The Grand Crescendo-Genesis 1:6-25

Often in works of music, composers will use gradual crescendos to accentuate the drama of a piece and move it toward its intended climax or finale. Two songs that accomplish this include the theme from 2001 A Space Odyssey and Adagio for Strings by Samuel Barber. Both of these works of art slowly turn up the volume as they progress and ultimately resolve in a series of loud and beautiful chords that showcase the creativity of the composer and demand a response from the audience. This is similar to what is witnessed throughout the creation week of Genesis 1:6-25. What I plan to do today is have us listen to the score that Moses pens in this passage, paying special attention to how it crescendos toward something truly remarkable. Then, I plan on leaving the chord unresolved until next week’s fortissimo so that we can appreciate the last part of the final productive day of God’s creation for all that it has to offer on its own. For now, let us work our way through Genesis 1:6-25 by observing days 2-6 of God’s creation. Ultimately, in this passage we will be learn why the God of the Bible is bigger and better than anything we could ever witness in the universe.

Day 2-Expanse-1:6-8

In the first day of creation, God spoke light into existence, thereby showcasing His glory before the dark and empty universe. Such light distinguished itself against a backdrop of darkness and created two resulting phenomena: day and night. These two categories prove essential to both the rhythm and life of all that currently inhabits the earth. Therefore, in creating day and night—light and darkness—God establishes the beginning of an order that is added to in the remaining days of creation week.

After drawing distinctions between light and darkness—day and night—“God said, ‘Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters’…” This is the second separation required for an orderly universe—especially as it pertains to life on planet earth—a sky and a sea.  

As simply as it was spoken, it was—“God made the expanse, and separated the waters which were below and the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so” (1:7). On day two, one could distinguish between the sky (where water is held up in clouds) and the sea (where water collects below). Soon, God would populate these realms with creatures and celestial bodies. But for now, these separations were empty—filled only with the light of the glory of God.

As God has already done and will be shown to do time and time again, He next names what He created saying—“God called the expanse heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day” (1:8). In this context, “heavens” refers to the skies visible to the human eye—not the invisible abode of the spiritual realm.

What Moses reveals under the influence of the Holy Spirit is as much a polemic against paganism as it is an apologetic for the Hebrews.  In this case, Moses is demonstrating the one true God’s superiority over the pagan Gods who were more like fixtures within the heavens than sovereign rulers presiding over the heavens. For instance, Anu, the sky god, and Enlil, the god of the atmosphere, were two deities believed to establish and depose kings of the Sumerian city-states. Baal in the Ugaritic pantheon is identified as the “Rider of the Clouds” as he was the god of storm and rain (Matthews, 150). But Israel’s faith declares that Yahweh is the source of the heavens and all that it would ever contain—the sun, stars, nebulae, clouds, etc. All of the glories of the heavens are inferior in majesty to the God who created them. Anything witnessed in the skies above or in the space beyond is merely an instrument to serve God and showcase His glory.

Day 3-Dry Land-1:9-13

On day three, God introduces another important distinction required for organized life on planet earth—the distinction between land and sea—“then God said, ‘Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place, and the let the dry land appear’ and it was so” (1:9). This completes the third major distinction necessary to yield a productive and life-giving earth: day and night, earth and atmosphere, land and sea.

Again, because God provided all that was necessary to make that which existed, He allows Himself the pleasure of naming it what He will—“God called the dry land earth, and the gathering of the waters He called seas; and God saw that it was good” (1:10). Inasmuch as elements of the sky were worshipped by Egyptians and other pagan nations, so too were bodies of water and what was in them (especially the Nile). However, once again, Moses reveals that God stands over and above these created things. In other words, “the seas are not independent forces to be feared or worshipped but creations that respond to the direct commands of God“ (Matthews, 151).

Verses 11-13 “move from the creation of the bare earth to the ornamentation of that earth. Unlike the first and second days, which feature one act of creation, this day has two acts of creation: earth and vegetation on the earth” (Hamilton, 125)—“Then God said, ‘Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees on earth bearing fruit after their kind with seed in them’ and it was so” (1:11). 

“the earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit with seeds in them, after their kind; and God saw that it was good” (1:12). Here, there is no hint of a mother earth who acts independent of Father God (or father time for that matter). The earth responds to the command of God who instructs it to be productive. God alone is the source of inspiration behind everything the earth yields. This too was distinct from what the pagans believed about how the world operated. Many ancients thought that vegetation and all reproducing processes were dependent on the procreation of the gods. However, here, vegetation and its reproduction is attributed to God’s enabling of the soil through His divine word.

The phenomena of production is witnessed among the plants “after their kind” (a phrase repeated three times in verses 11 and 12). Though it is perhaps too limiting to insist that the word “kind” refers to specific species, one thing is clear from both these verses and what is coming up—distinctions and differences among God’s creation are not to be feared, erased, or manipulated. They are, according to God—“good.” It is therefore a good and God-ordained phenomenon for a pear tree to produce pears and a wheat field to yield wheat. Such boundaries are pleasing to the God who created plants to make other plants “after their kind” not “of a different kind.” 

As if by reflex, Moses reminds the reader in verse 13 that “there was evening and there was morning, a third day” (1:13)—almost insisting on a literal interpretation of the “days” described here.

Day 4-Celestial Bodies-1:14-19

The second set of three days begins on day 4 when God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years; and let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth’ and it was so” (1:14-15). On days 4-6, movement is introduced onto the landscape of the heavens as stars, a sun, and a moon is formed to help distinguish between days, months, and years. With these celestial bodies, God organizes the calendar and provides natural lighting.

The significance of this day’s creative acts is highlighted by the detailed description of what God brings forth—“God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; he made stars also. God placed them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, and to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good…” (1:18). Moses’ description is careful and pointed again at inferior worldviews as it contradicts common pagan misconceptions. The usual Hebrew terms for “sun” and “moon” are not employed and in their place “lesser” and “greater” lights is used. Not only that but the “stars” are almost downplayed in this account. These descriptions and word choices spoke against the pagan fascination with the stars, moon, and sun. Inasmuch as stars helped navigation and the moon and Sun identified time, these celestial bodies were worshipped by Mesopotamian and Egyptian religions. I imagine the temptation to worship these things would have significantly increased for the Egyptians and others had they possessed access to the telescopes and information we now have today.

 “You might be surprised to know that there are 200-400 billion stars in our galaxy. Each one is a separate island in space, perhaps with planets... But then, there could be as many as 500 billion galaxies in the Universe, and each of which could have as many or more stars as the Milky Way. Multiply those two numbers together and you’ll see that there could be as many as 2 x 10²³ stars in the Universe. That’s 200,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. The closest star to Earth is Proxima Centauri, located 4.2 light-years away. In other words, it takes light itself more than 4 years to complete the journey from Earth. If you tried to hitch a ride on the fastest spacecraft ever launched from Earth, it would still take you more than 70,000 years to get there from here.” (universetoday.com). 

