ‘Look, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we; come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and it happen, in the event of war, that they also join our enemies and fight against us, and so go up out of the land.’

Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh supply cities, Pithom and Raamses” (Exodus 1:6-11).

However, that plan failed to produce the desired result…

“But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were in dread of the children of Israel” (Exodus 1:12).

Since Pharaoh, the Egyptian king, was not in the habit of giving up easily (as he would demonstrate later), he came up with a scheme that was even more ruthless…

“Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of one was Shiphrah and the name of the other Puah; and he said, ‘When you do the duties of a midwife for the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstools, if it is a son, then you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live’” (Exodus 1:15-16).

So Pharaoh’s solution was to eliminate the source of this “problem” by simply murdering every male child born to a Hebrew mother. This may have seemed like the perfect solution to Pharaoh, but as we’ll see, there was one critical detail he overlooked.

XLII

“By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict” (Hebrews 11:23 ESV).

To eliminate the perceived threat posed by Israel’s growing population, the Biblical book of Exodus tells us that Pharaoh, the Egyptian king, authorized the murder of every male infant born to a Hebrew mother. However, there was an unanticipated obstacle in Pharaoh’s plan…

“But because the midwives feared God, they refused to obey the king’s orders. They allowed the boys to live, too. So the king of Egypt called for the midwives. ‘Why have you done this?’ he demanded. ‘Why have you allowed the boys to live?’

‘The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women,’ the midwives replied. ‘They are more vigorous and have their babies so quickly that we cannot get there in time.’ So God was good to the midwives, and the Israelites continued to multiply, growing more and more powerful” (Exodus 1:17-20 NLT).

Nevertheless, Pharaoh was undeterred by this setback…

“Then Pharaoh gave an order to all his people: ‘Throw every baby boy born to the Hebrews into the Nile River, but you can let all the girls live’” (Exodus 1:22 CEB).

Since Pharaoh could not depend upon these midwives to execute his plan, he simply enlisted the aid of every Egyptian citizen. That was the political environment that surrounded Moses at the time of his birth…

“About this time, a man and woman from the tribe of Levi got married. The woman became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She saw that he was a special baby and kept him hidden for three months. But when she could no longer hide him, she got a basket made of papyrus reeds and waterproofed it with tar and pitch. She put the baby in the basket and laid it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile River. The baby’s sister then stood at a distance, watching to see what would happen to him.

Soon Pharaoh’s daughter came down to bathe in the river, and her attendants walked along the riverbank. When the princess saw the basket among the reeds, she sent her maid to get it for her. When the princess opened it, she saw the baby. The little boy was crying, and she felt sorry for him. ‘This must be one of the Hebrew children,’ she said.

Then the baby’s sister approached the princess. ‘Should I go and find one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?’ she asked. ‘Yes, do!’ the princess replied. So the girl went and called the baby’s mother. ‘Take this baby and nurse him for me,’ the princess told the baby’s mother. ‘I will pay you for your help.’ So the woman took her baby home and nursed him” (Exodus 2:1-9 NLT).

We’ll continue with our look at this portion of Moses’ life next.

XLIII

“By faith, when Moses was born, his parents hid him for three months, because they saw the child was beautiful and they were not afraid of the king’s edict” (Hebrews 11:23 NET).

In an effort to save her newborn son from Pharaoh’s murderous decree, Moses’ birth mother placed him in a waterproof basket and set it afloat on the Nile River. That basket was eventually found by Pharaoh’s daughter, who opened it to find Moses inside. The Egyptian princess felt sorry for the helpless infant and granted temporary custody of the child to a Hebrew woman (who was actually Moses’ birth mother) who nursed him for a period of time.

Exodus 2:10 continues our narrative from that point…

“When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh’s daughter and he became her son. She named him Moses, saying, ‘I drew him out of the water’” (NIV).

So Exodus 2:1-10 presents us with an account that concludes with a positive ending (at least for the moment). However, it may be difficult to identify the act of faith that justifies the appearance of this narrative here in the “Faith Hall Of Fame.” We can address that difficulty if we stop to consider some important aspects of this passage.

First, Moses’ mother demonstrated faith in God through the act of placing him in a basket and setting it afloat on the Nile River. Instead of following Pharaoh’s unjust edict, she chose to follow a more righteous path. Her example thus reminds us that it takes faith to trust God and do what is right when others direct us to do what is wrong.

Next, we should remember that Moses’ birth mother could do nothing else for him once he drifted away into the Nile River. Instead, she had to place her trust in God for his protection. In a similar manner, it takes faith to trust in God to provide for others when we are no longer do so ourselves.

The following verse of Hebrews chapter eleven continues with another lesson in faith from Moses’ life…

“By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin” (Hebrews 11:24-25).

Moses faithfully aligned himself with the people of God instead of taking the easy road of earthly status and luxury. As a member of the Egyptian royal family, Moses could have enjoyed a position of wealth and privilege if that’s what he desired. Instead, he chose to abandon those things to follow God’s path for his life.

XLIV

“By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter and chose to suffer with the people of God rather than to enjoy the short-lived pleasure of sin” (Hebrews 11:24-25 HCSB).

Moses’ decision to leave the security and privilege of Egyptian royalty led to several consequences. For instance, the Biblical account of Moses’ life reveals that he was a man who suffered a great deal. In Moses, we also find someone who was clearly apprehensive about following God’s direction at one point in his life.

In addition, Moses repeatedly faced large groups of unappreciative people who turned against his leadership. Even after Moses stood against Pharaoh, the most powerful political authority of his day and worked to lead the people out of Egyptian servitude, many of them responded in the following manner…

“They also complained to Moses, ‘Wasn’t there enough room in Egypt to bury us? Is that why you brought us out here to die in the desert? Why did you bring us out of Egypt anyway? While we were there, didn’t we tell you to leave us alone? We’d rather be slaves in Egypt than die in this desert!’” (Exodus 14:11-12 CEV, see also Exodus 16:1-3, Exodus 17:1-2, Numbers 14:1-4, Numbers 16:1-3, Numbers 16:41, Numbers 20:1-5, and Numbers 21:4-5).

Nevertheless, Hebrews 11:24-25 tells us that Moses faithfully accepted mistreatment along with the people of God and renounced the fleeting pleasure that sin might bring for a while. Moses could have taken an easier road, but he chose to follow God by faith instead. Because of this, God has honored Moses with a place among the other heroes of the faith mentioned here in Hebrews chapter eleven.

This has led one source to make the following observation…

“In his adult years [Moses] made his choice; he would not hide his true nationality to win a few short years of earthly fame. The result? Instead of occupying a line or two of hieroglyphics on some obscure tomb, he is memorialized in God’s eternal Book. Instead of being found in a museum as an Egyptian mummy, he is famous as a man of God.” ₍₁₎

We will complete our look at this passage by starting where we began this portion of our study. From a human perspective, none of these events from Moses’ life would have occurred if his birth mother had not made the faithful decision to trust God for his protection when she set him afloat in the Nile River as an infant. That decision led to a series of positive consequences that continue to this day.

Moses’ birth mother saw him as someone worth saving. Thus, her example should prompt us to prayerfully consider what God might do with the investments we make in others today.

(1) William Macdonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary Edited by Arthur Farstad, Thomas Nelson Publishers [pg. 2199].

XLV

“esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward” (Hebrews 11:26).

A cursory look at Hebrews 11:26 should prompt an immediate question: “How could Moses regard ‘disgrace for the sake of Christ to be of greater value than all the riches in Egypt’ when Jesus had not yet been born?”

We can address this question when we consider the passage that precedes this verse: “[Moses] chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin” (Hebrews 11:25 NIV). When we take these verses together, we find that Moses elected to exchange the temporary mistreatment he experienced during his earthly life for something better in the future.

That mistreatment represented “abuse suffered on behalf of the Messiah” (CJB) in the following sense: whenever someone is mistreated for a decision to follow God in faith, he or she follows the ultimate example set by Christ. For Moses, that meant looking forward to Jesus’ example. For us, it means looking back.

For example, consider the following excerpt from Jesus’ Sermon On The Mount…

“Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matthew 5:11-12).

While contemporary audiences can benefit from this principle, the heart of Jesus’ message is also reflected in the lives of Old Testament saints like Moses, as well as many of the other individuals we meet in Hebrews chapter eleven. They were often reviled, mistreated, and persecuted, along with other notable Old Testament personalities such as Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel, among others.

One Biblical scholar expands on this idea with the following insight…

“This is a text that shows that Moses himself was conscious of the coming of the Messiah and of the Messiah’s own ‘reproach,’ with which Moses was willing to identify in an anticipatory manner. It may be that Moses to some degree saw his suffering and the suffering of his people… as a typological foreshadowing of the ultimate suffering of God’s Son who also would come out of Egypt (Matt. 2:15, quoting Hos. 11:1).” ₍₁₎

Finally, it is significant to note that Moses (along with Elijah) spoke with Jesus at the time of His transfiguration in Mark 9:2-10. Just as Moses suffered “…disgrace for the sake of Christ” (NIV), so also was he honored with the privilege of an audience with the Messiah during His glorious transfiguration.

(1) R. C. Sproul, ed., The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) (Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2015), 2217.

XLVI

“By faith [Moses] forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he who destroyed the firstborn should touch them” (Hebrews 11:27-28).

Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, was viewed as a god among the people of his kingdom. As such, he was the single most powerful figure within Egyptian society during the period of Israel’s captivity. In theory, Pharaoh could have executed Moses without repercussion if he desired. Yet Moses was not alarmed by that possibility, for his faith in the One who is unseen enabled him to overcome any potential fear of the king’s wrath.

Moses expressed that same faith in keeping the Passover as well. The Feast of Passover was (and is) a commemorative event that memorializes Israel’s deliverance from Egypt (see Exodus chapter twelve). This annual observance commemorates the time when God “passed over” every home that carried an identifying mark of lamb’s blood on its exterior door frame. The firstborn in every other home was put to death…

“I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night and strike every firstborn male in the land of Egypt, both people and animals. I am the Lord; I will execute judgments against all the gods of Egypt. The blood on the houses where you are staying will be a distinguishing mark for you; when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No plague will be among you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt” (Exodus 12:12-13 CSB).

Although the Passover is widely celebrated among the members of the Jewish community today, the events that led up to that first Passover may be less familiar. A look at the Biblical record reveals that the Passover referenced here in Hebrews 11:28 was the culmination of a series of events involving Pharaoh and others under his leadership. Those events are known today as the Ten Plagues of Egypt.

However, we can trace the Passover’s origin even further back to Moses’ first interaction with God. At the time of their initial meeting, the Lord issued the following directive to Moses: “…you and the elders are to go to the king of Egypt and say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God’” (Exodus 3:18 NIV).

God then followed with a piece of divine foresight: “I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless he is forced to do so. But I will use my power and will punish Egypt by doing terrifying things there. After that he will let you go” (Exodus 3:19-20 GNT). Thus, it was Pharaoh who initiated the chain of events that ultimately led to the establishment of the Passover.

XLVII

“It was by faith that Moses commanded the people of Israel to keep the Passover and to sprinkle blood on the doorposts so that the angel of death would not kill their firstborn sons” (Hebrews 11:28 NLT).

When Moses approached Pharaoh to request a national three day leave-of-absence to offer sacrifices to the Lord, the Egyptian monarch responded just as God predicted: ”’Who is the Lord?’ the king demanded. ‘Why should I listen to him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord; and I will not let Israel go’” (Exodus 5:2 GNT). Although Pharaoh did not realize it, this represented the beginning of the end of Israel’s servitude in Egypt…

“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh. I will use my great power against him, and he will let my people go. He will be so ready for them to leave that he will force them to go’” (Exodus 6:1 ERV).

That led to a series of ten judgments that were designed to compel Pharaoh into obedience. Those judgments took the form of the following plagues…

• All the waters of Egypt, including the beloved Nile River, turned to blood.
• Frogs overran the land.
• Gnats (or lice) infested the land of Egypt to the point where they “…covered everyone, people and animals alike” Exodus 8:18 NLT). This brought Pharaoh’s occultic advisors to the following conclusion: “…’This is something only God could do!’”(Exodus 8:19 CEB).
• Swarms of flies descended upon the homes of the Egyptians, including Pharaoh’s residence. But no flies entered the region of Goshen where the people of Israel dwelled.
• A severe pestilence decimated the nation’s livestock, including their cattle, horses, donkeys, camels, oxen, and sheep.
• Boils and sores broke out on the people and the remaining animals.
• Hailstones destroyed Egypt’s agricultural production, along with whatever replacement livestock the Egyptians had been able to procure. Nevertheless, God graciously offered the following counsel in advance: “‘Tomorrow at this time I’ll cause the heaviest hail to fall on Egypt that has ever fallen from the day Egypt was founded until now. So bring under shelter your livestock and all that belongs to you that is out in the open. Every person or animal that is out in the open field and isn’t brought inside will die when the hail rains down on them.’ Some of Pharaoh’s officials who took the Lord’s word seriously rushed to bring their servants and livestock inside for shelter. Others who didn’t take the Lord’s word to heart left their servants and livestock out in the open field” (Exodus 9:18-21 CEB).
• Any plant that wasn’t completely annihilated by the hail was subsequently devoured by locusts.
• Thick darkness then covered the land for three days.

The final plague -the deaths of all firstborn- was directly associated with the Passover referenced here in Hebrews 11:28 and facilitated Israel’s subsequent departure from Egypt.

XLVIII

“It was faith that made [Moses] establish the Passover and order the blood to be sprinkled on the doors, so that the Angel of Death would not kill the first-born sons of the Israelites” (Hebrews 11:28 GNT).

The seventh to twelfth chapters of the Biblical book of Exodus detail a series of disastrous plagues that were imposed upon the nation of Egypt. Those afflictions culminated in the most devastating plague of all: the death of every firstborn son who was outside a dwelling under God’s protection.

One source offers a valuable synopsis of that final event and its relationship to our text from Hebrews 11:28…

“Moses was warned in detail about the fatal tenth plague, and he prepared the Hebrew people so they could protect themselves from it. At midnight, the Lord would sweep over Egypt, killing the firstborn of every living thing, man and beast, except for those who were protected. That protection was afforded by the sacrifice of a spotless lamb. Each family was to sacrifice such a lamb and to sprinkle its blood on the doorposts. The blood, symbol of God’s protective power, would cause the angel of death to pass over.

Thus was instituted what is still one of the most holy Jewish holidays, the Passover. When Jesus Christ came, his followers realized the further significance of the Passover rites: they foreshadow the sacrifice of Jesus Christ as the true Passover Lamb. His blood shed on the cross is the true blood of atonement and protection, and God’s judgment on sin ‘passes over’ those who have been protected by that blood.

Pharaoh heard the cry of grief and mourning throughout his land. His household, too, had been affected: his firstborn son was dead, and now he was ready to give up the fight. The God of Israel was too powerful for him. Relenting from his stubbornness, he summoned Moses and Aaron and permitted them to lead the people, with all their possessions, out from the land of Goshen in Egypt and to their God in the wilderness. Not until after the last one did Pharaoh finally agree to let the people leave Egypt.” ₍₁₎

As another commentator observes, “It took faith to believe that the blood of a lamb on the doorpost would save a household from the terror of the angel of death; but Moses had that faith, and led the nation in observance of Passover.” ₍₂₎ These insights should lead us to a greater appreciation for this historical narrative and its appearance here within the Hebrews 11 “Faith Hall Of Fame.”

(1) McDowell, J. (1997). Josh McDowell’s Handbook On Apologetics (electronic ed.). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson. Page 29.

(2) David Guzik Hebrews 11 – Examples Of Faith To Help The Discouraged © Copyright – Enduring Word https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/hebrews-11/

XLIX

“By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned” (Hebrews 11:29).

Genesis 15:13-14 records a scene from the life of the Biblical patriarch Abraham that relates to our text from Hebrews 11:29…

“The Lord said to [Abraham], ‘Your descendants will be strangers in a foreign land; they will be slaves there and will be treated cruelly for four hundred years. But I will punish the nation that enslaves them, and when they leave that foreign land, they will take great wealth with them…” (GNT).

That prophetic message was fulfilled upon Israel’s departure from Egypt…

“The Israelites had already done what Moses had told them to do. They had gone to their Egyptian neighbors and asked for gold and silver and for clothes. The Lord had made the Egyptians friendly toward the people of Israel, and they gave them whatever they asked for. In this way they carried away the wealth of the Egyptians when they left Egypt” (Exodus 12:35-36 CEV).

This led to one of the greatest miraculous events in Biblical history- the parting of the Red Sea…

“When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about the people and said, ‘What have we done? We have released Israel from serving us.’ So he got his chariot ready and took his troops with him… The Egyptians—all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots, his horsemen, and his army—chased after them and caught up with them as they camped by the sea…

But Moses said to the people, ‘Don’t be afraid. Stand firm and see the Lord’s salvation that he will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again.’

…Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. The Lord drove the sea back with a powerful east wind all that night and turned the sea into dry land. So the waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with the waters like a wall to them on their right and their left. The Egyptians set out in pursuit… and went into the sea after them…

Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the water may come back on the Egyptians, on their chariots and horsemen.’ So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea returned to its normal depth… The water came back and covered the chariots and horsemen, plus the entire army of Pharaoh that had gone after them into the sea. Not even one of them survived” (Exodus 14:5-6, 9, 13, 21-23, 26-28 CSB).

Thus, as one author concludes, “The difference between the Israelites crossing the Red Sea and the Egyptians who followed them was not courage, but faith. The Egyptians had as much (or more) courage than the Israelites, but not the same faith – and they each had different fates.” ₍₁₎

(1) David Guzik Hebrews 11 – Examples Of Faith To Help The Discouraged © Copyright – Enduring Word https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/hebrews-11/

L

The next stop on our tour through the Hebrews chapter eleven “Faith Hall Of Fame” takes us to another notable event- the fall of Jericho…

“By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days” (Hebrews 11:30).

Many have undoubtedly heard the account of Jericho’s demise after the people of Israel followed God’s directive to march around the city for seven days. While the record of Jericho’s fall may be familiar, there are some important things we can learn about faith when we stop to examine what took place there.

For example, the account of Jericho’s downfall began long before the Israelites ever reached the city…

“After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: ‘Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them– to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses’” (Joshua 1:1 NIV).

The person God chose to replace Moses was a man named Joshua, Moses’ former assistant (Numbers 27:15-23). Following Moses’ death, the Lord spoke to Joshua saying, “I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses” (Joshua 1:3 NIV). Since Jericho was the first city Israel encountered after they entered the Promised Land, it thus represented Joshua’s first opportunity to act upon God’s promise by faith. That brings us to our first observation from this passage: the leaders changed, but their faith in God remained the same.

Although Jericho was a residential community, it seems as if it was built more like a high-security military installation than a city. From what we know of the city today, it appears that Jericho was more than a quarter-mile wide in diameter (about .50 km). It was also built on an elevated location -a definite advantage against those who might seek to conquer the city.

It also appears that there were three different walls that surrounded the city to protect it from intruders. The first wall circled the exterior border and was 15 feet (5 m) high, and six feet (2 m) thick. Behind this perimeter wall was a second wall that was 25 feet (8 m) high, and six feet (2 m) thick. Finally, a third 25-foot (8 m) tall, six-foot (2 m) thick wall was situated behind the outer walls. These features combined to make Jericho extremely difficult to invade.

It’s also clear that Joshua and his army were dealing with a city that was filled with people who were highly motivated to keep them out. We’ll see why next.

LI

“By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days” (Hebrews 11:30 ESV).

Although Jericho was the first city the people of Israel encountered upon their entrance into the Promised Land, it appears their reputation preceded their arrival in that area.

You see, Joshua 2:9-10 tells us that the residents of Jericho knew God had parted the Red Sea for the Israelites decades earlier. They were also aware of Israel’s successful military engagements with the nation-states they encountered prior to their arrival in that area. These reports made the people of Jericho very concerned about Israel- so much so that Joshua 6:1 tells us that the city was locked up tight in an effort to keep them out.

With that, let’s look at God’s plan to conquer this seemingly indestructible fortress…

“The Lord said to Joshua, I am about to hand Jericho, its king, and its warriors over to you. All the soldiers will march around the city once a day for six days. Seven priests will carry rams’ horns ahead of the ark. But on the seventh day you must march around the city seven times while the priests blow their horns. When you hear a long blast on the horn, all the troops must shout very loudly. The wall around the city will collapse. Then the troops must charge straight ahead into the city” (Joshua 6:2-5 GW).

We can derive several important lessons regarding faith from this passage. For instance, no credible military strategist would ever endorse an invasion plan that involved marching around a metropolitan area for a week. Yet, that was the tactical plan God issued to the people of Israel. Thus, faith recognizes that God may choose to fulfill His purposes in unusual ways.

We can also say that faith sometimes requires patience. Remember that the walls of Jericho didn’t fall immediately; and the people of Israel had to exercise patience in order to see the result God intended for them.

Joshua 6:20 identifies something else we can learn from this example: faith acts on what God has promised…

“So the troops shouted very loudly when they heard the blast of the rams’ horns, and the wall collapsed. The troops charged straight ahead and captured the city” (GW).

So the people of Israel acted upon God’s directive first. Then they saw Him fulfill His promises on their behalf. This is a characteristic of faith that is often repeated throughout Hebrews chapter eleven.

So the walls of Jericho came down, but not everyone perished in the city’s destruction…

“Joshua said to the two men who had scouted the land, ‘Go to the prostitute’s house and bring the woman out of there, and all who are with her, just as you swore to her’” (Joshua 6:22 CSB).

That portion of Scripture will lead us into our look at the next hero of the faith from Hebrews chapter eleven.

LII

While Hebrews 11:30 describes the faith displayed by those who conquered the ancient city of Jericho, there was one group of residents who were spared from death when the walls of that great metropolis went down. The Old Testament book of Joshua provides us with that account…

“Joshua spoke to the two men who had scouted out the land. ‘Go to the prostitute’s house. Bring out the woman from there, along with everyone related to her, exactly as you pledged to her’” (Joshua 6:22 CEB).

