“our perspective on faith is not the view of the writer to the Hebrews”
Download discussion questions: Hebrews 11:30-40
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I encourage you to look at the passage in Hebrews before you read this Blog entry. What do you see in the text yourself? What questions come to your mind? How would you interpret what the writer says? After even a few minutes examining and thinking about the text you will be much better prepared to evaluate the comments in the Blog.
A Shocking Contrast
The first person to open our discussion commented on the abrupt, even unexpected contrast in verse 35.
“Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured.”
All of chapter 11 so far has been one encouraging example after another of the “heroes of the faith.” Then the writer sums up with a brief list of names well known in Jewish history. But then, as one group member commented, he takes a sudden ninety-degree turn, a complete change of direction into increasingly disturbing descriptions of torture and suffering.
Imagine you were in the Hebrew congregation listening to the written sermon being read aloud. The pastor adds one compelling story of faith after another. The growing list of mighty acts seems to be building to a glorious climax. You anticipate an inspiring conclusion to boost your faith. The whole assembly expects reassurance that the present persecutions will soon end. But the sermon takes that unexpected and uncomfortable turn. That would certainly get everyone’s attention.
That passage raised several questions in our group. One person asked if the writer had specific instances in mind, such as the “women who received back their dead by resurrection” or the martyrs who were “sawn in two”? In the majority of chapter 11 (v. 1-31), the writer deliberately names names and provides fairly specific circumstances that demonstrated trust in God. Now in this passage he generalizes. He briefly mentions several names with no details, and then he lists wonderful victories and terrible tragedies without identification.
As we have discussed before, the original audience with their Jewish background would have been quite familiar with the Hebrew Scriptures. In addition, they also would have known many common traditional stories. Someone in our group suggested that the story of Elisha raising the widow’s son (2 Kings 4:32-37) would have come to mind. Another commented that the description of being “sawn in two” would fit with the traditional story of Isaiah’s martyrdom.[1] We can assume, and the Hebrew congregation probably knew, that these were not hypothetical examples or made-up illustrations. These things really happened. And they could happen again.
What About the Promise(s)?
The pastor makes his point perfectly clear. Even these models who illustrate faith and “gained approval” (v. 39) did not receive what God had promised. How could that outcome be encouraging? How could that sad summary inspire endurance in present difficulties?
The answer returns to a frequent theme in Hebrews, the word “better.” The word (κρείττων, kreíttōn) is only used 19 times in the New Testament, and 13 of those times are in the book of Hebrews. The pastor continues to return to that emphasis.[2] Every aspect of what Jesus has done surpasses the Old Covenant. Only when His incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension were completed could the people of God, the Old Testament saints along with the Hebrew congregation and with us, “receive what was promised.”
This “something better” can be nothing less than the cleansing from sin and restoration to God that are the present possession of the people of God through the work of Christ – the “better covenant” (7:22; 8:6) and the “better hope through which we draw near to God” (7:19) because Christ’s better sacrifice (cf. 9:22-23) has removed our sin.[3]
Someone asked about the wording “apart from us they would not be made perfect” in verse 40b. One question was, “How was the perfection of the faithful Old Testament saints dependent on us?” Is that what “apart from us” means? In our discussion we concluded that the meaning was more likely that they would not be made perfect separately from us. That God had a single solution for sin. That solution provided by Christ applied to the faithful followers of God both before and after His work.
In earlier discussions we have considered the idea of “perfect” in Hebrews: mature or complete or fulfilled. That perfection was something impossible for the Law (Hebrews 7:11, 19; 9:9, 10:1). After repeatedly emphasizing the inability of the Old Covenant, the pastor summarizes the solution: “For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified” (Hebrews 10:14, ESV). Christ’s work was all-encompassing, including the Old Testament saints. Their perfection, like ours, was accomplished by Him.
Did They, or Didn’t They?
The discussion about God’s promise brought out another question from the passage and how to reconcile two statements.
who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises… (v. 33)
all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised…(v. 39)
There are different words used in the verses for “obtain” and “receive,” but a person in our group offered an even more simple explanation. There is also a difference between the plural in verse 33 and the singular in verse 39. Our group noted that the examples in Hebrews 11 provide many instances of promises (plural) that were clearly enjoyed: Rahab’s rescue from Jericho, Gideon’s defeat of an overpowering army with only three-hundred Israelites, etc.
The distinction seems to be that God, in His gracious providence, often does provide specific, temporal blessings. God does keep His explicit, particular promises. Rahab, Gideon, et al., trusted His faithfulness. Although some with more hesitancy than others. More on that below.
But even the best, most dramatic of those kept promises are not the promise. They are the foretaste, the shadowy hint of the abundant grace, the “torrents of His pleasure” as Augustine described it.[4] All the fulfilled promises are but “the edges of His ways” (Job 26:14). That singular, ultimate promise is what we all anticipate. The deeper our anticipation and longing, the more confident and more certain is our endurance.
Hesitant Faith
A consistent thread in our several discussions[5] in Hebrews 11 has been the imperfections in those held as examples of faith. We tend to think (at least unconsciously) that faith has to be perfect, consistent, never wavering. But as one member of our group commented, our perspective on faith is not the view of the writer to the Hebrews. Noah, Abraham, Moses, et al., all failed at least intermittently, sometimes spectacularly. Yet, as we repeatedly observed, God approved (v. 2, 39), or testified (v. 4) or witnessed to them (v. 5) – all forms of the same word – because of their faith. In spite of their disappointing actions, God was “not ashamed” of them (v. 16). God’s approval resulted from belief and trust, not from behavior or toil. The examples presented illustrate what faith looks like in a variety of circumstances. Rather than disqualifying them, their failures demonstrated to us the power of faith in powerless lives. What could be more encouraging to us who also experience failures?