Moses describes the vastness of space in just a few short words. In so doing, he subtly but directly demonstrates that the sun and moon are not cosmic deities worthy of reverence. Instead, they are creations of an even more wondrous and powerful God!

God calls this grandest of creations (at least by way of sheer scale and size) “good” and then allows these bodies to govern the evening and morning from that point on—“there was evening and there was morning, a fourth day…”(1:19).

Day 5-Fish and Birds-1:20-23

Day 5 of the creation week involves the filling of the waters and the skies—“then God said, ‘Let the waters teem with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the heaven…” (1:20). Again, days 4-6 involve the filling of what was created in days 1-3 with moving bodies and living organisms. Here, God fills the two realms that were distinguished in day 2—the sea and the expanse of the heavens.

Interestingly, “so God created” is the second of only 4 verses in which bara (“created”) is used in the narrative (see also 1:1, 27; 2:3). This phrase begins and ends the section, 1:1-2:3, and is also found in two very important places—the creation of the first animate life (birds and sea creature in verse 20) and the creation of human life (verse 27). It is almost as though the construction bara with the subject “God” was deliberately inspired and then penned in order to demonstrate on a grammatical level that God was totally autonomous over the creation of these living organisms and that their existence came from nothing else. Notice too that when God created these organisms He began with full-fledged “swarms of creatures” and flying “birds” not microscopic paramecium or archaebacteria.

Accompanying the creative act of God is His call upon the creatures to produce “after its kind” (1:21)—“God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind; and God say that it was good” (1:21). Remember, Moses is writing this way before Darwin ever challenged the status quo concerning the origins of the species. Macro-evolution did not threaten Moses’ worldview or challenge the people of God toward naturalism. Animals producing another animals after their kind was assumed in Moses’ day—not questioned. However, Moses writes down what would have been assumed anyway in an effort to demonstrate that from the beginning, God ordered that creatures produce the same kinds of creatures—not different creatures all-together (in a process known as macro-evolution). God calls this “good.”

In addition to creating creatures in the sea and in the air, God blesses them saying “be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth” (1:22). The ability to procreate is a special feature given by the Creator God to His creatures. Though He was the sole giver of life, He invites and encourages His creatures to do the same, albeit in His will and according to capacities He has provided. That God created creatures and endowed them with the ability to reproduce means to worship an animal (as was done and is still done in today’s world)—no matter how beautiful, fearsome, or strong—is to worship something inferior to the God who created it.

As He has proven to do in his description of every other day, Moses concludes the daily log with “there was evening and there was morning, fifth day…”(1:23).

Day 6-Land Creatures-1:24-25

So far the creative acts have been working up and gaining momentum, it would seem, for some big finale. A plain dark world is first illuminated by light, then divisions are made between the sea and the sky and land is raised out of the depths. Days 1-3 provide a canvas upon which to put what comes in days 4-6. The descriptions for these days are more lengthy as celestial bodies are placed in the sky, birds placed in the air, and fish placed in the sea. Phenomena like blessings, reproduction, categories, and order or also introduced, rendering the world a far more beautiful and wondrous place than it was just a few short days ago. Everything this far is declared “good.”

However, things only crescendo more on day 6—the most significant of the creation week—“then God said, ‘let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth after their king’ and it was so…” (1:24). Added to all of the amazing creations in the first five days is the entire animal kingdom—beasts of burden (or domesticated animals), creeping creatures (bugs, insects, snakes, reptiles, microscopic organisms), and other more wild beasts. Surely, if God is bigger than the sea and sky, moon and stars, sea creature and birds of the air, He is also bigger than all of the other living creatures. This renders the pagan worship of animals inferior to the worship of the one true God.

Also, as with birds and fish, these animals are said to produce “after their kind” (twice in verse 24 alone)—continuing the theme of order among and within different animal groups. For all living creatures, “God set reproductive parameters” (Matthews, 160) and nowhere does Genesis suggests that one kind of animal could ever yield another.

“God made the beasts of the earth after their kind, and cattle after their kind, and everything that 

creeps on the group after its kind; and God saw that it was good” (1:25). 

So What?

As we’ve worked our way through this passage, hopefully you have heard the gradual crescendo Moses has been working to build that will inevitably lead to the fortissimo that is to come next week. However, before the chord resolves and Creation week comes to a close, there is at least one insight that we must pull from Genesis 1:6-25. In this passage, God is depicted as standing over above the darkness, the sea, the sky, the earth, the celestial bodies, and the creatures of the sea, air, and land because He is the source of their existence. He is Creator God and as such is bigger than anything else that we could ever face. If last week we appreciated God’s ability to speak order into the chaos, this week we can appreciate that our God is bigger, more wondrous, more powerful, and more intimidating than anything we will ever confront in this universe. Not only did he create everything according to His will, but He ordered everything to behave in a certain way.  Praise the Lord! For the lost, this is a call to trade belief in an inferior god or in themselves for the one who stands head and shoulders above all. For the saved, this is a call to find peace in knowing that the one you have a relationship with will never be shaken or threatened.

The Grand Overture-Genesis 1:1-5

At the beginning of large works of music, there will often be an overture that is played in an effort to announce the major themes of a work or to highlight forthcoming movements. Different musical phrases are borrowed from the rest of the piece and fit together in a neat package that is offered to listening audiences to prepare them for what is to come. It is no different for the beginning of Genesis. In Genesis 1:1-5, four elements are used to create an overture that successfully introduces the major theological and organizational themes that will be in play throughout our study of the book. In this, the very first pericope/paragraph of the Canon, Moses, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, artfully pieces together a brilliant introduction that successfully reveals the origins of the universe and the agent responsible.

1. The Revelation-1:1

There on a mountainside in the wilderness, several million former Hebrew slaves sat patiently waiting to have their history, the world’s history, revealed to them—some for the first time. With simple profundity, Moses pens these words, “in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (1:1). Though a relatively simple declaration, these words are pregnant with implications. First, “in the beginning” not only suggests a genesis, but also a terminus. You cannot conceive of something as having a beginning unless there is also an end. In fact, “Beginning” is often paired in the Old Testament with its antonym “end” in order to indicate an inclusive period of time. From this point on, all of the prophets and apostles after them could speak of the end (eschaton) that was to come in reference to the beginning of time that started here. Time started in this moment where it once didn’t exist!

However, there is at least one entity that existed prior to time. That is the agent doing the creating—“God” (Elohim). The term used here for God –“Elohim”—celebrates His transcendence and the power of His spoken word along with His plurality—inasmuch as Elohim is a plural noun. In fact, though not explicit here, there are hints throughout this opening overture that subtly reveal the Trinity as pre-existent over the universe. In verse two, God’s “Spirit” is witnessed “floating over the waters.” In verse 3, God’s word brings forth light—perhaps hinting at the Son who is called the “Word of God” in John’s Gospel. Throughout the passage, “God” the Father is mentioned as the major character and focus. He is the center of this theocentric passage/chapter as everything revolves around and comes from Him.

