An Account

 DEVOTION

TO HEBREWS

AN ACCOUNT

Heb 11:32-40

32 And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, 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. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. 36 Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. 37 They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death 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, and in caves and holes in the ground. 39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. 40 God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

NIV

If the author does not have time to tell us, what else can we say about the list of these individuals given here who lived by faith, other than they lived by faith. Everything that was done by them and through them was an act of faith. We would think that at least Samson, David, and Samual deserved their own line, as those we have already looked at. But they are all grouped together as men of faith and many of them did mighty things, but also met with hardcore persecution and a painful death. What can we learn from this group of faithful warriors for God? The one thing we notice is they looking for a better resurrection. What does that mean? How can one resurrection be better than another, yet in Greek it is clearly meant as a more noble more excellent, resurrection. We are also looking for our resurrection, but just to be resurrected seems noble to us. The think our Lord will resurrect us because we live by faith is a most excellent reward. It is difficult to think about the culture these men lived in where it was acceptable to slaughter men in such barbaric ways. What hatred against the truth of God that caused such evil behavior is unthinkable. We are fortunate to live in a society that frowns so deeply on that murderous behavior and accepts, more or less, the Christian lifestyle. Of course, we are not persecuted in the physical ways these men were, but we are acted against in a slyer and more devious psychological manner. We are seen as a closed-minded group who cannot accept the various alternative lifestyles the world has now devised to fulfill its every desire. Yet, we will continue to live by faith, and if that means someday, we are done away with by some evil plot then so be it, we will not falter in our faith in God. Let us hope that someday when we have gone, done with our bodies, and entered the rest of our Lord, someone will write a line or two giving an account of our lives as people of faith who lived for a better resurrection.