The Church of Divine Guidance (CDG) Sunday morning adult bible study group is in a study on faith. These posts are my notes for each session. Please study with us. You can participate by asking your questions or making comments in the comments below. We welcome your thoughts
“The people of God were under the bondage of Pharaoh and God chose that particular moment to call Moses out of the place of obscurity to become their deliverer. Moses was terrified by the prospect and absolutely intimidated by the assignment. And yet God gave him three gifts that instilled in him the confidence to rise up and meet his destiny. God bestowed His presence, His wisdom, and a sense of empowerment. “
Moses made it clear that he wasn't going anywhere unless God would go with him. God replied, “I will certainly be with you.” (His presence)
Out of his omniscience, God instructed Moses with exactly what he was to say to the obstinate Pharaoh. (His wisdom)
“What’s that in your hand?” “A rod,” Moses replied. God empowered him by pointing to what he already possessed. (Empowerment)
Foundational Scripture
Hebrews 11:1-2 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. –What two things does faith enable us to do?
- Enables us to realize that God does exist because we see His creation and realize that things that we see were created by Him who we can’t see but know that He exist.
- Faith enables us to please God.
Why is faith and essential part of our relationship with God?
Because without it we can’t please God
Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV) But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
What is the evidence that our faith is not irrational or blind faith?
Creation and the Word of God.
How do we grow in faith?
The Word of God
Romans 10:17 (NKJV) So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Introduction
Last week we talked about Joshua, Rahab, then some of the Judges (Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephtah), David, Samuel, Daniel, and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
We talked about the fact that their faith in God caused them to act; in the case of Rahab to welcome and hide the spies; in the case of Joshua to follow the directions for the Commander of the Lord's army, the Judges to follow the word that came from God, David in facing Goliath and staying ahead of Saul, Samuel in being both a prophet and judge.
We talked about Rahab and the judges all having shortcomings. Gideon had some initial doubts, Sampson was a womanizer, Barak had some confidence issues, Jepthneth made a rash vow, David had major issues but God used them all.
Now this week we are going to finish (I hope) the heroes and heroines in Hebrews 1. The difference in these heroes and heroines and those we studied earlier is that the ones we are going to talk about today are not named in Hebrews 11. We are going to talk about some people in both the Old and New Testament the description of people that the writer is describing. I don’t know if the writer of Hebrews had these particular people in mind but they do fit his descriptions so I will put them in my Faith Heroes Hall of Fame.
Hebrews 11:35 (HCSB) Women received their dead—they were raised to life again. Some men were tortured, not accepting release, so that they might gain a better resurrection,
Let’s start with the first sentence of that verse;
Now this week we are going to finish (I hope) the heroes and heroines in Hebrews 1. The difference in these heroes and heroines and those we studied earlier is that the ones we are going to talk about today are not named in Hebrews 11. We are going to talk about some people in both the Old and New Testament the description of people that the writer is describing. I don’t know if the writer of Hebrews had these particular people in mind but they do fit his descriptions so I will put them in my Faith Heroes Hall of Fame.
Hebrews 11:35 (HCSB) Women received their dead—they were raised to life again. Some men were tortured, not accepting release, so that they might gain a better resurrection,
Let’s start with the first sentence of that verse;
Women received their dead—they were raised to life again
Here are some women that fit this description
The widow of Zarephath
Elijah and the Widow of Zarephath/Bartholomaeus Breenberch
1 Kings 17:17-24 (HCSB) After this, the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. His illness became very severe until no breath remained in him.18 She said to Elijah, “Man of God, what do we have in common? Have you come to remind me of my guilt and to kill my son?”19 But Elijah said to her, “Give me your son.” So he took him from her arms, brought him up to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed.20 Then he cried out to the LORD and said, “My LORD God, have You also brought tragedy on the widow I am staying with by killing her son? 21 Then he stretched himself out over the boy three times. He cried out to the LORD and said, “My LORD God, please let this boy’s life return to him!”22 So the LORD listened to Elijah’s voice, and the boy’s life returned to him, and he lived.23 Then Elijah took the boy, brought him down from the upper room into the house, and gave him to his mother. Elijah said, “Look, your son is alive.”24 Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know you are a man of God and the LORD’s word from your mouth is true.”
The woman of Shunem
She called Elisha to raise her dead son because she knew him to be a man of God. The entire story is in (2 Kings 4:8-37). This lady and her husband built a room for Elisha where he stayed whenever he was in Shunem. It is quite a long story but in summary she and her husband didn’t have a son and the husband was old and Elisha told her that she would have a son. She did and years later the son died.
The woman went and found Elisha and brought him back.
2 Kings 4:32-35 (HCSB)32 When Elisha got to the house, he discovered the boy lying dead on his bed.33 So he went in, closed the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the LORD.34 Then he went up and lay on the boy: he put mouth to mouth, eye to eye, hand to hand. While he bent down over him, the boy’s flesh became warm.35 Elisha got up, went into the house, and paced back and forth. Then he went up and bent down over him again. The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.
