Thursday, June 1, 2017

Hebrews 11:30–40

30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days. 31 By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace. 32 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: 33 who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 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. 35 Women received their dead raised to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. 36 Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented—38 of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. 39 And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, 40 God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.

Commentary
Vs. 30 "By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days."

When Joshua led the armies (i.e. the people) of God into Canaan, crossing the Jordan by a supernatural act of God who parted the waters for them, their first objective was Jericho. Now Jericho was an ancient city, heavily fortified and walled, which not only stood as a gateway into Canaan, but it would be the first test of the wilderness generation of Israelite's faith whom God said He would bring into the promised land. And so having entered Canaan by a Supernatural work of God, (Joshua 3:14-17) and having the Angel of the Lord appear to them to lead them (Joshua 5:13-15), the Israelite's were commanded by God to marched around Jericho once a day for six days. Now on the seventh day they were to march around it seven times upon which the priests would blow the trumpets and then God would cause the walls of Jericho to fall before the Israelite's, leaving the city open and defenseless against their assault on it (Joshua 6:1-6). Now these Israelite's faith wasn't proven when the walls of Jericho fell before them and they took it, their faith was proven when by faith they went to Jericho and marched around it according to commandment of God (see Joshua 6:1-27). For unlike their fathers who perished in the wilderness; who did not believe God would give them the land; these Israelite's entered the land of Canaan at the commandment of God. And so believing God they went forward in faith and did just as God commanded them to do which assured their own successes. For as long as they did so, God gave the Canaanites into their hand. A principal that should not be overlooked by us when we likewise engage in spiritual warfare; which likewise is never won by natural means, strengths, resources and abilities; (2 Cor 10:3-4) but only by the power and grace of God, which is released in us and through us when we likewise believe and obey God. 

Vs. 31 "By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace."

Now Rahab demonstrated her faith when she having heard how the Israelite's had entered the land, and how God had destroyed the Egyptians in the Red Sea knew that if she had any hope of surviving the upcoming assault, she would have to make peace with Him. And so when the spies sent by Joshua entered Jericho and they came to her house (for her house was on the wall) she did not turn them in to the leaders in Jericho, instead Rahab fearing God not only received them into her house but she also hid them from those seeking them, helping them escape the city after they spied it out. And so Rahab did not perish with those of Jericho who did not believe that God could bring His people to victory against them, she believed what had been told her about God's mighty works in Egypt, and what He had done to the Egyptians, and so again she feared God and put here faith not in the walls and leaders of Jericho, but with God, whose mercies she trusted in when she received the spies to herself. Rahab the harlot then stands as an example of Godly faith because she feared the judgment of God, and thus she received the salvation of God for herself when she received the spies. Now the same choice must be made by us all, to either repent and believe in the Gospel, and thus escape the coming judgment of God, or to carry on in unbelief to ones own eternal destruction and ruin. For God's wrath against this ungodly world is looming near. For just as He has done to Sodom and Gomorrah so He will do again to this ungodly world (2 Peter 3:3-13). And so the choice is ours to likewise fear and thus repent and believe in the Gospel, by which we receive the Lord Jesus Christ who is the only protection that anyone has from God's everlasting wrath and Judgment, or to carry on as they did then and be consumed just as they were when God visits this world for judgment (consider Luke 17:26-30). 

Vs. 32 "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"

Moving from Rahab onto the generations of the Judges and beyond, the Word of God now puts a rhetorical question to us, to bring to mind some of the most prominent men of it; Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David and Samuel and the prophets, 33 who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 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. 

Now without going into all of the details of their mighty exploits which they accomplished through faith, the Word of God gives us a broad summery of just what was done through them because they believed God, and thus they stepped out in faith, trusting God to do through them what they could not have achieved themselves. And that is an important point to remember, these are not "self-made" men who relied on their own strengths, skills, abilities or resources. These are people whom God chose to fulfill His purposes for His people, who when called by Him stepped out in faith to obey His Will for them, and thus God did through them what they could not have done themselves, so that God would be praised and glorified, not man (consider 1 Cor 1:26-31).
Gideon then when called by the Angel of the Lord was not at that time a "mighty man of valor" when the Angel of the Lord called him so, for Gideon like all of the Israelite's had been reduced too threshing their grain and whatever else they could harvest in secret places, so as to keep it from being confiscated by the Midianites who then bore the rule over them (see Judges 6:11-12). Therefore when the Angel of the Lord declared Gideon to be such, He was declaring just what Gideon would be if he obeyed Him and followed Him (Judges 6:14-16). Therefore with just three hundred men Gideon went on to accomplish a great victory for Israel because he believed God therefore he obeyed God's will for him (Judges 7). 

