Hebrews chapter 11. We are going to conclude
our exposition of Hebrews chapter 11 today. And
we're going to be expositing verses 32 through
40. In what more shall we say, starting in verse
32? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon,
Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel.
and the prophets, who by faith conquered kingdoms,
performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises,
shut the mouths of lions, quenched the power
of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from
weakness were made strong, became mighty in war,
put foreign armies to flight, women received
back their dead by resurrection, and others were
tortured. not accepting their release so that
they might obtain a better resurrection. And
others experienced mockings and scourgings, yet
also chains and imprisonment. They were stoned,
torn in two. They were tempted. They were put
to death with the sword. They went about in sheepskins
and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill
-treated, men of whom the world was not worthy.
wandering in deserts and mountains and caves
and holes in the ground. All of these, having
gained approval through their faith, did not
receive what was promised because God had provided
something better for us so that apart from us,
they would not be made perfect. Let's go to the
Lord in prayer. Father, we come to you this Lord's
Day. Lord, we know our desperate need for your
help. Father, we know our desperate need for
your spirit to work in our midst, for you to
strengthen us, to approach your word as we ought,
for you to strengthen us, to listen and hear
by faith. Lord, we need you. Lord, we ask that
you would give us your spirit in greater measure,
in greater degree, that he would influence and
stir up our hearts. Lord, that he would sanctify
and mature and grow and edify the people of God.
And Lord, that he would convict and convert those
who don't know the Lord Jesus Christ by faith.
Father, we ask these things in Jesus' name. Amen.
You may be seated. As we conclude Hebrews 11,
the author gives us some final examples of faith.
And he does this in a sense by giving us an unexhaustive
or an incomplete He essentially says in verse
32, what more shall I say? For time will fail
me if I tell of. He said, I don't have time to
speak of everything. I don't have time to tell
you of everybody that performed feats of faith.
Everybody that endured trials of faith. So he
lists a few more. He lists. Gideon, a judge.
Barak, a judge. Samson, a judge. Jephthah, a
judge. David, a king. Samuel, a prophet slash
priest. And the prophets in general. Now, what
the author does in this remaining section of
Hebrews chapter 11. as he walks us through the
great triumphs of faith. We see this in verses
33 through 35. He speaks of the mighty deeds
and the great acts of faith performed throughout
history. But he also speaks of the great trials
and sufferings of faith throughout history. We
read in verses 35. Through 38. Of the things
which those of faith endured throughout history.
That which faith brought upon them. That which
faith led them into. We could even say that which
was produced or brought about as a result of
their trusting in God and his word. And all throughout
this text we see. And we will see there are great
tensions within it. The author presents almost
a conflict between a triumphant faith and a faith
that experiences great trials. We see a tension
almost between the providences that God puts
us in. in the expression or the manifestation
of those individuals' faith. We see a tension
between those with faith and the world in which
they live and exercise that faith. We see a tension
between faith and that which God has promised
to his people. Even in that sense, we see it.
in this text. But in all of this, the text is
culminating to verses 39 and 40, where we see
a great resolution of this tension. We see a
point in time where Old Covenant saints and New
Covenant believers will together find a resolution.
for the tension that they have experienced in
their lives of faith. So beginning with the first,
the great triumphs of faith throughout history.