This plural, transcendent, speaking God is assumed and never explained.  The omission of His origins, although cause for inquiry to some today, was actually a polemic tool used of Moses in his context. Elohim’s unexplained existence “repudiates the cosmogonies of the pagan world, where the origins and biography of their ‘gods’ are paramount” (Matthews, 128). In other words, contra the Egyptian Gods who were many and whose beginnings were explained in elaborate stories, Moses reveals that there is actually one God whose origin cannot be explained, only assumed.

The temptation for many in our skeptical world is to demand that Christians explain where God came from. Unfortunately, believing this to be too hard a question to answer, many Christians shirk away from such remarks or can even grow discouraged. However, this question is misplaced. The Christian God is not the kind of deity that can come from anything. He is, as this verse teaches, outside the created realm and therefore His existence is not contingent on anything. As He is not contingent on anything (dependent on anything to exist), He is not affected by time, space, or matter. Each of these is a continuum that depends on the other for its existence. For instance, you cannot have time without space, for, where would you put it? You cannot have matter without time, for, when would you put it? These all must exist together simultaneously. The Bible explains how this all came to be in one sentence (10 words in English and 7 in Hebrew), “In the beginning (time: past, present, future), God created the heavens (space: length, width, height) and the earth (matter: solid, liquid, gas).” These God created instantaneously! As He created these continuums, He stands outside of them and therefore, to conceive of God as having an origin is to place Him within the limits of something that He created (time), thereby limiting His divinity. He is above time, unaffected by space, and transcends matter. The God that Moses reveals here is not limited by time, space, or matter and is therefore superior to the God’s of Egypt whose origins were known. This renders Him worthy of worship and praise!  

This “God” “created the heavens and the earth.” Though “created” is used in many ways throughout the Old Testament (to “restore,” “fashion,” “make”, etc.), here there is nothing to restore, no tools available for the use of fashioning something, and no compounds/elements present to make anything. Here, God “created” everything out of nothing. In fact, every time “created” is used with “God” as its subject “special significance for God as autonomous Creator” is in view (Matthews, 129). In other words, when God creates, He does not depend on what is available, He creates out of nothing (ex nihilo).

Just what did God “create” out of nothing? EVERYTHING!—“the heavens and the earth” (1:1c). All of the space necessary to place everything and all of the matter necessary to yield everything in that space was created by a transcendent God in the beginning.

2. The Description-1:2

In its original form, Moses reveals that the earth was “formless and void” (tohu wabohu)—literally “a desert and a wasteland” (Hamilton 108). Using rhyming words here and in verse 1 (bereshit bara), Moses is depicting the history of the universe in a near-hymnic style—perhaps to aid this largely oral audience in appreciating and memorizing the content that is being espoused. Here, it is clear that Moses would like his people to know that earth began in chaos—an unproductive uninhabited place. As it existed on the beginning of that first day, the world was in no way capable of supporting life as we now know it.

Moses also reveals that “darkness was over the surface of the deep” (1:2b). Interestingly, darkness resulted when time/space/matter collided—the illumination of God’s creation would require its own specific and special creative act. However, at this point the “darkness” and the “deep” seem to suggest that the earth was an “undifferentiated mass or vacuous nonentity” (Sailhamer, 27). 

The vacuous and deserted earth was of no concern to the “Spirit of God” who is depicted as “moving over the surface of the waters” (1:2c). In the ancient near-eastern world, the “darkness,” “deep,” and “waters” were viewed as sources of chaos, danger, and mystery. In Moses’ “Spirited” retelling of the account, he artfully places the Spirit of God “over the surface” of these things, suggesting God’s dominance and authority over all—even though, at this point in the creation narrative, evil and danger do not even exist yet as categories.

3. The Creation-1:3-4

Breaking the silence of this dark and wet void is the voice of Elohim who begins creating on this vacuous canvas what humans know to be the universe today—“Let there be light” (1:3a). It is here that God begins to bring order out of the chaos, rendering the world organized, inhabitable, and even fruitful for His good pleasure.

As simply as it was spoken, it existed—“and there was light” (1:3b). Though the source of creation’s first “light” is not specified, the text insinuates that the “light” was sourced in God Himself (Matthews, 145). “This ‘light’ on the first day then is indicative of the presence of God both at creation and among His people Israel, a light that both reveals and conceals the presence of God. The Light at creation was the first word, the word that is indistinct from God’s personal presence…” (Matthews, 146). Though Moses illuminated God’s revelation for His people in his day, only Jesus would satisfy the intercessory position par excellence as God’s most complete and most illuminating revelatory presence. This theme is picked up later in the book of John when Jesus refers to Himself as the “light of the world” –God’s perfect representation on the earth (see John 1:9-18; 8:12). Ever wonder why God created light first? Perhaps because He wanted the first revelation given in the universe to be about His matchless glory—even if it was just for an audience of one.

Pleased with what He had created, God set out to distinguish the light and the darkness—“God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness” (1:4). By calling the light “good” God provides a qualitative evaluation of what He has created. This establishes Him as the judge of His creative order. The light is deemed “good” because it serves God’s-intended purpose of bifurcating between light and darkness. The difference between the two is the first of three separations that would prepare the earth for Life’s possibilities—see sky and earth (1:6) and land and sea (1:9).

However, notice what else God introduces in here. According to Moses’ account, God with one word yields light AND Morality. By introducing the concept of “good” here, God introduces the beginnings of a moral framework that would be revealed with further nuance later. However, at least for the time being, the universe as it is exists on day one possesses light and its opposite (darkness) and moral qualities (goodness). From day one, the universe contained a moral framework that was rooted in the person of God Himself!

4. The Identification-1:5

The final element involved in the overture to Chapter 1 of Genesis is God’s identification of the different phenomena He has created—“God called the light day, and the darkness He called night” (1:5a). Though a simple recognition, this verse demonstrates God’s authority over that which is created. By naming day and night, and continuing to name things throughout this entire creative account, God demonstrates His authority over it all. He made it all happen and therefore gets the honor of naming it whatever He wills.   

The closing notes of the overture provide readers with a helpful and nearly emphatic way of interpreting the time schedule in which all of this took place, --“and there was evening and there was morning one day” (1:5b). Via the creation of light and the presence of darkness (and their separation), God begins a program of 24 hour periods that Moses calls day (yom). Though this word is taken figuratively elsewhere in reference to other things, whenever it is attached to a cardinal number, it describes a 24hour period. Not only that, but when the qualification “and there was evening and there was morning” is added, it becomes even clearer that a literal 24 hour period is an appropriate interpretation. If not, one would have to ask, “why did the Spirit move in Moses’ life to lead him to write “and there was evening and there was morning, one day” if it was not explicitly intended to refer to what men and women would have understood as a typical day. Though this passage is hymnic and near poetic at times, it is not pure allegory, especially when one considers that this construction of “day,” cardinal number, and “evening and morning,” is repeated on each of the remaining days of creation (Answers in Genesis).