Hebrews chapter eleven references that portion of Israel’s history, along with an emphasis on the faith displayed by this prostitute named Rahab…

“By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace” (Hebrews 11:31).

So how did Rahab the harlot find a place among these members of the Hebrews 11 “Faith Hall Of Fame”? To answer that question, we must return to the period when Joshua dispatched a two-man reconnaissance team to explore the city of Jericho along with its surrounding areas. We find that account in Joshua chapter two…

“Joshua chose two men as spies and sent them from their camp at Acacia with these instructions: ‘Go across the river and find out as much as you can about the whole region, especially about the town of Jericho.’ The two spies left the Israelite camp at Acacia and went to Jericho, where they decided to spend the night at the house of a prostitute named Rahab.

But someone found out about them and told the king of Jericho, ‘Some Israelite men came here tonight, and they are spies.’ So the king sent soldiers to Rahab’s house to arrest the spies. Meanwhile, Rahab had taken the men up to the flat roof of her house and had hidden them under some piles of flax plants that she had put there to dry.

The soldiers came to her door and demanded, ‘Let us have the men who are staying at your house. They are spies.’ She answered, ‘Some men did come to my house, but I didn’t know where they had come from. They left about sunset, just before it was time to close the town gate. I don’t know where they were going, but if you hurry, maybe you can catch them” (Joshua 2:1-7 CEV).

We’ll continue our look at this passage and examine Rahab’s justification for this taking this action next.

LIII

“By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies” (Hebrews 11:31 ESV).

We continue with Rahab’s account from Joshua chapter two as she explained her rationale for hiding the Israelite spies who had been conducting a reconnaissance mission within her city…

“Before the spies settled down for the night, Rahab went up on the roof and said to them, ‘I know that the Lord has given you this land. Everyone in the country is terrified of you. We have heard how the Lord dried up the Red Sea in front of you when you were leaving Egypt. We have also heard how you killed Sihon and Og, the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan. We were afraid as soon as we heard about it; we have all lost our courage because of you.

The Lord your God is God in heaven above and here on earth. Now swear by him that you will treat my family as kindly as I have treated you, and give me some sign that I can trust you. Promise me that you will save my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all their families! Don’t let us be killed!’

The men said to her, ‘May God take our lives if we don’t do as we say! If you do not tell anyone what we have been doing, we promise you that when the Lord gives us this land, we will treat you well.’

Rahab lived in a house built into the city wall, so she let the men down from the window by a rope. ‘Go into the hill country,’ she said, ‘or the king’s men will find you. Hide there for three days until they come back. After that, you can go on your way.’

The men said to her, ‘We will keep the promise that you have made us give. This is what you must do. When we invade your land, tie this red cord to the window you let us down from. Get your father and mother, your brothers, and all your father’s family together in your house. If anyone goes out of the house, his death will be his own fault, and we will not be responsible; but if anyone in the house with you is harmed, then we will be responsible. However, if you tell anyone what we have been doing, then we will not have to keep our promise which you have made us give you.”

She agreed and sent them away. When they had gone, she tied the red cord to the window” (Joshua 2:1-21 GW).

Once again, it’s important to note that the residents of Jericho were aware of God’s presence and power, even going back decades earlier to His parting of the Red Sea. But only one of the city’s inhabitants -Rahab- proved willing to act on that knowledge by faith.

LIV

“By faith Rahab the prostitute escaped the destruction of the disobedient, because she welcomed the spies in peace” (Hebrews 11:31 NET).

So how did Rahab the prostitute enter the Hebrews 11 “Faith Hall Of Fame”? Well, Rahab entered this portion of Scripture by virtue of her authentic, God-honoring faith. For instance, Rahab’s faith was clearly aligned with the definition of faith given to us earlier in Hebrews 11:1: “…faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see” (ESV).

Next, we can say that Rahab clearly believed in God’s existence. That belief led her to risk her life in hiding the members of the Israelite reconnaissance team who entered the city of Jericho. Thus, Rahab expressed the kind of faith we read about earlier in Hebrews 11:6…

“You can never please God without faith, without depending on him. Anyone who wants to come to God must believe that there is a God and that he rewards those who sincerely look for him” (TLB).

Rahab also demonstrated the fact that she took God and His word seriously. She believed God could save her from the coming destruction of the city. She also trusted Him to ensure that the people of Israel followed through on their commitment to spare her life when they conquered the city. Thus, Rahab’s example reveals a great deal about genuine Biblical faith and how that faith should influence our actions.

Because of this, God has chosen to honor Rahab with a place in the Biblical Faith Hall Of Fame. This has also led one commentator to the following conclusion…

“[This] is a tremendous revelation of the fact that God did not arbitrarily destroy the city of Jericho. You see, for forty years word had been filtering into Jericho about a people who crossed the Red Sea. In other words, Rahab said, ‘It was forty years ago when we heard about that. And I for one believed. Others believed the facts, but they did not believe in God. They never trusted the living God.’

Later on, they heard how God was leading Israel and that He had given them victory on the other side of the Jordan against the Amorites. Jericho should have profited from that information. Finally Israel miraculously crossed the Jordan River and parked right outside the door of Jericho. What had God been doing? He had been giving the city an opportunity to believe in Him, to trust Him, and to turn to Him.” ₍₁₎

(1) J. Vernon McGee, Thru The Bible with J. Vernon McGee, “Hebrews 11:31 The Faith Of Rahab” Copyright 1981 by J. Vernon McGee

LV

“By faith Rahab the prostitute received the spies in peace and didn’t perish with those who disobeyed” (Hebrews 11:31 HCSB).

As we close our look at Rahab’s place in the Hebrews 11 “Faith Hall Of Fame,” one question remains: “Why has Rahab received this honor in view of her character?”

The immediate answer to that question involves the agreement Rahab made with the members of the Israelite reconnaissance team. In return for hiding them from Jericho’s police force, Rahab secured their promise to protect her household when the people of Israel conquered the city. The spies agreed to those terms on two conditions…

1. Rahab had to place a scarlet cord in her window.
2. Everyone remained within her home during the invasion (see Joshua 2:12-24).

Rahab fulfilled those terms and thus entered this portion of Scripture on the basis of her faith, not on her former life as a prostitute.

Another question regarding Rahab is this: “How could God commend Rahab when she lied to protect the spies who entered Jericho?” To address that question, we should first consider the fact that Rahab was a not an Israelite. She had heard of Israel’s God and was aware of His power and ability, but she did not know Him.

Although we can say that Rahab’s conscience should have told her it was wrong to lie, it is also true that she did not have access to that prohibition in the Mosaic Law. Rahab also did not have access to the other standards of right and wrong that God established for the people of Israel.

We should also recognize that Rahab may have faced an insurmountable problem. You see, it may not have been possible to hide the spies and tell the truth to Jericho’s police force at the same time.

In addition, it’s important to note that Rahab risked her life in choosing to hide the Israelite spies. If Rahab was found to be harboring those men as criminal fugitives, she undoubtedly would have paid with her life. These things do not excuse Rahab for lying (which was wrong) but it did save the Israelite spies from death (which represented a greater wrong).

So, even though Rahab lied to protect the spies, the act of giving them up to Jericho’s authorities would have promoted something worse. We find other examples of lying to prevent a greater wrong in Exodus 1:15-21 and Jeremiah 38:24-27. Again, this does not excuse lying (which is wrong), but it is also clear that the Bible allows for the consideration of extenuating circumstances if they exist.

Finally, we should remember that the Bible does not say that Rahab was honored for lying. On the contrary, Rahab demonstrated her faith in the one true God. She believed God was going to give Jericho to the people of Israel and acted on that belief by hiding the spies. So Rahab wasn’t praised for lying, but she was honored for her faith.

LVI

“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” (Hebrews 11:32).

Although the author of Hebrews could have added to names given to us here in chapter eleven, the constraints of time limited him from continuing with a list of other heroes of the faith who were equally worthy of recognition. As one source wryly observes, “He has not run out of examples, but only out of time.” ₍₁₎

Thus, the final stops on our tour through the Hebrews 11 “Faith Hall Of Fame” takes us to visit with six well-known (and not so well-known) examples of genuine Biblical faith. The first four individuals mentioned in Hebrews 11:32 (Gideon, Barak, Samson, and Jephthah) all lived during the Old Testament period chronicled in the Biblical book of Judges. Samuel and David also lived near the end of that period and shortly thereafter.

While some of these names may be more recognizable than others, each of these individuals can tell us something important about what it means to live a life that honors God in faith. That becomes especially clear when we look at the first person mentioned in Hebrews 11:32, a man named Gideon.

We find Gideon’s account beginning in the sixth chapter of the book of Judges. But before we get to Gideon, we’ll begin with some important background information from the opening verses of Judges chapter six…

“Then once again the Israelites started disobeying the Lord, so he let the nation of Midian control Israel for seven years. The Midianites were so cruel that many Israelites ran to the mountains and hid in caves.

Every time the Israelites planted crops, the Midianites invaded Israel together with the Amalekites and other eastern nations. They rode in on their camels, set up their tents, and then let their livestock eat the crops as far as the town of Gaza. The Midianites stole food, sheep, cattle, and donkeys. Like a swarm of locusts, they could not be counted, and they ruined the land wherever they went.

The Midianites took almost everything that belonged to the Israelites, and the Israelites begged the Lord for help. Then the Lord sent a prophet to them with this message:

I am the Lord God of Israel, so listen to what I say. You were slaves in Egypt, but I set you free and led you out of Egypt into this land. And when nations here made life miserable for you, I rescued you and helped you get rid of them and take their land. I am your God, and I told you not to worship Amorite gods, even though you are living in the land of the Amorites. But you refused to listen” (Judges 6:1-10 CEV).

This sets the stage for Gideon’s entry into our narrative next.

(1) William Macdonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary Edited by Arthur Farstad, Thomas Nelson Publishers [pg. 2200].

LVII

“What else can I say? There isn’t enough time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets” (Hebrews 11:32 CEV).

The Old Testament book of Judges contains the following admonition from the Lord to the people of Israel: “I told you, ‘I am the Lord your God; you must not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living.’ But you have not obeyed me” (Judges 6:10 CEV). This passage is worthy of our attention, for we may leave ourselves open to a similar admonition whenever we choose to neglect our relationship with God.

This recalls the cautionary message given to us earlier in Hebrews 2:1: “We ought, therefore, to pay the greatest attention to the truth that we have heard and not allow ourselves to drift away from it” (Phillips). If we drift from our relationship with Christ in such a manner, it may only be a matter of time before we begin to make bad decisions that lead to painful repercussions. The nation of Israel repeatedly engaged in that type of behavior throughout the Biblical book of Judges and suffered the consequences as a result.

One way to avoid that negative example involves a few simple practices that are given to us in the New Testament book of Acts. You see, Acts 2:42 identifies four important spiritual disciplines observed by the early church: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (NIV).

We can understand this to mean that the early church focused on four specific areas: prayer, Bible study (the apostles’ teaching), communion (breaking of bread), and regular church attendance (the fellowship). These four spiritual disciplines can help us maintain the priority relationship with God that He deserves and avoid the circumstances that led to Gideon’s introduction in Judges chapter six…

“The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, ‘The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.’

‘Pardon me, my lord,’ Gideon replied, ‘but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.’

The Lord turned to him and said, ‘Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?’” (Judges 6:11-14 NIV).

We’ll continue with a look at Gideon’s response next.

LVIII

“And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets” (Hebrews 11:32 ESV).

Our review of Gideon’s life from the Biblical book of Judges continues with the record of his interaction with the angel of the Lord…

“But again Gideon said to him, ‘With all due respect, my Lord, how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I’m the youngest in my household.’ The Lord replied, ‘Because I’m with you, you’ll defeat the Midianites as if they were just one person.’

Then Gideon said to him, ‘If I’ve gained your approval, please show me a sign that it’s really you speaking with me. Don’t leave here until I return, bring out my offering, and set it in front of you.’ The Lord replied, ‘I’ll stay until you return.’ So Gideon went and prepared a young goat and used an ephah of flour for unleavened bread. He put the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot and brought them out to him under the oak and presented them.

Then God’s messenger said to him, ‘Take the meat and the unleavened bread and set them on this rock, then pour out the broth.’ And he did so. The Lord’s messenger reached out the tip of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened bread. Fire came up from the rock and devoured the meat and the unleavened bread; and the Lord’s messenger vanished before his eyes.

Then Gideon realized that it had been the Lord’s messenger. Gideon exclaimed, ‘Oh no, Lord God! I have seen the Lord’s messenger face-to-face!’ But the Lord said to him, ‘Peace! Don’t be afraid! You won’t die.’ So Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and called it ‘The Lord makes peace.’ It still stands today in Ophrah of the Abiezrites” (Judges 6:15-24 CEB).

Now that we’ve met Gideon, what kind of person did he seem to be? Was he a heroic man? Did he project an image of confidence? Was he a person of bravery, courage, and fearlessness? Not at all. Gideon was clearly someone who was frightened, confused, and unsure of himself. However, Gideon was not the only Biblical personality to exhibit these characteristics in response to God’s calling.

For instance, let’s reconsider Moses’ example from earlier in this chapter. When God called Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, Exodus 4:13 records his response: “My Lord, I beg you to send someone else, not me” (ERV). We also have the example of the great prophet Jeremiah. When God called Jeremiah to be His spokesperson, Jeremiah responded by saying, “‘O Sovereign Lord… I can’t speak for you! I’m too young!’” (Jeremiah 1:6 NLT).

We’ll consider twelve similar examples from the New Testament next.

LIX

“Should I go on? There isn’t enough time for me to speak of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets” (Hebrews 11:32 GNB).

In addition to Gideon’s example from Judges chapter six, let’s consider the men whom Jesus chose to be His disciples. Among those individuals were four fishermen (James, John, Peter, and Andrew), a tax collector (Matthew, also known as Levi), a skeptic (Thomas), a political extremist (Simon the Zealot), and four nobodies (everyone else).

It’s probably safe to say that most people would not have chosen these candidates if they were in Jesus’ position. Nevertheless, these were the men Jesus chose. Therefore, we should be thankful that God follows a different protocol with regard to His work in our lives. As it has often been said, “God does not necessarily call those who are qualified; instead, He qualifies those whom He has called.”

We can illustrate this truth when we consider the various aspects of God’s message to Gideon…

• “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior” (Judges 6:12 NIV).
• “‘Go with the strength you have, and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you!’” (Judges 6:14 NLT).
• “‘You can do it because I will help you. You will crush the Midianites as easily as if they were only one man’” (Judges 6:16 GNT).

How could the Lord make these statements to a man who was hiding from the people he was called to defeat? We find the answer in Judges 6:16: “The LORD answered, ‘I will be with you…’” (NIV). If God is with us, we can accomplish anything He calls us to do. Of course, this is not only true for Old Testament personalities like Gideon; we can find similar examples in the New Testament as well…

“When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13 NIV).

These examples tell us that God doesn’t necessarily use those who seemingly have the most to offer. This explains how a frightened and uncertain man like Gideon ended up as a successful military leader- and it wasn’t long before Gideon was given his first opportunity to engage the enemy…

“Soon afterward the armies of Midian, Amalek, and other neighboring nations united in one vast alliance against Israel. They crossed the Jordan and camped in the valley of Jezreel. Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet as a call to arms, and the men of Abiezer came to him. He also sent messengers throughout Manasseh, Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, summoning their fighting forces, and all of them responded” (Judges 6: 33-35 TLB).

Nevertheless, we’ll soon see that Gideon will require some additional persuasion before entering into battle.

LX

“What more should I say? I don’t have enough time to tell you about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets” (Hebrews 11:32 GW).

Even though Gideon is a member of the Faith Hall Of Fame, it’s clear that he was someone who felt the need to confirm God’s direction more than once…

“Then Gideon said to God, ‘If you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said, behold, I am laying a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece alone, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said.’ And it was so. When he rose early next morning and squeezed the fleece, he wrung enough dew from the fleece to fill a bowl with water.

Then Gideon said to God, ‘Let not your anger burn against me; let me speak just once more. Please let me test just once more with the fleece. Please let it be dry on the fleece only, and on all the ground let there be dew.’ And God did so that night; and it was dry on the fleece only, and on all the ground there was dew” (Judges 6:36-40 ESV).

Gideon’s example should thus encourage us whenever we feel unsure of God’s direction. His response tells us we can ask God to confirm His will for our lives if we do so with a similar attitude of respect.

With that, let’s continue with the account of Gideon’s life from Judges chapter seven…

“Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the troops with him got up early and camped above En Harod. Midian’s camp was north of him at the hill of Moreh in the valley. The Lord said to Gideon, ‘You have too many men with you for me to hand Midian over to you. Israel might brag and say, ‘We saved ourselves.’ Announce to the troops, ‘Whoever is scared or frightened should leave Mount Gilead and go back home.’ ” So 22,000 men went back home, and 10,000 were left.

The Lord said to Gideon, ‘There are still too many men. Bring them down to the water, and I will test them for you there. If I say to you, ‘This one will go with you,’ he must go with you. And if I say to you, ‘This one won’t go with you,’ he must not go.”

So Gideon took the men down to the water. The Lord said to him, ‘Separate those who lap water with their tongues like dogs from those who kneel down to drink.’ Three hundred men lapped water with their hands to their mouths. All the rest of the men knelt down to drink water” (Judges 7:1-6 GNT).

We’ll consider a theory that may explain why God separated Gideon’s infantry in this manner next.

LXI

 “And what more can I say? Time is too short for me to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets” (Hebrews 11:32 HCSB).

After instructing Gideon to redeploy his troops to an area where they could obtain drinking water, God proceeded to separate the members of Gideon’s army in an unusual manner…

“‘…the Lord told him, ‘Watch how each man gets a drink of water. Then divide them into two groups—those who lap the water like a dog and those who kneel down to drink. Three hundred men scooped up water in their hands and lapped it, and the rest knelt to get a drink.

”The Lord said, ‘Gideon, your army will be made up of everyone who lapped the water from their hands. Send the others home. I’m going to rescue Israel by helping you and your army of 300 defeat the Midianites’” (Judges 7:5-7 CEV).

So why would God make this kind of selection? One answer was given to us earlier within the Biblical text: “The Lord said to Gideon, ‘You have too many warriors with you. If I let all of you fight the Midianites, the Israelites will boast to me that they saved themselves by their own strength’” (Judges 7:2 NLT). However, there may have been another contributing factor.

You see, a soldier who drinks while kneeling down to face a water source is at a disadvantage. For instance, an enemy combatant might sneak up from behind, push that soldier’s face into the water, and hold it there until he drowned. However, the soldiers who brought water to their mouths maintained their situational awareness and avoided that danger. So even though they were fewer in number, these soldiers may have been better prepared to fulfill their mission objective…

“So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites home but kept the three hundred, who took over the provisions and trumpets of the others. Now the camp of Midian lay below him in the valley.

During that night the Lord said to Gideon, ‘Get up, go down against the camp, because I am going to give it into your hands. If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah and listen to what they are saying. Afterward, you will be encouraged to attack the camp.’ So he and Purah his servant went down to the outposts of the camp.

The Midianites, the Amalekites and all the other eastern peoples had settled in the valley, thick as locusts. Their camels could no more be counted than the sand on the seashore. Gideon arrived just as a man was telling a friend his dream…” (Judges 7:8-13 NIV).

We’ll look at this dream (and its interpretation by Israel’s enemies) next.

LXII

 “And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets” (Hebrews 11:32 KJV).

After God invited Gideon to approach the enemy encampment of the Midianites, the Biblical book of Judges records what happened next…

“…So Gideon took Purah and went down to the edge of the enemy camp. The armies of Midian, Amalek, and the people of the east had settled in the valley like a swarm of locusts. Their camels were like grains of sand on the seashore—too many to count! Gideon crept up just as a man was telling his companion about a dream.

The man said, ‘I had this dream, and in my dream a loaf of barley bread came tumbling down into the Midianite camp. It hit a tent, turned it over, and knocked it flat!’ His companion answered, ‘Your dream can mean only one thing—God has given Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite, victory over Midian and all its allies!’

When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship before the Lord. Then he returned to the Israelite camp and shouted, ‘Get up! For the Lord has given you victory over the Midianite hordes!’” (Judges 7:11-15 NLT).

This portion of Scripture illustrates God’s grace and patience as He encouraged Gideon to face the seemingly insurmountable odds that lay before him. It also demonstrates how the Lord continued to support and reassure Gideon in the midst of his uncertainty. Those efforts helped transform Gideon from a frightened, reluctant farmer to a bold, confident man of God.

In fact, the Old Testament book of Psalms describes many similar attributes of God that serve to comfort and encourage us as we face the challenges of life. For instance…

“But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, Longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth” (Psalm 86:15).

“The Lord is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy” (Psalm 103:8).

“The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, Slow to anger and great in mercy” (Psalm 145:8).

Thus, we have the Biblical encouragement to emulate these characteristics within our lives…

“Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others” (Colossians 3:12-13 NLT).

LXIII

 “And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets” (Hebrews 11:32 NET).

We continue with the account of Gideon’s attack upon a group of enemy soldiers as chronicled in the Biblical book of Judges…

“[Gideon] divided the three hundred men into three units and equipped every man with a trumpet and an empty jar, with a torch inside each jar. ‘Now watch me,’ he ordered them, ‘and do what I do. When I get to the outpost of the camp, do just what I do. When I blow the trumpet, along with all who are with me, then you blow the trumpets, all of you surrounding the whole camp. And then shout, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon!’

Gideon and one hundred of his men moved to the outpost of the camp at the middle watch of the night, when they had just changed the guards. Then they blew the trumpets and smashed the jars that were in their hands. So the three units blew their trumpets and broke their jars, holding the torches with their left hands and blowing the trumpets in their right hands. And they called out, ‘A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!’

Each man stood fast in his position around the camp, and the entire camp took off running, shouting, and fleeing. When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the Lord turned the swords of fellow soldiers against each other throughout the whole camp. The camp fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, to the border of Abel-meholah, beside Tabbath” (Judges 7:16-22 CEB).