We're going to briefly walk through these elements
that the author lists. I'm not going to give
exact references for every single one, just because
there are so many. He's alluding to various examples
and situations in the Old Testament. He's alluding
to different circumstances that the prophets
were in, or the judges were in, or the kings
were in. He's alluding to different acts. He's
not always the most precise on exactly what he's
addressing, but he's alluding to various things
throughout. the history of God's people. He says
that they conquered kingdoms. Surely he's referring
to Joshua and taking Canaan, poor God's people,
or Gideon defeating the enemies of God and overtaking
and even pushing back Midian, getting them on
the run. He speaks of Barak. and his defeat of
Sisera. He speaks of David conquering Philistia
and Moab and so many others. All of these that
he's listed so far with regards to conquering
kingdoms are great feats of faith. He says that
throughout Israel's history, they have performed
acts of righteousness or they have enforced,
True biblical justice. We should think of Samuel
and various situations and occurrences in his
life. We should think of King David and King
Solomon and the justice which they administered
in the kingdom of Israel. He says that they obtained
promises. Surely he is referring to Caleb. receiving
Hebron, them taking the promised land. Surely
speaking of so many others. Hannah, who received
Samuel by way of promise. David, who received
and was given promises by God. We read that by
faith they shut the mouths of lions. Everybody
who's heard the Bible stories regarding Daniel
probably know who he's referring to. Daniel,
by faith and prayer, brothers and sisters, and
the power of God acting on his behalf shut the
mouths of lions. But we also see throughout Scripture
that others were consumed by the mouths of lions.
We hear of David in the Old Testament. who struck
a bear and a lion with his bare hands, brothers
and sisters. Those are mighty feats of faith
that were performed and carried out in what?
Faith. We read that they quenched fire. Surely
he's referring to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,
who went into the fire, yet they weren't consumed.
And those that threw him in the fire were killed
because of the excessive heat of that furnace.
It says that they escaped the edge of the sword.
There's many instances throughout Scripture.
Think of David on the run from King Saul so often
in his early reign, in his early period of life.
We could think of Elijah escaping Jezebel. We
could think of Elisha and Jeremiah who so often
had to escape the edge of the sword. How? Faith.
They weren't merely fleeing for their lives,
brothers and sisters. They were escaping the
edge of the sword in faith because of their faithfulness
to the word of God. Because of the promises of
God that he had made, we see that by faith, some
from weakness were made strong. We could think
of Samson, who had his eyes gouged out. But at
the end of his life, he was strengthened. He
was empowered to overcome the enemy. Samson,
brothers and sisters, is an example of faith
for the new covenant believer. We could think
of Hezekiah, who had an illness and recovered
and stood strong in faith. It says that they
became mighty in war. One of the older translations,
I love it, it says they waxed valiantly. There
is a holy boldness that faith produces in the
old covenant saints. That we could see. I love
this story. In the book of Joshua. Where Joshua
is getting ready. For Jericho. He gets up early
in the morning. And he sees a man approaching
him. And what does Joshua immediately do. Brothers
and sisters. He immediately grabs his sword.
He approaches the man. With a fierce holiness.
All the while he discovers. It's the Lord of
the armies of Israel. It's the angel of the Lord.
And what does he do? He falls to the ground because
of his holiness and his humility and his worship
towards God. That was faith that animated Joshua
and his boldness and his power to overcome enemies,
brothers and sisters. They became mighty and
were there so many examples throughout Scripture.
It says that women received back their dead.
We can think of the widow in Zarephath, 1 Kings
17, or the Shunammite woman who received back
their dead in faith, brothers and sisters. God
exercised his power. They believed God was able
and capable, and they received back their dead.
All of these individuals listed embodied the
faith that the Lord Jesus Christ speaks of in
Matthew chapter 17, where he says, even if you
have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can
move mountains and nothing will be impossible.
That's the kind of faith that is presented in
this text, a triumphant, victorious. conquering,
overcoming faith. And we see this time and time
again. Throughout the Christian life, the believer
will have many victories. The believer will experience
a triumphant faith. But we also see that we must
not stop there. He also speaks of the great trials
of faith. throughout history. We read that some
were tortured, not accepting release. This is
likely referring to tradition during the intertestamental
period. There's several stories in the non -canonical
books of 1 and 2 Maccabees. which describe and
characterize individuals who are unwilling to
disobey God's law. And thus, they were literally
tortured to death as a result of their faith
in God's word. There's a story of Eleazar in
that content. An old, aged man who was mocked
and made fun of. who they tried to lure into
breaking the law of God, yet he refused, he was
tortured, and ultimately he was executed. There's
a story of seven brothers during that period
who were tortured in front of their mother as
a result of their trust in God and his word.