Interestingly enough, early Jewish and Christian interpreters had a hard time believing that it would take God this long (6 days) to create the entire universe. Surely He would have been powerful enough to create it all at once! Still more interesting is that more recent modern scholarship wonders how God could have possibly created it all in so short a time. Ever since Darwin’s Origins of the Species and enlightenment’s claim of a billion-year-old universe and more recent fantasies of a big bang, many, even those within the church, have a hard time interpreting Moses’ account in this more grammatically conservative and straight-forward way—believing that the earth must must must be millions of years old and that God had to of used a process like macro-evolution to accomplish this mammoth feat. However, this foists a severely allegorical interpretation on what Moses seems to take pains to make clear. One must turn “day” into something that does not mean “day,” “morning” into something that does not mean “morning,” “evening” into something that does not mean “evening” and “one,” “two,” “three,” etc. into something these numbers do not represent. This seems to be quite a stretch, especially when the repetition Moses employs and the organization of the text assumes organization and straightforwardness. The best interpretation in my mind is that each day was a 24 hour period, complete with evening and morning.

Some respond to this with, “well, how could there be an evening or morning without a sun” (the Sun does not exist until day 4—see vv.14ff)? Respectfully, I would respond “I’m sure that a God who conceived of time and created matter out of nothing can manage morning and evening without a sun for the first three days, especially if He is the source of light in the first place!

The creative act described in this overture also sets in motion a pattern that will be followed without fail throughout the rest of chapter one. First, “God said” is mentioned as He alone instigates every creative work. Second, the command is given—“let there be light.” Then that which is commanded is created—“and there was light.” Fourth, God evaluates His creation—“God saw that the light was good.” Fifth, the boundaries of the creation are acknowledged—“and God separated the light from the darkness.” Finally, He names that which is created—“God called the light day, and the darkness He called night.” Moses adopts this pattern on each of the following days almost to a tee and, like an overture intends to do in a brilliant piece of music, this opening passage introduces the thematic phrases that can be anticipated throughout the account.

So What?

So what does this overture foreshadow about the God of creation and His unfolding work? So far, God is shown to be in many ways outside of the created realm—independent of time, space, and matter. He is therefore not contingent on anything else for His existence. Because of this, we have learned along with the Israelites in the wilderness that unlike other deities in Egypt or any other worldview, God’s existence must be assumed as it cannot be explained or exhaustively delineated. We have also learned that God is a Creator. He is the one who conceived of time, made space, and filled it with matter. Not only that, but, morality itself emanates from His character as the impassable standard by which everything else is judged and compared. We have also been shown a preview of how God can turn chaos into order. In fact, this passage depicts God as a God of order who is able to speak clarity over a vacuous deep and illuminate the darkness. This, He does in His own time-table as is suitable for Him (and independent of scientific THEORY or popular opinion). What a mighty God!

If this overture is any indication of what we are in for throughout the rest of this chapter and study of Genesis 1:1-11, we are in for a real treat! The Israelites in the wilderness and the church today ought to respond to such revelation with praise, adoration, and submission to the Creator God. Additionally, we must also take comfort in the fact that God is a God who is not bothered by the depths of obscurity or in any way intimidated by the darkness—as His Spirit was shone to do in this passage, God floats above the mysteries of our lives and is capable of speaking order into our chaotic situations. What a brilliant reminder and aesthetically pleasing piece of music that foreshadows what He has accomplished for us and just what He can do in our lives today! 

Divine Discipline-Heb. 12:4-13

I heard a preacher once say something that stopped me dead in my tracks. In a message on a passage similar to the one we will be looking at today, he made the following comment, “I wonder how often when we pray we are asking for God to remove something that He, in fact, intended for our lives.” What made this idea even more shocking was when he continued by saying, “Sometimes, when we believe we are praying against Satan/evil, we may in fact be praying against what God has allowed for our own growth.” His point for us in that message was instead of praying for escape from a hardship, we might do well to pray for growth in the midst of a hardship. A similar sentiment will be reached as we look at Hebrews 12:4-13 and learn about God’s program of discipline in the lives of believers. So often, especially in our “feel-good culture” in which nearly everything exists to make us more comfortable and alleviate any and all pain imaginable, at the first sign of difficulty, adversity, or tribulation, we ring up God and say, “Get me out of here!” or “Remove this from me!” And yet, many times we fail to recognize that God has allowed that very situation in the first place for our benefit. If we are not careful, we can squander an opportunity for God to teach us something or make us more into His image by forfeiting from a situation rather than learning to endure it. In Hebrews 12:4-13, we learn how not to waste the discipline that God administers in the life of believers. To this end we will be looking at four groups of statements made in this very important passage.

The Recollections-12:4-5

Drawing from the truth represented in the last three verses, the preacher continues his encouragement to the congregation by calling the people to recollect what Jesus has done on its behalf. In 12:1-3, Jesus’ suffering was considered as a motivation to persevere for those who were enduring hardship in the world as believers. However, though parallels can be drawn between the suffering of Christ and the suffering of His followers, it is not at all congruent. As the preacher begins in verse 4, “You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin.” In other words, though this church was persecuted and was made to face all kinds of trials, nothing they faced up to this point was close to what Jesus faced as He sacrificed Himself for the world. Therefore, though they could gain strength from knowing that Jesus suffered like them and yet was able to endure, they could also be encouraged by reminding themselves that Jesus suffered far worse than they had.

With this perspective in mind, the preacher continues by referencing an ancient encouragement from Proverbs 3:11ff., “and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, ‘My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor faint when you are reproved by Him; for those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and He scourges every son whom He receives’” (12:5-6). These words remind the mature believer that when hardship strikes, they should accept it as God’s method of training. Not only that, but these should look on such trials as a token of God’s parental love for them.

Because of my love for my children, I hold them to a high standard. This necessarily leads to discipline, sometimes of a painful sort. My intention in this discipline is for my children to know what to say and what not to say, where to go and not go, and what to do and not do. The special love that I have for my children is witnessed, though it may not feel like it at the time, In sharp remarks made and the slaps on the hand administered. I do not discipline other people’s kids in part because they do not belong to me and are therefore not objects of my special parental love.

If last we looked ahead for motivation to run the race of life, today we look around for motivation to live the life God has called us to live.  There, we find that our pain, suffering, trials, and tribulations are not without purpose. Even in our struggles, God in His discipline is working to make us more into His image, ready to inherit what is coming our way. From this we learn that God provides both future hope and present sanctification as motivation to persevere.

