Hebrews 11:29-40: a reflection

29By faith they passed through the Red Sea as on dry land. When the Egyptians tried to do so, they were swallowed up. 30By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days. 31By faith Rahab the prostitute didn’t perish with those who were disobedient, having received the spies in peace. 32What more shall I say? For the time would fail me if I told of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets— 33who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked out righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, grew mighty in war, and caused foreign armies to flee. 35Women received their dead by resurrection. Others were tortured, not accepting their deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. 36Others were tried by mocking and scourging, yes, moreover by bonds and imprisonment. 37They were stoned. They were sawn apart. They were tempted. They were slain with the sword. They went around in sheep skins and in goat skins; being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated— 38of whom the world was not worthy—wandering in deserts, mountains, caves, and the holes of the earth. 39These all, having been commended for their faith, didn’t receive the promise, 40God having provided some better thing concerning us, so that apart from us they should not be made perfect.

This part of the great chapter on faith describes two very different kinds of outcomes, both flowing from faith. By faith, some conquered kingdoms, escaped the sword, saw the dead raised, triumphed. But by that same faith, others were tortured, mocked, imprisoned, stoned, put to death, destitute and afflicted, of whom the world was not worthy. And the passage notes that these all, commended for their faith, did not receive the promise in their lifetime. Faith led some to visible triumph, and others to suffering and death.

Notice that both the triumph and the suffering flowed from faith. We tend to think of faith as leading to visible victory, deliverance, triumph; and sometimes it does, as with those who conquered and escaped. But the same faith led others to be tortured and killed, to suffer and die without receiving the promise. Their faith was no less real, no less commended; it simply led, in God's purpose, to suffering rather than triumph. Faith does not always bring visible victory; sometimes it brings suffering, and it is faith still.

That is worth taking to heart, for we can wrongly measure faith by visible success, thinking that if we suffer rather than triumph, our faith must have failed. But these who suffered, who died without receiving the promise, were commended for their faith no less than those who conquered. Faith is not measured by whether it brings visible triumph; the same faith that delivers some leads others through suffering, and both are commended by God. When your faith leads you into suffering rather than triumph, do not conclude that it has failed. The faithful who were tortured and killed were commended no less than those who conquered; suffering faith is faith still. Hold to your faith whether it brings triumph or suffering, trusting that God commends the faith that endures suffering as much as the faith that conquers, and that he has prepared, for all who are his, a better thing than any earthly outcome.

Lord, this chapter describes two very different outcomes of faith: by faith some conquered and escaped, and by that same faith others were tortured, mocked, killed, of whom the world was not worthy; and these all, commended for their faith, did not receive the promise in their lifetime. Help me take to heart that both the triumph and the suffering flowed from faith. I tend to think of faith as leading to visible victory; and sometimes it does. But the same faith led others to suffer and die without receiving the promise. Their faith was no less real, no less commended; it simply led, in your purpose, to suffering rather than triumph. Faith does not always bring visible victory; sometimes it brings suffering, and it is faith still. Keep me from wrongly measuring faith by visible success, thinking that if I suffer rather than triumph, my faith must have failed. These who suffered were commended no less than those who conquered. When my faith leads me into suffering rather than triumph, keep me from concluding that it has failed. Help me hold to my faith whether it brings triumph or suffering, trusting that you commend the faith that endures suffering as much as the faith that conquers, and that you have prepared, for all who are yours, a better thing than any earthly outcome. Sustain my faith, Lord, in triumph or in suffering.