Jump Start # 3850
Hebrews 11:39 “And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised”
We know Hebrews eleven as God’s hall of fame. It’s Cooperstown. It’s Hollywood’s walk of fame. Incredible people who walked by faith and served the Lord. They had difficult choices to make. Many face obstacles that we would never fully understand. Lion’s dens. The call to sacrifice a child. Knowing that every single human being you know outside of your immediate kids, is going to be drowned in the waters of a flood. Unbelievable.
Yet, among all those heroes, there is another side to most of them. Noah got drunk. Abraham lied. Jacob deceived. Moses struck the rock. David counted the people and also committed adultery. Samson was with prostitutes. Yet, all of them gained approval. This is an important aspect for us to remember. And, out of this there are some important lessons for us:
First, we tend to remember the flaws of others. Even though forgiven, we tend not to forget. We can’t say these names without having to remind others of their failures. Do we do this to help ourselves, knowing that we are flawed? Do we do this to bring them down a notch, noting that they are not perfect? And, even among us, we tend to remember the failures of others. Though repentant and forgiven, we seem compelled to remind others of those sins and mistakes. I don’t think we’d like others to do that about us. Forgiving and forgetting is hard. For some, it’s nearly impossible. We need to work better at this.
Second, knowing that these heroes were far from perfect helps us to realize that everyone needs the Lord. Even the best among us needs Jesus. Hebrews eleven isn’t the totality of these lives. It’s a moment in time and in that moment they moved by faith. God doesn’t look at just one day in our lives. We have good days and bad days. We have moments when we are on top of the mountain. We have other moments when we are deep in the valley. Our journey is not judged by one or the other. We need to be thankful and praise when things go well. We need a whole lot of faith when things are not going well.
Third, we have to make choices every day based upon faith. Those choices, though not on the scale as parting seas, shutting lions mouths, are still important. Faith is what catches the attention of God. Faith doesn’t always put us in safe and comfortable places. Faith often requires trusting when we cannot see the outcome. Would Daniel be eaten by lions? Would the fires around Shadrach burn him? At the moment, I doubt they knew. At the moment, they realized that their lives were not as important as standing up for what was right. At the moment, they didn’t have a promise for safety. And, it may be that’s what we are so often holding out for. Let us know that we will be safe and then we’ll stand for the Lord. That promise is not given. The Egyptians tried to stop Israel. Babylon tried to burn Shadrach. The Persian lions tried to eat Daniel. The Philistines tried to torment Samson. The thread connecting all of those lives is that opposition arose. They refused to bow. They continued to pray. They would not be silenced by opposition. That’s what faith does.
Written to Hebrew Christians who had already endured much pain, these reminders were to help them stand for their faith. It is because of their faith that those stories are included in God’s amazing chapter. And, it is our faith in the Lord, not in our government, not in our own power or our own solution that God is seeking. Trust in the Lord. Our faith is not in the church. Our faith is not in the preacher. It must be in the Lord. We walk by faith, the Corinthians were reminded. And, it is that faith that made all the difference.
Heroes, not perfect and not flawless, yet pleasing to the Lord.
Roger