They valued God more than life itself. They love
the Lord and his promises more than the breath
in their lungs, brothers and sisters. They believe
in the word of God. They trusted God and his
word. Others experienced mocking and scourging.
We could think of Elisha being mocked by the
youth. And we see the repercussions. which came
upon them. We could think of Jeremiah repeatedly
throughout his ministry. Over and over and over
and over. He is shamed. He is mocked. He is berated
by his own people, brothers and sisters. His
own nation that he's ministering to. He's mocked.
We can think of Nehemiah being mocked by Sanballat
and Tobiah when they're building the wall. They're
being made fun of. They're being opposed. And
so many other examples. Jeremiah was beaten.
Micaiah was beaten and left for dead. They were
scourged. We also see that some endured chains.
and imprisonment. The most natural example is
Joseph. He was imprisoned for a long period of
his life. He was in chains and shackles for a
long time. Why? Because God was working out his
purposes and his plans in life, and Joseph was
trusting the Lord all throughout it. It says
they were stoned. We could think of Zechariah,
the son of Jehoiada, or Naboth, who was stoned
to death because of the vineyard, which the king
and his wicked wife wanted to obtain for their
own pleasure. We could think of other examples.
Then we come and it says that they were sawn
in two. Nobody... can say that the Bible is not
captivating and interesting, brothers and sisters.
There are certain hard truths that the Bible
speaks realistically about. And this is one of
them. And they don't always need to be nuanced.
They don't always need to be softened, brothers
and sisters, for us to hear them, because the
Bible openly speaks of them. What is this referring
to? We don't have a biblical example of someone
being sawed in two. It's referring to tradition
once again, which says that the prophet Isaiah,
likely the greatest of all the prophets of God,
he hid in a cedar trunk and the evil, wicked
King Manasseh came up and literally sawed him
in two, not cut, sawed him in two. Is that what?
Men of God in the Old Testament get for their
faith? Is that what those who are faithful and
those who trust and those who believe in God's
word, is that what they ought to receive? Is
that fair, brothers and sisters? That's what
Isaiah received. He was literally sawed into
two pieces by the ruler of the kingdom. that
he was serving and preaching the gospel to. We're
told that others were killed by the sword. We
can think of the prophets that Jezebel killed,
many of them. 1 Kings 18 .4. The prophet actually
says, they have killed your prophets. We can
think of the priests of Nob. If you recall, King
Saul killed, I believe, 80 to 100 priests because
they aided David in his escape. They suffered
and they endured in faith. They were tempted.
Again, we can think of Joseph and so many of
the prophets. We're told that They went about
in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute,
afflicted, and mistreated. Think of Elijah and
Elijah. They didn't have fancy clothes because
they had no money. They had no wealth. They were
in poverty, brothers and sisters. They had no
permanent home. They lived the life of a wanderer.
And often, so many of these individuals, were
on the run. They were ostracized. They were fleeing
and wandering. They were hiding. Think about
David so often. They were wandering in deserts
and mountains and caves, holes in the ground.
What a glorious life. What a wonderful existence
for the faithful of God. but they would not have
it any other way. They chose to live as they
did because they chose to trust in the living
God and his word, regardless of what came into
their life as a result. The fact that the author
concludes with the words that they were ill -treated
or mistreated means that they were all treated
in this way, in an unjust fashion. They didn't
deserve any of the treatment that they received
as those who were trusting in the Lord. Yet they
did. There are great triumphs throughout history.
