By Grace Through Faith - Hebrews 11:30-40

Hebrews chapter 11 is a misunderstood portion of God’s word. The words “by faith” are used 19 times in the chapter, which contributes to the confusion.

A cursory reading of this passage might lead you to believe that the people mentioned in Hebrews 11 had a stronger faith than you and me.

And because of this misunderstanding, frequently when this passage is taught on we’re simply encouraged to be more like these people. We’re encouraged to try harder and to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps and increase our faith in God so that we can accomplish incredible things for God like the Old Testament believers mentioned in Hebrews 11.

But there’s a fundamental question that lurks beneath this passage: Is our faith something that we have control over? Do we contribute to our faith in Christ - or is our faith in Christ something that God supplies?

Consider Ephesians 2:8-9. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

God’s Word clearly teaches us that it’s because of God’s grace we’re enabled to put our faith in Christ.

If that’s our understanding, we’re back at square one. What’s the point of Hebrews chapter 11? Because it really looks like the writer of Hebrews is highlighting the extraordinary faith of Old Testament believers. But that conflicts with Ephesians 2 and really the entirety of Scripture. What is the message that the Lord is trying to convey to us through the writer of Hebrews?

As we look through this passage I want you to keep in mind three points: Those commended for their faith were sinners (vv. 30-32), and yet, they accomplished amazing things for God (vv. 33-38) because they trusted in the promises of God (vv. 39-40).

Let’s look at this passage together.

Those commended for their faith were sinners. (vv. 30-32)

Within the first two verses of our passage, the writer to the Hebrews mentions nine different people and groups. He talks about the people of Israel, Rahab, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets. The interesting thing about all of these people is that there isn’t anything particularly holy or righteous about them.

The writer of Hebrews mentions one of the highlights of the people of Israel - when they conquered Jericho. They walked around the city seven times and blew their trumpets and the city walls crumbled. But one of the major themes throughout the Old Testament is the unfaithfulness of the people of Israel. They were constantly turning away from the Lord. They complained over God’s provisions. They worshipped false idols. He’s mentioning one of the highlights for the nation of Israel.

And yet, we also know that one of the major failures of the Israelites is that they didn’t fully comply with God’s commands. They didn’t completely drive the Canaanites out of the Promised Land.

Then the writer of Hebrews speaks highly of Rahab, because she was kind to the Israelite spies. In Joshua chapter 2, Joshua sent spies into Jericho to come back and give a report of the Promised Land. And Rahab hid the spies and protected them from her own people. She did this great thing, and yet, she was a prostitute.

Then Gideon is mentioned. The events of Gideon’s life are recorded in Judges 6-8. At the end of Judges 6, Gideon sought a sign from God by putting fleece out in order to see if collected the morning dew. He struggled with his faith which is demonstrated by the fact he was willing to test God. Is his faith particularly extraordinary?

Barak was a timid and fearful leader of the people of Israel that submitted and defaulted to the leadership of Deborah - which was contrary to God’s design. Judges chapter 4 was an indictment upon Israel and Barak’s inability to lead in the manner that he was supposed to.

Samson was another judge of Israel whose life is recorded in Judges 13-16. He often sought his own personal glory over delivering Israel from their enemies. He chose foreign women over Israelite women - which led to his demise. Jephthah is another judge over Israel and it’s recorded in Judges 11, and shockingly, he sacrifices his own daughter as the result of a rash vow.

David committed adultery with Bathsheba. Samuel made his sons judges over Israel despite the fact they weren’t walking with God. The prophets consistently failed to do what God told them to do - think about Jonah.

And yet, these are the people that the writer of Hebrews highlights. You might be wondering, why are these people in Hebrews 11:30-32?

Because all of them were grievous sinners. Is the writer of Hebrews really holding these people up for you and me to emulate? I mean, Jephthah performed a human sacrifice! His daughter no less! The fact that he’s in Hebrews 11 has to be some sort of typo, right? Or there is something more going on here. It cannot be that we’re supposed to be like these people!

And yet they accomplished amazing things for God. (vv. 33-38)

And yet we read about how they accomplished incredible and endured things for God in verses 33-38. Look at these verses:

who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. 35 Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. 36 Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— 38 of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

These accomplishments should be attributed to individuals, a combination of individuals or groups. Some are mentioned in verses 30-32 and some are not.

The Israelites conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, and obtained promises. Samson and David stopped the mouths of lions. The prophet Elijah called down fire. Various people mentioned in verses 30-32 escaped the edge of the sword. The same is true for being made strong in weakness.

Jephthah along with others were mighty in war and put foreign armies to flight.vcProphets including Elijah raised the dead.

Much of what’s recorded in verses 37-38 are things that the Jewish people endured during the Maccabean revolt - which occurred during the intertestamental period between the Old and New Testaments.