The Realizations-12:7-8

This realization is exactly what the preacher reveals next in verses 7-8. In verse 7 the preacher continues by saying, “it is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?...”. In the ancient world a father would spend much care and patience on the upbringing of a trueborn son whom he hoped to make a worthy heir. The family name and the continuance of tradition played a much larger role in that day. Therefore, such a son might have to undergo much more irksome discipline than an illegitimate child for whom no future of honor and responsibility was envisaged.

“but if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons” (12:8). Undergoing discipline in the Christian life is one of the proofs of salvation. Without the presence of discipline, one might need to question one’s legitimacy in the family of God. Why? Because as this verse teaches, discipline is to the child of God as endurance is to the long-distance runner. The two go hand in hand.

When this is kept in mind, one is able to maintain a more hopeful and redemptive perspective on whatever life throws his or her way. If adversity is understood in the Christian life as God’s discipline, then when tragedy strikes or bad news comes, so too does an opportunity to learn something and grow more like Christ as a result. Such an opportunity in the midst of hardship is not awarded to those outside the family of God. Though the world as a whole is loved by God, only His children receive His special tough love that makes them more like Him.

The Reminders-12:9-11

Next, the preacher reminds his congregation of how trustworthy the discipline of the God is toward His children by setting up a simple argument from the lesser to the greater in verse 9, “furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live?...”. In the ancient world, before a young man or woman came of age, he are she generally subjected themselves to the discipline of his or her father. These accepted such discipline knowing that it was the parent’s province to impose standards and their subsequent duty to respect it, follow it, learn from it, and adapt to it. If this is how the discipline of earthly parents was generally respected within the family unit of the first century, how much more, the preacher argues, should believers willingly subject themselves to the discipline of their heavenly father?

Continuing with this argument, the preacher goes on to say, “for they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness,…” (12:10). In other words, the discipline of one’s heavenly Father should be respected, even more than one’s earthly father was in the early years of life, for the following reasons. First, the heavenly Father’s discipline is eternally fruitful, not temporarily useful. While an earthly father disciplines for a short time before a child reaches adulthood, the heavenly Father’s discipline is life-long and eternally significant. Second, while the discipline of earthly fathers was conducted in ways that seemed “best to them,” the discipline of the heavenly Father is perfect. Third, while the discipline of earthly fathers may yield respectful members of society and proud members of a family line, the discipline of the heavenly Father yields holiness! For all of these reasons, the discipline of God should be respected, followed, and even embraced.

However, this is no easy charge, especially considering that “All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful;…” (12:11).

When I slap my son’s hand after he tests me by touching something I’ve repeatedly told him not to touch, he does not smile and tell me “thank you.” When I scold my daughter for disobeying me, she does not embrace me in that moment exclaiming, “What a wonderful dad I have who loves me enough to yell at me when I’m not behaving! I’m so blessed!” NO! Instead, they whimper, cry, hide themselves, or, in many cases, run to mommy. Why? Because discipline hurts and it is human nature to react to pain with sorrow.

The same is true of spiritual discipline. No one gleefully anticipates hardship and smiles through grief and loss. However, “to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness” (12:11). In other words, the spiritually mature are able to appreciate the lessons learned and spiritual maturation accomplished within the struggles that God allows in their lives. Such a mindset requires a more sophisticated kind of living that is only accomplished by those with the Holy Spirit. Those controlled by the Spirit (children of God) are those who can be trained by adversity, not overwhelmed by it.

As a result of such training, children of God witness the fruit of righteousness. The discipline of God is not wasted on His people; it generates Christ-likeness.

The Revelations-12:12-13

So then, what is the believer’s responsibility in lieu of God’s perfect discipline in his or her life? The preacher says, “therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, and make straight the paths for your feet” (12:12-13a). If discipline and the Christian life go hand and hand, one should prepare adequately for it so that it can have its desired affect—training in righteousness. To this end, the believer ought to do his or her part to strengthen his/herself and straighten up his or her act. In so doing, the believer partners with God in His program of sanctification and grows instead of caves under the pressure.

It does my heart good to see my children strengthen their resolve to obey me or straighten up their act following an episode of discipline that either I or their mother administer. When I no longer have to remind my kids to do or not do something or worry so much that they are going to get into this or that, I know that discipline is having its desired effect. The same is true in our relationship with God. Positive and corrective changes in our lives—i.e. when we strengthen our hands that are weak, knees that are feeble, and make straight the paths for our feet—is pleasing to the Lord.

However, there is another option that one could take. It is the option that the preacher is preaching against in this verse—“so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed” (12:13b). One can either respond to the discipline of God with strength and straightening or with painful sprains. The words used here are quite graphic, in fact. Those who do not prepare for the discipline of God run the risk of spraining a leg (spiritually speaking). This, to be sure, might be necessary at times for the victim to learn his or her own limitations and subsequently his or her dependency on God. However, it can be prevented if in the face of discipline, one strengthens his/her hands and knees and straightens the path of his/her feet.

The result of God’s discipline in the life of a believer can lead either to pain or to healing—that is spiritual healing toward righteousness. The former is the result of an undisciplined and unprepared life. The latter is the result of a mature life that welcomes and embraces the lessons God wants to teach.

So What?

One of the most encouraging verses in all of the Scriptures that reiterates many of the points made in this short passage is found in Romans 8:28. It says, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” This timeless principle extends to the discipline that God allows in the life of a believer. If, as Hebrews 12:4-13 teaches, God disciplines those He loves, then even the painful trials one faces that prove sorrowful for the moment, can be redeemed of God for good. Specifically, as it pertains to the Christian life, God’s discipline can bring about sanctification and the fruit of righteousness. 

Therefore, believers would do well to take a mature and spiritual approach to the difficulties they face—understanding that God is at work even in the midst of heartache. With this mindset, believers ought to welcome even the tough love of God and, as a result, prepare accordingly by strengthening their weak hands and feeble knees and straightening the path of their feet. Then, and only then, will the discipline of God bring healing and not a painful sprain. We must not fail to appreciate and even welcome God’s program of discipline in our lives. When we do this, we waste the opportunity to be made more like Him in this life in preparation for the next. 

Marathon of Faith- Hebrews 12:1-3

Recently I watched a quirky documentary on Netflix called “The Barkley Marathons: The Race that Eats its Young.” It describes an exclusive and secretive marathon set in the Tennessee mountains that was co-designed by Lazarus Lake and a man affectionately named “Raw Dog.” In its first 25 years, only 10 people completed this grueling 100 mile run that is divided into 5 20-mile loops. The loops take victims through some of the toughest terrain Tennessee has to offer, under a prison via a tunnel, up and down mountains, through streams, over cliffs, in both day and night. Experts say that by the time people complete this race, if they complete this race, they have scaled and descended enough altitude to climb and descend Mount Everest twice!  Oh and you only have 60 hours to complete it! The trail is not marked out. Instead, one has to follow clues given by Lazarus Lake to find checkpoints and while there retrieve a page from books that correspond to one’s race number. The first two laps are conducted clockwise, the second two counterclockwise and the fifth is up to the runner. Good luck finding out how to enter this marathon race (if you are crazy enough to consider it in the first place) because the first rule about the Barkley’s is to never speak of it. There is not a website, phone number, etc. and yet hundreds of people somehow find out about it and apply to participate. Only 40 are chosen each year and those who are accepted are sent a letter of condolence saying, “we are sorry to inform you that you have been accepted to run the Barkley.” The cost is $1.60, a license plate from your home state/country, and whatever item that Lazarus Lake needs for his wardrobe for that year (white shirts, socks, flannels, etc.). Why someone would want to do this is beyond me, but people are excited to run this crazy impossible race.