So this narrative reminds us that it is not how we start, but how we finish that counts. You see, Gideon may have begun as a frightened and insecure individual, but God transformed him into a person of leadership and courage. Gideon responded to God’s call with honesty, humility, and respect, and the Lord responded by enabling him to overcome his initial reluctance. Thus, God empowered Gideon to fulfill his calling.

The good news is that this is just as true for us as it was for Gideon. If God could help a person like Gideon overcome His fearfulness, then He can certainly do the same for us as well. God has the ability to write Gideon’s story in each of our lives- and if He could do this for Gideon, He can do so for us.

Unfortunately, Gideon’s account did not end there, and we will examine a far less encouraging episode from Gideon’s life next.

LXIV

 “And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets” (Hebrews 11:32 NIV).

Unfortunately, Gideon’s account does not end with the Biblical record of his victory over the Midianites. You see, the Old Testament book of Judges continues with a subsequent portion of Gideon’s life…

“The Israelites said to Gideon, ‘Rule over us—you, your son and your grandson—because you have saved us from the hand of Midian.’ But Gideon told them, ‘I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The Lord will rule over you’” (Judges 8:22-23 NIV).

When the people of Israel offered to serve as Gideon’s royal subjects, Gideon countered with the proper response: “…’I’m not the one who will rule over you, and my son won’t rule over you either. The Lord rules over you’” (CEB). If Gideon had only stopped there, things might not have taken a turn for the worse…

“And he said, ‘I do have one request, that each of you give me an earring from your share of the plunder.’ (It was the custom of the Ishmaelites to wear gold earrings.) They answered, ‘We’ll be glad to give them.’ So they spread out a garment, and each man threw a ring from his plunder onto it.

The weight of the gold rings he asked for came to seventeen hundred shekels, not counting the ornaments, the pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian or the chains that were on their camels’ necks. Gideon made the gold into an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his town. All Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his family” (Judges 8:24-27 NIV).

So the interval following Gideon’s great victory over the Midianites turned into a period where he fell into a grave spiritual error. In like manner, we should also be alert to the tests and temptations that follow a significant victory in our lives. If we fail to remain spiritually vigilant, we may find ourselves in a similar situation.

Seventeen hundred shekels of gold represented about fifty pounds (23.7 kg) in weight. If that amount of gold was to find its way to a modern-day currency exchange, the resulting value would equate to hundreds of thousands of dollars. We’re then told that Gideon used that reward to create an ephod that he subsequently erected in his hometown.

An ephod was a garment that was typically worn by a priest. As mentioned earlier in our look at Hebrews, one of the primary responsibilities of a priest involved the act of representing others before God. A priest was also responsible for presenting the sacrificial offerings that were necessary to atone for the sins of the people. So why did Gideon choose to create this symbol of spiritual leadership? Therein lies an important spiritual lesson that we’ll consider next.

LXV

 “What more can I say, then? I’ve run out of time to tell you about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets” Hebrews 11:32 NTE).

After Gideon received some of the gold that the men of Israel plundered in their victory over the Midianites, Judges 8:27 tells us what he did with it: “Gideon made a sacred ephod from the gold and put it in Ophrah, his hometown. But soon all the Israelites prostituted themselves by worshiping it, and it became a trap for Gideon and his family” (NLT).

It is difficult to find fault with Gideon’s initial request for financial recognition. However, it’s clear that Gideon used those assets inappropriately. Remember that Gideon was a farmer and military leader who received God’s call to deliver Israel from the Midianites. But in creating an ephod (a symbol of spiritual leadership), Gideon clearly moved outside God’s call upon his life. Not surprisingly, the results were disastrous.

Paul the Apostle’s message to the Corinthian church is instructive at this point…

“We will not boast about things done outside our area of authority. We will boast only about what has happened within the boundaries of the work God has given us, which includes our working with you” (2 Corinthians 10:13 NLT).

Unlike Paul the Apostle. Gideon did not observe the God-ordained boundaries of his work when he chose to create this ephod. He also demonstrated an alarming lack of discernment in creating this image, especially when we consider Israel’s long-standing bias towards idolatry. In light of this, 2 Corinthians 10:13 (along with Gideon’s example) reminds us of the need to “stay in our lanes,” lest we venture outside God’s agenda for our lives.

To be clear, this does not mean we cannot move forward in a venture of faith when a need or opportunity exists. However, there is no benefit to stepping outside our “comfort zones” if we seek to enter an arena where we do not belong. While it is true that we sometimes learn the boundaries of God’s calling when we experience failure in an area of work or ministry, that was not the case with Gideon, for he was clearly not called to a position of priestly leadership.

This ill-advised decision hurt Gideon, his family, and many others because he took it upon himself to do something that God had not called him to do. Thus, we can avoid causing spiritual injury to ourselves and others if we seek to “…stay within the limits of the work which God has set for us” (2 Corinthians 10:13 GNT).

LXVI

 “How much more do I need to say? It would take too long to recount the stories of the faith of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets” (Hebrews 11:32 NLT).

So far, our tour through the Hebrews 11 “Faith Hall Of Fame” has stopped to look at some familiar Biblical personalities (such as Moses and Noah) as well as some lesser-known figures (such as Enoch and Rahab). In this study, we will turn our attention to one of the more obscure individuals in this chapter, a man named Barak.

Barak was an Israelite who lived during the period that is recorded for us in the Biblical book of Judges. The Israelites of that era had suffered for decades under the oppressive rule of a man named Jabin (Judges 4:3). Jabin held a leadership position among the Canaanites, a people group who formerly possessed the land that Israel conquered following their departure from Egypt.

God had earlier decided to remove the Canaanites and several other tribal societies from that area due to their sinful misconduct. However, many remained there despite God’s call to eradicate them (Deuteronomy 20:16-18). Not surprisingly, this led to a great deal of conflict between the Israelites and the Canaanites throughout the ensuing years.

In Barak’s time, Jabin enforced his rule over Israel through a military leader named Sisera. Sisera led an army that included nine hundred iron chariots (Judges 4:3), an impressive display of force that helped the Canaanites maintain control over that region. Unfortunately for Jabin and Sisera, they would soon learn an important lesson concerning the error of trusting in military strength alone…

“Deborah, the wife of Lappidoth, was a prophet who was judging Israel at that time. She would sit under the Palm of Deborah, between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites would go to her for judgment. 

One day she sent for Barak son of Abinoam, who lived in Kedesh in the land of Naphtali. She said to him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, commands you: Call out 10,000 warriors from the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun at Mount Tabor. And I will call out Sisera, commander of Jabin’s army, along with his chariots and warriors, to the Kishon River. There I will give you victory over him.’

Barak told her, ‘I will go, but only if you go with me.’ ‘Very well,’ she replied, ‘I will go with you. But you will receive no honor in this venture, for the Lord’s victory over Sisera will be at the hands of a woman.’ So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh” (Judges 4:4-9).

This less-than-auspicious start will lead to a more favorable conclusion next.

LXVII

 “And what shall I more say? for the time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah; of David and Samuel and the prophets” (Hebrews 11:32 RV).

Judges 4:8 records Barak’s response to the prophetess Deborah and God’s call to rescue the people of Israel from the Canaanites: “‘I’m not going unless you go!’ Barak told her” (CEV). In light of that response, we may question how Barak ended up among these other members of the “Faith Hall Of Fame.”

The following passage from the Biblical book of Judges provides us with the answer….

“Then Deborah said to Barak, ‘Go! The Lord is leading you! Today he has given you victory over Sisera.’ So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with his ten thousand men. When Barak attacked with his army, the Lord threw Sisera into confusion together with all his chariots and men. Sisera got down from his chariot and fled on foot” (Judges 4:14-15 GNT). 

So despite his initial hesitation, Barak faithfully acted on God’s command as given through His prophet. Consider the sequence of events that took place after Deborah and Barak departed to engage Sisera’s army…

• Deborah told Barak, “The Lord says go.”
• Barak moved forward on God’s directive.
• We’re then told, “At Barak’s advance, the LORD routed Sisera…” (Judges 4:15 NIV).

Once Barak demonstrated his faith by acting upon God’s call, God subsequently fulfilled His promise to deliver the people of Israel. In one respect, this account is reminiscent of Joshua’s experience with the city of Jericho. Like Joshua, Barak followed God’s directive and witnessed the fulfillment of His promise as a result. That expression of faith thus led to his recognition here in Hebrews 11.

As for Sisera, Judges chapter four records the gruesome account of his demise…

“Meanwhile, Sisera had fled on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, because there was peace between Hazor’s King Jabin and the family of Heber the Kenite… Then he said to her, ‘Stand at the entrance to the tent. That way, if someone comes and asks you, ‘Is there a man here?’ you can say, ‘No.’”

But Jael, Heber’s wife, picked up a tent stake and a hammer. While Sisera was sound asleep from exhaustion, she tiptoed to him. She drove the stake through his head and down into the ground, and he died. Just then, Barak arrived after chasing Sisera. Jael went out to meet him and said, ‘Come and I’ll show you the man you’re after.’ 

So he went in with her, and there was Sisera, lying dead, with the stake through his head. So on that day God brought down Canaan’s King Jabin before the Israelites. And the power of the Israelites grew greater and greater over Canaan’s King Jabin until they defeated him completely” (Judges 4:17, 20-24 CEB).

LXVIII

 “Well, how much more do I need to say? It would take too long to recount the stories of the faith of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah and David and Samuel and all the other prophets” (Hebrews 11:32 TLB).

Our next member of the Hebrews 11 “Faith Hall Of Fame” is Samson, a man whose life story begins in Judges chapter thirteen. Unlike some of the other individuals mentioned in Hebrews chapter eleven, Samson is a name that is probably familiar to most, even those who are unfamiliar with the Biblical Scriptures.

While many are undoubtedly aware of Samson’s great physical strength, a closer look at his life tells us that he demonstrated that strength in a variety of ways. For example, Samson once defeated a thousand enemy fighters with nothing more than a jawbone (Judges 15:15). Samson also killed a lion with his bare hands (Judges 14:5-6), and could easily split ropes that were used to tie him (Judges 16:12). In light of these feats, it’s not surprising to learn that Samson served as Israel’s leader for twenty years (Judges 15:20).

Unfortunately, Samson entered into some personal relationships that were very bad for him. We can find the best-known example of that tendency in Judges 16:4-21. That portion of Scripture relates the account of a woman named Delilah, and how she convinced Samson to share the secret of his strength. Once she persuaded Samson to reveal his secret, she immediately betrayed him to his enemies.

Following Delilah’s betrayal, the Scriptures tell us that Samson’s enemies captured him, dug out his eyes, tied him up with bronze chains, imprisoned him, and set him to work milling grain. So how could someone like Samson, a man who was set apart by God and served as Israel’s national leader for twenty years, end up in that state?

Well, the unfortunate truth is Samson made several bad choices that ultimately led to disastrous consequences. Thus, he serves as a living embodiment of the cautionary message given to us in Galatians 6:7: “Do not deceive yourselves; no one makes a fool of God. You will reap exactly what you plant” (GNT).

Nevertheless, Samson’s experience finds an unlikely parallel in the life of Gideon, another member of the “Faith Hall Of Fame.” Much like Gideon, Samson’s example reminds us that it is not necessarily how we start, but how we finish that counts. After a life of recklessness and imprudence that ultimately led to imprisonment at the hands of his enemies, Samson turned to God in faith. We’ll examine that portion of Samson’s life next.

LXIX

 “And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets” (Hebrews 11:32 AMP).

After Samson foolishly shared the secret of his physical strength with a woman who deceived him, his Philistine enemies subsequently captured him. Samson’s captors mercilessly gouged out his eyes, imprisoned him, and set him to work at the grinding mill. Yet even though Samson was guilty of making some less-than-exemplary choices, the final act of his life served to demonstrate his faith…

“Now the rulers of the Philistines assembled to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god and to celebrate, saying, ‘Our god has delivered Samson, our enemy, into our hands.’ When the people saw him, they praised their god, saying, ‘Our god has delivered our enemy into our hands, the one who laid waste our land and multiplied our slain.’

While they were in high spirits, they shouted, ‘Bring out Samson to entertain us.’ So they called Samson out of the prison, and he performed for them. When they stood him among the pillars, Samson said to the servant who held his hand, ‘Put me where I can feel the pillars that support the temple, so that I may lean against them.’

Now the temple was crowded with men and women; all the rulers of the Philistines were there, and on the roof were about three thousand men and women watching Samson perform. Then Samson prayed to the LORD, ‘O Sovereign LORD, remember me. O God, please strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes.’

Then Samson reached toward the two central pillars on which the temple stood. Bracing himself against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other, Samson said, ‘Let me die with the Philistines!’ Then he pushed with all his might, and down came the temple on the rulers and all the people in it. Thus he killed many more when he died than while he lived” (Judges 16:23-30 NIV).

So despite his judgmental errors, Samson turned to God in faith in his final moments. Thus, he secured a place among these other members of the Hebrews 11 “Faith Hall Of Fame.”

Nevertheless, some critics may have difficulty reconciling this act of faith with the horrific deaths of three thousand human beings. In addressing this objection, we should note that those who perished had “…assembled to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god.” If they had not taken part in that idolatrous celebration, they would not have lost their lives. It also fails to recognize the fact that our Creator may require our lives at any moment. Therefore, we should carefully consider the state of our lives and the message of Corinthians 6:2…

“I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation” (NIV).

LXX

 “What more can I say? I would run out of time if I told you about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets” (Hebrews 11:32 CEB).

As we move towards the end of our journey through Hebrews chapter eleven, we now pause to examine the life of a highly obscure member of the “Faith Hall Of Fame.” That individual is Jephthah, and we find the details of his life beginning in Judges chapter eleven.

Unlike Samson, it’s probably safe to say that many have never heard of Jephthah. Therefore, we might benefit from an introduction to this little-known member of the Hebrews “Hall of Fame.” Here is Jephthah’s Scriptural debut as given to us in Judges 11:1-2…

“Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty warrior. His father was Gilead; his mother was a prostitute. Gilead’s wife also bore him sons, and when they were grown up, they drove Jephthah away. ‘You are not going to get any inheritance in our family,’ they said, ‘because you are the son of another woman’” (NIV).

This was certainly not an auspicious beginning for a hero of the faith. Here we have a man who was born out of wedlock as the son of a prostitute, and rejected by his siblings. Those negative family dynamics eventually led Jephthah to seek a change of address…

“So Jephthah fled from his father’s home and lived in the land of Tob. Soon he had quite a band of malcontents as his followers, living off the land as bandits. It was about this time that the Ammonites began their war against Israel.

“The leaders of Gilead sent for Jephthah, begging him to come and lead their army against the Ammonites. But Jephthah said to them, ‘Why do you come to me when you hate me and have driven me out of my father’s house? Why come now when you’re in trouble?’

“‘Because we need you,” they replied. ‘If you will be our commander-in-chief against the Ammonites, we will make you the king of Gilead.’

“‘Sure!’ Jephthah exclaimed. ‘Do you expect me to believe that?’ ‘We swear it,’ they replied. ‘We promise with a solemn oath’” (Judges 11:3-10 TLB).

If we read further into this narrative, we find that Jephthah first tried to talk things over with the Ammonites (see Judges 11:12-28). Unfortunately, the Ammonites didn’t seem very interested in talking. That was an unwise decision, for the Spirit of the Lord subsequently came upon Jephthah and he began a successful military campaign against Israel’s enemies (Judges 11:32).

However, Jephthah also made a tragic decision that we’ll read about next.

LXXI

 “Do I need to give you more examples? I don’t have enough time to tell you about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets” (Hebrews 11:32 ERV).

Prior to his military advance against the Ammonites, Judges 11:30-31 tells us that Jephthah offered the following pledge…

“And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord, and said, ‘If You will indeed deliver the people of Ammon into my hands, then it will be that whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the people of Ammon, shall surely be the Lord’s, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering.’”

This was a terrible mistake, for when Jephthah returned home from his victory over the Ammonites, here’s what happened next…

“When Jephthah came to his house at Mizpah, there was his daughter, coming out to meet him with timbrels and dancing; and she was his only child. Besides her he had neither son nor daughter” (Judges 11:34).

Jephthah’s triumph over Israel’s enemies should have been cause for a joyous celebration, but his foolish vow turned it into an occasion of incredible sorrow. So after a short time to mourn her fate, Judges 11:39 tells us that Jephthah’s daughter then “returned to her father and he did to her as he had vowed” (NIV).

Hebrew and Christian scholars debate as to whether Jephthah actually presented his daughter as a sacrificial offering or simply committed her to a life of consecrated service and celibacy. While a definitive answer may be impossible, one commentator from an earlier generation reminds us to focus upon what’s most important…

“Concerning this and some other such passages in the sacred history, about which learned men are divided and in doubt, we need not perplex ourselves; what is necessary to our salvation, thanks be to God, is plain enough.” ₍₁₎

Nevertheless, it’s clear that Jephthah could have avoided this awful situation if he had not taken this foolish vow. Perhaps this is why Proverbs 20:25 tells us, “It is foolish and rash to make a promise to the Lord before counting the cost” (TLB). The Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes adds, “Don’t talk before you think or make promises to God without thinking them through. God is in heaven, and you are on earth, so don’t talk too much” (Ecclesiastes 5:2 CEV).

Unfortunately, there are many who continue to follow this poor example in various ways. We’ll consider some practical applications that can help us avoid that mistake next.

(1) Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary [Judges 11:29] https://bibleapps.com/mhc/judges/11.htm

LXXII

 “And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets” (Hebrews 11:32 MEV).

Although God enabled Jephthah to secure a resounding victory over one of Israel’s great historic enemies, his foolish vow brought great sorrow in the midst of his triumph. Unfortunately, there are many who continue to follow this example through vows and oaths of their own. For instance, how often have we heard statements like these while engaged in casual conversation…

• “So help me God…”
• “I swear, I’m going to…”
• “As God is my witness…”

Unfortunately, it often seems as if people give little thought to statements like these. However, Jesus issued a solemn warning to those who would take such oaths…

“But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one” (Matthew 5:34-37).

It is important to remember that the term, “I swear…” equates to a vow, even when used informally. In addition to Jesus’ warning from the Gospel of Matthew, we also have the following counsel from the New Testament epistle of James…

“But most of all, my brothers and sisters, never take an oath, by heaven or earth or anything else. Just say a simple yes or no so that you will not sin and be condemned for it” (James 5:12 NLT).

So what does Jephthah’s experience tell us? Well, there are several lessons we can glean from Jephthah’s life…

• First, Jephthah’s example tells us that anyone can have a “hall of fame” type of faith, regardless of his or her family origin.
• Next, we should remember that the people of Jephthah’s hometown were content to exile him to a foreign land. But that changed when they needed him to help defeat their enemies. Nevertheless, Jephthah did not hold that slight against them. Instead, he accepted their leadership offer, and God used him to deliver the people from their adversaries.
• Finally, Jephthah’s example reminds us that bad choices often bring terrible consequences. But even a foolish decision (like the one Jephthah made) will not necessarily keep someone from entering God’s Faith Hall Of Fame.

LXXIII

 “And what other examples shall I give? There is simply not time to continue by telling the stories of Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jeptha; of David, Samuel and the prophets” (Hebrews 11:32 Phillips).

Our next “Hall Of Fame” member is David, the former king of Israel. Although David is far better known to contemporary audiences, he was a man much like Jephthah in certain respects. For example, David was someone who faced rejection from his family, much like Jephthah (see 1 Samuel 17:12-29). In a similar manner, David also became the leader of a group of malcontents, rebels, and anti-establishment types, just like Jephthah (1 Samuel 22:1-2).

David and Jephthah were also successful military leaders (1 Samuel 18:13-14), and both had faith in God (1 Samuel 17:45-46). Finally, David and Jephthah each made at least one unwise choice. Jephthah’s decision involved a foolish oath that committed him to sacrifice whatever emerged from his home following his successful military campaign against Israel’s enemies. David’s choice involved his sexual affair with Bathsheba, a woman who was married to another man.

When Bathsheba was found to be pregnant as a result of their encounter, David responded by summoning her husband Uriah from the battlefield. After two failed attempts to encourage Uriah to sleep with his wife, David sent him back to the war zone with specific orders for his deployment. David instructed his commanding officer to send Uriah to the hottest part of the battlefront, while the other members of his military unit withdrew. Uriah, along with some others, subsequently perished in combat.

Following a period of mourning, David took the occasion of Uriah’s death to marry Bathsheba, his widow. However, that portion of the account of David’s life ends with the ominous words of 2 Samuel 11:27: “…But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord.” Although David ultimately confessed his sin with Bathsheba and received forgiveness, his rule was subsequently plagued by tragedies and setbacks from that point forward.

Yet despite these things, the Scriptures tell us that David was a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22) and we cannot overlook his genuine love for God. Today, David is rightfully honored for his faith and Hebrews chapter eleven places him alongside these other members of the Biblical “Hall of Fame.” So just as we saw in our earlier look at the life of Jephthah, David’s experience tells us that a grievous mistake is not necessarily enough to keep one from entering God’s “Faith Hall Of Fame.”

LXXIV

 “And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets” (Hebrews 11:32 NASB).

The final example of genuine Biblical faith from Hebrews chapter eleven involves the prophet Samuel. The Old Testament account of Samuel’s life tells us that he was a man who was dedicated to the Lord from his earliest youth (1 Samuel chapter one). He later went on to represent God before a wide variety of people. That list included the members of Israel’s general population, other priests, and the king of Israel himself. Samuel also served as a trusted confidant, political leader, and traveling magistrate at various points throughout his life as well.

The Biblical account of Samuel’s life (found mostly within the first twenty chapters of 1 Samuel), identifies him as someone who led an exemplary life of faith and service before God. In fact, Jeremiah 15:1 characterizes Samuel (along with Moses) as someone who clearly occupied a favored position with God. However, there is one aspect of Samuel’s life that speaks to the challenges involved in raising children who seek to honor God…

“As Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons to be judges over Israel. Joel and Abijah, his oldest sons, held court in Beersheba. But they were not like their father, for they were greedy for money. They accepted bribes and perverted justice” (1 Samuel 8:1-3 NLT).