Here are a couple more examples this time involving Jesus;
Luke 7:11-15 (NKJV)11 Now it happened, the day after, that He went into a city called Nain; and many of His disciples went with Him, and a large crowd.12 And when He came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her.13 When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, "Do not weep."14 Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, "Young man, I say to you, arise."15 So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother.
These women and their brother were friends of Jesus. Lazarus got sick, they got word to Jesus but Jesus delayed in going and Lazarus died. When Jesus did finally get there He performed the great miracle that we all know about.
John 11:43-44 (NKJV)43 Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!"44 And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with grave clothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Loose him, and let him go."
One last one that isn't talked about much;
Acts 9:36-41 (NKJV)36 At Joppa there was a certain disciple named Tabitha, which is translated Dorcas. This woman was full of good works and charitable deeds which she did.37 But it happened in those days that she became sick and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room.38 And since Lydda was near Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent two men to him, imploring him not to delay in coming to them.39 Then Peter arose and went with them. When he had come, they brought him to the upper room. And all the widows stood by him weeping, showing the tunics and garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them.40 But Peter put them all out, and knelt down and prayed. And turning to the body he said, "Tabitha, arise." And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up.41 Then he gave her his hand and lifted her up; and when he had called the saints and widows, he presented her alive.
These were not mentioned to establish something that always happened, but to show what powers faith could release when God chose to act.
Hebrews 11:35b 36-38 (HCSB) 35…..Some men were tortured, not accepting release, so that they might gain a better resurrection, 36 and others experienced mockings and scourgings, as well as bonds and imprisonment.37 They were stoned, they were sawed in two, they died by the sword, they wandered about in sheepskins, in goatskins, destitute, afflicted, and mistreated.38 The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and on mountains, ⌊hiding⌋ in caves and holes in the ground.
The incidents described here seem to be drawn mainly from the days of the Maccabeon revolt and the cruelties of the Syrian king Antiochus Epiphanes in the early second century B.C. The word for
tortured ( tympanizō Phonetic Pronunciation:toom-pan-id'-zo from a derivative of (tupto) (meaning a drum, “tympanum”); to stretch on an instrument of torture resembling a drum, and thus beat to death :- torture. - Strong's Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary.
We talked about these people in our study of the prophecies of Daniel.
The thing to remember with all of these people is that while some of them were blessed by God with material things; some going through difficult times or even times of initial doubt none of them received the promise of freedom from the penalty of sin and death and a heavenly home. All mentions of life after death before Christ's return describe a place or state of paradise where those who are justified by faith are present with the Lord. Their hope and ours is for a bodily resurrection where we will live in God's presence like Adam and Eve before sin. That was what all these heroes and heroines of faith looked for and there faith caused them to believe God and live their lives accordingly.
"For true believers, to live by faith is to die in faith. The faith life is a pilgrimage. Heaven is the only home of faithful believers. It is the better country to which those who live by faith are fully committed. And because they are committed to God, God is committed to them. God is not ashamed of them (asv), and he proves this by providing a city or place of habitation for his own
But in spite of all this evidence that men and women of the OT lived lives of faith, the fact remains that they did not know the full blessings of sins forgiven and of fellowship with God through the provisions of Calvary. They lived in anticipation of the new covenant, but without its full provisions. They had a positive and effective witness, a good report through faith. Each of the people mentioned in this chapter illustrates some phase or aspect of the life of faith—whether obedience, acting on promises of things to come, separation from the world system (Moses), or some other." - The Wycliffe Bible Commentary.
We’re going to talk about some others that I consider heroes of faith but before that I want to ask you a few questions.
1. How would you compare the faith of the named heroes and heroines who achieved greatness (Hebrews 11:20-35) with those unnamed persons who suffered grievously (Hebrews 11:35-38)?
The named heroes all died but they, other than Samson, the bible doesn't indicate that they died violently. They were leaders and held positions of importance. Those unnamed all died violent deaths. They don’t appear to have been leaders they yet they are still portrayed as heroes and heroines of faith. Today we say that survivors are heroes and less often that those who perish are heroes unless they perform what we call heroic acts. Hebrews makes clear that those who perished were also heroes and heroines of faith.
2. Some Christians believe that faith always leads to material and physical blessing. What does this passage tell you about the role of both blessing and suffering for the faithful?
Perhaps some of you have been influenced by the so-called prosperity gospel. The implication of this teaching is that if a Christian goes through a hard time, he or she lacks faith. The idea is contrary to the New Testament, which teaches that suffering is to be expected by Christians, but we can still glorify God even then. In our Overwhelmed study we talked a lot about the fact that in this world, stress, anxiety, worry, and hard times, are a fact of life.
2 Kings 4:32-35 (HCSB)32 When Elisha got to the house, he discovered the boy lying dead on his bed.33 So he went in, closed the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the LORD.34 Then he went up and lay on the boy: he put mouth to mouth, eye to eye, hand to hand. While he bent down over him, the boy’s flesh became warm.35 Elisha got up, went into the house, and paced back and forth. Then he went up and bent down over him again. The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.