In our conversation, several people cited some “examples of faith” that were particularly puzzling. How did Samson and Jepthah make the list? In our minds their dramatic deficiencies seem to outweigh whatever faith they displayed. Apparently not so in God’s perspective.
We focused a bit on Gideon, whose faith appeared quite fluid. In the words of one participant, “He doubted, then he trusted, he asked for a sign, he asked for another sign, he believed, then he asked God for just one more sign.”
One person pointed to a particular comment by Gideon. He was confronted by a person (whom he did not recognize as an angel).
“The Lord is with you, O valiant warrior.” Then Gideon said to him, “O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.”
(Judges 6:12-13, emphasis added)
That question sounded perilously similar to the Israelite doubt about trusting God in the wilderness. The people “quarreled” (Exodus 17:2) and “grumbled” (v. 3) over the lack of water: “Why, now, have you brought us up from Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” Moses responded appropriately.
He named the place Massah and Meribah because of the quarrel of the sons of Israel, and because they tested the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us, or not?”
(Exodus 17:7, emphasis added)
But Gideon’s life is extolled as an example in Hebrews 11; the Israelites are denounced earlier in Hebrews (3:7-11, 15; 4:3, 7). The writer to the Hebrew congregation repeatedly quotes from and alludes to Psalm 95, describing the Israelites as “hard hearted” for “provoking” and “testing” God. The Psalm explicitly mentions the locations of Exodus 17, connecting hard-hearted testing of God with that question, “Is the Lord among us, or not?”
How is Gideon’s questioning different? Can we learn anything about our own questions and doubts from the two questions? There must be a difference. The two seemingly similar reactions to difficulties received opposite responses from God. Gideon and the Israelites both faced challenging circumstances and were expected to trust God.
When is doubt destructive? Does questioning undermine our faith? How do we deal with our questions? How do we respond to each other’s doubts?
Compare the texts of the two passages.
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- The Israelites quarreled and grumbled. Their cynicism and immediate distrust were evident: “Why, now, have you brought us up from Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” They questioned the motives of God working through Moses. As Psalm 95 says, “your fathers tested Me. They tried Me, though they had seen My work.” So soon after repeated miraculous works in Egypt there was absolutely no sense of confidence in God’s love, wisdom, or sovereignty. Their question seemed to suggest a fifty-fifty chance. Maybe God was there, maybe not. Maybe He didn’t even exist. Their “faith” exhibited neither belief nor trust. (Exodus 17:1-7)
- Gideon’s deepest question was not “If?” but “Why?” “Why has all this happened to us?” Gideon assumed God was with His people, so the oppression they were facing was inexplicable. Gideon affirmed God’s work in the past (in contrast to the Israelites who ignored that same work), “Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?” Gideon knew God existed and performed miracles. But he was confused about why that same God would have “given us into the hand of Midian.” As one member of our group suggested, like the apostle Paul, Gideon was “perplexed, but not despairing” (2 Corinthians 4:8b). Gideon was not challenging God or demanding He prove His existence. Gideon was asking God to help his hesitant faith, like the desperate father asked Jesus, “I believe, help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24). Even with Gideon’s repeated (and repeated) requests for a sign, the text never records an indication of God’s anger or impatience. As the pastor to the Hebrew congregation recognized, faith was at the heart of Gideon’s character. His doubts and desires for signs may have reflected his own uncertainty about hearing God correctly. “So Gideon said to Him, “If now I have found favor in Your sight, then show me a sign that it is You who speak with me” (Judges 6:17, emphasis added).
Perhaps Gideon provides an example of how our faith survives doubts and questions. Reminding ourselves and each other of what we know and are convinced of about God. As one person in our group commented, we need to judge our circumstances by God’s character (as Gideon did), not judge God’s character (or existence) by our circumstances (as the Israelites in the wilderness). Remembering God’s work in the past helped Gideon, but the Israelites ignored that same work.
We have seen God’s greatest work, the sacrifice of His Son for our sins. That work has enabled us to draw near to God, confident in His love, wisdom, and sovereignty. As has been quoted in these pages before,
“You can always trust the God who died for you.”[6]
[1] William L. Lane, Hebrews 9-13, Word Biblical Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1991), 390.
[2] Hebrews 1:4, 6:9, 7:7, 7:19, 7:22, 8:6 (2x), 9:23, 10:34, 11:16, 11:35, 11:40, 12:24.
[3] Gareth Lee Cockerill, The Epistle to the Hebrews, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2012), 598.
[4] Quoted by John Piper, “Sovereign Joy” in The Legacy of Sovereign Joy (Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Books, 2000), 63.
[5] Faith in the Era of Creation, Faith in the Era of the Patriarchs, Faith in the Era of Exodus and Conquest.
[6] Larry Crabb, by Ken Crabb quoting his father, “Remembering Larry Crabb”, Moody Radio broadcast, March 5, 2021;
at 38:16
https://www.moodyradio.org/radioplayer.aspx?episode=367535