It may be said that no one lead a more praiseworthy Old Testament life than Samuel. But somehow, his children did not follow his good example. While the Scriptural record does not tell us how or why this happened, it appears that Samuel somehow failed to convey his personal love and respect for God to his sons.

This unfortunate example links the great prophet Samuel with those parents who have worked to instill Biblical values in their children only to see them abandon those values in adulthood. These parents understand the heartbreak involved in watching a child suffer the repercussions that are often associated with unbiblical choices despite their efforts to help their child make decisions that honor God. For a man like Samuel, the conduct of his sons must have been something that brought him a great deal of pain.

However, there is more to this account of Samuel’s life. The behavior of Samuel’s children prompted Israel’s leaders to ask Samuel to appoint a monarch, much like the other nations that surrounded their country. We’ll close our brief look at Samuel’s life by examining that sequence of events next.

LXXV

 “And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets” (Hebrews 11:32 RSV).

The Biblical book of 1 Samuel relates the account of the prophet Samuel and the dishonorable conduct of his sons, Joel and Abijah. Although Samuel’s children held positions of power and influence as judges over Israel, they leveraged those positions for personal gain. According to 1 Samuel 8:3, these men “…were greedy for money. They accepted bribes and were very corrupt in the administration of justice” (TLB).

This unfortunate situation deteriorated to the point where Israel’s national leadership felt the need to take action. However, the change they had in mind served to expose their misguided priorities…

“Finally, all the elders of Israel met at Ramah to discuss the matter with Samuel. ‘Look,’ they told him, ‘you are now old, and your sons are not like you. Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have’” (1 Samuel 8:4-5).

That led God to respond to Samuel in the following manner…

“‘Do everything they say to you,’ the Lord replied, ‘for they are rejecting me, not you. They don’t want me to be their king any longer. Ever since I brought them from Egypt they have continually abandoned me and followed other gods. And now they are giving you the same treatment’” (1 Samuel 8:7-8 NLT).

God then told Samuel to warn the people about the consequences they would suffer under a king (1 Samuel 8:10-17). But that warning made no difference to Samuel’s audience…

“‘When that day comes, you will beg for relief from this king you are demanding, but then the Lord will not help you.’ But the people refused to listen to Samuel’s warning. ‘Even so, we still want a king,’ they said” (1 Samuel 8:18-19 NLT).

This sequence presents us with some interesting dynamics, none of which were good. First, the dishonorable conduct of Samuel’s sons led the elders of Israel to seek a change in judicial leadership. If Samuel’s two sons had chosen to follow their father’s God-honoring example, it’s likely that no one would have sought to make a change. But in asking for a king, the leaders of Israel exploited this situation as a means to pursue their rejection of God.

For Samuel, it must have been difficult to watch the people make this request, especially knowing that his sons provided the motivation for that demand. In circumstances like this, it takes genuine, Biblical faith to maintain the confident expectation that God will bring something good from a bad situation. Thus, we are reminded of Jesus’ message from the New Testament Gospel of Matthew: “…with God, everything is possible” (Matthew 19:26).

LXXVI

 “who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions” (Hebrews 11:33).

Having spent much of this chapter extolling those who exemplified genuine faith, verses 33-40 will end this portion of our author’s letter with a list of their accomplishments. Nevertheless, we should not limit our view of this passage to those who appear here in Hebrews chapter eleven. Instead, these closing verses also pertain to others, as implied in the opening verse of the following chapter. While many of those individuals may be unknown to history, they are certainly well-known to God.

In looking at this passage, we can cite several Biblical personalities who fit the parameters given to us in this verse. For instance, the first characteristic quality listed in verse thirty-three is this: “Through faith they conquered kingdoms…” (CEB). While Joshua and David are undoubtedly the best-known examples of those who conquered kingdoms, we could add Hezekiah to that list as well (2 Kings 18:1-8).

In addition, the Old Testament book of 2 Chronicles mentions another leader named Uzziah who was highly successful in subduing the kingdoms held by several ancient enemies of God’s people. However, Uzziah’s life serves as a better illustration of our need to honor God in humility no matter how successful we become (see 2 Chronicles 26).

Then we have a reference to those who “worked righteousness.” In this context, “righteousness” refers to the quality of being right or just. ₍₁₎ There are several Biblical examples we can follow in this respect. They include such exemplary Biblical characters as Jacob’s son Joseph and John the Baptist. Israel’s King Hezekiah also deserves mention here in light of his extensive spiritual reforms.

With respect to those who “obtained promises,” we can look to several of those who have already been mentioned throughout this chapter, including Abraham, Moses, and David. Joshua and Caleb would fit this category as well.

Finally, we have those who “stopped the mouths of lions.” The unquestioned leader among those who fit this description is the prophet Daniel. God’s gracious act of providence in allowing Daniel to emerge unscathed from an overnight stay in a lion’s den (as detailed in Daniel chapter six) is widely familiar to the religious and secular alike. However, there were some other “heroes of the faith” who also accomplished this feat, including Samson and David.

The following verse continues with this list of positive qualities, and we’ll consider several of them next.

(1) G1343 dikaiosune https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g1343/kjv/tr/0-1/

LXXVII

 “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” (Hebrews 11:34).

When it comes to those who “quenched the violence of fire,” we need look no further than the example given to us by Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the Biblical book of Daniel. Daniel chapter three relates the account of the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar and his decision to erect an enormous gold statue. He then issued the following mandate to his subjects…

“Trumpets, flutes, harps, and all other kinds of musical instruments will soon start playing. When you hear the music, you must bow down and worship the statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. Anyone who refuses will at once be thrown into a flaming furnace” (Daniel 3:5-6 CEV).

That decree met with widespread compliance among the members of Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom. However, there were three individuals who declined to follow the king’s edict- and their decision did not escape the notice of others who promptly reported them to the king: “…Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, refuse to worship your gods and the statue you have set up” (Daniel 3:12 CEV).

That led to the following exchange between Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego and the king…

“[Nebuchadnezzar said,] ‘I hear that you refuse to worship my gods and the gold statue I have set up. Now I am going to give you one more chance. If you bow down and worship the statue when you hear the music, everything will be all right. But if you don’t, you will at once be thrown into a flaming furnace. No god can save you from me.”

The three men replied, ‘Your Majesty, we don’t need to defend ourselves. The God we worship can save us from you and your flaming furnace. But even if he doesn’t, we still won’t worship your gods and the gold statue you have set up’” (Daniel 3:14-18 CEV).

This made Nebuchadnezzar so furious that he raised the furnace temperature to a level that was seven times hotter than normal. He then ordered his strongest soldiers to bind the three young men and toss them into the fire (Daniel 3:19-23). Here’s what happened next..

“Suddenly the king jumped up and shouted, ‘Weren’t only three men tied up and thrown into the fire?’ ‘Yes, Your Majesty,’ his officers answered.
‘But I see four men walking around in the fire,’ the king replied. ‘None of them is tied up or harmed, and the fourth one looks like a god’” (Daniel 3:24-26 CEV).

So by trusting God to protect them by faith in the midst of their fiery ordeal, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego personified the message of Hebrews 11:34.

LXXVIII

 “quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight” (Hebrews 11:34 ESV).

The ancient figure of a sword is often used to represent the concept of power and authority. For instance, the New Testament book of Romans makes use of this imagery in speaking of our relationship to human government…

“For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil” (Romans 13:3-4).

While the book of Romans employs this concept in a figurative sense, we can point to several Biblical examples of those who “escaped the edge of the sword” in a literal manner. Some of those individuals include…

• Moses. Moses escaped the sword of Pharaoh, the leader of the world’s most powerful nation during his lifetime (Exodus 2:15).
• David. He escaped the sword of Goliath as well as Israel’s king Saul (1 Samuel 17:1-58, 1 Samuel 19:9-10).
• Elijah. Elijah escaped a death threat issued by the infamous Queen Jezebel (1 Kings 19:1-3).

Then there is a reference to those who “were made strong out of weakness” here in Hebrews 11:34. Gideon serves as an obvious example of this quality, in addition to other Biblical personalities such as Moses, Sarah, Esther, and Samson as well. This characteristic also recalls another passage from the Biblical book of Romans…

“Who are you to judge the servants of someone else? It is their own Master who will decide whether they succeed or fail. And they will succeed, because the Lord is able to make them succeed” (Romans 14:4 GNT).

Finally, we have a reference to those who “became valiant in battle” (NKJV) within this passage. Hebrews chapter eleven provides us with several individuals who fit this description, including Abraham, Joshua, Barak, Jephthah, and David.

Yet even though this passage emphasizes the victorious nature of God’s provision, the following verses will also provide us with an important counterbalance. You see, many Godly men and women escaped the edge of the sword, but some did not. This reminds us to take an objective view of this passage and acknowledge that faith does not guarantee our success in every situation.

LXXIX

 “Women received their dead raised to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection” (Hebrews 11:35).

Two of the more prominent Biblical examples of women who “received their loved ones back from death” (CEV) are found in the Old Testament books of 1 and 2 Kings. In our first example, God directed the prophet Elijah to go to a town called Zarephath where He had arranged for someone to provide for his needs.

Upon his arrival in Zarephath, Elijah encountered a widow who had been gathering sticks to build a fire. She intended to use that fire to prepare a final meal with the last of the flour and oil she possessed. However, Elijah asked her to provide him with a small loaf of bread in advance, and assured her that her supplies would not run out. 1 Kings 17:15 then goes on to tell us, “…she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days.”

Unfortunately, we’re also told that this widow’s son later died from an illness. Elijah sought the Lord on her behalf, and 1 Kings 17:22 records God’s response: “…the Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came back to him, and he revived.” That prompted the following acknowledgment from the widow of Zarephath: “…’Now by this I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is the truth’” (1 Kings 17:22).

In our second example, a kindly woman from the town of Shunem took it upon herself to prepare a meal for the prophet Elisha whenever he traveled through her area. She even furnished a guest room for his personal use whenever he was passing through. One day, while Elisha was partaking of her hospitality, he told the woman that she would give birth to a son in the following year. That prophetic statement eventually came to pass, just as he promised.

Unfortunately, the child succumbed to an apparent cerebral injury some time later. His mother rushed to inform Elisha, and he returned to Shunem at her insistence. When the curative action taken by his servant failed to revive the child, Elisha intervened and God miraculously restored the life of her son (see 2 Kings 4:8-37 for the complete account).

Thus, the examples set by these women serve to remind us of our author’s message from earlier in Hebrews chapter eleven: “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).

LXXX

 “Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection” (Hebrews 11:35 NIV).

The closing portion of Hebrews 11:35 speaks of “others were tortured [to death], refusing to accept release [offered on the condition of denying their faith], so that they would be resurrected to a better life” (AMP). While these individuals might have sought to escape that terrible fate, they clearly preferred the eternal value of an honorable death before God.

As mentioned earlier, this passage serves to remind us that faith does not guarantee our deliverance in every instance. The Biblical letter of 1 Peter builds upon that reminder and helps us maintain the right perspective…

“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed” (1 Peter 4:12-13 NIV).

We can also gain insight into this portion of Hebrews with a look at one of Jesus’ parables…

“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall” (Matthew 7:24:27).

It’s important to note that the same storm descended upon each of these homes. This implies that a life that is built upon the foundation of Christ is not necessarily immune from the common storms of life.

For instance, consider a scenario where God’s people never suffered through a financial issue, a physical ailment, an employment problem, or a business reversal. What would happen if a follower of Christ never wrecked an automobile, failed at school, or lost a loved one? Under those circumstances, Christianity would undoubtedly hold a far greater appeal for many. That appeal would have little or nothing to do with Jesus, but would simply serve as a vehicle to secure an easier life.

However, a life built on the secure foundation of Christ can stand against the storms of life and thus serves to encourage those who seek “…to deserve a more honourable resurrection in the world to come” (Phillips).

LXXXI

 “Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment” (Hebrews 11:36).

We can look to an event that took place during Jesus’ earthly ministry for insight on how to respond whenever we experience the type of mockery described here in Hebrews 11:36…

“Then one of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet. He pleaded earnestly with him, ‘My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.’ So Jesus went with him” (Mark 5:22-24 NIV).

But prior to their arrival at Jairus’ home, “…some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. ‘Your daughter is dead,’ they said. ‘Why bother the teacher anymore?’” (Mark 5:34-35 NIV). That led to Jesus’ response…

“Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, ‘Don’t be afraid; just believe.’ …When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. He went in and said to them, ‘Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.’ But they laughed at him” (Mark 5:36, 38-40 NIV).

So the weeping and crying among this group of mourners turned to mockery and ridicule as they “…laughed [Jesus] to scorn” (KJV). Nevertheless, Mark 5:40 tells us, “…After he put them all out, he took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was” (NIV).

We should notice that Jesus did not attempt to strike back at those who mocked Him, nor did He insult them in return. Instead, He “…sent them all out of the house” (CEV) and took control of the situation…

“Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, ‘Talitha, cumi,’ which is translated, ‘Little girl, I say to you, arise.’ Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age. And they were overcome with great amazement. But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that something should be given her to eat” (Mark 5:40-43).

So those who mocked Jesus were dismissed from His presence. But those who put their faith and trust in Him received an opportunity to see His miraculous work in this child’s life. Thus, as we are reminded in the New Testament epistle of 1 Peter…

“If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified” (1 Peter 4:14).

LXXXII

 “Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated–” (Hebrews 11:36-37 ESV).

One source offers further insight into this reference to “chains and imprisonment” here in Hebrews 11:36: “[This refers] broadly to many within Israel’s history who experienced inhumane treatment at the hands of others (Jer 37:4–21; 20:1–2; 2 Chr 16:7–10; 1 Kgs 22:26–27; 4 Macc 12:2). The price of remaining faithful to God was often suffering, pain, and prison.” ₍₁₎

In addition, this passage reminds us that other faithful individuals were stoned to death, such as a prophet named Zechariah. Then we are presented with the horrific image of those who were “sawn asunder.” The Biblical prophet Isaiah may be the person who is most associated with this fate…

“Traditionally, Isaiah suffered death at King Manasseh’s hand by being ‘sawn in two.’ _[a] ‘According to … mutually complementary rabbinic sources, Manasseh, enraged because Isaiah had prophesied the destruction of the Temple, ordered his arrest. Isaiah fled to the hill country and hid in the trunk of a cedar tree. He was discovered when the king ordered the tree cut down. Isaiah was tortured with a saw because he had taken refuge in the trunk of a tree…” _{[b] (2)}

Hebrews 11:37 continues this brutal imagery with a reference to those who were “slain with the sword.” A third source brings us face-to-face with this cold-blooded, historic reality…

“Some through faith, we have been told, ‘escaped the edge of the sword’, but some through faith ‘were slain with the sword’. Elijah escaped Jezebel’s vengeance, but other prophets of the Lord were ‘slain … with the sword’ at that time (I Kings 19: 10).

If Jeremiah was delivered from Jehoiakim when that king sought his life, his fellow-prophet Uriah was not so fortunate; he foretold the doom of Judah and Jerusalem in similar terms to Jeremiah, and when he fled to Egypt he was extradited from there and brought before Jehoiakim, ‘who slew him with the sword, and cast his dead body into the grave of the common people’ (Jer. 26:23).

By faith one lived, and by faith the other died. So too in the apostolic age Herod Agrippa I ‘killed James the brother of John with the sword’ (Acts 12: 2); but when he tried to do the same to Peter, Peter escaped his hands.” ₍₃₎

Thus, as this same source concludes…

“Faith in God carries with it no guarantee of comfort in this world: this was no doubt one of the lessons which our author wished his readers to learn. But it does carry with it great ‘recompense of reward’ in the only world that ultimately matters.” ₍₄₎

(1) John D. Barry et al., Faithlife Study Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), Heb 11:36.

(2) [a] The Martyrdom of Isaiah 5:1-14, [b] William L. Lane, Hebrews 9—13, p. 390. Quoted in Constable, Thomas. DD., Notes on Hebrews 2023 Edition, [11:35b-38] https://www.planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/html/nt/hebrews/hebrews.htm

(3) The New International Commentary On The New Testament – The Epistle To The Hebrews, F. F. Bruce, General Editor © Copyright 1964, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. Grand Rapids, Michigan [pg. 341]

(4) Ibid , p. 342

LXXXIII

 “They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated–of whom the world was not worthy–wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth” (Hebrews 11:37-38).

The best-known Old Testament example of a God-honoring person who “went about in skins of sheep and goats” is undoubtedly Elijah, the famous Biblical prophet. In fact, it appears that Elijah’s clothing made him instantly recognizable to others of his era. For instance, the Biblical book of 2 Kings relates the account of an injury suffered by Israel’s king Ahaziah. When Ahaziah sent messengers to “… inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron”(2 Kings 1:2) regarding his recovery, they were stopped by a man who gave them the following message…

“…’Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?’ Now therefore, thus says the Lord: ‘You shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die’” (2 Kings 1:3-4).

When the king’s messengers returned with this report, Ahaziah asked where they had gotten their information. While these emissaries could not identify the source of their information, the king knew exactly who was involved…

“Then he said to them, ‘What kind of man was it who came up to meet you and told you these words?’ So they answered him, ‘A hairy man wearing a leather belt around his waist.’ And he said, ‘It is Elijah the Tishbite’” (2 Kings 1:7-8).

Although Ahaziah later attempted to arrest Elijah (a decision that cost the lives of two army captains and one hundred soldiers), he eventually “…died according to the word of the Lord which Elijah had spoken” (see 2 Kings 1:9-17). Nevertheless, we should remember that it was inherently dangerous to confront an influential leader in this manner- and others who did so were not so fortunate. ₍₁₎ Therefore, we should not be surprised to learn that some among God’s followers were “destitute, afflicted, [and] mistreated” as mentioned here in Hebrews 11:37.

Then there were others (like Israel’s king David) who were forced to hide in caves from those who sought to arrest them. The same was true of those who lived during Gideon’s era, for that was a time when “…the children of Israel made for themselves the dens, the caves, and the strongholds which are in the mountains” to protect themselves from the destruction inflicted upon them by the neighboring people of Midian (Judges 6:1-6).

So, unlike those who sought to find their place in this world, these “heroes of the faith” ultimately found that this world was unworthy of their place within it.

(1) As illustrated by Elijah’s New Testament counterpart, John the Baptist.

LXXXIV

 “And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise” (Hebrews 11:39).

It is difficult to resolve the tension between the faith of those mentioned here in Hebrews chapter eleven and the terrible events that befell some of them. When tragic events occur to God’s faithful today, we can draw strength from the encouraging message found in Romans 8:28: “…all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

Whenever we face uncertainty regarding the way things have transpired in our lives, we can say that God has a definite purpose behind those events, even if we struggle to understand that purpose. When God allows us to experience those troubles and hardships, it helps to remember that He always has reasons for doing so.

For example, God may allow difficult times to enter our lives to strengthen us (2 Corinthians 12:10) and to increase our trust in Him (Psalm 50:14-15). We can also say that God uses such difficulties to help us develop patience (Romans 5:3-5) and endurance (as we read earlier in Hebrews 10:35-38). God may take the circumstances of our lives and use them as an example to others and demonstrate the proper way to handle trials and problems (2 Thessalonians 1:4). Finally, God may allow difficulties to enter our lives for the purpose of helping others who will later go through similar experiences (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).

With these things in mind, it helps to remember that tests do not always take the form of an exam or essay. Instead, the person who can view his or her problems as opportunities to exercise the kind of faith that pleases God is someone who can develop the spiritual endurance that our author will discuss later in the opening verse of the following chapter.

There would be no need for faith if God never allowed us to enter a circumstance that required us to exercise it. Moreover, there are options available to us whenever we face situations that challenge our faith. We can say, “Why did God allow this to happen to me?” Or we can say, “This is an opportunity to exercise the kind of faith that is pleasing to God.” As one commentator has observed, “The OT figures mentioned in ch. 11 did not experience the salvation of Christ’s new covenant during their lifetimes (9:15). Rather, they saw the promise from afar and eagerly awaited its fulfillment (vv. 13, 16).” ₍₁₎

(1) John D. Barry et al., Faithlife Study Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), Heb 11:39.

LXXXV

 “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

 

 

I

One thing that should be clear from our study of the Biblical book of Hebrews is that the Old Covenant sacrificial system involved an astonishing amount of death- more than we might typically imagine. For instance, if we consider the millions of ancient Israelites who brought sacrificial offerings over dozens of generations, the total number of Old Covenant sacrifices is truly incalculable.

The immeasurable amount of blood that was shed under the Old Covenant might lead us to assume that the people of Old Testament Israel understood the solemn nature of those offerings. Unfortunately, that was not the case. That attitude eventually led to God’s message through the prophet Isaiah…

“…Listen, you leaders of Israel, you men of Sodom and Gomorrah, as I call you now. Listen to the Lord. Hear what he is telling you! I am sick of your sacrifices. Don’t bring me any more of them. I don’t want your fat rams; I don’t want to see the blood from your offerings. Who wants your sacrifices when you have no sorrow for your sins?

The incense you bring me is a stench in my nostrils. Your holy celebrations of the new moon and the Sabbath, and your special days for fasting– even your most pious meetings– all are frauds! I want nothing more to do with them. I hate them all; I can’t stand the sight of them. From now on, when you pray with your hands stretched out to heaven, I won’t look or listen. Even though you make many prayers, I will not hear, for your hands are those of murderers; they are covered with the blood of your innocent victims.

Oh, wash yourselves! Be clean! Let me no longer see you doing all these wicked things; quit your evil ways. Learn to do good, to be fair and to help the poor, the fatherless, and widows. Come, let’s talk this over! says the Lord; no matter how deep the stain of your sins, I can take it out and make you as clean as freshly fallen snow. Even if you are stained as red as crimson, I can make you white as wool!