Barack though a leader in the nation of Israel, before he stepped out in faith was a self doubting man, and so Deborah the prophetess was the individual God was judging the people of Israel through, until she by the commandment of the Lord encouraged him to take up his leadership and go forward in faith and lead the armies of Israel into battle (Judges 4:4-7). Therefore when Barack overcame his own self doubts, and whatever fears he had, and he stepped out in faith, the people not only followed him, but God gave Israel the victory through him because he obeyed Him. Therefore Barack is listed in annals of faith as an example of Godly faith because he overcame his own doubts, fears, and whatever else was holding him back, and he went forward in faith to the glory of God our Father. Therefore when God gave the nation of Israel deliverance through him both Barack and Deborah rejoice in the Lord singing a song praising Him for what He had just done for His people, which begins with them both singing, 
“When leaders lead in Israel,
When the people
willingly offer themselves,
 Bless the LORD!" Judges 5:1-2

Leadership then must always and continually resist any and all inclinations towards self doubts and inaction, because it is never what we can confidently do, it is always what God wants to do and demonstrate through us, so as to inspire and encourage others to follow Him in faith.

Now Samson though mighty in physical strength and stature still had his own shortfalls and weaknesses. For Samson was a man who had a strong sense of justice, which often got him into all kinds of predicaments. And yet in spite of Samson's personal weaknesses, God accomplished great victories and triumphs through Samson, using those same personal traits that often seemed like liabilities to others to move Samson to take the fight to the Philistines, and bring about great deliverance's for His people in their time of need. The greatest which occurs when Samson having been betrayed by the woman he loved loses all his strength when she cuts his hair, and then he is turned over to the Philistines by her. And so with his strength gone, his eyes having been gouged out, Samson is reduced to being a chained broken man in a Philistine prison, only to be taken out to be fully humiliated before the Philistine lords in the temple of their god where Samson is now forced to "perform" before them. Now it is in that lowest moment of Samson's life that he in faith cries out to the Lord to enable him one last time to take vengeance on the Philistines for his eyes (Judges 16:25-30). And so it was that Samson killed more Philistines in his death then he ever did in his life. And thus Samson though he lived almost all of his life by his own strength, yet it is in his death that he turns to the Lord to enable him to do for him what he could no longer do for himself. Therefore Samson is listed in annals of faith, as a man of faith, because like those before him he believed God.

Jephthah a man of valor was a man of illegitimate birth, who though being the first born son of his father when he became of age was driven from his household and his territory by his own brothers and the leaders of it. And so for a season Jephthah is reduced to leading raiding parties outside of the territories of Israel. Now it would be this man whom God would chose to lead His people onto victory over the Ammonites when they turned away from their idols and returned to Him (Judges 11-12). Jephthah then would be brought back by the same men who once despised him and had driven him away to be the leader of them, whom God would place His Spirit upon so as to lead His people and bring about their deliverance through Himself. Jephthah then would go from being an "outlaw" to being a man of God who kept his word to God when God's people were not keeping theirs. And so Jephthah is listed here with some of the greatest men of that era. 

David and Samuel and the prophets are all listed together and rightly so, for both David and Samuel were prophets and throughout their lives they all exemplified faith in God even when God's people were not. Now David whose beginnings were small and insignificant in the eyes of everyone except God would by his faith in God and by the Sovereign will of God, become king of Israel. And so David would become the man through whom God would not only lead His people to bring about Israel's greatest victories, but because David was a man after God's own heart God through David would establish His own Son's Throne and Kingdom forever. And so David is listed here in annuls of faith because David not only kept his faith deeply abiding in God even when as yet God's will for him could not be seen coming to fruition, but David even when established by God still looked too and depended deeply on God throughout his tenure and life. Therefore David is listed amongst the men and woman of faith , because he was man of faith.  

Vs. 33 "who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,"

Having cited some of the great and prominent figures from the Old Testament era, the Word of God now recalls how by faith how they overcame whatever overwhelming obstacles and opposition that they faced in following God. First mentioned is they subdued kingdoms, for that was God's plan for His people when He brought them out of the land of Egypt and into Canaan was for them to subdue the kingdoms of the people there, so that God's people could establish His in the land. And so from Moses to David and beyond God worked mightily through His people in accomplishing this when they believed and obeyed Him. Now in this Joshua stands out because he initially conquered Canaan and vanquished the nations there when God brought them into Canaan and the Angel of the Lord went before them. Only when Israel turned from the Lord God and turned to the idols and Godless practices of the people around them did God give them into the hands of their enemies. Thus there can be no Spiritual victories for any of God's people, if we do not believe and obey Christ and thus separate ourselves from Godless beliefs and practices of the wicked (consider 2 Cor 6:14-7:1; Eph. 5:1-7; Rev. 18:1-4; also 1 Tim 5:22).
Next mentioned is that God's people throughout the ages by faith worked righteousness. In this the Kings of Judah like Asa, Jehoshaphat, Joash, Hezekiah and Josiah stand out for they all turned God's people back from their idols to the Lord God of their fathers when the people had gone astray; thus preserving them and the nation when they did so. That said the working of righteousness is by no means limited to them, but is brought to fruition by everyone who by faith stands up for it! Now by faith they also obtained promises, that is by believing the promises of God they obtained to the promises of God, for that is the necessary link between hearing God's promises and having God's promises come to fruition in ones life, believing Him. By faith they also Stopped the mouths of lions which is clearly seen with Daniel who escape certain death because of his faith in God. Now in this Daniel did not put God to the test to see if God would deliver him from them; no Daniel was delivered over to lions by the schemes of wicked men because of his faithfulness towards God.
Therefore God saved him, because Daniel kept his faith in God even if this meant his facing certain death for doing so, something which marked Daniels life (see Daniel 6:10-23). Now the Apostle Paul also mentions of metaphorically being delivered out of the mouth of the lion, again indicating escaping certain death by the hand of God (2 Tim 4:17).

