Hebrews 11:32-40
Read Hebrews 11:32-40
Helpful Background Information:
Hebrews 11 is known by many as the “Hall of Faith.” The author begins with a definition of faith (v.1) and then goes on to give example after example of individuals who lived by faith throughout redemptive history.
One can’t help but think of Daniel and his friends when Hebrews speaks of those who, through faith, “stopped the mouths of lions” (v.33) and “quenched the power of fire” (v.34). The chapter concludes by describing some of these as “men of whom the world was not worthy” (v.38), namely because they “died in faith, not receiving the things promised, but seeing them and greeting them from afar as strangers and exiles on the earth” (v.13).
In Daniel 3, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego embodied this description while living as exiles in Babylon. Their decisive refusal to bow down to idols infuriated the king and the power brokers of the land. Even when threatened and thrown into a fiery furnace, they continued to look to their God in faith, entrusting their whole selves into His hands.
These three young men were “out of tune” with what was going on around them because of the way they prioritized obedience to God. While the society all around them was living as though the present world was all there was or ever would be, the men fixed their hope on God’s faithfulness to fulfill His covenant promise. God was the one strengthening them to live like that, which reinforced the truth of their claims. They were, by their sufferings, living beacons of hope—pointing to the fact that the God who made the world (v.3) would one day come in the person of Jesus Christ to set things straight (Hebrews 12:2-3).
Reflection Questions:
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were displaced and likely disoriented by their time in exile. Have you ever been in a situation where you felt “out of place” because of your faith? Describe what that was like.
Why do you think God inspired the author of Hebrews to reference all of these different stories of faithful men and women throughout history?
Using your own words, based on the examples given in scripture, how would you describe and define what the Bible means by faith?