If you will only let me help you, if you will only obey, then I will make you rich! But if you keep on turning your backs and refusing to listen to me, you will be killed by your enemies; I, the Lord, have spoken” (Isaiah 1:10-20 TLB)

That devastating rebuke serves as an appropriate backdrop for our look at the opening verses of Hebrews chapter ten.

II

“For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect” (Hebrews 10:1).

Many of us enjoy (or have enjoyed) the pastime of model-building. For some, the act of building a scale model aircraft, boat, or automobile represents a pleasant childhood memory. Others go on to develop their model-building skills and turn those skills into full-time occupations. But no matter what level of experience we may possess in this area, anyone who creates a model knows that it only serves as a representational image of something else.

This illustrates an important concept behind our passage from Hebrews 10:1. Much like a representative model, we can associate the Old Covenant Law with a shadow that alerts us to the presence of someone (or something) else. Just as we can understand something about the reality of a person or object by the shadow it creates, the Old Covenant foreshadowed the New Covenant that was yet to come.

This idea is not unique to the Biblical book of Hebrews…

“Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ” (Colossians 2:16-17 NIV).

Jesus also touched upon this subject in a contentious exchange with the religious leaders of His day…

“You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me” (John 5:39 NIV).

While models and shadows may offer greater or lesser detail, they cannot provide us with an opportunity to enter a relationship with the images they portray. This is one of the primary differences between the Old and New Covenants; the New Covenant offers us a relationship with God in Christ that is only foreshadowed under the Old Covenant.

This also explains how we can find value in studying the books of the Old Testament. Since the books of the Old Testament foreshadow the work of Christ, we can obtain valuable insights into Jesus’ life and work whenever we read them.

Finally, one commentator offers a useful summary of these ideas…

“Just as a man’s shadow would reveal far less information about him than a three-dimensional color photograph; just so, the shadow of the heavenly things as revealed in the law is far inferior to the knowledge of God and his divine fellowship available in the new covenant.” ₍₁₎

(1) Coffman, James Burton. “Commentary on Hebrews 10”. “Coffman’s Commentaries on the Bible”. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/bcc/hebrews-10.html. Abilene Christian University Press, Abilene, Texas, USA. 1983-1999. [verse 1]

III

“For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near” (Hebrews 10:1 ESV).

Hebrews 10:1 speaks of “the good things” that were foreshadowed under the Old Covenant. But what were those “good things”? Well, we can find a list of some of those things in the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy.

As mentioned earlier, Deuteronomy 28:1-14 provides us with a summary list of blessings that God made available to the people of Old Testament Israel. Those benefits foreshadowed the greater blessings that God graciously provides under the New Covenant…

“The Lord will establish you as a holy people to Himself, just as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in His ways. Then all peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they shall be afraid of you. And the Lord will grant you plenty of goods, in the fruit of your body, in the increase of your livestock, and in the produce of your ground, in the land of which the Lord swore to your fathers to give you.

The Lord will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them” (Deuteronomy 28:9-13).

Nevertheless, we should note that each of these Old Covenant blessings were external (or material) in nature. The missing element was the blessing of an internal mindset that was good and acceptable before God.

The continuous nature of those Old Covenant sacrifices provided a reminder of the distance that remained between God and His people. Since the Old Testament Law failed to change the internal attitudes of those who brought these sacrificial offerings, the people lingered at a distance from God despite the external blessings He graciously provided.

The following verse will explore this aspect of the Law in greater detail. In the meantime, we can say that God now offers the additional blessing of intimate fellowship and camaraderie with Him through Jesus’ sacrificial work on our behalf.

IV

“For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year” (Hebrews 10:2-3).

The epistle to the Hebrews was originally written to an audience of individuals who were familiar with the policies and procedures of the Mosaic Law. For contemporary readers with a different cultural background, the Biblical book of Leviticus details the procedure by which the people of Old Testament Israel obtained forgiveness for their sins…

“Now the Lord called to Moses, and spoke to him from the tabernacle of meeting, saying, ‘Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When any one of you brings an offering to the Lord, you shall bring your offering of the livestock—of the herd and of the flock. ‘If his offering is a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish; he shall offer it of his own free will at the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the Lord. Then he shall put his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him” (Leviticus 1:1-4).

One commentator makes an important observation related to this passage in the context of Hebrews 10:2-3…

“The offerer’s laying or pressing his hand on the head of the sacrifice symbolized his complete identification with the animal as his substitute. [The word] atonement …may mean ‘to wipe off’; i.e., to wipe clean, or ‘to cover’; i.e., to blot out sin from God’s sight. Nothing is said about the need for faith, for this atonement did not result in eternal life (Rom. 3:20; Heb. 10:1–4) but in righting one’s relationship to the theocracy (the government ruled by God under which Israel lived” ₍₁₎

The book of Hebrews thus offers a powerful argument regarding the inadequacies of these sacrificial offerings. We can distill that argument into one essential point: “If an Old Covenant sacrifice offered complete cleansing from sin, it would have cleansed the internal conscience of the person who offered it without the need for additional sacrifices.” 

This inadequacy is critically important, for the conscious knowledge of sin disrupts our fellowship with God and explains why we must appropriate the promise of 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

(1) Ryrie, Charles Caldwell, Ryrie Study Notes [Leviticus 1:4] © 1986, 1995 by The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago. Database © 2004 WORDsearch Corp

V

“For otherwise would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers would have been purified once for all and so have no further consciousness of sin? But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year after year” (Hebrews 10:2-3).

As he has done throughout this epistle, the author of Hebrews now returns to emphasize a point he made earlier. Here in Hebrews 10:2-3, our author builds upon a teaching from the previous chapter regarding the Old Testament sacrificial system: “…the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper” (Hebrews 9:9 NIV). One commentator applies this idea for the benefit of a modern-day audience…

“It is possible to fulfill all the outward obligations of religion and still have a conscience that is not right with God… This is one of the tragic inadequacies of religion that does not involve relationship with God.” ₍₁₎

Another source adds…

“The OT sacrifices not only could not remove sin, but their constant repetition was a constant reminder of that deficiency. The promise of the New Covenant was that the sin would be removed and even God would ‘remember’ their sins ‘no more’ (8:12, quoting Jer 31:34).” ₍₂₎

Nevertheless, it’s important to refrain from extending this concept beyond its proper Biblical parameters…

“This must not be misconstrued to suggest that once one has been born again he will have no remembrance or consciousness of sin in his life. What is true is that the Christian knows peace with God (Rom 5:1) and peace from the guilt of sin. He must still deal with daily sin (1 Jn 1:6–10)… Thus, the guilt of sin is removed for all time for the New Testament saint. For the Old Testament saint that guilt had to be removed yearly.” ₍₃₎

These verses thus harken back to a passage from the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah, one that our author has previously quoted and one that he will reference again later in this chapter: “I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more” (Jeremiah 31:34).

Under the old covenant, it took many sacrifices to cover the sins of every person. But the New Covenant serves to erase those sins through Jesus’ one-time sacrificial offering. As Hebrews 9:28 will later remind us, Christ accomplished this “…once for all when He offered up Himself.” In the words of one Biblical scholar, “‘once for all’ …is used of that which is so done as to be of perpetual validity, and never needs repetition.” ₍₄₎

(1) Constable, Thomas. DD, Notes on Hebrews 2022 Edition “The heavenly sanctuary 9:1-10” [9:6-10] https://www.planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/html/nt/hebrews/hebrews.htm

(2) MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Heb 10:3). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.

(3) Hindson, E. E., & Kroll, W. M. (Eds.). (1994). KJV Bible Commentary (p. 2563). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

(4) Kenneth S. Wuest, Word Studies in the Greek New Testament [Hebrews 6:4] Copyright © 1942-55 by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

VI

“For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4).

While the people of Old Testament Israel received genuine forgiveness through their sacrificial offerings, there were two inherent deficiencies in the Old Covenant system. The first is mentioned in the passage quoted above: the blood of bulls, goats, and other sacrificial animals could not remove sins. The second issue is one we have mentioned previously: those sacrificial offerings did nothing to change the internal attitudes and motivations of those who brought them.

This leads us to an important theological concept: “atonement.” This word can be defined as “the act by which God restores a relationship of harmony and unity between Himself and human beings.” ₍₁₎ While the Old Covenant sacrificial system was distinguished by several different types of offerings, it primarily involved the death of an animal that served to atone for the sin of the person who brought it.

These offerings were governed by several provisions. First, the person seeking atonement had to provide an acceptable animal for sacrifice. The animal chosen for sacrifice also had to be free of blemish or defect. Finally, the person offering the sacrifice had to personally identify with the sin that was about to result in that animal’s death.

The following commentators lend their insights to the limitations of this system and the need for something better in the form of the New Covenant..

“Moral defilement cannot be removed by material means… The writer to the Hebrews was not the first man to appreciate this; the truth had been grasped centuries earlier, as by the penitent psalmist who prayed: ‘Create in me a clean heart, O God; And renew a right spirit within me …. For thou delightest not in sacrifice; else would I give it: Thou hast no pleasure in burnt-offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: A broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise’ [Ps.51:10,16f].” ₍₂₎

“Not the least of the reasons why animal sacrifices could be of no avail lies in the fact that animals never belonged to man in the first place. ‘For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills, saith the Lord (Ps. 50:10). It was thus manifestly erroneous for man to think that by sacrificing some of his fellow creatures of a lower order than himself, and which like himself were the property of God, he could make any true expiation for his sins.” ₍₃₎

(1) “Atonement” Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary. General Editor Ronald F. Youngblood, Copyright © 1986, 1995 by Thomas Nelson Publishers.

(2) The New International Commentary On The New Testament – The Epistle To The Hebrews, F. F. Bruce, General Editor © Copyright 1964, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. Grand Rapids, Michigan [pg. 229]

(3) Coffman, James Burton. “Commentary on Hebrews 10”. “Coffman’s Commentaries on the Bible”. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/bcc/hebrews-10.html. Abilene Christian University Press, Abilene, Texas, USA. 1983-1999.

VII

“For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4 ESV).

Human beings approach “sin” in a variety of ways. For instance, some view sin as a nonsensical concept, while others choose to ignore it. Then there are those who acknowledge their need to address sinful behaviors but never seem to do so, preferring instead to pursue other, seemingly more important priorities. But much like the irritating presence of a pebble in a shoe, we sometimes encounter an uncomfortable reminder of sin in the form of our consciences.

If we are truly honest with ourselves, we must admit that human beings are not everything they should be. For example, we know it is wrong to lie, cheat, steal, or treat other people like objects. We know these things are wrong because we acknowledge the injustice of such behaviors when others do such things to us. Unfortunately, virtually every human being has engaged in such behaviors to a greater or lesser extent.

The problem is that we inherently recognize that one who steals is a thief, and those who lie are liars. When faced with these uncomfortable behaviors in our lives, we may prefer to rationalize or justify them by saying, “I’m not as bad as other people” or “I had an excuse.” But if we’ve lied or stolen something, that makes us guilty- and people don’t like to think about what happens to the guilty.

Some try to ease that sense of guilt through a series of good works. Others seek relief through the use of recreational drugs, alcohol consumption, or various forms of amusement. Then there are those who discretely engage in self-punishing behaviors, subconsciously or otherwise. These are the individuals who sabotage their best interests through a variety of destructive behaviors. Nevertheless, the presence of guilt remains undiminished, despite any such attempts to suppress it through layers of justifications, rationalizations, or means of escape.

This is why Jesus’ sacrificial death matters. Jesus received genuine punishment for actual wrongdoing- ours, not His. Those who accept His substitutionary, atoning death are freed from the grasp of sinful behaviors and liberated to face our Creator without guilt…

“Christ himself suffered on account of sins, once for all, the righteous one on behalf of the unrighteous. He did this in order to bring you into the presence of God. Christ was put to death as a human, but made alive by the Spirit” (1 Peter 3:18 CEB).

VIII

“Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: ‘Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, But a body You have prepared for Me’” (Hebrews 10:5).

Hebrews 10:5 offers an opportunity to revisit an important, but potentially overlooked consideration from earlier within this epistle. That point involved the word “therefore.” Although some may look upon this word as little more than a bridge from one thought to another, the word “therefore” should alert us to the need to pay careful attention whenever we encounter it within the Scriptures.

You see, this word signals a transition from a teaching or idea to an associated action or behavior. It typically indicates that a Biblical author is about to summarize a teaching or concept from a preceding section and conclude with an application or action plan. Therefore, this word should prompt us to watch and listen carefully whenever it appears within the Biblical record.

In this instance, “therefore” introduces a quotation from the Old Testament book of Psalms…

“Sacrifice and offering You did not desire; My ears You have opened. Burnt offering and sin offering You did not require. Then I said, ‘Behold, I come; In the scroll of the book it is written of me. I delight to do Your will, O my God, And Your law is within my heart’” (Psalm 40:6-8).

This passage offers a clue that helps identify a critical deficiency within the Old Testament sacrificial system. Even though God mandated these sacrifices and offerings, He found them undesirable because they were lacking something important. That “something” involved an internal attitude that sought to do His will. As a result, those sacrifices tended to devolve into ritualistic observances that held little meaning when it came to living a life that truly honored God.

The following commentary summarizes God’s intent for these sacrificial offerings in the lives of the ancient Israelites…

“Animal sacrifices could not take away sins; they provided only a temporary way to deal with sin until Jesus came to deal with sin permanently. How, then, were people forgiven in Old Testament times? Because Old Testament believers were following God’s command to offer sacrifices, he graciously forgave them when, by faith, they made their sacrifices.

But that practice looked forward to Christ’s perfect sacrifice. Christ’s way was superior to the Old Testament way because the old way only pointed to what Christ would do to take away sins.” ₍₁₎

(1) Life Application Study Bible [Hebrews 10:4] Copyright © 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1996, 2004 by Tyndale House Publishers Inc., all rights reserved.

IX

“So when he came into the world, he said, ‘Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me’” (Hebrews 10:5-6).

This passage features a quotation of Psalm 40:6 from an ancient translation known as the Septuagint. This translation is sometimes abbreviated as LXX (the Roman numeral for seventy) when it is referenced within a contemporary Biblical translation. The Septuagint is a Jewish translation of the Old Testament Scriptures from Hebrew and Aramaic into Greek that predated the life of Christ by about 200 years. It gets its name from the traditional belief that seventy scholars took part in its translation.

However, some significant differences emerge when we compare this reference to the Hebrew text from the Book Of Psalms. The following sources identify those issues and help provide us with an explanation…

“Psalm 40:6 cites the Messiah as saying ‘My ears You have opened,’ but the writer of Hebrews quotes it as ‘a body You have prepared for Me’ (10:5). There is no similarity whatsoever in these quotations. The NT seems to totally distort this OT passage…

The solution may lie in the fact that Hebrews is a loose rendition, and Psalms is a more literal translation of the same idea, namely ‘You have fitted me for obedient service.’” ₍₁₎

“The Hb. text of Ps. 40:6 reads, ‘God has opened my ear’ (cf. Is. 50:5). Hebrews follows the Septuagint, which speaks of the readiness of the whole person (‘the body’) and not only a representative part (the ears). Thus, Hebrews understands the ‘ears’ of the Hb. text to be a part of the body that represents the whole body, which is a typical Hb. figure of speech called ‘synecdoche.’ The ‘body … prepared for me’ is the humanity assumed by Christ in the course of His full obedience to the Father (2:14; 5:8).” ₍₂₎

“Psalm 40:6 reads, ‘My ears you have opened.’ This does not represent a significant alteration in the meaning of the psalm, as indicated by the fact that the writer quoted the LXX version of the Heb. idiom, which was an accurate representation for Greek readers. The Greek translators regarded the Heb. words as a figure of speech, in which a part of something signified the whole, i.e., the hollowing out of ears was part of the total work of fashioning a human body.” ₍₃₎

These explanations thus allow us to focus upon the essence of this passage: God has provided a sacrifice in the form of His Son, a sacrifice that is both well-pleasing and acceptable to Him (Romans 8:32, Ephesians 5:2-2).

(1) Geisler, N. L., & Howe, T. A. (1992). When critics ask : a popular handbook on Bible difficulties (p. 521). Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books.

(2) Sproul, R. C. (Ed.). (2015). The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) (p. 2213). Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust.

(3) MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Heb 10:5). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers

X

“In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure. Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come— In the volume of the book it is written of Me— To do Your will, O God’” (Hebrews 10:6-7).

The Gospel of John records several instances where Jesus signaled His intent to fulfill God’s will in accord with this passage…

“Jesus said to them, ‘My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work’” (John 4:34).

“I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me” (John 5:30).

“For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me” (John 6:38).

However, Luke’s Gospel may contain the greatest expression of that commitment…

“So [Jesus] came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.

And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.’

Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, ‘Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing’” (Luke 4:16-21).

In referencing this Old Testament quote from our passage from Hebrews,  one source observes, “The OT prophets had warned the Israelites that sacrifices alone would not please God. He desired obedience as well (Ps. 51:16, 17; Is. 1:13–17; Mark 12:33). This messianic psalm indicates that Jesus’ obedience to God the Father was one of the reasons His sacrifice was better than the OT sacrifices.” ₍₁₎

Another commentator adds…

“God’s will was a new covenant with all humanity established by Jesus’ death and resurrection (cf. Mark 10:45; 2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 10:9). When animals died in sacrificial offerings they had no choice. Jesus willingly laid down His own life (cf. John 10:17-18).” ₍₂₎

(1) Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1999). Nelson’s new illustrated Bible commentary (p. 1650). Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers.

(2) Dr. Bob Utley, Hebrews 10 [10:7] Copyright © 2014 Bible Lessons International http://www.freebiblecommentary.org/new_testament_studies/VOL10/VOL10_10.html

XI

“Previously saying, ‘Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them’ (which are offered according to the law), then He said, ‘Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.’ He takes away the first that He may establish the second” (Hebrews 10:8-9).

Hebrews 10:8-9 provides us with a brief description of the offerings associated with the Old Covenant sacrificial system. Those sacrificial offerings from the Biblical book of Leviticus included…

• The burnt offering (chapter one).
• The grain offering (chapter two).
• The peace offering (chapter three).
• The sin offering (chapter four).
• The trespass offering (chapter five).

Yet despite the fact that these offerings are painstakingly described over multiple chapters of God’s Word, our passage from Hebrews reminds us that, “…the Levitical system by itself was not the means willed by God to remove His people’s sin permanently; rather, it was given to point people to the only effectual sacrifice for sin—Jesus Christ.” ₍₁₎

Hebrews 10:9 couples that idea with Jesus’ willingness to accept this sacrificial responsibility: “Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.” In fact, Jesus expressed that sentiment on several occasions as He led  by example…

“For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day” (John 6:38-39)

“…He knelt down and prayed, saying, ‘Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done’” (Luke 22:41-42).

“Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father” (John 10:17-18).

“While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him. Then one said to Him, ‘Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You.’ But He answered and said to the one who told Him, ‘Who is My mother and who are My brothers?’ And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, ‘Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother’” (Matthew 12:46-50).

(1) Sproul, R. C. (Ed.). (2015). The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) (p. 2213). Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust.

XII

“By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10:10).

One potentially overlooked aspect of this passage involves Jesus’ will to accomplish God’s objective for His life. Perhaps the clearest expression of that commitment is recorded in a passage from the Gospel of Matthew. That portion of Scripture describes Jesus’ interaction with His disciples at the time of His arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane…

“…Don’t you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly? But if I did, how would the Scriptures be fulfilled that describe what must happen now?” (Matthew 26:53-54 NLT).

Even though Jesus possessed the ability to escape the events that were about to befall Him, He declined that option in accordance with the Scriptures and God’s desire for His life. He thus provides us with an example to follow as we seek to align ourselves with God’s will in our own lives.

Hebrews 10:10 also references another important Biblical term: sanctification. This word conveys the idea of separation from sin and dedication to God. A person or object that is “sanctified” is something that has been set apart for God’s use. The following source offers additional clarity in defining sanctification as, “the act or process by which people or things are cleansed and dedicated to God…” ₍₁₎

Because God has brought us into union with Christ, Jesus has thus “…become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption” (NIV) according to 1 Corinthians 1:30. Therefore, we can say that our text from Hebrews 10:10 also addresses our positional sanctification in Christ…

“‘Sanctify’ means to ‘make holy,’ to be set apart from sin for God (cf. 1Th 4:3). When Christ fulfilled the will of God, He provided for the believer a continuing, permanent condition of holiness (Eph 4:24; 1Th 3:13). This is the believer’s positional sanctification as opposed to the progressive sanctification that results from daily walking by the will of God” ₍₂₎

Nevertheless, this reference to progressive sanctification in the quotation above reminds us that every man and woman of God is also involved in this process of sanctification. A portion of the New Testament epistle of 1 Thessalonians serves to illustrate this idea: “For this is the will of God— your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality, that each of you learn how to maintain control over his own ‘vessel’ in holiness and honor” (1 Thessalonians 4:3-4 Mounce).

In light of this, we can say that God’s people are responsible to learn, grow, and participate in this practice of sanctification as well.

(1) New Dictionary of Theology, (Leicester/ Downers Grove: Inter-Varsity, 1988) pg. 613

(2) MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Heb 10:10). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.

XIII

“And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool” (Hebrews 10:11-13).

Much like a teacher who seeks to reinforce a lesson in the minds of his or her students, the author of Hebrews returned to supplement an earlier teaching in the passage quoted above. Consider this excerpt from Hebrews 10:12: “…after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God.” Unlike an Old Testament priest who stood to conduct the various sacrificial offerings, Jesus finished His sacrificial work as evidenced by His seated position at the right hand of God.

We find this same imagery in several other portions of this epistle…

“…when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Hebrews 1:3 KJV).

“But to which of the angels has He ever said: ‘Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool’?” (Hebrews 1:13).

“Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens” (Hebrews 8:1).