Vs. 34 "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."

By faith Daniels three compatriots who were exiles with him in Babylon quenched the violence of fire when they too were delivered over to it by the schemes of wicked men, and so God saved them because of their faith in and faithfulness towards Him (see Daniel 3:8-25). Escaped the edge of the sword is likely a reference to surviving in battle as the context indicates, and so it was by faith that they survived. Similarity by faith out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. king Asa is a wonderful example of this when faced with a million man army of invading Ethiopians, yet by faith king Asa overcame even them (see 2 Chron. 14:9-14).

Vs. 35  "Women received their dead raised to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection."

Excluding all of the miracles done by Jesus in the N.T. two woman in the days of Elijah and Elisha also received their dead raised to life again, the widow of Zarephath (1 Kings 17:17-24) and the Shunammite woman (2 Kings 4:8-37). These two woman then exemplified true faith when God's people's faith was in short supply. Jesus even cites the widow of Zarephath, a region of Sidon, and Naaman the Syrian commander, as both being people of faith to His home town of Nazareth which only brought out their fierce and murderous ire (see Luke 4:23-30). Now throughout the history of God's people, in the Old Covenant era, and now in the New, suffering for ones faith in God, even to martyrdom, has been and will always be apart of following God (consider Rev. 6:9-11; 20:4-5).

Vs. 36  "Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment." 

And so faith is not just the means by which God does great and mighty deeds in and through our persons and lives. But by faith God's people also endured the hostility of this ungodly world. Therefore the Lord Jesus Christ in being made like all His brethren, also had endure the trial of mockings and scourgings, of chains and imprisonment, like John the Baptist and all the Old Testament prophets and believers who down through the ages likewise suffered for their faith in God. 

Vs. 37-40 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented—38 of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. 39 And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, 40 God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.

The reality of having faith in God means not only having to face trials and tribulations in this brief life, but also having to endure the violent hostility and rejection of this world. That is the reality for us all when we choose to follow Christ. Too varying degrees and in varying ways every believer will enter into the sufferings of God's people, yet by faith overcame. Therefore the Word of God in recalling these things does not pull any punches, but declares plainly some of severe sufferings of God's people.  And so they were stoned, for stones in the Middle east are everywhere, and are easily picked up and wielded by violent and angry mobs seeking to execute God's people. The Apostle Paul was stoned once for his faith in Christ but miraculously survived (see Acts 14:5, 19-20; 2 Cor 11:22-28, vs. 24); "they were sawn in two," a most gruesome act though not recorded in the Bible, yet being recalled in the Bible means that this was not just a one off occurrence; "were tempted" likely meaning tempted to recant their faith in order to save themselves from certain suffering or death; "were slain with the sword," which is indicating execution by lawful authorities for their faith in God. "They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented—
38 of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth." 

Despised, rejected, harassed, hounded, hunted, believers have always been driven out of their homes and away from their families (and sometimes even by their families, consider Matt 10:34-39). And so we should not think it a strange things when such things befall us (1 Peter 4:12-19) for believers down through the ages have always been forced into exile, isolation, hardships, poverty and all forms of destitution, troubles and miseries for their faith in and faithfulness towards God. Now even though these didn't have the promise of God's salvation fully revealed and brought to fruition for them, they still clung to Him in love, therefore the Word of God says that they obtained a good testimony; that is a good testimony in the eyes of God for their faithfulness too God. Therefore the Word of God also says that this godless world was not worthy of them. For standing up for God's Righteousness and Truth, and living by it, always means having to endure hostility from this world (2 Tim 3:12-17). Therefore God has provided something better for them than the fleeting treasures and passing pleasures of sin that mark the lives and pursuits of those living for this world, since they should not be made perfect (perfect In Christ) apart from us (consider Rev 6:9-11). Therefore each and every believer should draw strong consolation from the sufferings of God's people who went before us, since just as God upheld and sustained all of them in love, hope, and joy to eternal life, so He will likewise do for us all who likewise believe in Him and hold fast to Him firm till the end (Heb. 3:6).


Scripture Quotations
The New King James Version. (1982). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.


Additional Resources Consulted 
Vs. 33, 35 MacDonald, W. (1995). Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments. (A. Farstad, Ed.) (p. 2201). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.



Note: Draft Version



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