That we see in the life of God's people. But
brothers and sisters, it is mixed in and it is
intermixed with many great trials of faith throughout
history. We see both. Both will be part of the
Christian life that is lived by faith. The Christian
will. experience great victories. They will experience
great overcoming in their life. But brothers
and sisters, as believers in Jesus Christ who
live by faith in this world, we will experience
great trials in faith as well. You will experience
hardship and suffering and opposition. You will
be treated in unjust, unfair ways. Every single
true believer in Jesus Christ. I think that we
can start seeing some of the tension that is
in this text. You can almost feel it a little
bit as you read through these examples of triumph
and trial in the life of God's people throughout
history. So what about the great tensions that
are present in and throughout history? Well,
I think there's a few different tensions that
we see in this text. The first is there is a
tension between providence and the expression
of the faith of God's people. Think about what
the author has just walked us through. All these
individuals are in... A diverse providential
setting. A diverse providential situation. Some
are in a situation where their faith manifests
itself and expresses itself in overcoming. In
great and mighty acts and deeds of faith. Victorious.
Triumphant faith, based on the providence of
God and his good delight in where they are in
life. While others, their providential situation
requires that they endure and they persevere
in faith as a result of their circumstances.
There is a tension between those two realities.
There's actually a very distinct contrast in
the text. Notice that the text speaks of those
who conquered by faith and those who wandered
about the kingdom. There are those who fled and
were saved and delivered from the edge of the
sword. And there were those who died by the edge
of the sword. There are those, brothers and sisters,
who received back the dead by faith. And there
are those who died waiting for a better resurrection.
There are those who are made powerful and mighty.
And then there were those who were made strong
out of weakness. There's a great contrast in
the text, and I think the author is preemptively
wanting to address a question that his recipients
might be wrestling with. Remember, the recipients
of the book of Hebrews, they're going through
hardship. They're going through sufferings and
trials. We read this in chapter 10. Starting
in verse 32. But remember the former days. This
is the author speaking of the recipients of the
letter of Hebrews. The epistle of Hebrews. But
remember the former days. When after being enlightened
you endured great conflict of sufferings. Partly
by being made a public spectacle. through reproaches
and tribulations, and partly by becoming sharers
with those who were so treated. For you showed
sympathy to the prisoners and accepted joyfully
the seizure of your property, knowing that you
have for yourselves a better possession and a
lasting one. Therefore, do not throw away your
confidence, which has great reward, for you have
need of endurance so that When you have done
the will of God, you may receive what was promised.
In verse 39, he says, we are not of those who
shrink back to destruction, but of those who
have faith to the preserving of the soul. What
is the author wanting to preemptively address
in his recipients? Individuals are going through
hardship and suffering and trial and difficulty,
especially the persecution and opposition that
is spoken of in Hebrews 11 or Hebrews 10 right
there. The question may come into one's mind.
If I really had faith, then God would take this
from me. If I really had faith. then God would
deliver me from these circumstances. If I really
had faith, then I wouldn't be in this situation.
If I really had faith, my possessions wouldn't
have been taken. If I really had faith, then
I wouldn't be persecuted and opposed as I am.
But what is the author wanting to remind them
of? That's always been a part of being a believer
in this world. And it always will be, brothers
and sisters. He's wanting to remind them to take
heart and to press on and to keep on in Christ
and to hold fast their confession of faith. Because
part of having faith in a fallen world is being
opposed by those who don't have faith in a fallen,
in a sinful world. He's wanting to address that.
But it's important to recognize that there is
resolution for this tension that is spoken of.
Now, there's another tension in the text, and
this is a tension between those with faith and
this unbelieving world. Notice in verse 38, possibly
one of the greatest... Parenthetical statements
in all of Scripture. Men of whom the world was
not worthy. He's speaking of the fact that those
who have triumphed in faith and those who have
suffered and been martyred because of the faith,
they are not accepted by the world. They are
rejected. by the world they're ostracized by
the world they're spoken ill of by the world
yet God deems them worthy God is pleased with
them The world has its verdict regarding the
church of Jesus Christ, and God has his verdict
regarding the church of Jesus Christ, brothers
and sisters. Who do you lean to? Who do you look
to? Whose verdict do you walk in light of? God.
The Lord Jesus Christ, who is pleased with those
who do triumph in faith and who suffer and die.
because of faith. There's a tension in this text
between those whom God deems as worthy because
of faith and the world that has no faith that
rejects the church and the believer with faith.