Life can often feel like the Barkley Marathon—tiring, painful, frustrating, and near-impossible. Under the conditions that life often sets before us, people lose heart and decide to quit in any one particular area or as a whole. This is especially true for those living the Christian life of faith. Living as a Christian appears to be more difficult with every passing day. However, this is exactly what is asked of us. How are we supposed to live this life, run this race, persevere in this marathon? Hebrews 12:1-3 offers two statements that encourage runners in the faith that I pray we can keep in mind as we endure in this world.

The Calling-“RUN UNINHIBITED”-12:1-2

Having just given a tour of examples of steadfastness and perseverance in Chapter 11’s “Hall of Faith,” the preacher decides to use this historical survey and Who’s Who list to galvanize perseverance in the congregation to which he is writing. He calls upon what he has discussed in chapter eleven by saying, “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us,…”(12:1). However, what exactly does this mean?

Many authors in Greek literature use the image of a “cloud” to describe a large group of people. Here, the preacher adds the qualifier “so great” to “cloud” in an effort to highlight the enormity of this group’s size (the multitude of people listed/alluded to in chapter 11) and uniqueness of its quality (faithful, accomplished, persevering). Some have suggested that this “cloud” of people are comparable to spectators at an epic track meet that surround the field in the stands and offer their cheers from a distance to those running the race of the Christian life down below. However, “witnesses” suggests something more intimate and active than a mere spectator. Witnesses do not just see something, they bear testimony to what they have seen. Therefore, these “witnesses” are not so much at a distance watching the Christian life, but their testimony is more comparable to trainers on the field who voice more specific and helpful advice to the runners as they pass by. This, the Old Testament saints in general and the inductees in the “Hall of Faith” in particular, do through their stories recorded in the Hebrew Scriptures, providing assurances that godliness works, perseverance is worth it, and God is faithful to His promises.  “In this way, the great cloud of faithful Christ-followers through history offer the community motivation in its current struggle to stay the course of commitment” (Guthrie, 397). “It is not so much they who look at us as we who look to them—for encouragement” (Bruce, 333).

Since this cheering and encouraging cloud of witnesses remains around the believer, the preacher continues by compelling those listening to “lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us,…”(12:1). Two things inhibit a runner’s stride according to this verse: excess baggage and sin. The former in the ancient world and in today’s wonderful world of sports involved baggy clothing and a surplus of body fat. Such things weigh the individual down and lead to inefficiency. Such things represent that which is unnecessary to the Christian life. This may or may not include even good things that in no way contribute to the goal God has set before the believer. Too much of a good things can be a heavy weight that slows the runner down.

Therefore, the preacher encourages the believer here to slim down, streamline, and become more efficient in the things that really matter—even if it means sacrificing the good for the great.

However, the second thing believers ought to “lay aside” is “sin which so easily entangle us” (12:1). If encumbrances involve baggy clothes and excess weight of our own that need dealing with to run the race of life well, sin includes the obstacles that are along the track. No one in their right mind would willfully place obstacles on the track before a race! Neither should the believer allow sin to pothole the path ahead of him/her.

After slimming down and avoiding sin that so easily entangles us, the charge from the preacher to the church is to “run with endurance the race set before us” (12:1). Such a “race” reveals that Christ-followers have a course to complete, a goal to achieve and, for their part, would do well to exert effort to that end. What is this course and goal? Faithfulness to God and His will. Notice too that the “race is set before us.” “set before” can also be translated “marked out,” meaning that runners know which way to go because a third party has marked out the path accordingly for them to take. As far as it concerns believers, the people of God DO NOT make the course themselves and have no autonomy over which direction to go. God is the third party mastermind behind every turn, every incline, every nuance of the trail that He gives each believer to take.

Not only that, but this “race” is more a marathon than it is a sprint as it requires “endurance” (12:1). Though some, like myself, would like for things to happen quickly and grow impatient for the finish line, the preacher makes it very clear that this is a long haul—not a hundred yard dash. Therefore, “endurance” is necessary in order to complete the race and finish well.

I’ve never quite understood the motivation behind all of these crazy runs and marathons. Why would someone subject themselves to the agony of something like the Barkley Marathon? Very little if any recognition is offered, only a few people will ever know about it, there is no cash prize awarded, and personal accomplishment is only so compelling. Though I’m not physically equipped to run something like that, I know that even if I was, it would take a pretty remarkable prize to even enter that race in the first place.

Thankfully, in an effort to motivate the believer along his journey, not only does he have a cloud of witnesses testifying on God’s behalf from the Scriptures, he also has the greatest prize awaiting him in the end—Jesus, “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith” (12:2a). In fact, this phrase demonstrates the manner by which the race is to be run—by fixing one’s eyes on Jesus—not on the briars below, the people behind or beside, or the obstacles around.

Why is Jesus a proper point of focus for the runner of the Christian life? He is both the “author” and “perfecter” of faith (i.e. the name given to this marathon). The word “author” can mean “champion,” “leader,” “forerunner,” and “initiator” and, in some ways, each of these fits the athletic analogy employed here. Jesus is a reigning champion, He goes before the believer, and, as God, has also initiated the race in the first place. In addition to His being the “author” of the faith marathon, He is its “perfecter.” In other words, He has made this course possible. Here is what one commentator says about this verse,

“As perfecter of faith, he brings it to its intended goal, Thus, whether one talks about faith as a possibility or as the experience of fulfillment, all depends upon Jesus. For this reason, Christians must keep looking away from this world to him. He is not only the basis, means, and fulfillment of faith, but in his life, he also exemplifies the same principle of faith that we saw in the paragons of Chapter 11” (Hagner, 212).

Jesus authored and perfected this course of faith for the Christian life through His selfless sacrifice upon the cross, “who for the joy set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (12:2b). So much is contained in this important verse. First, Jesus endured the cross so that His joy and the believer’s joy may be secured. This joy involves eternal life in glory with God. Jesus died so that His joy might be realized and His joy is most nearly concerned about the joy of His children which can only be obtained in right relationship with Him. Second, Jesus’ life and sacrifice is the example given to believers for faithfulness to the end. If Jesus was willing to follow the course set before Him, so too should believers. Third, what Jesus did on the cross is total and complete “and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Both the perfect tense verb used here and the posture Jesus assumes at God’s right hand suggest that when Jesus said “it is finished!” on the cross, it really was. This renders what Jesus accomplished far greater than what was accomplished under the Old Testament system.

