Hebrews 11:32-34

Read Hebrews 11:32-34

Helpful Background Information: 

• While the author of Hebrews is unknown, we can tell that the author is doing something with what they are saying. To start the chapter, they define what faith is “the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen” (Heb 11:1). The starts retelling the ‘classic’ Old testament stories that the readers would have been very familiar with.

• Hebrews 11 is known as “The Hall of Faith” because this chapter lists several people from the Old Testament who walked by faith at some point in their life. This chapter gives us this list not to show off what these ‘hero’s of the faith’ did, but rather what God (the true hero) did through them when they chose to walk by faith. 

• Samson gets highlighted as someone the author doesn’t even have time to talk about his faith because talking about all the people who have walked in faith would take a long time. 
  

Reflection Questions: 

• If you have extra time this week, read all of Hebrews 11. Why do you think the author chose to include Samson? What does it say about God’s character that Samson is considered to be a man that lived by faith?

  • While reading keep a list of what the person did by faith and then add in your own words how God was at hand each time.

• With the definition of faith from Hebrews 11:1, when is a time that you’ve had to apply this to a situation in your life? Did your opinion of God’s faithfulness change during that time? How can you apply this definition of faith to the things yet to come in your life?

• We can get so much encouragement from reading this chapter because we get to hear the ways the Lord works in the midst of broken people. Share a way that the Lord has worked in your life with someone or call out the faithfulness in someone else. Give them a call, send them a text or a note saying how you’ve seen the Lord at work in them.