There's a resolution for that tension. that will
come as well. Now there's another tension in
the text. And we see this in verse 39. All of
these, having gained approval through their faith,
did not receive what was promised. We hear that,
and what do you think? Do you wonder and ask,
why didn't they receive what was promised? Should
they have received what was promised? There is
a tension for all those with faith between living
by faith in this world and that which God has
promised with regards to redemption, its full
and final realization. There's almost a discrepancy
between the grand and glorious realities that
God has promised And our possession of them in
this life. Do you ever feel that tension? Do
you know the tension that I'm feeling? God says
that his people are sons and daughters of God.
That you are raised up and seated at the right.
That you are raised up and seated with Christ
in the heavenly places. That's what I read in
Ephesians. Yet do you feel. Like a son or daughter
of God in this world that you walk by faith in?
God has promised, brothers and sisters, all the
world, all that is in Christ to the believer,
the new heavens and the new earth. Do you feel
the tension of that lacking? The hostility and
the enmity and the difficulty that arises either
from our own hearts because of sin and transgression
or corruption or because of the fallenness and
judgment and curse that is on the world around
us? Do you feel the tension and the air at times
that is present in this world? I do. And I believe
that you do as well. But take heart. A resolution
is coming where that discrepancy or that discontinuity
between what God has promised to the believer
and their experience in full possession of it
will be reconciled. Resolution is coming. And
this is the last thing that we have to consider.
The great resolution of all things, at the end
of history. Now, before we can understand the
nature of the resolution in some degree, we almost
need to understand the reason that a resolution
is needed. So, God has been working a single,
unified, redemptive purpose all throughout history.
All throughout history. We often think about
our situations and our lives and our circumstances,
our town, our church, our family, and we fail
to look at the grand scheme of everything. The
reality is history is not random. History is
not aimless. And brothers and sisters, history
is not endless. God has been working a single,
unified, redemptive, historic plan all throughout
the world. History is progressive. It builds.
It is climactic in a sense. It is anticipatory.
It is working towards a full and final culmination
at the end of history. And at the center of it
all is the Lord Jesus Christ and the gospel which
he has accomplished. So we think about what the
author is saying here in verse 40. Because God
had provided something better for us, so that
apart from us, they would not be made perfect.
The old covenant saints lived in a distinct era
with regards to God's redemptive purposes. They
lived prior to the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ,
yet they had the same kind of faith that new
covenant believers have in Jesus Christ. They
lived before the gospel had... historically taken
place. They lived in the era of types and shadows,
brothers and sisters, where everything was in
promissory form. They did not live in the era
where those types and shadows became substance
and reality in Jesus Christ and his historic
work in this world, in his life, his death, his
resurrection. They lived before that But new
covenant believers live in a distinct era of
God's redemptive purposes. We don't live in the
old covenant as ministers of the gospel, brothers
and sisters. Every minister that's in existence
today is a minister of the new covenant, not
a minister of the old covenant. Why is that?
Because we live in a different era than the old
covenant saints. The old covenant was distinctly
marked by the law of God. By condemnation and
wrath. And the new covenant is the manifestation
of the provision that God has made in the Lord
Jesus Christ. And they are superior. better realities
because they are accomplished they are final
they are full they are done they are completed
we have greater and further light than old covenant
saints it is not by accident that any believer
today was born into the new covenant era of god's
redemptive purposes As a believer today, you
were not born into the old covenant. You were
born in the new covenant. And there are distinct
advantages and privileges and blessings associated
with that reality. You have the canon of scripture,
brothers and sisters. You can understand and
grasp the gospel and the mystery of the gospel
that was proclaimed for ages past. We have the
truth, which means that the spirit of God illumines
and enlightens our minds in a far greater capacity
than any old covenant saint because we have more
truth, brothers and sisters. We know more, brothers
and sisters, by faith than the old covenant.
There's distinct blessings and privileges to
being on this side of Christ's work. Yet, there's
also a cohesiveness with regards to God's people.