These passages convey the idea of Jesus’ completed work, as well as His exalted position. In fact, this word-picture is so important that our author will return to it once again in Hebrews 12:2. The following commentary prompts us to consider the significance of this imagery and helps explain why our author has returned to it so often…

“Christ’s work is contrasted with the work of the Jewish priests. The priests’ work was never finished, so they had to stand day after day and offer sacrifices; Christ’s sacrifice (dying in our place) is finished, so he is seated. The priests repeated the sacrifices often; Christ sacrificed once for all. The sacrifice system couldn’t completely remove sin; Christ’s sacrifice effectively cleansed us.” ₍₁₎

Another source adds a practical application in reminding us that we can do nothing to secure God’s favor apart from what Christ has done on our behalf: “If you feel like you’re in a rut, doing the same things every day to try to impress God, you’re under the old system. And like the priests of old, your work is never done.” ₍₂₎

(1) Life Application Study Bible NKJV [Hebrews 10:11-12] Copyright © 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1996, 2004 by Tyndale House Publishers Inc., all rights reserved.

(2) Courson, J. (2003). Jon Courson’s Application Commentary (p. 1489). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.

XIV

“But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet” (Hebrews 10:12-13 ESV).

This reference to the “right hand of God” in Hebrews 1:12 represents another image that periodically reappears over the course of this epistle. This passage finds our author quoting once again from one of his favorite Old Testament resources, Psalm 110:1: “The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.’” We saw this same imagery earlier in Hebrews 1:3, Hebrews 1:13, and Hebrews 8:1. This word-picture will also make one final appearance later in Hebrews 12:2.

As mentioned previously, the symbolism associated with the “right hand of God” is important, for it finds its origin in an ancient, cross-cultural symbol of authority and power. Since the right hand serves as the dominant hand for most people, the right hand (or right arm) eventually came to be associated with the greatest degree of skill and strength in the ancient world.

This eventually led to a further identification with the concepts of favor, importance, righteousness, blessing, and sovereignty. In fact, we continue to acknowledge this ancient imagery today whenever we refer to a person who serves as the “right hand” of someone in authority. Other New Testament authors employ this imagery as well, further attesting to the powerful nature of this metaphor..

In a similar manner, this reference to a footstool conveys an image of complete subjugation of one’s enemies. Today, we might use the analogy of a combatant who places his foot on the neck of a vanquished opponent to communicate a similar idea. However, there are some other aspects to this idea that we would do well to contemplate…

“Isaiah 66:1 records the Lord as saying, ‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool.’ God used this metaphor to help us comprehend how great He is and how insignificant we are by comparison. If our entire planet is nothing but a footstool to our Creator, how small are we in the grand scheme of things?

…A footstool in the Bible is a symbol of lowliness, humility, and unimportance. It signifies that the one using the footstool is far superior to the footstool itself. It’s amazing that, while God calls the earth His footstool, He still humbled Himself and took on human flesh to become One who lived on that footstool. And He requires that kind of meekness and humility in each of His followers (Philippians 2:5–11).” ₍₁₎

(1) GotQuestions.org, “What is the significance of a footstool in the Bible?” Retrieved 18 October, 2022 from https://www.gotquestions.org/footstool-in-the-Bible.html

XV

“For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified” (Hebrews 10:14).

It may be easy to associate the word “perfected” with the quality of flawlessness. However, we should be careful to note that this passage does not communicate the idea of sinless perfection. The Biblical book of 1 John prohibits that interpretation when it tells us, “If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us” (1 John 1:10).

Instead, Hebrews 10:14 uses this word to convey a sense of full development or maturation. In other words, those who accept Christ obtain a position of perfect standing with God. Since Jesus has perfectly atoned for our sins through His sacrificial death, we receive forgiveness and liberation from the shame of a guilty conscience before God.

One Biblical scholar provides us with a detailed explanation of this important idea…

“The word ‘perfected’ is the translation of teleioo which means ‘to bring to a state of completion.’ Here, the completeness of the state of salvation of the believer is in view. Everything essential to the salvation of the individual is included in the gift of salvation which the sinner receives by faith in Messiah’s sacrifice. The words ‘for ever’ here are to be construed with ‘perfected.’ It is a permanent state of completeness in salvation to which reference is made.” ₍₁₎

Thus, we can say along with Paul the Apostle in his Biblical letter to the Philippian church…

“I don’t mean to say I am perfect. I haven’t learned all I should even yet, but I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ saved me for and wants me to be. No, dear brothers, I am still not all I should be, but I am bringing all my energies to bear on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God is calling us up to heaven because of what Christ Jesus did for us” (Philippians 3:12-14 TLB).

Finally, this passage also serves to refute the idea of purgatory, or a place of temporary punishment where one is cleansed (or purged) from sin before entering heaven. Since Hebrews 10:14 tells us, “…by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified” (ESV), no further purging is necessary. Instead, Jesus completed the work of redemption on our behalf in saying, “It is finished” (John 19:30) from the cross.

(1) Kenneth S. Wuest, Word Studies in the Greek New Testament (Hebrews 10:13-14) Copyright © 1942-55 by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

XVI

“But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before, ‘This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord…’” (Hebrews 10:15-16).

While Jeremiah the prophet served as the human author of the quotation in the passage above, we should not overlook this attribution to the Holy Spirit here in Hebrews 10:16. This is not the only portion of Scripture to feature this type of acknowledgement…

“Notice a number of places in the New Testament where portions of the Old Testament that were written by various men are assigned to the Holy Spirit as the author. The only way to account for this phenomenon is to recognize a dual authorship (see Mark 12:36, where the Spirit is said to be the author of what David wrote in Ps. 110; Acts 1:16 and 4:24–25, where Ps. 41 and Ps. 2 are ascribed to the Holy Spirit; and Heb. 3:7; 10:15–16).” ₍₁₎

The following passage from the Biblical epistle of 1 Peter helps us understand how this “dual authorship” took place…

“Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:20-21 NIV).

The Apostle Peter described this process with a nautical term that means “to move or be conveyed” in the original language of these verses. ₍₂₎ We can illustrate the that means of conveyance with the image of a sailboat on a lake. Just as a sailboat is moved by the wind that fills its sails, the Holy Spirit carried these Old and New Testament authors along, so they went exactly where the Spirit wanted them to go in their Biblical works.

These human authors were active in writing the words of the Scriptures as God’s Spirit carried them along, just as sailors are active on a ship that is moved by the wind. Thus, an important observation made earlier in our study of the book of Hebrews is one that bears repeating…

“This is attributing the inspiration of the OT to the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 28:25; Heb. 10:15). In context this is very significant because Scripture is attributed to the Father in Heb. 1:5,13; 2:6,11; 4:3,4; 10:9; 13:5. Therefore, this is a strong passage on the deity and personality of the Spirit (cf. Heb. 9:8; 10:15). ₍₃₎

(1) Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Ryrie Study Bible: New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update, Expanded ed. (Chicago: Moody Press, 1995), 2080.

(2) See G5342 phero Thayer’s Greek Lexicon https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g5342/kjv/tr/0-1/

(3) Dr. Bob Utley. Free Bible Commentary, [Hebrews 3:7] Copyright © 2014 Bible Lessons International http://www.freebiblecommentary.org/new_testament_studies/VOL10/VOL10_03.html

XVII

“The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says: ‘This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds…’” (Hebrews 10:15-16 NIV).

This reference to the Biblical testimony of the Holy Spirit in Hebrews 10:15 offers an opportunity to examine a related passage from the New Testament epistle of 2 Timothy…

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).

This process of inspiration finds its origin in the word theopneustos (or, “God- breathed”) in the original language of 2 Timothy 3:16. Much like the act of human exhalation, this portion of Scripture tells us that God “breathed-out” His Word through each Biblical author. It is this unique two-part authorship that makes the Bible different from any other book.

First, we can say that God is fully responsible for the content of the Scriptures. This explains why the Bible claims to be authoritative (Exodus 4:30, 1 Thessalonians 2:13), eternal (Psalm 119:89, Matthew 24:35), and true (Psalm 119:142, John 17:17). However, the doctrine of Biblical inspiration does not mean that these Biblical authors functioned as human word processors, copy machines, or stenographers.

Instead, God used the personality, cultural background, vocabulary, and writing style of each human writer to communicate the Scriptures in a precise and errorless manner. For example, the Scriptures display the humanity of each human author through such things as human research (Luke 1:1-4), human emotion (Nehemiah 13:25), and even human memories that were fragmentary and incomplete (1 Corinthians 1:15-16).

Therefore, as one commentator observes…

“With these two acts of God—breathing out His Word and carrying the writers along by the Spirit—we can come to a definition of inspiration: The Holy Spirit moved men to write. He allowed them to use their own styles, cultures, gifts, and character. He allowed them to use the results of their own study and research, write of their own experiences, and express what was in their minds.

At the same time, the Holy Spirit did not allow error to influence their writings. He overruled in the expression of thought and in the choice of words. Thus, they recorded accurately all God wanted them to say and exactly how He wanted them to say it in their own character, styles, and languages.” ₍₁₎

(1) Brian H. Edwards, Why Should We Believe in the Inerrancy of Scripture? Answers in Genesis https://answersingenesis.org/is-the-bible-true/why-should-we-believe-in-the-inerrancy-of-scripture/ Retrieved 28 October 2022

XVIII

“‘…I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,’ then He adds, ‘Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more’” (Hebrews 10:16-17).

Earlier in chapter eight, the author of Hebrews began an extended discussion of the New Covenant based on a portion of Scripture from the book of Jeremiah. Now. our author will close that discussion with a reference to that same passage from Jeremiah 31:31-34.

You see, one primary aspect of Hebrews 8:8 to 10:17 involves a focus upon God’s internal work within us under the New Covenant. However, we can also find many examples of the Holy Spirit’s work in the lives of other individuals throughout the Old Testament period as well. Some of those Biblical personalities included…

• Balaam (Numbers 24:2).
• Saul (1 Samuel 10:10).
• Azariah (2 Chronicles 15:1).
• Othniel (Judges 3:9-10).
• Gideon (Judges 6:34. We’ll read more about Gideon in Hebrews chapter eleven).
• Jephthah [Judges 11:29. We’ll also see more of Jepthah in the following chapter of Hebrews as well).
• Amasai (1 Chronicles 12:18).
• Jahaziel (2 Chronicles 20:14).
• Zechariah (2 Chronicles 24:20).
• Ezekiel (Ezekiel 11:5).

So how do we reconcile God’s Old Covenant work in the lives of these individuals in light of the New Covenant? We find the answer in something that they all held in common. In each of these examples, we’re told that the Spirit of God “came upon” those men to equip them for a specific work or ministry. Unlike the internal work of the Holy Spirit under the New Covenant, the Spirit came upon them in a manner that empowered them to complete a specific task  (or tasks).

This represents an important difference between the Old and New Covenants. The difference is that we are not simply empowered to perform a work for God under the New Covenant. Instead, those who accept Christ by faith are recipients of a new internal nature according to the promise given to us in Jeremiah 31:31-34. That new, God-honoring internal nature serves to influence and empower our internal decisions and external actions each day.

The following passage from the New Testament epistle of Galatians underscores this idea…

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

XIX

“then he adds, ‘I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more’” (Hebrews 10:17 ESV).

While the Biblical definition of “sin” encompasses the inappropriate behaviors we generally associate with that word, it primarily means “to miss the mark.” In other words, sin involves our failure to live up to the perfect standard that God established when He created the first human beings. Although this definition may seem relatively mild, we should note that sin is coupled with a reference to “lawless deeds” in the passage quoted above.

“Lawless deeds” can be defined as, “contempt and violation of law, iniquity, [and] wickedness.” ₍₁₎ The fact that these ideas are joined together in Hebrews 10:17 is significant. Much as we saw earlier in our look at Hebrews 8:12, this conveys more than just a failure to live up to God’s standards; it involves a willful neglect of God’s intent or purpose.

For instance, consider Jesus’ teaching on this subject from the Gospel of Matthew…

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” (Matthew 7:21-23).

While these individuals were seemingly engaged in practices that honored God, their lawless deeds were clearly evident to Jesus. In fact, Paul the Apostle acknowledged that the “mystery of lawlessness” was already at work in his day according to 2 Thessalonians 2:7. Sadly, such acts of lawlessness run like a thread through the course of human history extending as far back as our first human ancestors.

1 John 3:4-6 serves to further our understanding of this idea in a more positive manner by speaking of Christ and His work in our lives…

“Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him” (NIV).

Thus, we can be encouraged by the fact that God works within us “…to will and to do His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). We can also be thankful that He no longer remembers our “sins and lawless deeds” through Christ’s sacrificial work on our behalf.

(1) G458 anomia https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?t=kjv&strongs=g458

XX

“then he says, ‘Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no longer’” (Hebrews 10:17 NET).

A person who prayerfully applies this passage from Hebrews 10:17 is someone who can find refuge from the nagging sense of regret that often accompanies the inappropriate behaviors of the past. One commentary on this passage offers an encouraging perspective in respect to this passage..

“The statement that God ‘will remember … sins … no more’ (v. 17) means that He will no longer call them back to memory, with a view to condemning the sinner (cf. Rom. 8:1). Since God is omniscient, He remembers everything, but He does not hold the forgiven sinner’s sins against him or her. Hebrews 10:17 has been a great help to many sinners who have found it hard to believe that God really has forgiven them (cf. 1 John 2:2).” ₍₁₎

Philippians 3:13-14 also provides us with some helpful counsel in this regard: “…I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us” (NLT).

This does not mean that we should deny, excuse, or ignore the mistakes of the past. Nor does it mean that we will automatically evade the negative consequences associated with our choices and decisions. However, it does mean that God has provided a way to permanently eradicate our past failures through Jesus’ sacrificial death. As we’re reminded in the Biblical book of Romans, “We know that the person we used to be was crucified with him to put an end to sin in our bodies. Because of this we are no longer slaves to sin. The person who has died has been freed from sin” (Romans 6:6-7 GW).

1 John 1:9 adds the following exhortation: “For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.” Thus, Hebrews 10:17 provides us with an encouraging reminder: we need not allow the mistakes, poor decisions, or shameful things from the past to prevent us from enjoying God’s best in the present.

Finally, one source makes use of this passage in preparing for our eventual entry into the next chapter of Hebrews: “There is a remarkable illustration of this divine ‘loss of memory’ in the next chapter, Hebrews 11. This chapter recounts the great works of faith of Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Samson, and many others, but never mentions any of their sins.” ₍₂₎

(1) Dr. Thomas L. Constable, Notes on Hebrews 2022 Edition [10:15-18] https://www.planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/html/nt/hebrews/hebrews.htm

(2) Institute for Creation Research, New Defender’s Study Bible Notes Hebrews 10:17 https://www.icr.org/bible/Hebrews/10/17/

XXI

“Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin” (Hebrews 10:18).

Hebrews 10:18 marks the conclusion of the doctrinal portion of this letter that began earlier in chapter seven. The author of Hebrews has built towards this conclusion with several key observations over the past few chapters. For instance…

• The priests who served under the Old Testament Law were subject to the death process, just like any other human being. Thus, their ministries were limited and temporary (Hebrews 7:23-25).
• The Levitical priests were fallible human beings who had to atone for their own sins before they were permitted to minister to others (Hebrews 7:26-27).
• The Old Covenant Law featured several inadequacies that established the need for a superior covenant (Hebrews 8:6-7).
• Thus, the priesthood held by Aaron and his successors under the Old Testament Law was deficient (Hebrews 9:6-10, 10:1-4).
• The Old Testament Scriptures anticipated the advent of a New Covenant and Jesus’ superior priestly ministry (Hebrews 10:5-9).

These foundational observations lead us to the final passage of this section: “When sins are forgiven, there is no more need to offer sacrifices” (CEV). That fundamental truth explains why Christianity has no further need of sacrificial offerings of any kind. This refers not only to the animal sacrifices of long ago; it also includes any work we might seek to do in order to get right with God today. When the issue of sin has been addressed permanently (as it has through Jesus’ once-for-all atoning sacrifice), no such offerings are necessary.

Thus, Hebrews 10:18 reminds us that Christianity is not based on what we can do for God, but on what God has done for us through Christ. As we’re told in Acts 4:12, “There is salvation in no one else. Under all heaven there is no other name for men to call upon to save them” (TLB).

The following commentator brings closure to this lengthy portion of Scripture…

“Priestly ministry was such an important part of old Israelite worship that the writer gave it lengthy attention here. The writer showed that Jesus is a superior priest compared with the Levitical priests, and that His priesthood supersedes (has replaced) the Levitical priesthood. He also pointed out that Jesus serves under the New Covenant that is superior to the Old Covenant.

Furthermore, His sacrifice is superior to the animal sacrifices of the Old Covenant. Finally, Jesus’ priesthood brings the believer into full acceptance with God, something the former priesthood could not do. Therefore the readers would be foolish to abandon Christianity to return to Judaism. Contemporary believers are also foolish to turn away from Christ and the gospel.” ₍₁₎

(1) Dr. Thomas L. Constable, Notes on Hebrews 2022 Edition [10:15-18] Retrieved 01 November, 2022 from https://www.planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/html/nt/hebrews/hebrews.htm

XXII

“Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh” (Hebrews 10:19-20).

Having built a case for Jesus’ New Covenant ministry over the previous chapters of this epistle, these verses transition us from the doctrinal portion of Hebrews to a series of applications and illustrations.

Earlier in our study of Hebrews, we saw that human beings were generally prohibited from entering the Old Testament-era Tabernacle (and later, the Temple). The only individuals who could enter these structures were the priests. However, the priests were also restricted from entering the innermost portion of the Tabernacle known as the Most Holy Place. The only exception was the High Priest, and even then, he could only enter that area once a year under a complex set of rules (see Leviticus chapter 16).

This was a serious matter, for Leviticus 16:2 tells us that the High Priest was not permitted “…to enter into the Holy Place behind the veil, where the Ark and the place of mercy are, just whenever he chooses. The penalty for intrusion is death” (TLB). Therefore, a person who approached God in this manner had to ensure that he did so as if his life depended on it, for it literally did.

This offers a stark contrast to the access to God we now enjoy under the New Covenant…

• There is no longer any reason to fear God when we approach Him through Christ.
• We can now approach God with confidence whenever we desire and not just once a year on a particular day.
• When we approach God through Christ, we can expect to find love and acceptance as a result of His sacrifice on our behalf.

Thus, we can experience freedom without fear in our relationship with God, for every barrier to fellowship with our Creator has been eliminated through Jesus’ atoning sacrifice. Since Christ has now opened the way to fellowship with God, Hebrews 10:19 encourages us to take advantage of that access with boldness.

The New Testament book of Ephesians also speaks of this confidence when it tells us, “In union with Christ and through our faith in him we have the boldness to go into God’s presence with all confidence” (GNT). Nevertheless, we should not equate confidence and assurance with carelessness, nonchalance, or a casual demeanor. Instead. the privilege of access to God should be accompanied by an attitude of humility, respect, and appreciation for His willingness to receive us whenever we come to Him through Christ.

XXIII

“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh” (Hebrews 10:19-20 ESV).

The contributions made by the following sources provide us with some valuable insight into the passage quoted above. As we conclude our brief look at Hebrews 10:19-20, we will dedicate this portion of our study to the observations made by a few select authors who help advance our understanding of these important verses…

“The first exhortation urges the Christian to take full advantage of the privilege of worship -of drawing near… Here ‘confidence’ (Gk. parrhesia, lit. ‘outspokenness’, ‘openness’) conveys the idea of an exulting boldness, a vivid sense of freedom from all fear when it comes to entering the sacred area of God’s presence.” ₍₁₎

“On this earth, most of us do not have immediate access to a president or monarch. But through Christ’s blood, we have perpetual access to God Himself.” ₍₂₎

“Jesus is the High Priest over God’s house in the heavens. As we have seen so often, the function of the priest was to build a bridge between man and God. This means that Jesus not only shows us the way to God but also when we get there introduces us to his very presence. A man might be able to direct an enquirer to Buckingham Palace and yet be very far from having the right to take him into the presence of the Queen; but Jesus can take us the whole way.” ₍₃₎

“God has no special place where only a special caste of men may approach Him. Instead, all believers may come into His presence by faith at any time and from any place on earth.” ₍₄₎

“We do not just come into God’s presence as strangers, visitors, or laypersons but as priests- as people who belong in the temple and have a right and even a duty to be in the most sacred places in the temple. Using imagery from the ceremony for ordination of priests (see Ex. 29:4, 21), the author of Hebrews pictures all believers as having been ordained as priests to God and thus able to enter into his presence, for he says that we draw near ‘with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water’” (Heb. 10:22 ; cf. 1 Peter 2:9). ₍₅₎

(1) New International Bible Commentary general editor G. C. D. Howley, consulting editors F. F. Bruce, H. L. Ellison. Copyright© 1979 by Pickering & Inglis Ltd [pg. 1525].

(2) Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1999). Nelson’s new illustrated Bible commentary (p. 1651). Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers.

(3) Barclay, William. William Barclay’s Daily Study Bible, “The Meaning Of Christ For Us (Heb_10:19-25).”

(4) William Macdonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary Edited by Arthur Farstad, Thomas Nelson Publishers (Hebrews 10:19-39).

(5) Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine, Second Edition. (Grand Rapids, Ml: Zondervan Academic, 2020) [pg 870].

XXIV

“let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water” (Hebrews 10:22).

A careful reading of Hebrews 10:22 reveals several essential attributes for drawing near to God in Christ. As we examine these attributes in greater detail, we are sure to find that they are more important than they may initially seem to appear.

The first attribute given to us here within this verse is a “true heart.” When we say that something is “true,” we’re saying that it corresponds (or “goes along”) with reality. In other words, “truth” means that we are talking about things the way they really are. One source clarifies this definition for us: “{true is] opposite to what is fictitious, counterfeit, imaginary, simulated or pretended.” ₍₁₎

That brings us to the word “heart.” As mentioned in a previous study, the word “heart” is represented by the word kardia in the original language of this passage. It also forms the basis for our modern-day word “cardiac.” Kardia refers to our innermost being in a physical, spiritual, or emotional sense. So when taken together, these definitions encourage us to draw near to God in Christ with an internal attitude of sincerity, honesty, and authenticity.

Ordinarily, the idea of drawing near to God with a true heart would be impossible for any fallible human being. To quote the prophet Jeremiah (one of the author of Hebrews’ favorite Old Testament sources), “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?” (Jeremiah 17:9 NLT).

