Exploring the Text: Overcoming faith?
Hebrews 11 is a catalog of great people of faith from the Old Testament. In verses 32-35a we see great triumphs of faith. We read about victory, justice, promises being fulfilled, lions’ mouths being shut, miracles, and resurrections. These are the things we expect to see when we are talking about great faith. In verses 35b-39, we see the opposite, however. We see these great heroes of faith being tortured, mocked, imprisoned, killed, destitute, wandering in caves and mountains, and living with unfulfilled promises. Yet, they are still identified with the great heroes of faith who experienced overcoming. Was their faith somehow less? Why did they not experience the overcoming that the others did?
We like the idea of overcoming faith. We like the idea of victory and success. But faith is not just about overcoming, sometimes faith is about enduring while waiting for God’s timing. Sometimes faith is about ultimate restoration in heaven and not just about temporary restoration here on earth. Sometimes faith means persevering in the face of promises that have not yet been fulfilled, trusting that God has a plan, even if we don’t see it yet. Sometimes overcoming looks like miracles and victories, sometimes overcoming looks very different. Despite what their circumstances or their temporary outcomes looked like, though, these heroes of faith continued to put their trust in God and their example beckons us to do the same.
Hebrews 11 is a catalog of great people of faith from the Old Testament. In verses 32-35a we see great triumphs of faith. We read about victory, justice, promises being fulfilled, lions’ mouths being shut, miracles, and resurrections. These are the things we expect to see when we are talking about great faith. In verses 35b-39, we see the opposite, however. We see these great heroes of faith being tortured, mocked, imprisoned, killed, destitute, wandering in caves and mountains, and living with unfulfilled promises. Yet, they are still identified with the great heroes of faith who experienced overcoming. Was their faith somehow less? Why did they not experience the overcoming that the others did?
We like the idea of overcoming faith. We like the idea of victory and success. But faith is not just about overcoming, sometimes faith is about enduring while waiting for God’s timing. Sometimes faith is about ultimate restoration in heaven and not just about temporary restoration here on earth. Sometimes faith means persevering in the face of promises that have not yet been fulfilled, trusting that God has a plan, even if we don’t see it yet. Sometimes overcoming looks like miracles and victories, sometimes overcoming looks very different. Despite what their circumstances or their temporary outcomes looked like, though, these heroes of faith continued to put their trust in God and their example beckons us to do the same.