The writer of Hebrews is simply making the point that people of great faith have accomplished and endured incredible things.

But again, we must ask ourselves: Did they accomplish and endure these things because of their extraordinary degree of faith? Were they really better believers than you and me?

Because they trusted in the promises of God. (vv. 39-40)

Because again, when you read verses 39-40 the writer of Hebrews makes the point that all the people he’s mentioned by name believe in the same promises that you and I believe in.

Look at verses 39-40 with me.

39 And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, 40 since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.

The point here is that these Old Testament people believed in a Savior to come despite only knowing the gospel through types and shadows.

For the Old Testament believers who were anticipating a Savior - it's kind of similar to anticipating the birth of a child. You know some things about them already - you feel them move, you see them on an ultrasound, you might know their gender - but you don't get the full picture of what he or she will be like until their arrival when you see their face and hold them in your arms. And then you have to wait for years for their personality to shine through.

The Old Testament believers had to look through the types and shadows because they hadn’t received the full, explicit gospel. They hadn’t received what was promised.

But we have! That’s why we have something better - the full gospel. We know the name of Jesus. We know about his sacrificial death on the cross. But the believers of the Old Testament had to look through the sacrificial system and the Old Testament Scriptures to see the Savior. Despite not knowing the name of Christ they put their faith in him and received the benefits of his redemptive work.

In other words, Old Testament believers were saved in the exact same manner in which you and I are saved. Ephesians 2:8-9, by grace through faith, applied to Old Testament believers every bit as much as it applies to us.

You see, the people mentioned in Hebrews 11 aren’t better believers than you and me. It’s not like the Old Testament saints of Hebrews 11 are the Navy Seals of the Christian faith and you and I are just novice recruits struggling to do anything right.

Everyone throughout history has been saved by grace through faith - so that no one may boast. The Old Testament believers were saved by the grace of God just like you and me.

Faith in the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ to satisfy the wrath of God and remove the guilt of sin and shame has always been, for all of time, the way someone is saved.

The main point we should take away from Hebrews 11:30-40 is that the Lord can accomplish extraordinary things through grievous sinners.

God works through people not because they somehow sin less or they’re more righteous. Rather, God works through people despite their sin! He uses the weak to shame the proud! You see, if your faith is in Christ - God can use you despite your sin.

The message of Hebrews 11 is that God can work through you despite your sin! Too often this passage of Scripture is used as a stick to beat you with. Try harder and you can be like the saints of Hebrews 11.

That’s wrong! This passage shouldn’t beat you down, rather, this passage should lift you up. It’s incredibly encouraging! It’s encouraging because we plainly see the grace of God at work in the lives of the people mentioned in verses 30-40, but it’s true for everyone mentioned in chapter 11.

Our faith is a result of the grace of God. The people of Israel, Rahab, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets - all of their faith was a result of the grace of God.

Also interesting that in today's day and age, all of these people would be "canceled." Our culture would try to remove these people’s names from ever being uttered. Their names would be blotted out.

And yet God, who would have every right and be totally justified to cancel them, to remove them from the annals of history - HIGHLIGHTS them. He redeemed them and He receives glory through transforming their lives.

Their faithfulness wasn't dependent upon themselves - it was a gift of grace from God. Hebrews 11:30-40 shouldn't cause us to praise the names of the people highlighted in this passage or cause us to try harder to be like them. Instead, it should cause us to magnify the name of our gracious and merciful God.

It’s because we put our faith in a Savior who had a perfect faith that never wavered. And His perfect life, death, burial, and resurrection, provides hope to sinners like you and enables us to please God and do good works. So if you're discouraged by your sin and feel that God can't use you, you should be encouraged.

If you think that you have to muster up enough faith to please God or accomplish amazing things for him, you should be relieved.

There’s an old story about the early church father, St. Augustine. It’s unclear whether or not this actually took place, but regardless the spirit of the story is true nonetheless.

As the story goes, St. Augustine was walking down the street one day when one of his former mistresses spotted him and shouted his name, “Augustine!”

And he, you might even say rudely, put his head down and kept walking straight ahead. And she continued to chase him and shout, “Augustine!” And he continued to pick up his pace and ignore her, when she shouts, “Augustine, it is I” and he finally responded to her and said, “ah, but it is no longer I.”

Who Augustine used to be, and who is in Christ, were two completely different people. He had been radically changed. He was a new creation.

This story beautifully illustrates our passage. The grievous sins of the people in Hebrews 11:30-40 isn’t what defines them. Their faith in Christ is what defines them. And it’s because of their faith we feel encouraged by the wonderful things they’ve done for God.

And so we must wrestle with what defines us. Does the sin of your past define you? Or does your relationship with Christ define you?