Even Our Faith: Part 11—The World Was Not Worthy
July 30, 2023
We’re coming close to the end of our discussion about Faith… we will likely finish up next week but tonight we still have a few more verses in Hebrews 11 to finish up our Hall of Faith study… let’s jump in.
This entire series of messages has been centered around 1 John 5:4 “This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. and looking at the many aspects of faith. I really pray that these discussions have been as life changing for you as they have for me.
What faith is & what our response to the supernatural gift of faith is,
The difference between faith & belief
How we can live a life that doesn’t “shrink back”
Then how to live “By Faith” just like the patriarchs who modeled this kind of living.
During last week’s discussion on the life of Moses, it was his parents’ faith that is first mentioned in Hebrews an how they modeled that FAITH OVERCOMES FEAR. Then in Moses’ life directly, he didn’t live for the comfort that his life in the palace could have afforded him, but that “by faith” he lived as Hebrews says “choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt;” Showing that FAITH OVERCOMES CULTURE COMFORT. This passage showed us that Moses didn’t live for STATUS, TEMPORARY ENJOYMENT or MATERIAL AFFLUENCE. But instead, living ‘by faith’, Moses’ life shows us that FAITH LEADS TO FREEDOM. For the Israelites, it was freedom from Egypt, and for us, that’s a freedom from the bondage of work-aholism, addictions (social, substance, emotional, relational… honestly ANYTHING that keeps us from experiencing the fullness of the “promised land” in our lives.
Now we’re at the final portion of Hebrews 11… the “post Exodus” portion of what the author of Hebrews is trying to get across. This portion is interesting because he’s spent the first 29 verses giving a bit of a Life of Faith play-by-play from several individual people… that covered just about the first 1000-1500 years of Israels’ history… from Able to Moses. (an easy way to remember this is by APPROXIMATE years…
Adam to Enoch - 500
Enoch to Noah - 500
Noah to Abraham -1000
Abraham to the Moses - 500
Moses to David -500
David to Daniel - 500
Daniel to Jesus - 500
So from Abel who’s mentioned in Hebrews 11:4 to Moses who’s story finishes up in vs 29 there are about 2500 years… quite a long time.
But in just the next 10 verses, the writer covers almost another 1500 years… I don’t want to say that the author was getting tired of all the detail… but they certainly jumped a head A LOT. Let’s read & see what we can learn.
Hebrews 11:30-40 :: 30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days. 31 By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace.
32 And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, 33 who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, 34 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. 35 Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection; 36 and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated 38 (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground.
Ok… so first we’ve got the battle of Jericho… and Rahab… then a list of 6 more people, Gideon, Barak (who was 2nd in command to the judge named Deborah), Samson, Jephthah, David & Samuel.
These first 6 people listed cover over 1000 years of Israel’s history in one fell swoop. THEN, once he hits David he stops naming names & starts just naming the prophets as a whole…then all the exploits they did… then all the trials they suffered.
Let’s look at each of these sections & learn together.
First we have vs 30 “30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days.” where, it’s interesting that vs 30 doesn’t specifically mention Joshua who LED the battle of Jericho but vs 31 DOES mention Rahab. “31 By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace.”
Scholars aren’t quite sure WHY Joshua is omitted but one of the theories is that in the original language & some translations, ALL of Israel is included in the victory that God won that day… New Living Translation says “30 It was by faith that the people of Israel marched around Jericho for seven days, and the walls came crashing down.”
The point here, to me, is that in the battle of Jericho, both the Israelite people AND Rahab believed that something greater was going to happen that they couldn’t see yet. It HAS TO BE ‘by faith’ that the walls fell… because God told Joshua “I’ve given Jericho into your hand… so march around the city once a day for 6 days…then on the 7th day, march around 7 times… then blow the trumpets and have the people SHOUT for I have given you the city…”
Count it up…ALL THIRTEEN times the Israelites walked around the city wall, it was still rock solid… but they still walked in faith believing that God had given them the city. And Rahab, she obviously believed it too… after she hid the spies & was about to sneak them out of the city, Joshua 2:9 [Rahab] said to the men, “I know that the Lord has given you the land…”
So the Israelites and Rahab all believed the word of God… that God had given them the city …and they walked 7 days–13 laps around the city–all ‘by faith’...and God brought victory.
(“This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.”)
Then, as we discussed a few min ago, the writer of Hebrews lumps almost 1500 years of Israel’s history together & mentions
Gideon [Judges 6-8]
Barak [Judges 4-5]
Samson [Judges 13-16]
Jephthah [Judges 11-12]
David [from 1 Samuel 16 to the end of 2 Samuel]
Samuel [1 & 2 Samuel]
We won’t go over each of these stories, you can see the references for each of them here–each of them have incredible stories of God’s faithfulness up against impossible odds.
Then the writer summarizes their exploits and their afflictions…their triumphs & their trials:
EXPLOITS: …conquered kingdoms…performed acts of righteousness…obtained promises…shut the mouths of lions…quenched fire…escaped the sword…were made strong…became mighty in wa…put foreign armies to flight.…Women received back their dead by resurrection;
AFFLICTIONS: tortured…experienced mockings and scourgings…chains and imprisonment…stoned…sawn in two…tempted… put to death with the sword…went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated…
But the conclusion is that either way you look at it–exploits/afflictions, triumph/tragedy–it says “the world was not worthy” of them.
So to finish up this passage here in Hebrews 11…let’s get out our journals or “notes” on your phone… and look at three questions:
What is your “WALL”? That thing that seems insurmountable in your life that God needs to tear down like the wall of Jericho for Israel & Rahab.
What are the EXPLOITS that God has already done? This is where you remind your ‘wall’ what God has already done… the victory that HE already won…
How can I live so ‘the world is not worthy’ of what God is doing?
