Day 357 (Hebrews 11-13) - Year 6
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Hey, Bible readers, I'm Tara Lee Cobble, and I'm your host for The Bible Recap. New Testament people, we finished our 20th book today. And if you've been with us since Genesis, you just checked off book number 59.

Today we read the chapter some people affectionately refer to as the Faith Hall of Fame or the Hall of Faith, Hebrews 11. The author starts out by defining faith for us in verse 1. Faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen. This is why we'll be faithless someday, like we talked about. Because what we hoped for and were convinced of will be fully realized and seen and experienced.

This verse also points out an important distinction. Faith isn't some kind of vague feeling centered on nothing. Faith isn't good vibes and positive energy. Faith has a definite object. The Christian faith is faith in Christ. He is who our faith hopes for and is convinced of. He is who our faith points toward and rests on fully. In verse 2, the author starts unpacking information for us about how people in the Old Testament were saved by faith too. It says,

the people of old received their commendation.

The former generations were commended because of their faith in Christ too, even though they didn't know his name. They knew Yahweh, the one true God, and Jesus is God. The next several verses walk us down the hall in chronological order, starting with Abel and walking us through the stories of the Old Testament, and he even includes a woman for good measure. Shout out to Sarah. He says he could go on and on listing out the individual stories of faith, but he doesn't have time to write them all out. He

He talks about the incredible things they received and the horrible things they endured. Faith in God isn't just a faith that believes he'll bless us with what we want. It's also what empowers us to endure through trials and denials. Some of these people stopped the mouths of lions, but some of these people were sawn in too.

This is one of the reasons I'm cautious about saying phrases like, I'm believing God for X. Because that phrasing sounds like I'm demanding that God answer in the way I deem best because I've already determined what the outcome should be and if he chooses to do anything different, he's letting me down.

Wisdom and scripture point us more in the direction of saying, "I'm asking God for X and I'm believing Him." Period. Regardless. He is the object of our faith. He is what our faith terminates on. In verse 39, the author tells us these great people of faith didn't receive what was promised. When I was younger, this verse really bothered me. I pulled it out of context and held it up to God like, "Look, see? You're a liar. You didn't come through for them." But that's not what the verse is saying.

These people hoped in the Messiah, but they died before he was born. He still came. The promise was still fulfilled for them. They just didn't see it.

In chapter 12, God says all these people from the Old Testament testify to the fact that God is true and Jesus is worth it. They know it now fully because they're in his presence. And with them as our examples of what it looks like to walk in faith, he calls us to throw off what encumbers us and entangles us and fix our focus on the finish line. Things may be challenging for us, but none of us have endured anything close to what Christ endured for us. And on top of that, God has called us his children. He calls us his children.

So sometimes we'll have to endure his discipline because every good parent disciplines their kids. His discipline is meant to heal us, not punish us. Verse 11 says discipline yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. God isn't punishing us, he's training us. If you work out, you know those can sometimes feel like the same thing, but you also know that training is where the fruit comes from. God's fruit is the muscles of peace and righteousness. Do not nickname your biceps that.

The author encourages them to walk in unity and holiness, to fight against bitterness and sexual immorality and impulsivity. He uses Esau as a reference point here, then he says something that could be really confusing. He says,

This isn't saying he wanted to repent and God wouldn't forgive him. Peter committed a much more serious sin against Jesus in the flesh three times, and Jesus sought him out to forgive him. We know God is forgiving. What we have to remember about this word repent is that it means to turn. Esau couldn't turn things around, even though he really wanted to. He couldn't unsell his birthright. He couldn't get the blessing back.

This section isn't here to say God will never forgive our sins. Otherwise, what's all this talk about Jesus paying for our sins? This section is here to remind us that sin has consequences. And the author is imploring his readers to take sin seriously because some of its consequences can impact you for life, even if they don't impact you for eternity.

Chapter 13 talks about things that bring a smile to God's face. Loving each other well, being kind to strangers, caring for those in need, honoring the purity of marriage, contentment, honoring our leaders, doing good, sharing, and holding to solid doctrine in our beliefs. He reminds us that all of this will be shaken someday. Both heaven and earth will be shaken. Verse 14 says, "'Here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.'"

What city is he talking about? This is a reference to the New Jerusalem, and we'll talk more about it in the days ahead.

He closes with a beautiful benediction in verses 20-21. It says, Amen.

If the burden fell on me to be able to do God's will in my own strength and discipline, I would despair. I'm far too much like the Israelites. I'm so grateful he follows that call to do God's will with the reminder that God has not only given us everything we need to do his will, but that he's actually working in us to accomplish it. What a relief! To God be the glory indeed. Today, my God shot was an 11-6.

Whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. God is a rewarder of those who seek him. And if you're seeking him, then what's the best reward you could get? The thing you're seeking. When we seek him, he rewards us with more of himself. Nothing is better and nothing lasts longer and nothing else can't be taken away. He is the rewarder and he is the reward. And he's where the joy is.

Tomorrow we'll be reading Paul's second letter to Timothy. Check out the seven minute video overview in the show notes. Okay, Bible readers, it's time for our weekly check-in. I know I said it in my God shot, but I just want to emphasize this again. Hebrews 11, 6 is talking to us. The Lord, the God of the universe, says he rewards those who seek him. And that's what you're doing here every day. Some of you for almost a full year or longer, you're seeking him in his word. And when we do this, we

We get more of Him, which is the best possible reward. We've only got one more weekly check-in left in this trip through the Bible, but I want you to keep getting rewarded even after that, don't you? So why don't you plan to start all over with us again on January 1st?

By the way, you can probably expect that these last eight days are going to be a little bit challenging. I mean, we've got Revelation on deck soon, but you can also expect those last eight days to be beautiful. So I'm praying you'll finish strong. We'll see you back here tomorrow.