Jesus also made a similar observation regarding the heart…

“…the words that come out of your mouth come from your heart. And they are what make you unfit to worship God. Out of your heart come evil thoughts, murder, unfaithfulness in marriage, vulgar deeds, stealing, telling lies, and insulting others. These are what make you unclean…” (Matthew 15:18-20 CEV).

Therefore, it is helpful to remember a key that was given to us earlier in this chapter: “And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus” (Hebrews 10:19 NLT). This illustrates why we need an internally heart-changing relationship with Christ, for we can only enter God’s presence with true hearts through what He has done for us. As Jesus also reminded us in His Sermon On The Mount…

“Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8).

(1) G228 alethinos Thayer’s Greek Definitions https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g228/nlt/mgnt/0-1/

XXV

“let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water” (Hebrews 10:22 HCSB).

As we consider the characteristic qualities of Hebrews 10:22, we next come to an attribute that will soon become a focus of greater attention: “full assurance of faith.” One Biblical scholar offers a foundation for understanding this concept with a look at the original language of this passage…

“Plerophoria, ‘full assurance,’ is an expression which occurs more than once in the writings of the Apostle Paul. He speaks of plerophoria suneseos, ‘the full assurance of understanding’ (Col. 2:2); plerophoria tes elpidos, ‘the full assurance of hope’ (Heb. 6:11); and plerophoria pisteos, ‘the full assurance of faith’ (Heb. 10:22). According to its etymology, this word denotes ‘a carrying with full sail’; the metaphor being taken, probably, from ships when their sails are filled with favourable gales. Thus it may here signify the vehement inclination of the mind, impelled by the Holy Spirit, towards an assent to the truth perceived.” ₍₁₎

Thus, this reference to a “full assurance of faith” previews the famous “Faith Hall Of Fame” that is to come in the following chapter.

A more obscure reference then follows this phrase: “having our hearts sprinkled and purified from a guilty (evil) conscience” (AMPC). This terminology becomes easier to understand if we stop to consider the negative effects of a guilty conscience.

You see, virtually everyone knows what it is like to live with a guilty conscience. It was the prolific 17th century commentator Matthew Henry who once observed that “A guilty conscience needs no accuser or tormentor but itself.” ₍₂₎ Whenever we treat others inappropriately, we must live with the guilt of such behavior. This often leads to emotional distance and loss of intimacy with others. The same may be said of our relationship with God as well.

This is why a passage from earlier in Hebrews chapter ten is so important for those who place their faith in Christ: ‘Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no longer’” (Hebrews 10:17 NET). The knowledge that God no longer remembers our sinful thoughts and behaviors frees us from the shackles of a guilty conscience before Him.

Therefore, as we are told in the New Testament epistle of 1 John, “Dear friends, if our conscience does not condemn us, we have confidence in the presence of God” (1 John 3:21 NET).

(1) Herman Witsius, Sacred Dissertations on What Is Commonly Called the Apostles’ Creed, trans. Donald Fraser, 2 vols. (1823; reprint, Phillipsburg, N.J.: P & R, 1993), 1:42–43. Quoted in R.C. Sproul, Faith Alone: The Evangelical Doctrine of Justification, electronic ed. (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2000), 80.

(2) Matthew Henry, Exposition of the Old and New Testament, Volume 3

XXVI

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23).

A careful reading of Hebrews 10:23 reveals two distinct portions of this passage. If we refer to the original language of this verse, we might render the first portion of Hebrews 10:23 in the following manner: “Let us keep firm possession of what we profess, as we remain firm and unmoved, in the joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation…”

While this exhortation was originally directed toward an audience of those who were unsettled in their faith, it is just as relevant for contemporary audiences as well. In fact, this exhortation was (and is) so important that our author affirmed this idea in several earlier portions of this this letter…

“But Christ, as the Son, is in charge of God’s entire house. And we are God’s house, if we keep our courage and remain confident in our hope in Christ” (Hebrews 3:6 NLT).

“And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end” (Hebrews 6:11 ESV).

“So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us” (Hebrews 6:18 NLT).

The second half of Hebrews 10:23 draws our attention to an important attribute of Christ: faithfulness. When others prove unworthy of our trust, Jesus remains faithful. In fact, Jesus’ faithfulness is an intrinsic part of His character, for as we are told in 2 Timothy 2:13, “…he always remains faithful. He cannot deny his own nature” (2 Timothy 2:13 Phillips).

Unlike those who are less than trustworthy, we can always rely upon Christ to demonstrate His faithfulness towards us. As one source observes, “This is a wonderful affirmation of assurance that although we are called to endure and be faithful, salvation does not rest ultimately on our faithfulness, but upon the perfect faithfulness of Christ.” ₍₁₎

Thus, Jesus is faithful to keep His promises to us. The Gospel of John records one of the most significant of those promises…

“There are many rooms in my Father’s house, and I am going to prepare a place for you. I would not tell you this if it were not so. And after I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to myself, so that you will be where I am” (John 14:2-3 GNT).

(1) Sproul, R. C. (Ed.). (2015). The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) (p. 2172). Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust.

XXVII

“And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works” (Hebrews 10:24).

One of the more challenging aspects of our relationship with other members of the Christian community often involves our responsibility to implement the directive given to us in the passage quoted above.

For instance, notice the word “consider” here in Hebrews 10:24. This word conveys an image of thoughtful reflection as we contemplate the things that will cultivate another person’s highest good from a Biblical perspective. It should also reflect a prayerful commitment to act in the best interests of others, even when their actions warrant a different response. Much like a baker who stirs up the ingredients of a cake or pastry, this requires effort on our part.

Next comes a reference to love. In the original language of this passage, “love” incorporates the idea of affection, good will, and benevolence. ₍₁₎ It also encompasses the qualities of generosity, kindly concern, and devotedness. ₍₂₎ Thus, we can say that a portion of our “job description” includes an effort to help others become all that God created them to be in Christ.

In part, this involves encouraging others to use their God-given talents, skills, opportunities, and abilities to honor God. For example, some may be unaware of such gifts, even when they are clearly visible to others. Then there are some who could benefit from the encouragement to step out in faith in regard to a ministry opportunity. We can exert a positive influence upon such individuals if we take a careful inventory of their strengths, weaknesses, and evidence of God’s call upon their lives.

This does not mean that we should pressure or leverage others into service simply because a need exists. Instead, this passage speaks of the forethought that is necessary to help “…motivate one another to acts of love and good works” (NLT). As one commentator wisely observes, “It is easy to stir up hate and godless deeds; it takes much more to stir up another to love and good works.” ₍₃₎

We can also stir up love and good works if we seek to lead by example. In other words, we should seek to offer a positive example for others to follow in our speech, appearance, and ministry efforts. As Paul the Apostle encouraged the church in the town of Corinth, “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1).

The following verse offers an excellent path that can guide us in putting this exhortation into practice. We’ll consider that path in greater detail next.

(1) G26 agape Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?t=kjv&strongs=g26

(2) G26 agape Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary of the New Testament https://www.billmounce.com/greek-dictionary/agape

(3) Hindson, E. E., & Kroll, W. M. (Eds.). (1994). KJV Bible Commentary (p. 2566). Nashville: Thomas Nelson

XXVIII

“not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25).

“As much as He done for us, is it so hard for us to wake up for church?
Don’t forsake the gathering. We can learn together, we can pray together.” ₍₁₎

While the multitude of stars in the sky may exceed the grains of sand on Earth, the number of reasons that people devise to avoid going to church may be more numerous than both.

For example, some may find church boring. Others believe that going to church isn’t really necessary. Some choose to prioritize other events or activities over church attendance. Then there are those who avoid going to church because there are “too many hypocrites” there. Whatever the reason, one thing is certain: people have developed a seemingly endless array of reasons to avoid going to church.

So why is church important and why should Christians attend church regularly? We can answer those questions with a look at this passage from Hebrews 10:25. We can begin by noting that the word “church” is derived from a word that refers to a public assembly, especially one of a religious nature. While “the church” is sometimes used to identify the global Christian community, it is most often used to describe a local congregation that meets in a specific location.

In the New Testament era, this generally involved a group of Christians who met together for worship and teaching in a local home. That residence served as the host building for the “church” in that neighborhood. We can find evidence for this arrangement in the Biblical book of 1 Corinthians: “The churches in the province of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Priscilla greet you warmly in the Lord, and so does the church that meets at their house” (1 Corinthians 16:19 NIV).

We should also recognize that the concept of “church” was established by Jesus Himself. For example, Jesus used the term “my church” in the Gospel of Matthew. (Matthew 16:18). The New Testament book of Colossians also refers to Jesus as the head of the church (Colossians 1:18). Finally, the book of 1 Timothy refers to the church as “God’s church” in 1 Timothy 3:5 and even as “God’s household” in 1 Timothy 3:15.

With these things in mind, we can say that the church is an institution that has been established by God and is ultimately led by Christ. Therefore, we should not be surprised to read the exhortation given to us here in Hebrews 10:25.

(1) Cam, Raindrop (feat. Kadence), “The Platform” 2008 Doulos Records https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhcpzL6VQys

XXIX

“not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (Hebrews 10:25 ESV).

Hebrews 10:25 is important to remember when considering the justifications offered by those who wish to abstain from church attendance. For example, some claim there are “too many hypocrites in church.” But there is a flaw within that objection when we stop to consider it.

For instance, we can find hypocrisy in every avenue of human life. Do we avoid going to school, taking part in athletic activities, or going to work simply because hypocrisy exists within those institutions? Of course, this does not justify hypocritical behavior (especially among those who claim to be Christians), but it does illustrate the double-standard that exists behind that objection.

Another excuse for avoiding church is this: “I don’t want to get up early for church- I’d rather sleep late.” This objection is highly appealing, especially when we consider the fact that many would prefer to sleep in on a weekend morning . Nevertheless, there is a reason why most churches hold their primary services on Sunday mornings.

A Sunday morning church service demonstrates respect for God by setting aside the first part of the first day of the week to worship Him and learn from His Word. God’s people have followed this arrangement for centuries, and it finds Biblical support in passages such as Acts 20:7 and 1 Corinthians 16:2. So rather than viewing church attendance as an inconvenience, we should see it as a means of honoring God by putting Him first on the first day of the week.

While today’s age of online access may also encourage us to watch church services remotely from home, we should note that this passage references “…the assembling of ourselves together” (KJV). This refers to a physical assembly in the original context of this passage. Since one cannot physically assemble with others in an online environment, this means that we should make an effort to attend church in person when possible.

Finally, some may find church services to be dull and uninteresting. While some churches may not feature the most gifted ministers, it is the message and not the messenger that is most important. As Paul the Apostle wrote to the members of the Corinthian church…

“…my preaching was very plain, not with a lot of oratory and human wisdom, but the Holy Spirit’s power was in my words, proving to those who heard them that the message was from God. I did this because I wanted your faith to stand firmly upon God, not on man’s great ideas” (1 Corinthians 2:4-5 TLB).

XXX

“not abandoning our own meetings, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and even more so because you see the day drawing near” (Hebrews 10:25 NET).

A minister who teaches through God’s Word offers another benefit to those who attend church regularly. You see, there will always be something valuable in the message of a leader who teaches through the Biblical Scriptures in an expository manner. As God Himself said through the prophet Isaiah…

“As the rain and snow come down from heaven and stay upon the ground to water the earth, and cause the grain to grow and to produce seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry, so also is my Word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It shall accomplish all I want it to and prosper everywhere I send it” (Isaiah 55:10-11 TLB).

We should also consider the positive human relationships that often develop through regular church attendance. In a sense, every church member is like a member of our personal family, since every Christian is related to every other Christian through Christ (see Romans 12:4-5). Because of this, we can say that a local church fellowship should be a place where we can join with other members of the body of Christ for mutual edification. It also provides an environment where we can learn, grow, and use our God-given abilities to serve and help others.

However, there are other aspects of church attendance that are important to consider as well. For instance, the New Testament epistle of 1 Corinthians tells us, “Now you are the body of Christ, and individual members of it” (CSB, see 1 Corinthians 12:12-27). This reference to “corporate individuality” reminds us that conformity to the image of Christ does not necessarily imply uniformity among the members of God’s family.

For example, there are wide varieties of personal, cultural, and emotional differences among Jesus’ followers. These members of God’s family may not think, act, or communicate in ways that are similar to our own. They may process information in an unfamiliar manner. Others may be more or less mature, and some may hold attitudes or opinions that differ from ours.

So, while church is a place where we should expect to find love and affirmation, we must also recognize that there may be instances where we struggle to get along with one another (see Acts 15:36-41 for an example). This may explain why the New Testament book of Romans reminds us to, “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves” (Romans 12:10 NIV). We’ll examine those facets of church attendance next.

XXXI

“And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of His return is drawing near” (Hebrews 10:25 NLT).

Hebrews 10:25 provides us with an opportunity to make a practical comparison. That comparison involves the similarities that often exist between one’s church family and one’s biological family.

You see, many of the dynamics that exist within our genetic or adoptive families may also be present within our church family as well. To illustrate those similarities, let’s consider the following examples…

• Some biological family members encourage us, support us, and love us. The same should be true of our church family too.
• There may be some family members who do not get along together. The same may occur within our church family as well.
• Generous family members are often willing to assist other family members in times of need. This should be a characteristic of our church family too.
• On the other hand, some family members may prove to be undependable. Sadly, the same may be true of some within our church family.
• Finally, it is not unusual for family members to have disagreements. The same is true of our church family as well.

While we should not excuse these negative characteristics, it is important to recognize how they may contribute to our spiritual development. For example, when members of our church family act insensitively, we must decide if we will put the teaching from Colossians 3:13 into practice: “Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others” (NLT).

This may require us to prayerfully overlook these negative qualities for Jesus’ sake. As Proverbs 17:9 reminds us, “Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends” (ESV). In some instances, we might quietly “cover an offense” by reflecting upon the example set by Joseph, the husband of Mary. Consider Joseph’s initial response when he learned of Mary’s pregnancy…

“…[Jesus’] mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly” (Matthew 1:18-19 NLT).

If Joseph had not received further instruction from God’s angelic messenger, his God-honoring attitude would have led him to separate quietly from Mary to protect her. Thus, we might carefully consider his example in deciding how to interact with those who hurt or offend us.

XXXII

“We should not stop gathering together with other believers, as some of you are doing. Instead, we must continue to encourage each other even more as we see the day of the Lord coming” (Hebrews 10:25 GW).

As we close our look at this important portion of Scripture, we will pause briefly to consider the distinguishing marks of a good church. For example, the Biblical book of 1 Timothy identifies an important cornerstone that helps identify a healthy church fellowship: “Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching” (1 Timothy 4:13 ESV).

This passage identifies three elements that should exist whenever God’s people assemble to worship Him: reading, exhortation, and teaching. These elements involve…

• Communicating God’s Word in a public setting.
• Encouragement to act upon it.
• Accurate instruction in sound Biblical doctrine.

Therefore, we can say that a good church fellowship is one that helps its members understand, remember, and apply God’s Word. With these things in mind, we would be wise to seek out a church with leaders who are committed to helping others to understand and apply the Biblical Scriptures. One source adds the following insight…

“There is no doubt that it is wise to be selective in which church body we choose to attend. This may require attending different churches for a while so that we can best decide which church home God may be calling us to. The goal is to find a church that teaches that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God and affirms all of the essentials of the Christian faith. This may take some time and might technically be called church-hopping. However, after having found a solid church, we must commit to remaining there.” ₍₁₎

Another author adds…

“God’s Word admonishes us not to forsake ‘the assembling of ourselves together…’ (Hebrews 10:25). Several logs bum brightly together, but put one aside on the cold hearth and the fire goes out. So it is with your relationship with other Christians. If you do not belong to a church, do not wait to be invited. Take the initiative; call the pastor of a nearby church where Christ is honored and His Word is preached. Start this week, and make plans to attend regularly.” ₍₂₎

Finally, and most importantly, those who fail to attend church regularly lose an opportunity to spend quality time with Christ. As Jesus taught in the New Testament Gospel of Matthew, “For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them” (Matthew 18:20 NLT).

(1) GotQuestions.org, What does the Bible say about church-hopping? Retrieved 14 November, 2022 from https://www.gotquestions.org/church-hopping.html

(2) Josh McDowell and Bill Wilson, He Walked Among Us : Evidence For The Historical Jesus. Here’s Life Publishers, Inc. © 1988, Josh McDowell and Bill Wilson [pg. 339]

XXXIII

“For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries” (Hebrews 10:26-27).

In commenting on these verses, one source offers an understatement of monumental proportions: “This passage was destined to have repercussions in Christian history beyond what our author could have foreseen.” ₍₁₎ This is an undeniably truthful statement, as many teachers, ministers, and Biblical counselors will undoubtedly attest.

Much like a similar warning given to us earlier in Hebrews chapter six, this passage serves as a cautionary reminder that draws our attention to the fact that choices have consequences. Nevertheless, it is important to consider the context of these verses so we can apply that reminder in an appropriate manner.

For instance, it is possible to isolate this verse and assume that a Christian who engages in a willful or deliberate sin is immediately subject to “…divine judgment and the fury of burning wrath and indignation…” (AMPC). While it is important to avoid minimizing or dismissing the potential consequences associated with intentional sin, we would do well to consider the framework of this passage before we reach that conclusion.

When approaching this passage, we should consider the fact that the Epistle to the Hebrews is very much what its name implies. In other words, the Biblical book of Hebrews is a letter that was originally written to a group of Jewish Christians. Some members of that original audience were tempted to return to the sacrificial offerings of the Old Covenant. For those who were contemplating such a retreat, this passage serves as a reminder: Jesus’ sacrificial death provides the only real atonement for sins. No other sacrifice is sufficient.

Contemporary readers should also consider Jesus’ statement from John 14:6: “…’I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me’” (NIV). Those who reject Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross thus reject the only path that leads to God, for “…There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5 NLT).

Finally, one source ties these ideas together for the benefit of everyone: “Since God has set aside the Levitical system of animal sacrifices (v. 9), those who abandon their confession of trust in Christ have nowhere to turn for forgiveness.” ₍₂₎

(1) The New International Commentary On The New Testament – The Epistle To The Hebrews, F. F. Bruce, General Editor © Copyright 1964, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. Grand Rapids, Michigan [pg. 258]

(2) Sproul, R. C. (Ed.). (2015). The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) (p. 2214). Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust

XXXIV

“For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries” (Hebrews 10:26-27 ESV).

This reference to willful or deliberate sin represents another aspect of this passage that is worthy of exploration. In one sense, we can say that all sinful behaviors are willful, for “All have turned away from God; they have all gone wrong; no one does what is right, not even one” (Romans 3:12 GW). In a similar manner, the New Testament epistle of 1 John tells us, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8 NIV).

Nevertheless, this passage has undoubtedly created a great deal of anxiety among those who have willfully engaged in sinful behaviors during moments of temptation or weakness. For those who fall into this category, the observations made by the following commentators may prove helpful…

“The tense of the word indicates immediately that this is not a single act of folly or weakness. This is not something one can stumble into suddenly. It is not the normal falterings of a Christian who is still learning how to walk in the Spirit. None of these is in view at all. The continuous present tense of this word, ‘sin deliberately,’ marks a long-continued attitude of resistance.” ₍₁₎

“The willful sin here referred to does not consist in isolated acts, but in a determined course of action, persisted in until the very desire for a better life wanes and dies out of the soul.” ₍₂₎

“Sinning willfully carries with it the idea of sinning continually and deliberately. Such a person does not sin because of ignorance, nor is he carried away by momentary temptations he is too weak to resist. The willful sinner sins because of an established way of thinking and acting which he has no desire to give up.” ₍₃₎

“This passage is not teaching that true Christians can lose their salvation; rather, it is a warning for believers to persevere and for those who profess faith without possessing it to trust in Christ alone (cf. Heb. 6:4–12 and notes; 10:32).” ₍₄₎

We will find some identifying features of deliberate sin later in Hebrews 10:29. But before we get to that portion of Scripture, we will next take a look at someone who served as a living embodiment of this warning concerning those who “…go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth.”

(1) Excerpted with permission from Triumph or Tragedy © 1965 by Ray Stedman Ministries. All rights reserved. Visit www.RayStedman.org for the complete library of Ray Stedman material. Please direct any questions to webmaster@RayStedman.org

(2) Meyer, Frederick Brotherton. “Commentary on Hebrews 10”. “F. B. Meyer’s ‘Through the Bible’ Commentary”. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/fbm/hebrews-10.html. 1914.

(3) GotQuestions.org, What significance is there to sinning willfully (Hebrews 10:26)? Retrieved 14 November, 2022 from https://www.gotquestions.org/sinning-willfully.html

(4) Sproul, R. C. (Ed.). (2015). The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) (p. 2214). Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust.

XXXV

“Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins. There is only the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume His enemies” (Hebrews 10:26-27 NLT).

The Biblical account of Judas Iscariot serves to illustrate the warning given to us here in Hebrews 10:26-27. Judas, of course, is well-known as the disciple who betrayed Jesus as recorded in Mark 14:10-11: “Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Him to them. And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money. So he sought how he might conveniently betray Him.”

What may be less well-known is the fact that Judas was not an ethical individual. A look at an incident from the Gospel of John offers a clue that may shed light on his decision to betray Jesus…

“Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, ‘Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?’ This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it” (John 12:3-6).

Although Judas spent a considerable amount of time with Jesus, it doesn’t appear that he listened to Jesus’ teachings concerning the proper use of money (see Luke 12:15, 33-34, and 16:13-15). As a result, it seems that Judas might have allowed his financial ambition to become more important than following Christ. In fact, Judas leveraged his position as Jesus’ disciple in negotiating the price of His betrayal…

“Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, ‘What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?’ And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver. So from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him” (Matthew 26:14-16).

So it appears that this incident with the fragrant oil ultimately led to Judas’ decision to sell Jesus out. This was not a momentary indiscretion on his part. Instead, it was an intentional, willful, and premeditated act of sin. Thus, he serves as an object example that illustrates the warning given to us here in Hebrews 10:26-27.

