World Not Worthy – Hebrews 11:32-40

With a persuasive flourish, the author of Hebrews concludes his section on the faith of former saints with a rhetorical question, a cumulative case, and an argument from lesser to greater. Hebrews 11 opens the blinds on windows overlooking the legacy of promise through redemptive history. The perspective is remarkable indeed. We keep the blinds closed at our own peril risking discouragement and apostasy. As finite creatures beleaguered with our own self interests, we can easily lament our condition and languish in our faith by assessing our trials and fears through the narrow and insufficient lens of our experience. Hebrews exhorts us to broaden our perspective looking back upon the faithfulness of God and the faith of the saints who precede us, remembering that, for all of the Old Testament examples, their testimony of belief in action according to the power and promises of God, was demonstrated before their Messiah had come. Our author closes his case by categorizing his summary references. This subtle organization is more apparent in the original language. In verse 32: Gideon, Barak, Samson, and Jephtha are listed in unbroken succession. Then as if to introduce another category of faith examples, he adds: “David also, and Samuel, and the prophets”. Here he introduces an additional historical era with more obvious of faith. A similar structural device separates two categories of evident faith in verse 35. Here after listing exploits of triumph, he adds “of them, others moreover” to introduce the sufferings of the saints of old. Considering the implications behind these distinctions is greatly encouraging for us, his readers...