The Weekend Word
Hebrews 11:31-40
31Â By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.
- Why is Rahab always called “the prostitute”?
- It’s not like there are several Rahabs in the Bible and this helps distinguish one from another … like the Marys.
- Rahab makes the list legitimate – God gave a prostitute faith.
- Can I be forgiven??? Look to Rahab.
32 And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets—
- “And What more can I say” – how many rolled their eyes and said “not much, I hope!”
- Actually he is saying “look, I could keep going on with examples – these are not isolated incidents – “look at these guys.”
- What is the point of the book of Judges?
- The people are a wreck and there must be something better.
- The people fall into sin – God sends their enemies to attack – they need a rescuer – one steps up – defeats the enemies – all praise god – and later it will say “in thoses days, everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”
- And it would start all over again.
- Who is Barak ??
- Who is Jephthah??
- Look how little mention David, Samuel and Samsom get.
33Â who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
- V 33 & 34 together
- Lions = Daniel?
- 9 items listed
34Â quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.
- Are these great people or are they people who God invaded their lives, and endowed them with a quality that allowed them to respond?
- God is not an after thought
- Daniel’s 3 friends were thrown into the fiery furnace.
- Look at their faith – the king liked them, but they would not bend the knee.
- He said that they had to go into the fire – he gave them several ways out
- But they trusted their God
35Â Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life.
- Both Elijah and Elisha raised dead children
- Look how this disproves the LIE told by so many, that if you have illness, loss of job, death etc. that it is because you lack faith.
- It’s one thing for us to know the Truth, but at the same time we need to call out false teaching.
- These Word Faith teachers – how can I be nice – may be Christians, but they are teachers of anti Christian doctrines.
36Â Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment.
- Just read Jeremiah – the poor guy just could not catch a break.
- Look at those who suffered under the 2nd Century BC rule of the Selecides
- The Jewish wars of the 160s
- Even today in many countries. Think of the worse Al Qaida tortures.
37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated—
- It is said that Isaiah was sawn in two with a wooden saw.
- It’s funny because even today biblical scholars are still cutting Isaiah in two
- Saying that one person could not know all the future stuff
- Isaiah 1 = 1-39
- Isaiah 2 = 40-66
- These guys were punished and persecuted for standing up and living their faith – standing firm, perseverance.
38 of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
- The world was not worthy of these men – because of their faith
- Remember the context here – the writer is “working” the Hebrews”
- Key for us today!
- Believe it or not, this is the Christian life – to be stricken, beaten and harassed… For Christ’s Sake.
- I don’t think Joel Osteen has it right in “Your best life now”
- In fact he has it 100% wrong
- Why do people like to hear his stuff? 2 Timothy 4:3
- “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions,”
39Â And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised,
- Is this not the biggest Biblical bummer of all time?
40Â since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.
- The Hebrews at this point have been persecuted but probably have not yet had to shed their blood.
“•Why is Rahab always called “the prostitute”?”
If you want to understand the universalism of the Gospel, then it is right here: The Gospel is for everyone. Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
“•Believe it or not, this is the Christian life – to be stricken, beaten and harassed… For Christ’s Sake.”
There is an aspect of persecution that needs to be clarified. Yes, the enemy persecutes externally, and this is where MLD’s emphasis has been in his teaching (e.g., reference to Al Qaida). Daniel and his 3 friends defied King Nebuchadnezzar. That is the persecution of the world against the Church.
This is very true. However, the enemy also works to destroy the Church from within through false teachers and false teaching. Jeremiah’s problem, for example, was not with the Babylonians, but with the Israelites. This, the deception of people from within the Church by false teachers and false teachings, to me is a far greater threat to the Church in America than any external threat.
And just think that in the middle chapters of Matthew (where I have been teaching the past several weeks) Satan has used St.Peter as an actual anti christ to deceive from within.
John warned of anti christs that were already within the church pulling it apart.
So what is our understanding of ‘faith’. I taught yesterday on the Transfiguration and got down to the part of having faith the size of a mustard seed and what you can do (or if this was directed at the disciple alone what they would be capable of).
Now we see in the book of Acts what they were able to do when we see the invasion of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost – but what about these OT characters – was their faith the size of a mustard seed.