XXXVI

“Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?” (Hebrews 10:28-29).

Hebrews 10:28-29 alludes to those legislative portions of the Old Testament Law that mandated a death sentence in the case of certain transgressions. Those violations included…

• Idolatry (Deuteronomy 13:1-18, 17:2-5).
• Physical violence against a parent (Exodus 21:15).
• Laboring on the Sabbath (Exodus 35:2).
• Unlawful killing (Leviticus 24:17).
• Arrogance, disrespect, or contempt for lawful authority (Deuteronomy 17:11-13).

However, the Law also protected those who might fall victim to a malicious or unfounded attempt to enforce those penalties…

“One witness is not enough to convict someone of a crime; at least two witnesses are necessary to prove that someone is guilty. If any of you try to harm another by false accusations, both of you are to go to the one place of worship and be judged by the priests and judges who are then in office.

The judges will investigate the case thoroughly; and if you have made a false accusation, you are to receive the punishment the accused would have received. In this way your nation will get rid of this evil” (Deuteronomy 19:15-19 GNT).

The author of Hebrews used these edicts to make an important spiritual point…

“Under the Old Covenant, if an Israelite spurned the Mosaic Law and at least two or three witnesses verified his actions, he was put to death. This being true, the author then argued from the lesser to the greater. If defiance of an inferior covenant could bring such retribution, what about defiance of the New Covenant which, as he had made clear, is far superior? The answer can only be that the punishment would be substantially greater in such a case.” ₍₁₎

Remember that our author has already established that “… the Law has only a shadow [just a pale representation] of the good things to come—not the very image of those things…” (AMP) in Hebrews 10:1. If the Old Covenant Law prescribed the death penalty in these instances, how much worse will the retribution be for those who transgress against the One who annulled “…the first covenant in order to put the second into effect” (Hebrews 10:9 NLT)?

(1) John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, Bible Knowledge Commentary. David C Cook, 1983 [p. 805]

XXXVII

“How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?” (Hebrews 10:29).

This passage draws our attention to the emotionally charged language that our author uses to identify those who defiantly reject the Son of God. For example, the word-picture behind the phrase “trampled underfoot” involves the act of rejecting with disdain. ₍₁₎ It also evokes a sense of insulting neglect in respect to Jesus’ sacrificial death. ₍₂₎

However, one does not need to be not openly disdainful of Christ to fall within this category. Much as an undiscerning person might unknowingly cause substantial damage without realizing it, an irreligious person who cares little for the things of God may just as easily be someone who carelessly “…walks all over God’s Son” (CEB).

For instance, we can find one such example in the attitude of someone who uses Jesus’ name as an exclamation or an expletive. Then there are those who refer to Jesus in a trivial, frivolous, or dismissive manner. At a minimum, these expressions flow from an attitude of indifference or disrespect for Christ. At worst, they reveal a sense of contempt for Him whether or not the speaker realizes it.

Another example involves someone who has “…counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing” (NKJV). One Biblical scholar shares an important nuance behind this passage: “The word ‘counted’ in the Greek text refers to a conscious judgment resting on deliberate weighing of the facts. Here it implies a deliberate, contemptuous rejection of the Messianic sacrifice of the Son of God.” ₍₃₎

In light of these things, we can say that such individuals profane “the blood of the covenant” in assuming that Jesus’ death is no more important than the passing of anyone else. Thus, those who engage in such practices have “…insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit who brings God’s mercy to us” (NLT). In other words, they demonstrate a lack of respect and reverence for the God who secured our salvation at the cost of His Son’s life.

Although we may not intentionally seek to insult the Holy Spirit in such a manner, we effectively do so when we reject Christ, for “Salvation is to be found through him alone; in all the world there is no one else whom God has given who can save us” (Acts 4:12 GNT).

(1) G2662 katapateo, Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g2662/kjv/tr/0-1/

(2) Ibid, Thayer’s Greek Lexicon

(3) Kenneth S. Wuest, Word Studies in the Greek New Testament (Hebrews 10:29) Copyright © 1942-55 by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

XXXVIII

“For we know Him who said, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord. And again, ‘The Lord will judge His people’” (Hebrews 10:30).

Earlier in Hebrews 10:26, the author of Hebrews wrote, “…if we deliberately persist in sin after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice for sins” (Mounce). To support that premise, our author sets an example that we would do well to follow: he appealed to the Biblical Scriptures to validate his message.

The first supporting passage is taken from Deuteronomy 32:35: “Vengeance belongs to Me; I will repay…” (HCSB). The second quote is adapted from the following verse in Deuteronomy 32:36 as well as Psalm 135:14.

For some, this reference to “vengeance” conveys the image of a vigilante who takes the law into his or her own hands to right an alleged wrong. However, these verses do not express a sense of vindictive retribution. Instead, they communicate God’s intent to lawfully administer justice in response to an injustice that has taken place.

The second portion of Hebrews 10:30 serves to remind us that God’s people are subject to judgment as well. In fact, this reference communicates the idea of someone who is “…summoned to trial that one’s case may be examined and judgment passed upon it.” ₍₁₎ In view of this, it is important to remember that those who receive God’s Word are responsible for acting upon what they have received.

The New Testament book of Galatians expresses this idea in a positive and negative sense…

“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.

And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:7-10).

Thus, we are reminded of an important passage from the Biblical book of 1 Peter quoted earlier…

“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen” (1 Peter 4:10-11 NIV).

(1) G2919 krino, Thayer’s Greek Lexicon https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g2919/kjv/tr/0-1/

XXXIX

“It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31).

Our modern-day use of the word “fear” usually invokes a sense of apprehension, or the state of being afraid. However, the word “fear” may also convey the qualities of reverence, honor, and respect. Consider how Jesus made use of this word in the Gospel of Luke…

“And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!” (Luke 12:4-5).

When we read about our responsibility to “fear God” in this context, it means that we should honor and respect Him above all else. Perhaps this is why Proverbs 9:10 tells us, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” A person who acknowledges the God of the Biblical Scriptures with an attitude of honor and respect is someone who begins with the right foundation for good decision-making. Furthermore, there can be no greater wisdom than that which is offered by “…Jesus [who] has become our wisdom sent from God” (1 Corinthians 1:30 GW).

Yet even though the word “fear” communicates an attitude of honor and respect in this context, it is important to avoid the mistake of thinking that we have nothing to be afraid of in relation to God. If we consider the experiences of those who encountered God within the pages of the Scriptures, we often find responses that are best characterized by a sense of dread, terror, or distress (see Isaiah 6:1-5, Matthew 17:4-6, and Exodus 3:1-6 for some examples).

While God is loving, slow to become angry, kind, gracious, and compassionate. He is also to be respected and honored. He is not to be treated lightly, for “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” The late Biblical scholar Norman Geisler clarifies these ideas for us…

“The Hebrews passage speaks of those who, far from being repentant, had sinned ‘willfully’ after having ‘received the knowledge of the truth’ (v. 26).In brief, whether it is fearful or not will depend on the condition of the person who falls into God’s hands.

IT IS FEARFUL FOR:	IT IS NOT FEARFUL FOR:
The sinner.	The righteous.
The unrepentant.	The repentant.
The unfaithful.	The faithful. (1)

(1) Geisler, N. L., & Howe, T. A. (1992). When critics ask : a popular handbook on Bible difficulties (p. 159). Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books.

XL

“But recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings: partly while you were made a spectacle both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while you became companions of those who were so treated; for you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven” (Hebrews 10:32-34).

Many of us have enjoyed the experience of reliving the memory of a great victory, a successful endeavor, or an extraordinary life event. We often remember where were were, who accompanied us, and our emotional response to those occasions with great fondness.

However, there are other life events that may not evoke the same kind of positive response. When faced with such memories, we can find a practical (and beneficial) application in the message of Hebrews 10:32-34. You see, this passage tells us that we can recall the negative experiences of our past and learn from them in a way that benefits us today. For instance, we might prayerfully ask the following questions when faced with the memory of a negative incident…

• What did my response to that event tell me about myself? Did I respond appropriately or inappropriately?
• If I had to go back and relive that experience, what would I have done differently?
• Did I replicate the negative behavior pattern of a youthful authority figure during that incident?
• Will I press on and learn from that experience or allow it to negatively impact my future?

Even if some our past experiences have nothing positive to teach, we can always learn what not to do in the future. In a sense, these “debriefing questions” are similar to what the author of Hebrews presented to the members of his audience in the passage quoted above. While our challenges may not involve similar adversities, they offer a corresponding opportunity to grow in Christ.

For example, God may allow difficulties to enter our lives to strengthen us (2 Corinthians 12:10) or increase our trust in Him (Psalm 50:14-15). He might use such experiences to help us develop patience (Romans 5:3-5) and endurance (as we’ll see in the following verses of Hebrews chapter ten). Finally, God may allow trials to enter our lives to help others who will experience similar things (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).

Thus, as we are reminded in the New Testament epistle of James…

“Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything” (James 1:2-4 NLT).

XLI

“At times you were publicly exposed to abuse and afflictions, and at other times you came to share with others who were treated in that way. For in fact you shared the sufferings of those in prison, and you accepted the confiscation of your belongings with joy, because you knew that you certainly had a better and lasting possession” (Hebrews 10:33-34 ESV).

The author of Hebrews built the foundation for this passage in the previous verse when he spoke of the “…great conflict of sufferings” (AMP) his readers previously endured. Much like a prizefighter who absorbs the punishment inflicted by a powerful opponent, these Hebrew Christians suffered for their decision to follow Christ.

At a minimum, it’s likely that many of these Christians had been ostracized for their commitment to Christ. In the tightly knit Jewish communities of that era, that decision could have also resulted in economic hardship. So, in addition to the persecution mentioned in the passage quoted above, these members of the Jewish Christian community undoubtedly faced family banishment and social marginalization.

This brings to mind some other well-known Biblical personalities who endured periods of great suffering as they fulfilled God’s will for their lives. For instance…

• Job: Job suffered financial devastation along with the loss of his children, his personal possessions, and his physical health for no discernable reason.
• John the Baptist: John was beheaded for telling a political leader that it was wrong for him to engage in a sexual relationship with his sister-in-law (see Mark 6:17-29).
• The Apostle Peter: Peter is said to have been crucified upside down during the persecution of Christians under the Roman emperor Nero.
• Stephen the Martyr: This man was stoned to death for preaching about Christ (Acts 7:55-58).
• Paul the Apostle: Paul was shipwrecked, whipped, and thrown into prison on multiple occasions. Church tradition tells us that Paul was beheaded around A.D. 68.

We will meet many more faithful individuals in the following chapter of Hebrews. Nevertheless, we should be aware of the spiritual danger facing those who are not subject to these kinds of persecution. One source identifies those dangers for us…

“Having endured under persecution, they must not now let down in the hum-drum of every day activities. The normal routine of life, uninterrupted by persecution, is often the real test of genuineness of one’s Christian experience, for the very absence of trials and difficulties tends to promote spiritual drifting (2: 1), moral sluggishness and lethargy (5: 11), the slow imperceptible hardening of attitude (3: 13).” ₍₁₎

(1) New International Bible Commentary general editor G. C. D. Howley, consulting editors F. F. Bruce, H. L. Ellison. Copyright© 1979 by Pickering & Inglis Ltd [pg. 1526]

XLII

“You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions” (Hebrews 10:34 NIV).

The penitentiaries of the New Testament era were not like the prisons that exist in many modern-day societies. A prison of that time did not typically serve as a place of incarceration as we understand it today. Instead, a first-century prison was generally used to confine an accused criminal before he was executed or put on trial.

These penal institutions were usually cold, damp, and dirty. In addition, there were no beds, toilets, showers, or meals offered in such prisons. This meant that prisoners who had no external means of support often faced starvation unless someone provided for their needs. The observations made by the following commentary provide us with some additional insight into these conditions as well as this passage from Hebrews 10:34…

“Prisoners who had no means of their own were liable to starve unless their friends brought them food and whatever other form of help they required; throughout the whole age of imperial persecution of the Church the visiting of their friends who were in prison was a regular, though dangerous, duty of Christian charity.” ₍₁₎

It was hazardous to be recognized as a known associate of a prisoner during that time. Therefore, these Hebrew Christians took a substantial risk in visiting those who had been incarcerated. According to Hebrews 10:34, some (or all) of those individuals paid for that decision with the confiscation of their possessions. As another commentary adds, “In the first-century AD Roman Empire, authorities sometimes seized the property of accused criminals, and people sometimes looted homes after homeowners were imprisoned (according to first-century AD writer Philo, Against Flaccus 10, 56).” ₍₂₎

In response to this expression of faith, our author encouraged these Hebrew Christians to maintain that attitude in light of their current situation. This offers a valuable lesson for today. Much like some members of this first-century audience, we may not require additional instruction in the things of God. Instead, we may simply need to be reminded to act on what we already know.

Thus, we can say that these individuals took Jesus’ teaching from the Sermon On The Mount seriously…

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21).

(1) The New International Commentary On The New Testament – The Epistle To The Hebrews, F. F. Bruce, General Editor © Copyright 1964, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. Grand Rapids, Michigan [pg. 270]

(2) Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., … Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Heb 10:34). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

XLIII

“Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise” (Hebrews 10:35-36).

When faced with a trial or affliction, it often helps to understand the reason behind that hardship. Since many adversities appear to be devoid of meaning or purpose, we are often challenged to make sense of painful events that seem to make little sense. Although it is impossible to identify the cause of suffering in every instance, we can say that valid reasons for suffering always exist, even if we don’t fully comprehend them.

The author of Hebrews provided one such reason in the passage quoted above: “You need endurance so that after you have done what God wants you to do, you can receive what he has promised” (GW). Some members of the first-century audience for this letter had been tempted to withdraw from their relationship with Christ and return to the Old Testament sacrificial system in response to persecution. Therefore, their steadfast response in the face of such mistreatment would serve to build their spiritual endurance and demonstrate the reality of their faith.

Paul the Apostle offered another potential explanation behind the challenges and difficulties we experience in a letter to the first-century church at Corinth…

“…But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many” (2 Corinthians 1:9b-11 NIV).

In light of this, we can say that these challenges offer an opportunity to demonstrate the kind of faith that pleases God. That faith is not in ourselves or our ability to control (or escape) the circumstances we encounter. Instead, our confidence is in the God who is able to make “…all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).

As Jesus reminded us in Matthew 6:33-34, “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (NIV).

XLIV

“So don’t throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you need endurance, so that after you have done God’s will, you may receive what was promised” (Hebrews 10:35-36).

In the realm of popular music, there are many artists who have released one immensely popular song and then faded into obscurity. We commonly refer to those artists as “One-Hit Wonders” in recognition of their success with one popular song. But unlike a musical artist who rockets to stardom on the strength of a best-selling song and subsequently disappears, our passage from Hebrews 10:35-36 references a far more tenacious (and important) quality: endurance.

“Endurance” (or perseverance) is hardly a popular subject in today’s age of instant gratification. In the wry observation of one commentator, “Perseverance is one of the great unromantic virtues.” ₍₁₎ However, this quality is one of the key substantiators of a healthy spiritual life. While endurance in the midst of a trial does not secure our salvation, it often serves as evidence of our faithful commitment to Christ.

One source offers food for thought in this regard: “…the victory of faith is not achieved by one brilliant campaign but a lifetime of patient and faithful service. It is not so much the glory of a promising start that the Lord desires as it is the glory of a faithful finish.” ₍₂₎ Perhaps this is why the Biblical book of Ecclesiastes tells us, “Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof…” (Ecclesiastes 7:8 KJV).

For instance, the act of completing a task often requires important skills like dedication, hard work, discipline, and the ability to plan ahead. It also may require another important quality: perseverance, or the ability to endure through the difficult stages of a project or assignment. Whether that characteristic is expressed in the face of active persecution or the wearisome routines of daily life, we should not seek to escape such things by denying Christ as some members of the original audience for this epistle apparently sought to do.

This passage thus reveals important spiritual truth: patient endurance in seeking to fulfill God’s will in this life serves to prepare us to “…receive all that he has promised” (NLT). Therefore, we can find encouragement in the following passage from the New Testament epistle of James…

“Blessed are those who endure when they are tested. When they pass the test, they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him” (James 1:12 GW).

Image Attribution: “One Hit Wonders Night” by Princeton Public Library, NJ is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0. Image cropped.

(1) Barclay, William. William Barclay’s Daily Study Bible, “The Danger Of Drift (Heb 10:32-39)”

(2) Coffman, James Burton. “Commentary on Hebrews 10”. “Coffman’s Commentaries on the Bible”. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/bcc/hebrews-10.html. Abilene Christian University Press, Abilene, Texas, USA. 1983-1999.

XLV

“For yet a little while, And He who is coming will come and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him” (Hebrews 10:37-38).

Hebrews 10:38 marks the final New Testament reference to a famous quotation from the Old Testament prophet Habakkuk: “…the just shall live by his faith” (Habakkuk 2:4). The following excerpt introduces us to Habakkuk and the environment that served as the backdrop to this important Biblical concept…

“Habakkuk was a prophet with a troubled spirit. He ministered to the Jewish people during one of their darkest hours, when God was using pagan nations to punish his own people. That greatly upset the prophet.

Chapter 1 of Habakkuk is one of the most graphic, grueling, and certain records of what would soon come to pass upon Israel. He struggled with it, and he went before God, saying ‘God, how can you let these things happen? You are too holy even to behold iniquity, and yet it seems you have turned your back on your people and have let wickedness prevail in our midst. How can these things be?’

Have you ever struggled with that question yourself? Have you ever come before God in the midst of a difficult or horrible situation and said, ‘Lord, how can these things be?’ It was in that context when doubt had pushed the prophet to the brink of despair, that the Word of God proclaimed: ‘The just shall live by faith.’

It is as though, in the midst of the situation, God did not have the time to give a lengthy explanation of the intricacies of what he was doing through his sovereignty in world history, and so he simply said to his prophet: ‘Trust me.’ Trusting God is the opposite of trusting yourself—being ‘puffed up’ as the verse says. There comes a time in every Christian’s life when it seems the only answer from heaven is, ‘Trust me.’ But it is enough.” ₍₁₎

Much like the prophet Habakkuk, we may find it difficult to discern God’s purpose behind the events that occur in our lives. When we are challenged by things we cannot easily explain, we would do well to remember that “the just shall live by faith.” As we’re told in a beloved and well-known portion of the Biblical book of Proverbs…

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV).

(1) Sproul, R. C. (1992). Before the face of God: Book 1: A daily guide for living from the book of Romans (electronic ed.). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House; Ligonier Ministries. Page 69

XLVI

“But My righteous one will live by faith; and if he draws back, I have no pleasure in him” (Hebrews 10:38 HCSB).

The penultimate verse of Hebrews chapter ten contains an inspirational truth that has been adapted and repurposed in many different forms. That dynamic truth involves the honorable characteristic of perseverance in the midst of a difficult situation.

One of the better-known adaptations of this idea appeared in a portion of a speech given by Theodore Roosevelt, the 25th President of the United States…

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.

The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” ₍₁₎

Politicians, military figures, athletes, and others have similarly adopted the noble character of this ideal for various purposes throughout the course of human history. Nevertheless, a discerning individual might ask, “Why? Why should I exhibit the qualities of perseverance, endurance, or diligence in the midst of a difficult situation when it is often safer or easier to simply give up or give in?”

God Himself provides us with the answer to that question here in Hebrews 10:38: “…I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back” (NIV). While there may be many reasons to persevere when we find ourselves in a challenging situation, we do so primarily because faithful endurance is a characteristic that pleases God. Since is impossible to please God without faith (as we’ll discover in the following chapter of Hebrews), the alternative involves “shrinking back,” an act that brings God no pleasure.

Much like a sailor who confidently turns a seafaring vessel towards an oncoming wave, we can exhibit the kind of faith that is pleasing to God when we place our trust in Him to navigate the challenges and difficulties of life.

(1) Roosevelt, Theodore, “Man In The Arena” from “Citizenship in a Republic” the Sorbonne, Paris, France. 23 April, 1910. See https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/Learn-About-TR/TR-Encyclopedia/Culture-and-Society/Man-in-the-Arena.aspx

XLVII

“But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul” (Hebrews 10:39).

Hebrews chapter ten ends on a positive note, as the author of this letter expressed his belief that his original readers were not among those who might shrink back from trusting God. In doing so, our author uses a word that rarely appears in modern-day usage: perdition.

“Perdition” conveys the general idea of waste, ruin, or the loss of well-being. ₍₁₎ One source defines this word as “the destruction which consists of eternal misery in hell.” ₍₂₎ Thus we have a fitting incentive to take this counsel seriously. We  also see this idea personified in the life of someone who is described in the Biblical book of 2 Thessalonians…

“Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God” (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4).

This future individual will serve as the ultimate personification of the mindset described for us in the New Testament epistle of 1 John: “Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son” (1 John 2:22). Those who are familiar with the gospel accounts of Jesus’ life may also recognize the word “perdition” from Jesus’ characterization of Judas Iscariot…

“While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled” (John 17:12).

Earlier in Hebrews chapter ten, our author encouraged us to place our trust in God by saying, “Let us hold on firmly to the hope we profess, because we can trust God to keep his promise” (Hebrews 10:23 GNT). But if that encouragement proves to be insufficient, perhaps we might find greater motivation in seeking to avoid being numbered among “those who draw back to perdition.”

Thus, we end our look at Hebrews chapter ten and enter Hebrews chapter eleven with the words of the following commentator…

“With this mention of faith (‘believe’ and ‘faith’ are the same root word in Greek), the groundwork is laid for a fuller discussion of the life that pleases God. The illustrious eleventh chapter follows quite naturally at this point.” ₍₃₎

(1) See G684 apoleia Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries and Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words © 1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers, https://biblehub.com/greek/684.htm

(2) G684 apoleia Thayer’s Greek Definitions https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?t=kjv&strongs=g684

(3) William Macdonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary Edited by Arthur Farstad Thomas Nelson Publishers (2 Corinthians 5:10) p.2274