Hebrews 10:11-“Now every priest stands day after day ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this man, after offering one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God.”

Jesus’ sacrifice, and the authoring and perfecting of faith that resulted from it, render Christ the greatest object of motivation possible as the believer runs the race of his/her life. Ultimately, in verses 1-2 of Hebrews 12, the preacher says, “since we have the testimony of all who have come before us in God’s Word, demonstrating that this marathon can be completed, run the race God gives you to run, all the while looking to Jesus whose sacrifice made joy and salvation possible.”  

The Consideration-“REMEMBER JESUS”-12:3

After calling the congregation to run the race of faithfulness with endurance, the preacher, gives this same congregation something to consider, “for consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself” (12:3a). To be sure, Jesus did suffer throughout His life and on the cross because of sinners like you and me. However, in spite of the pain and suffering He endured, He “endured.” He endured incompetence, impatience, temptations, conflict, danger, betrayal, lies, false accusations, blaspheme, and yet He finished strong the course that God had placed before Him. This is important to keep in mind when running a similar path.

“so that you will not grow weary and lose heart” (12:3b).

In many cases, the best thing to remember when one is struggling to continue and is tempted to throw in the towel is that this race has been completed, it CAN be done. Jesus’ perseverance is the source of inspiration behind the believer’s perseverance as he/she lives the life God has given him/her to live. Because He has finished well, with Him as the church’s aim and focus, so too can the people of God. Because He lives now at the right hand of God, having completed the work God gave him to do, believers can face tomorrow no matter what God has called them to do.

So What?

The calling of this passage is simple, “Run the race God has called you to run of faithfulness.” The cloud of witnesses preserved in Scripture are your trainers helping you along the way and Christ is the proper object of one’s gaze.  The consideration of these verses is inspiring—remember Jesus who has run well and allow His perseverance to engender perseverance in your life. No one is saying that the marathon God has handed you or me is easy, but what this passage teaches is that it can be endured. Such an encouragement would have no doubt inspired a persecuted church in the first century. It must inspire us today!

If this race God has called us to run IS so difficult, shouldn’t we do our part to render ourselves spiritually healthy enough to finish strong? What baggage are you holding onto that is keeping you from running well? What sin is tangling up your progress in your Christian walk? Perhaps today is a day to lay it down at the altar of God, and run out of here unencumbered and more efficient. What race are you running? Are you running one of your own design to your own ends and for your own glory? Perhaps today is a day for you to submit yourself to the race God has for you—the race leading to Christ-likeness and usefulness in His kingdom-building work. Because of what Jesus has accomplished, we are invited to follow Him in the marathon of faith, encouraged by those who have gone before us and inspired by what lies ahead! Its a race we all must enter. 

Hall of Faith Honorable Mentions-Hebrews 11:32-40

Today we are going to wrap up our tour in the Hall of Faith of Hebrews 11. However, before we do, let us remind ourselves of why this entire chapter is included in the preacher’s sermon in Hebrews. This sermon in Hebrews could very well have jumped from the exhortation in 10:39 (“but we are not those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the persevering of the soul”) to the second part of the first verse in chapter 12 (“therefore, let us run with endurance the race that is set before us”). However, instead the preacher provides a compendium of examples, a list of illustrations, a “Hall of Faith,” in an effort to describe what God is looking for among His people who live on the earth. What is sought among God’s people both then and now is the kind of faith that was defined for us in Hebrews 11:1—“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen…”. Such faith has been witnessed in the inductees that we have perused since Super Bowl Sunday: Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Joshua, and Rahab. This, however, does not complete the list. As the tour of this hall nears its completion, the preacher rattles off a list of honorable mentions and their accomplishments that serves as a capstone to this chapter. Let us complete this tour then by examining four elements found in Hebrews 11:32-40 as we endeavor to apply this compelling series to our own lives.

The List of Honorable Mentions-11:32

As we close the tour of the “Hall of Faith” in Hebrews 11, the guide (the preacher of the Hebrews), perhaps recognizing that it is closing time soon, lumps many more examples of faithfulness into a quick survey. This quick summary is introduced in verse 32 when he says, “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…”. Each of these names and the stories they incorporate deserve at least a cursory look.

Gideon proved to be a valiant warrior who led a decisive brigade of 300 men to overwhelm a much larger enemy. The Bible says in Judges 7:19ff “so Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, when they had just posted the watch; and they blew the trumpets and smashed the pitchers that were in their hands. When the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers, they held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands for blowing, and cried, ‘A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!’ Each stood in his place around the camp; and all the army ran, crying out as they fled. When they blew 300 trumpets, the Lord set the sword of one against another even throughout the whole army; and the army fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, as far as the edge of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath…”. However, Gideon was not born a leader. Earlier in Judges God found this “mighty man” hiding in a winepress. When called by God, Gideon made every excuse in the book to be passed over for someone else saying, “I’m the least in my tribe,” and “I’m the youngest in my house,” etc. This man doubted himself and God at nearly every turn, even to the point of making God prove Himself to him on multiple occasions (see Judges 6).

Barak led an army on the Lord’s behalf to pursue an enemy. However, he wasn’t going to go unless Deborah went with him along with 10,000 warriors (see Judges 4).

Samson landed a huge blow on the Philistines after finding his faith again in Judges 16:28ff-”Then Samson called to the Lord and said, ‘O Lord God, please remember me and please strengthen me just this time, O God, that I may at once be avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.’ Samson grasped the two middle pillars on which the house rested, and braced himself against them, the one with his right hand and the other with his left. And Samson said, let me die with the Philistines!’ And he bent with all his might so that the house fell on the lords and all the people who were in it. So the dead whom he killed at his death were more than those whom he killed in his life…” However, this was only after he lived a life of debauchery and reneged on his Nazarite vow. Not only that, but he left himself vulnerable to being overtaken by his enemies, was outsmarted by his wife, and blinded by those who wanted him dead.

In spite of being born of a harlot and suffering a checkered past, Jephthah proved to be a valiant warrior and defender of God’s people. And yet, in a momentous lapse in judgment and foolishness, Jephthah made a vow to God that eventually required the life of his only daughter (see Judges 11).

Who can forget David? Though the youngest in his family, David upstaged his older brothers and was anointed by God to succeed Saul as king over Israel. A gifted musician, avenging shepherd, faithful friend, good-looking young man, and unmatched warrior, David was the renaissance king who solidified his place forever in Jewish folklore after he slew Goliath when everyone else was too scared. Even king Saul was intimidated by a young David before his death. You know you’ve pretty much wrapped everything up when the kingdom you will one day rule exclaims in one accord, "Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands" (1 Samuel 18:7). Not to mention, elsewhere, David is even called a “man after God’s own heart” (see Acts 13:22).  However, in a moment of vulnerability and weakness, David commits adultery and then proceeds to cover it up by having the cuckold killed in the front lines of battle (a mistake that would follow him the rest of his colorful life) (see 2 Samuel 11ff).