Is my faith?
MLD,
God assigns to each a “measure of faith” according to the good pleasure of his electing grace. God called these OT characters to extraordinary service. He gave them the measure of faith that their service required.
Jean – my point from earlier posts – that the faith we have is totally external to us and not something I can work on.
Hence the “by faiths” in these passages is by God’s faithfulness and not by any faith these folks developed.
In other words these passages are not to say, if our faith were good enough, we also would do such worthy works.
MLD,
“Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.” (James 1:21)
St. James here may be remembering back to Jesus’ parable of the sower. Faith is received when the Gospel is implanted (sown) in the heart. It is a life of reception of Christ’s good gifts when his people gather together.
There are no ladders.
Correct – and I don’t want anyone walking away from any of my studies thinking that they need to ‘work’ on their faith so they can do the works of Gideon etc.
We need to realize that if we are a Christian we have all the faith we are going to get and it is fully loaded and fully charged. in other words we can do the works of Gideon ewtc – in fact we are already doing those works today – without realizing it, just as I am sure that Gideon etc didn’t realize they were either.
The faith is given by God and the faith is in his faithfulness.
Our faith does nothing for us – it doesn’t save us – Muslims, Jews and Hindus all have faith, and the only result of that faith is that it has punched their ticket for hell.
Watching Daniel Fusco’s 2 min message speaks to this kind of thinking. His word message = “When it comes to serving Jesus, it’s all about finding the sweet spot that God designed for you. Watch today’s ‪#‎2MinuteMessage‬ to find out how.”
Does God do things for us then hide them and send us on a scavenger hunt?
I believe that faith in Christ (no point bringing up Hindus and Muslims) increases my good works and my good works, done in cooperation with Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit, increases my faith which enables my good works to increase, which increases my faith, etc.
Xenia – I believe that faith in Christ is what begins (not increases) my good works. Before faith in Christ, I was incapable of doing good works … per the Apostle Paul.
“We need to realize that if we are a Christian we have all the faith we are going to get and it is fully loaded and fully charged.”
reading this made me think of living in a house, plugging in a lamp with one 25 watt bulb (not up on lumens, yet) and saying, “this is all the electricity I have.”
the house is fully wired – there’s a whole lot more potential available than you need for one little light bulb…
so the question, are some of us destined to be just night-lights while others are power saws?
or are we each a house? do we have hope of growing more comfortable and useful in our faith as we – ahem – plug in more?
Em,
Light bulbs are a great metaphor. Jesus is the light of the world; and Christians are his little light bulbs in the world.
Em, I think that is the point – that is all the electricity that is available you get. Now, if you screw in a 100 watt buld, you have not received more electricity (faith) – you have instead grown into your electricity (faith). Some day you will realize that with the same electricity (faith) you can plug in a waffle iron also and have breakfast. 🙂
But none of that required receiving more electricity (faith)
So, all these guys in Hebrews 11 did was screw in a bigger light bulb.
The mustard seed as to faith seems to be used a) in contrast to no faith or b) in contrast to wanting an increase in faith.
I think a plausible interpretation is that, given the tiny size of the mustard seed, that Jesus is speaking of faith as an either/or. A mustard seed, though tiny, is still alive, still a seed, and still bring growth.
Rather than worrying about the QUANTITY of our faith, Jesus seems to be dismissing that notion and focusing on the EXISTENCE, or REALITY of our faith. Yes, no. You have or have not.
#10- reminds that ‘faith comes by hearing the word of God’ … one can say that all the Scriptures we have are the gospel, but i think it more accurate to say that the gospel is their center – the core… ‘study to show yourself approved unto God – a workman that doesn’t need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth’ … i really think, from my own life’s walk, that for someone like myself, my faith requires that study, that renewing of my mind and i have no doubt that faith grows and that is where the fruit grows, also… but life in Christ isn’t static, nor under our control… what God needs to get done, gets done – He does sometimes prepare an earthen vessel for a specific task – hate to use old Moses as an example, but that man had a destiny from birth… his brother and sister? well, they weren’t quite as focused, but God used them… always wondered about old Jethro, tho
just a little rabbit trailing here this quiet Monday morning – soryy