This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom
Hebrews-20 Triumphs and Tragedies of the Faithful – Daily Wisdom
/: ies of the Faithful - Hebrews:We continue our extended series through the book of Hebrews in the New Testament. Last week, we explored Faithful Walks Worth Following. Our focus was on the patriarchs of Israel: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. This week, we continue this theme and explore the Triumphs and Tragedies of the Faithful.
Let’s read Hebrews:Faith in Action
23 By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.
24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. 25 He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. 27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. 28 By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.
29 By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.
30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days.
31 By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.[d]
32 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, 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. 35 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. 36 Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were put to death by stoning;[e] they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— 38 the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.
39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, 40 since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
Before we jump back into Hebrews 11, let’s pause for a “true or false” quiz.
(T) (F) Christians never wrestle with doubts.
(T) (F) Christians never stumble into sin.
(T) (F) Christians are free from imperfection.
(T) (F) Christians are always shielded from hardship, suffering, and tragedy.
(T) (F) Christians take hold of God’s promises without wavering in hope.
(T) (F) Christians never suffer failure or defeat in their faith-walks.
Okay, it's time to grade your quiz. This will be really easy. If you answered “true” to any of these statements, rethink your answer. Every one of these statements is false.
However, these and similar erroneous ideas about the Christian life plague many believers. These false expectations lead to disappointment in other believers, disappointment in themselves, and disappointment with God. The truth is that the authentic life of faith is a constant battle against temptations. It’s marked by stumbling, falling, and getting back up—dirtied and bruised. True believers can be bothered by lingering doubts or jolted by fits of unbelief. They fail their friends, their families, and their fellow believers. They back down when they should stand up; they lose hope when they should look to their Lord in confidence.
The reality of the Christian life becomes even more sobering when we observe the trials and tribulations faced by mature believers characterized by obvious faithfulness. Even the godliest believers can, and do, experience tragedies. They deal with financial disasters, /endure accidents and injuries,/ suffer from sickness and disease, /become the victims of violent crimes, /and walk through dark valleys of despair. There is no force field that protects Christians from the effects of this fallen world or the suffering of their mortality.
s enjoyed by people of faith (:11:23–28 (Roll Board Out)
In the “Procession of Faith,” the author of Hebrews devoted plenty of space to fill in details on the life of Abraham and the patriarchs (11:8–22). And repeatedly see the things that were accomplished “by faith.” Now, the author switches palettes and transitions from the era of the patriarchs to the era of Moses and the Law.
The original Jewish audience of the book of Hebrews probably wouldn’t have had a hard time accepting that the lives of the patriarchs were characterized by “Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.” (11:1). The patriarchs had lived before the giving of the Law /and before the conquest of the land! They had not received the promises. /But what about Moses? /Did he live by faith in the unseen?
e began with an act of faith (: In Hebrews:(Bulletin Insert)
the flow of a sinful society (: align with a class of slaves (: to venture into the foreign (: his pride and do the unusual (: al plague against Egypt (Heb.:Had Moses failed to respond by faith to any of these decisions, none of what follows in the “Procession of Faith” could have happened.
11:29–31
Moses’ faith and faithfulness led to an explosion of signs, wonders, and miracles wrought by God through his ministry of deliverance. His personal decisions led to powerful triumphs and epic miracles in his generation and numerous generations to follow.
Israel crossing the Red Sea (: volved the battle of Jericho (: a heroine of faith in Hebrews:
11:32–38 – (Flip Board)
ith the line of the prophets (:If we continued the author’s “Procession of Faith,” we could add New Testament heroes of faith to this list, like Mary & Joseph, Peter, Paul, James, and John. We could advance in church history to include Polycarp of Smyrna, Justin Martyr, and Athanasius of Alexandria. We could mention the early attempts at reform by medieval heroes like Peter Waldo, John Wycliffe, and John Hus. And who could forget the contributions of stalwarts of faith like Luther and Zwingli, Edwards and Wesley? And more contemporaries, Jim Elliot, Corrie ten Boom, and Mother Theresa? If the author of Hebrews could have named all those who deserve recognition for their lives of faith, imagine the lineup of champions we would have today!
ng incredible feats of faith (:
11:39–40
Just as the sun shines on the just and the unjust, and rain falls on the wicked and the righteous (Matt. 5:45), storms of tragedy sweep over the faithful and the faithless alike. In this fallen world, everyone experiences a mixture of both triumphs and tragedies. However, neither astonishing victories nor demoralizing defeats represent the end of the story. Remember, faith isn’t about what we see, feel, experience, or accomplish in this life. Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see (Heb. 11:1).
erything in perspective. With:You see, we are part of God’s faith walk. We are here to build God’s kingdom until Christ returns a 2nd time to set up His kingdom, the new Global Eden.
Approval was granted—not because of their personal merit, pedigrees, or perfection, but because of their faith. Amid triumph and tragedy, they longed to see the unseen, to catch a glimpse of the future. And with the eyes of faith, they saw the Lord Jesus Christ—the One who is superior for pressing on. They lived by a faith that looked into the distant future when the promises of perfection would finally be fulfilled.
Those ancient saints framed in this portrait of faith represent our spiritual ancestry. But they aren’t merely relics of the past. They are an ever-living presence to motivate us to do as they did: to look into the future by faith and to live faithful lives in the present.
APPLICATION: HEBREWS:Imitating Moses’ Steps of Faith
Anybody who has pursued a life of faithfulness to the living God knows that this journey means making daily decisions that test our faith. From our limited perspectives, stepping out in faith can feel frightening and risky. To outsiders, it appears foolish, if not dangerous. Faith must overshadow our feelings to endure this journey amid triumph and tragedy. Then, we’ll be able to continue on the upward path toward greater strength and maturity.
To aid us in this journey, let’s step back and take another look at the central figure in the second half of Hebrews 11—Moses. Recall that he made three radical decisions that affected not only the course of his life, but also the course of the history of God’s people, Israel. His journey of faith was not without obstacles, of course. Nobody’s life of faith will be a life of constant victory—not on this side of Christ’s kingdom. However, until then, let’s imitate the three decisions that made a difference in Moses’ life and legacy.
the flow of a sinful society (: to venture into the foreign (: be willing to do the unusual (:May our lives be summed up in verses 39-40: 39 All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. 40 For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us.
Next week, we will extend our focus to a long-term life of faith, which will require Endurance and Discipline,” Please read Hebrews 12:1-13 to prepare.