Some Final Examples Of Faith - Hebrews 11:32-34

Hebrews chapter 11. We are going to conclude

Hebrews 11 · chapter mention

our exposition of Hebrews chapter 11 today. And

Hebrews 11 · chapter mention

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

Hebrews 11 · chapter mention

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

Matthew 17 · chapter mention

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.