Resource Detail

The World Was Not Worthy Of Them

(Faith that overcomes the world)

Hebrews 11:32-40

Key Verse 11:38a

Read verses 32-38. What does this passage tell us about the work of faith? 

Consider each of the heroic examples of faith (exploits) in Column “A” below.  Fill in Column “B” with modern day examples (or applications) to match each exploit.

Verse 38a reads, “[T]he world was not worthy of them.” In what respect was the world not “worthy” of them? 

Read verses 39 and 40. What does “something better” refer to? What does it mean for one to be made “perfect”? 

The World Was Not Worthy of Them
(Faith that Overcomes the World)

Hebrews 11:32-40
Key verse 11:38a"...the world was not worthy of them."

Today's passage is the conclusion of Hebrews 11. So far, the author of Hebrews has walked us through the first six books of the Bible, talking about the faith of great servants of God like Abraham and Moses. Yet that leaves more than thirty books in the Old Testament alone that have yet to be covered. In today's passage, the author of Hebrews summarizes the faith of God's servants as revealed in those remaining books. The key point of this passage is that those who live by faith live victorious lives. Do you want to live a victorious life? If so, pay careful attention to what the Holy Spirit is saying through this passage.

Part 1. Their Weakness Was Turned to Strength

In this passage, we see that those who live by faith are victorious over this world in two basic ways. First, in verses 32-35a, we see that those who lived by faith were victorious over challenges that stood in the way of God's will being done. They gave glory to God. God used them to accomplish his will. Second, in verses 35b-38, we see that those who lived by faith were victorious over this world by remaining faithful to God to the end despite sufferings and loss in this world.

First, let's consider the first part of the passage. Look at verses 32-35a:
"And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again."

The author of Hebrews says that he could go on and on talking about the faith of God's servants as recorded in the Bible. There are so many good examples. But he didn't have time, and it wasn't necessary. Already, we have seen many examples of the great importance of living by faith. So the author of Hebrews summarizes the other examples. 

The author mentions the following people: Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets. What did they do? They:
-conquered kingdoms
-administered justice
-gained what was promised
-shut the mouths of lions
-quenched the fury of the flames
-escaped the edge of the sword
-whose weakness was turned into strength
-became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies
-women received back their dead, raised to life again

In this passage, the author of Hebrews shows that living by faith is the key to living a victorious life. How does faith result in a victorious life? Let's take a look at a few of the people mentioned in the passage. Let's start with Gideon. Gideon lived about a hundred years after the death of Joshua. At that time, the people had turned away from God and worshiped idols. God disciplined them by letting the Midinaites oppress them. When the people cried out to God, God called a man named Gideon to lead the Israelites to fight against the Midianites. At first, Gideon's army was 30,000 men strong. But God said to him, "You have too many men for me to deliver Midian into their hands. In order that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her, announce now to the people, 'Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave..." So twenty two thousand left, and only 10,000 remained! But God said, "There are still too many men." Eventually, only three hundred men were left! How many Midianties were there? The Bible says there were so many that it was impossible to count! But Gideon had faith in God. Even with only 300 men, he attacked the Midianites and God gave victory to the Israelites.

This shows us that faith results in victory because faith equals trusting in God. And God is reliable. God is also able to give vicotry to thsoe who have faith in him. When we rely on God, God reveals his glory thorugh us. The more the odds are against us, the greater the opportunity there is to reveal God's glory.

We see the same truth in the example of David. By faith, David faced Goliath. Goliath was an enemy of the Israelites; he stood over nine feet tall; the iron point of his spear alone weighed about fifteen pounds. He was so scarry that all of the Israelite warriors ran away from him when he came out on the field looking for a challenger. But when David saw Goliath, he was not afraid. He faced Goliath wilth only a slingshot a few smooth stones. David said to Goliath, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. ... All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the Lord's and he will give all of you into our hands." By faith, David killed Goliath.

In both of these examples, we see how God turned weakness into strength and gave victory to his servants.  David had faith that God is greater than Goliath; he believed that God is powerful and that God was fighting for Israel. He put his trust in God, not in himself. The same goes for Gideon. The same goes for many other great heroes of faith. And it wasn't just that God is able to do it, but it was also that this brought glory to God and revealed that God is God. How does God reveal himself? God reveals himself by making turning weakness to strength. Again, God turns weakness to strength in order to (a) accomplish his will and (b) reveal himself. These victories were not for the glory of Gideon or David; they were for the glory of God. They also were victories that brought salvation to oppressed people. The purpose of these victories was to bring people back to God. The people should see that it was God who saved them.

How does faith come into the picture? Those who have faith trust in God and not in the visible reality. Those who have faith also want to reveal God's glory.

So we see this truth: Those who live by faith in God experience victories for the glory of God.

Practically, we learn that faith equals reliance on God rather than human strength. Why? First, because this brings glory to God, revealing that it is God who is working. If your heart is set on the Lord, then not only will you rely on God when you have to, but you will rely on God because you want God's name to be glorified.

Part 2. The World Was Not Worthy of Them

Look at verses 35b-38:
Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. 36Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. 37They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— 38the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.

In the second part of this passage, it seems that we find a very different message about the life of faith. In the first part of the passage, we saw that faith brings great victories, glory to God, and salvating for God's people. But here we see that those who have faith go through many terrible sufferings because of their faith. The passage even says that those who had faith were stoned, sawed in two, and put to the sword because of their faith. This doesn't seem like a very good deal.

Yet the passage also says that "the world was not worthy of them." This suggests that there was something glorious even in the sufferings of these servants. And the fact is that those who suffered this way did so voluntarily. They could have avoided these sufferings by renouncing thier faith in God. They could have chosen to live much more comfortable lives. Yet, in each of these cases, the saints endured sufferings, hardships, and persecutions for God's sake, believing that it was better to be faithful to God. They had resurrection faith. They believed in God even though it cost them everything.

Some people think that if they have faith everything will go well. But this passage shows that many people who have faith suffer because of their faith. They are sawed in two. What good did their faith do them? They will receive a better resurrection. They put their hope in the kingdom of God.

***

Look at verse 32: "And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets,..." The author of Hebrews could have easily written much more about the faith of God's servants throughout the whole Bible. But he didn't have enough time for that, and it wasn't necessary. He had already made his point clear: the point is that the one thing all of God's servants found in the Bible have in common is that they lived by faith in God. What was it that made Abraham a great man of God? Faith. What was it that made Moses a great man of God? Faith. What was it that made Gideon, or David, or Samuel great men of God? Faith. How can you live as a servant of God? Faith.


What does it practically mean to live by faith? That is what the rest of this passage talks about. Let's look at verses 33-34:
"who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies."

Those who lived by