24. Others’ Faith

Posted on Posted in Sermon Notes, Prayer Meeting Tagged with , , , ,

Hymns: 542 Saved by Grace, 445 O Master, Let Me Walk with Thee, 411 Stand Up for Jesus

Hebrews 11:35b-40 (KJV)

 KJV Hebrews 11:35b … and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: 36And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: 37They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; 38(Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. 39And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: 40God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect. (Heb. 11:35b-40 KJV)

 The Others’ Faith

OUTLINE

(1) Suffered Without Recourse

(2) Suffered Without a Better Promise

 

INTRODUCTION

We have studied the faith of men whom God by His miraculous power delivered them. But there are those who were not delivered by miraculous acts of God. These suffered and perished for holding on to their faith even unto death. These men of old are being singled out for being count worthy to suffer for righteousness’ sake.

10Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 12Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.(Matt. 5:10-12 KJV)

The word “others” is the Greek word “allos” which means “another of the same kind”. These prophets exercised faith, had the gumption to stand for their faith, without seeing their deliverance. Although, they became the target of mocking, scourging, and eventually death, they were steadfast in their faith.

The prophet Jeremiah suffered much. He was imprisoned and left without sustenance to perish. The prophet Isaiah was sawn in two as Jewish tradition tells us. The Apostle Paul suffered imprisonment, stoning, and died a martyr’s death.

They were very clear in their hearts, absent in the body, present with the Lord. They have the strength of faith to count it all joy to suffer for Christ’s sake. They look for a better reward, a heavenly reward as Jesus promised – great shall be your reward in heaven. This earthly life is valued in the light of eternity and therefore lived in the light of eternity.

(1) Suffered with Recourse

… and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: 36And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: 37They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; 38(Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

 These were not vindicated in their lifetime on earth. They took hold of the truth of the resurrection that death is not the end all for the child of God but the beginning of eternal blessing. They were willing to suffer it and trust God to vindicate theirs even after death.

The physical sufferings described here tremendous and yet they were willing to endure to the end.

Jeremiah suffered and endured different forms of incarceration (Jer. 20:1–6; 37:15).

KJV Jeremiah 20:1Now Pashur the son of Immer the priest, who was also chief governor in the house of the LORD, heard that Jeremiah prophesied these things. 2Then Pashur smote Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that were in the high gate of Benjamin, which was by the house of the LORD. 3And it came to pass on the morrow, that Pashur brought forth Jeremiah out of the stocks. Then said Jeremiah unto him, The LORD hath not called thy name Pashur, but Magormissabib.4For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will make thee a terror to thyself, and to all thy friends: and they shall fall by the sword of their enemies, and thine eyes shall behold it: and I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall carry them captive into Babylon, and shall slay them with the sword. 5Moreover I will deliver all the strength of this city, and all the labours thereof, and all the precious things thereof, and all the treasures of the kings of Judah will I give into the hand of their enemies, which shall spoil them, and take them, and carry them to Babylon. 6And thou, Pashur, and all that dwell in thine house shall go into captivity: and thou shalt come to Babylon, and there thou shalt die, and shalt be buried there, thou, and all thy friends, to whom thou hast prophesied lies.(Jer. 20:1-6 KJV)

 15Wherefore the princes were wroth with Jeremiah, and smote him, and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe: for they had made that the prison.(Jer. 37:15 KJV)

William MacDonald observed well, “Uriah the prophet paid this price for his faithful proclamation of God’s message to King Jehoiakim” (Jer. 26:23).

23And they fetched forth Urijah out of Egypt, and brought him unto Jehoiakim the king; who slew him with the sword, and cast his dead body into the graves of the common people. (Jer. 26:23 KJV)

(2) Suffered without a Better Promise

39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: 40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

The suffering church in Smyrna were promised a crown of life having overcome they shall receive a crown of life. They were faithful unto death. Though they were poor in the things of this world, they were rich toward God.

8And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive; 9 I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.10Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. 11He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.(Rev. 2:8-11 KJV)

These saints have seen the fulfilment of Christ’s ministry, His life, death and resurrection and the promise of His return. But the Old Testament saints who suffered did not have the privilege of the promises of the New Covenant fulfilled in Christ. They looked forward vaguely with little knowledge of God’s blessed future promises yet it did not deter them to exercise faith.

– Verse 9a I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty…

I know fully what you are going through. I know thy works I can see what is going on in your life. This knowledge that our Lord claims is the verb that describes a fullness of knowledge. Nothing escapes His watchful care, assuring them He is well aware of the sufferings that they were going through.

The word “tribulation” literally means pressure, a pressing togetheris the literal meaning describing suffering brought on by outward circumstances – affliction, oppression and trouble, distress and anxiety of heart characterized the affliction. The church in Symrna was facing intense pressure for their faithfulness to Jesus Christ, their Lord.

There was a large marble statue of Caesar was prominently displayed and every citizen was commanded to bow and annually worship Caesar by publicly offering a pinch of incense there, just like Daniel’s three friends who were exiles in Babylon during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian king who destroyed Jerusalem in 586 B.C.

Those who refused were usually executed. The Roman Emperor Domitian who was infamous for his hatred and widespread persecution of Christians. Church historians have recorded that in Smyrna there were mass executions of Christians who refused to worship Caesar.  So, Smyrna was not an easy place to be a Christian where annually every believer had to choose between saying, “Jesus is Lord,” or, “Caesar is Lord.”

Walking with God in Symrna required courage, exceptional courage as in the case of Daniel’s three friends, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Yet not delivered!

Faith triumphs over fear. Faith is the victory. There is a great prison trial awaiting the faithful believers in Symrna. They would be cast into prison but what did Jesus say to them? Your trial will not be forever, endure, it will end soon. He assured them that He knew the devil’s plans and was in complete control of the situation. Ten days denotes “a brief time”. The important matter was their faithfulness, to stand true to Christ no matter what the government might threaten to do. A crown of life awaits the winner of the annual athletics games. Smyrna was a participant just like the SEA Games or the Asian Games here. They winner, just like the faithful believer will be rewarded. The crown is the symbol of victory and honour as the victor’s crown that is most likely alluded to.

James 1:12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

It does not mean that faithfulness is a means of earning eternal life but that such perseverance through suffering furnishes tangible assurance that they will receive eternal life through their faith in Christ (Walvoord). The approved believer will receive “the crown of life”, eternal life as the final consummation of our salvation in eternity. This crown consists of eternal life in the full and final sense of it. It is God’s gracious reward to those who have rendered fit for that life by their approved character.[1]

This account teaches us valuable lessons about God’s power and care for His children.

Jesus said in John 16:33 “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

Be of good cheer is to be of good courage, be strong in the power of His might. He is able. Abiding peace and enduring courage are the lot of the faithful. We close with this little picture of how needful it is for us to rest in the power of our God.

Two painters each painted a picture to illustrate his concept of rest. The first chose for his scene a still, lone lake among far-off mountains. The second threw on his canvas a thundering waterfall, with a fragile birch tree bending over the foam; at the fork of a branch, almost wet with the cataract’s spray, a robin sat on its nest. The first was only Stagnation but the last was Rest. For in rest there are two elements – tranquillity and energy; silence, turbulence; fearfulness and fearlessness. –Drummond

CONCLUSION

Thank God for helping us to see how God honoured those who suffered without recourse and those who suffered with a better promise. We have been equipped with the entire canon of faith in the New Testament besides the Old Testament. We have more sure promises from God, may we exercise faith to trust God, whatever may be the outcome, trusting God to order all things well for His glory. Amen.

[1]D. Edmont Hiebert, James, BHM Books, 1992, 83-84.