Here are a couple more examples this time involving Jesus;
Mother in Nain
Luke 7:11-15 (NKJV)11 Now it happened, the day after, that He went into a city called Nain; and many of His disciples went with Him, and a large crowd.12 And when He came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her.13 When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, "Do not weep."14 Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, "Young man, I say to you, arise."15 So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother.
Mary and Martha
These women and their brother were friends of Jesus. Lazarus got sick, they got word to Jesus but Jesus delayed in going and Lazarus died. When Jesus did finally get there He performed the great miracle that we all know about.
John 11:43-44 (NKJV)43 Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!"44 And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with grave clothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Loose him, and let him go."
One last one that isn't talked about much;
Tabitha
Acts 9:36-41 (NKJV)36 At Joppa there was a certain disciple named Tabitha, which is translated Dorcas. This woman was full of good works and charitable deeds which she did.37 But it happened in those days that she became sick and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room.38 And since Lydda was near Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent two men to him, imploring him not to delay in coming to them.39 Then Peter arose and went with them. When he had come, they brought him to the upper room. And all the widows stood by him weeping, showing the tunics and garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them.40 But Peter put them all out, and knelt down and prayed. And turning to the body he said, "Tabitha, arise." And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up.41 Then he gave her his hand and lifted her up; and when he had called the saints and widows, he presented her alive.
These were not mentioned to establish something that always happened, but to show what powers faith could release when God chose to act.
Now the second half of verse 35 and 36-38
Hebrews 11:35b 36-38 (HCSB) 35…..Some men were tortured, not accepting release, so that they might gain a better resurrection, 36 and others experienced mockings and scourgings, as well as bonds and imprisonment.37 They were stoned, they were sawed in two, they died by the sword, they wandered about in sheepskins, in goatskins, destitute, afflicted, and mistreated.38 The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and on mountains, ⌊hiding⌋ in caves and holes in the ground.
The incidents described here seem to be drawn mainly from the days of the Maccabeon revolt and the cruelties of the Syrian king Antiochus Epiphanes in the early second century B.C. The word for
We talked about these people in our study of the prophecies of Daniel.
 |
| Antonio Ciseri's Martyrdom of the Seven Maccabees (1863), depicting the woman with her dead sons. |
The thing to remember with all of these people is that while some of them were blessed by God with material things; some going through difficult times or even times of initial doubt none of them received the promise of freedom from the penalty of sin and death and a heavenly home. All mentions of life after death before Christ's return describe a place or state of paradise where those who are justified by faith are present with the Lord. Their hope and ours is for a bodily resurrection where we will live in God's presence like Adam and Eve before sin. That was what all these heroes and heroines of faith looked for and there faith caused them to believe God and live their lives accordingly.
"For true believers, to live by faith is to die in faith. The faith life is a pilgrimage. Heaven is the only home of faithful believers. It is the better country to which those who live by faith are fully committed. And because they are committed to God, God is committed to them. God is not ashamed of them (asv), and he proves this by providing a city or place of habitation for his own
But in spite of all this evidence that men and women of the OT lived lives of faith, the fact remains that they did not know the full blessings of sins forgiven and of fellowship with God through the provisions of Calvary. They lived in anticipation of the new covenant, but without its full provisions. They had a positive and effective witness, a good report through faith. Each of the people mentioned in this chapter illustrates some phase or aspect of the life of faith—whether obedience, acting on promises of things to come, separation from the world system (Moses), or some other." - The Wycliffe Bible Commentary.
We’re going to talk about some others that I consider heroes of faith but before that I want to ask you a few questions.
1. How would you compare the faith of the named heroes and heroines who achieved greatness (Hebrews 11:20-35) with those unnamed persons who suffered grievously (Hebrews 11:35-38)?
The named heroes all died but they, other than Samson, the bible doesn't indicate that they died violently. They were leaders and held positions of importance. Those unnamed all died violent deaths. They don’t appear to have been leaders they yet they are still portrayed as heroes and heroines of faith. Today we say that survivors are heroes and less often that those who perish are heroes unless they perform what we call heroic acts. Hebrews makes clear that those who perished were also heroes and heroines of faith.
2. Some Christians believe that faith always leads to material and physical blessing. What does this passage tell you about the role of both blessing and suffering for the faithful?
Perhaps some of you have been influenced by the so-called prosperity gospel. The implication of this teaching is that if a Christian goes through a hard time, he or she lacks faith. The idea is contrary to the New Testament, which teaches that suffering is to be expected by Christians, but we can still glorify God even then. In our Overwhelmed study we talked a lot about the fact that in this world, stress, anxiety, worry, and hard times, are a fact of life.
3. In tough circumstances, what connection do you make between your faith and the certainty of resurrection (Hebrews 11:35)?
Hebrews 11:35 (HCSB) Women received their dead—they were raised to life again. Some men were tortured, not accepting release, so that they might gain a better resurrection,
"Better resurrection" in Hebrews 11:35 refers to the resurrection life. The Revised Standard Version translates the second half of the verse: "Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, that they might rise again to a better life."
4. What has God enabled you to do through faith?
Make this question personal think about something faith in God has given you or enabled you to do in life.
Next week we will talk about some more of my heroes of faith. All of these people acted in faith. They didn't just believe but they believed and acted.
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