| “Who through faith subdued kingdoms … stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire … turned to flight the armies of the aliens … and others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment. They were stoned … were slain with the sword … they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And these all, having received a good report through faith” (Hebrews 11:33-34, 36-39). |
| We were noticing yesterday that the Lord gave King Asa a great victory over the Ethiopians, who had attacked him for no reason other than wanting to take the wealth that he had. We also saw that the Lord allowed those five young men who went to Ecuador with the gospel to be killed, back in 1956. We see the same two groups of people in our verses today, for that same thing happened in the Old Testament. |
| I have not quoted the whole passage for you, but in Hebrews 11 you can read about all those who were tremendous examples of faith. A number of them are named for us, but then the Spirit of God, after mentioning some names in verse 32, proceeds to tell us of two different groups among those who had faith. As we see in our first verses today, there were those who won great victories, and we all like to hear about them. We like stories about Daniel in the lions’ den, or Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego being preserved in the fiery furnace. We like stories of armies that won battles, or about those who were raised from the dead. |
| But the Bible also tells us about others who suffered greatly. Some were imprisoned, some were mocked and scourged, and some were killed. Some were driven from their homes, and had to live in deserts and caves. Were these people without faith? No, for the Lord says, “These all … .obtained a good report through faith” (v. 39). It is the same today. The Lord gives some believers great victories, while others are suffering for Christ, and even giving up their lives for Him. Whatever the Lord allows in our lives, He is honored in it, and we will be rewarded for it. |