Look in verse 40. So that apart from us, new
covenant believers, they, old covenant saints,
would not be made perfect. What's it referring
to? It's referring to something where Old Covenant
saints and New Testament believers all enjoy
and participate in that thing at once together.
There's one covenant people of God throughout
all history. This text makes that abundantly
clear. And they've all had one thing in common,
faith. So though they lived in the old covenant
and we live in the new covenant, all God's people
are waiting for the full and final realization
of all God's purposes in this world. Every single
one. What is verse 40 referring to exactly? What
does it mean when it says they would not be made
perfect apart from us? I think he's referring
to two distinct things. I believe he's referring,
one, to a person's death and their entrance into
the intermediate state. Because chapter 12 of
Hebrews says this. We read this in Hebrews 12,
starting in verse 18. For you have not come to
a mountain that can be touched in a blazing fire,
in the darkness and gloom and a whirlwind. And
to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words,
which sound was such that those who heard begged
that no further would be spoken to them. For
they could not bear the command. Even if a beast
touches the mountain, it will be stoned. And
so terrible was the trembling. But you have come
to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God.
the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels,
to the general assembly and church of the firstborn
who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge
of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made
perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new
covenant, and the sprinkled blood which speaks
better than the blood of Abel. There is a...
Partial perfection that takes place upon the
believer's death and their entrance into the
intermediate state. Our spirits are made perfect.
But why do I say that's only partial? Because
we will no longer have our bodies. We will be
incomplete. It will only be partial. And what
will make that transformation, that perfection,
whole and complete and absolute? When Jesus Christ
returns to this world in glory and power and
you are given a resurrected body that is righteous
and perfect and complete, that comes together,
we could say, with your righteous spirit. So
it's referring, partially to our entrance into
the intermediate state, but it's referring ultimately
to the eschaton of all things, brothers and sisters.
That point in time in history where all of God's
purposes will be brought to their intended end.
Do you know when that day is? It's when Jesus
Christ, the Son of God, comes on clouds in power
and glory. It's when he gathers his people together.
And it's when he judges unbelievers who don't
know the Lord Jesus Christ. That, brothers and
sisters, that day where he fully and finally
delivers his people from the presence of sin,
not just the power of sin. That day where he
purges the earth and he renews all things and
the new heavens and the new earth comes into
existence, brothers and sisters, that is the
day he is referring to. That is the eschaton,
when God brings all things to their intended
goal. That is the end of history as we know it,
brothers and sisters. There is a real resolution
to the tensions that we experience as we walk
by faith. There is a true resolution, brothers
and sisters, to the difficulties of your heart
that will last and be eternal. Brothers and sisters,
it is the return of Jesus Christ in glory and
the renewal. of all things. Faith does not guarantee
you or I prosperity. It does not guarantee you
a life free from pain or suffering. Faith does
not guarantee you a life where you are free from
the edge of the sword. Faith does not guarantee
you a life where you are free from the loss of
loved ones. Faith does not guarantee you a life
where you are free from cancer or suffering or
sickness or illness or disease or whatever it
might be. Faith does not guarantee you, brothers
and sisters, a life free of difficulty and hardship
and pain and opposition and suffering and trials.
But faith guarantees you something far, far better
and far grander than any of those things. It
guarantees you God in Christ. An eternal life
with him. Eternal joy with him. The new heavens
and the new earth and glory and joy with the
Lord Jesus. It guarantees. That upon your death,
you will go to be with God in heaven and that
you can face that one last great enemy, which
is death. It guarantees you eternity. Enjoying
and living in the new creation with Christ and
God and angels and your brothers and sisters
in heaven. All things will be brought to their
intended end. There is a lasting resolution that
will solve every tension in your heart. There
is a lasting resolution that can resolve every
problem in this world. It is faith in Jesus Christ.
And it is trusting in him for eternal salvation
and looking to him by faith and trusting that
God will bring about every single one of his
redemptive purposes, not just in your life, but
in this world, brothers and sisters.