Hebrews 11:39-40

Summary retelling of Hebrews 11:39-40

All of the people that we have studied in this chapter were commended on account of their ability to act in line with their faith.  However, they did not receive their promise in this life, because God has promised something better.  God has promised an eternal reward – but not just an eternal reward for Jews.  God has promised an eternal reward for all those who are found in Him, Jew or Gentile.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Note that these people were commended.  None of them were perfect.  None of them deserved a thing.  But they were commended in the faith.  It is not our perfection that God desires.  It is our faithful relationship with Him.  It is our willingness to incline our ear to Him and follow His lead and confess when we are wrong.

How does it make you feel to know that you can be imperfect and can still receive commendation?

Second Thought:

None of these people received the fulfillment of God’s promise in this life.  Of course, that doesn’t mean that God wasn’t with them.  Certainly God protected them and walked with them and shaped their life.  But ultimately, the fulfillment of their promise is the resurrection of the dead and eternal life with their God.  We are faithful now not because we want to receive now.  We are faithful because God will ultimately fulfill His promise into eternity.

How glorious will it be to live in God’s presence?  How glorious will it be to simply be able to focus on Him and relate with Him?

Third Thought:

The author of Hebrews ends this chapter with a note that the promise of eternal life was delayed for a purpose.  It was delayed so that both Jews and Gentiles could know God.  It was delayed so more and more people could come to know Him and live with Him.  Think about it.  If God had ultimately fulfilled His promise with Abraham or Noah or David, or any of the faithful before us, we wouldn’t even exist!  The fact that we are alive today speaks volumes to our thankfulness that God was patient and allowed the fulfillment of His promise to be delayed into the afterlife.

Have you ever heard people talking about how much they wish the Lord would come now?  How is that ultimately a selfish thought?  Where would you be if God would have listened to any number of people who prayed that Christ would return at a time before your relationship with God was right?

Passage for Tomorrow: Hebrews 12:1-2