Samuel was a miraculously-born prophet used to anoint and guide the first two kings of Israel: Saul and David. His ministry was marked by righteousness and wisdom and yet, his words were not always heeded nor were they convincing (see 1 Samuel 10:19-22).

In addition to all of these judges, the preacher in Hebrews also draws attention to the prophets of the Old Testament. While these are legion, a few examples are worth noting. Jonah, for instance, shared a message of grace with a wicked city that ignited a revival. However, he was hesitant and didn’t even believe in what he was doing after the fact (see Jonah). Elijah for his part called down fire from heaven to show off God’s power before pagan priests (1 Kings 18). And yet, he feared for his life immediately after this mountaintop experience upon hearing an empty threat (1 Kings 19). Daniel, though a righteous example of faithfulness and dependency on God, was taken from his homeland, relentlessly tested, and even thrown in a lion’s den! (see Daniel 1-6).

In all of these examples imperfect people with their own share of weaknesses, failures, limitations, trials, and personal issues were used of God in extraordinary ways. This again reiterates what has resonated throughout Hebrews 11—God is the hero of His unfolding story and imperfect but faithful people are the tools used to accomplish His will.

The List of Accomplishments-11:33-34

When these imperfect people placed their faith in God, so much was accomplished for His glory. In verses 33 and 34b the preacher recalls the geopolitical victories that were won when he says, “who by faith conquered kingdoms….became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.” Whether it was a bunch of wilderness refugees walking around Jericho as it was in Joshua’s day, 300 scared-stiff soldiers led by a reluctant warrior under Gideon, or a brand new nation fighting the iron-clad Philistines with farming equipment, God’s people won overwhelming victories over their enemies in the Promised Land and beyond. These were not taught in the ways of warfare nor were they led by well-trained emperors. However, these were led by the one true God who saw them through each and every confrontation when they were obedient in faith and followed Him.

However, not only were these victorious on the battlefield, these were also blessed on the moral front. The preacher continues to delineate the list of accomplishments by saying, “performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises” (11:33b). Examples of this include Samson who redeemed himself by sacrificing his life for the sake of his people in one last stand and David who redeemed a kingdom that lost its way under Saul, thereby obtaining a covenantal promise that from his line would come a forever king to rule over the world. God saw fit to bless the many acts of righteousness these faithful followers committed with promises that continued well into the future.

Not only that, but faith in God accomplished the miraculous in a myriad of the situations represented by this short list of Old Testament characters. According to the preacher, faith, “shut the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong,…” (11:33c-34a). Whether it was supernaturally protecting Daniel in the lion’s den from hungry cats, sending fire down from heaven following Elijah’s prayer on mount Carmel, sparing David’s life in the face of Goliath, or turning Gideon from a cowering mouse to a mighty leader of men, God is pleased to show off His power when the obedient call upon Him in faith.

When imperfect people obey the Lord in Faith, the sky's the limit as to what can be accomplished through God’s power. It is the preacher's hope that these inspiring accounts and impressive accomplishments encourage the congregation to which he is writing to call upon the Lord and expect His power to do great things as a result.

The Treatment they Suffered-11:35-38

However, although the road of faith may have victory as its destination, it also guarantees a bumpy ride along the way. Such was the case for those in the “Hall of Faith.” The preacher, after populating the list of honorable mentions and counting their accomplishments, next describes the treatment that these and others suffered—“…Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection, and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword,…” (11:35-38). These 3^rd-party oppressions demonstrate how the road of faith is often a treacherous path of discomfort, displeasure, and disdain. Truly, all of those mentioned in Hebrews 11 felt pain on both a spiritual, physical, and relational level. However, these were willing to count the cost and fear God more than anything that could come against them—even death! A fearless congregation is what this preacher was hoping to inspire as he encourages them here in Hebrews 11.

In addition to the external conflict that often pot-holed the roads leading to victory in the lives of those mentioned in Hebrews 11, there were also personal sacrifices made by these individuals in an effort to follow God. The preacher describes how these honorable mentions, “went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, ill-treated (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground” (11:37b-38). In other words, adorning the simplest/cheapest of clothes and living in the humblest of abodes, those who followed God often gave up everything in order to follow the Lord. Such was the plight of those like the Israelites in the wilderness following the Exodus, David as he eluded Saul in desert caves, and the prophets who proclaimed the Word of God in the divided kingdom or in exile. If these imperfect people could give up comfort and prestige for the sake of the one true God, the preacher in Hebrews is hoping His congregation would be willing to do the same.

The End they Found-39-40

As it pertains to the treatment that these suffered, the preacher next describes the end that each found in their earthly lives. Negatively, “all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised” (11:39). For instance, David never got to see this forever king he was promised before his death, Daniel did not witness the earth’s destiny as he predicted in Daniel 9, all of the prophets did not witness the Messiah to which they pointed in their own time. The story God was writing and is continuing to write was and is far greater than these individual lives. Therefore, the faith that these demonstrated was not dependent on promises fulfilled, but on the God who guaranteed that they were as good as done. “Hall of Faith” faith does not have to see the end; it just has to know the One who controls the end.

Though those of old may not have realized the fruition of what was promised them, they were a part of a plan that includes “us”—yes, even us. This is what is meant in verse 40 when the preacher says, “because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect.” In other words, the delay in the promises of God is good news for first century believers and today’s believers because we are included in the legacy of faith and can anticipate alongside those who came before us what is to be expected of God. Then, at the end of it all, we along with all who have come behind us—the first century saints to which this was written and the old testament inductees in the “Hall of Faith”—all will be made perfect.

So What?

The elements found in this passage have the potential of inspiring our faith today by reminding us of the following principles: God is pleased to use imperfect people to do extraordinary things; when such people obey the Lord in faith, the sky's the limit; though victory is assured for those who have faith—so too is a bumpy ride; faith trusts God’s story and plan without having to see the ending. These concepts have been introduced and repeated several times in our journey through Hebrews 11.

Are these principles evident in your life, in my life, in the life of this church? Are we trusting God to do the extraordinary or have we settled for the ordinary? Do we believe the sky's the limit or have we lowered expectations and, by proxy, our view of God? Do we cringe and complain when things get difficult or uncomfortable, betraying the fact that we fear something more than God? Are we bothered when we don’t see what we want to see on our terms and in our timing? In order for us and for this church to be the kind of place that God would be pleased to use in extraordinary ways, we must endorse faith—“Hall of Faith” kind of faith. Such faith cannot help but be blessed of God and infused with His saving power!