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THE PAST ENCOURAGES THE PRESENT

Hebrews 11:33-40

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.    The primary exhortation to the Hebrew Christians to whom the book was written is:  “Be faithful!”

 

B.      The writer has already used examples from the past to encourage his readers.

 

C.     In Hebrews 11, the writer turns to the examples of faithful individuals from the past.

 

D.    Outline of the chapter:

 

i.                    FAITH (Heb. 11:1-3)

ii.                  FATHERS (Heb. 11:4-22)

iii.                FOUNDER (Heb. 11:23-31)

iv.                FEARLESS (Heb. 11:32-38)

v.                  FASTENING (Heb. 11:39-40)

 

I.                   FAITH (Heb. 11:1-3)

 

II.                FATHERS (Heb. 11:4-22)

 

III.             FOUNDER (Heb. 11:23-31)

 

A.    Faith Rescued Moses (Heb. 11:23)

B.      Faith Refused Egypt (Heb. 11:24-26).

C.     Faith Returned to Deliver (Heb. 11:27)

D.    Faith Received the Passover (Heb. 11:28)

E.      Faith Released the Israelites (Heb. 11:29)

F.      Faith Ruined the Walls of Jericho (Heb. 11:30)

G.     Faith Redeemed Rahab the Harlot (Heb. 11:31)

 

IV.             FEARLESS (Heb. 11:32-38)

 

A.    The List of Faithful Followers Is Long (Heb. 11:32)

 

B.      The List of Fearless Feats is Long (Heb. 11:33-38)

1.      Who through faith subdued kingdoms (Joshua subdued the seven nations of Canaan)

2.      Wrought righteousness

a.      Involves obedience to the commands of God (Ps. 119:172).

b.      Daniel refusing the king’s danties

3.      Obtained promises (Joshua and Caleb entered the Promised Land)

4.      Stopped the mouths of lions (Daniel)

5.      Quenched the violence of fire (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednigo)

6.      Escaped the edge of the sword (David)

7.      Out of weakness were made strong (Samson)

8.      Waxed valiant in fight (Gideon)

9.      Turned to flight the armies of the aliens (Jonathan)

10.  Women received their dead raised to life again (the widow of Zarephath, the Shunammite)

11.  Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection

a.      Tortured

1)      Strong (5178):  a drum, to stretch on an instrument of torture and then be beaten to death

2)      Thayer:  to torture with a tympanum

b.      They did not accept deliverance on the terms of their persecutors.  Instead, they chose a better resurrection, the resurrection of the last day.

12.  Others had trails of cruel mockings (Elisha) and scourgings,

13.  Yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment (Samson)

14.  They were stoned (Zechariah)

15.  They were sawn asunder (Isaiah)

16.  Were tempted (threatened with all kinds of horrible treatment: branded, mutilated, pierced through, strangled)

17.  Were slain with the sword (prophets slain by Jezebel)

18.  They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented (Elijah and Elisha)

a.      Destitute

1)      Strong (5302):  to fall short, deficient

2)      Thayer:  to fail, be wanting, to be in want, lack

b.      Afflicted

1)      Strong (2346):  to crowd, suffer tribulation

2)      Thayer:  to press, to press hard upon, trouble, afflict, distress

c.       Tormented

1)      Strong (2558):  maltreat

2)      Thayer:  treat ill, oppress, plague

19.  They wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth (prophets hidden by Obadiah, David)

 

C.     The Laudation of Faithful Followers is Short (Heb. 13:38a).

 

Of whom the world was not worthy…

 

1.      The evil world did not deserve to have such faithful individuals enter into their presence.

2.      LESSONS:

a.      In good times or in bad times, in victory or in apparent defeat, our faith can see us through.  NOTE:  Most of us will never have to suffer the agonies experienced by these men and women of old.

b.      “If our faith will not sustain us in moments of light affliction, what shall become of us if we are called upon to endure some of the things these men and women of faith endured” (Wacaster, 476).

c.       “Faith in God carries with it no guarantee of comfort in this world…But it does carry with it great recompense of reward in the only world that ultimately matters” (F.F. Bruce as quoted by Wacaster, 477).

 

V.                 FASTENING (Heb. 11:39-40) (“It would appear that there is some necessary connection between those men and women of faith and the present dispensation that we enjoy” Wacaster, 477).

 

A.    Their lack (Heb. 11:39)

And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise.

 

1.      Their possession:  a good report

a.      Because of their faith, all of the characters of this chapter had a good report.

b.      Definition:

1)      Strong (3141):  testimony, evidence, witness

2)      Thayer:  honorable testimony

c.       The events of their lives reflected their deep faith in God over and over again.

2.      The promise

a.      The writer says, however, they “received not the promise.”

b.      All of these individuals were under the Old Law.  The promise of the Messiah was not fulfilled in their day.

c.       Question:  Why would they be faithful to God when they would not be the recipients of God’s promise in their lifetime?  It was because they understood there was something beyond this physical world in which we live.  They could only obtain it if they continued being faithful to God.

 

B.      Their link (Heb. 11:40)

 

God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

 

1.      Christians have the “better thing.”  We have the forgiveness found in Jesus Christ.

2.      We have that for which those Old Testament characters longed. 

a.      They did not receive the “better thing” in their lifetime.

b.      They did believe that it was definitely coming.

3.      Because it did come, those under the Old Law can be made perfect.

a.      Perfect

1)      Strong (5048):  complete, accomplish

2)      Thayer:  complete, add what is yet wanting in order to render a thing full

b.      Without us, they could not have been made perfect.

c.       We are who we are because of the new covenant.  Our existence means that what the Bible greats of old longed for has come to pass.

d.      Thus, they can have forgiveness of sins and will experience the splendors of heaven in the last day.

1)      Galatians 4:4-5

 

But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons…Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

 

2)      Hebrews 9:15

 

And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of the inheritance.