“Gideon,
Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets”
were among the examples employed by the writer of Hebrews to
demonstrate how “faith”
was used in their lives. In chapter eleven and verse
thirty-three of Hebrews the writer continued to share
how “through faith”
his examples made
many conquests where we read:
Who
through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness,
obtained
promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
The
verse begins, “Who through faith subdued kingdoms,
wrought righteousness,...”. The
writer began with the word, “Who”
or “those to whom the writer referred” “through
faith” which means “the
conviction of the truth of anything and belief with the predominate
idea of trust (or confidence) whether in God or in Christ which
springs from trust in the same” “subdued”
or “struggled against and overcame” “kingdoms”
which means “royal power, kingships, dominions and rules”
“wrought” or
“worked, labored, exercised, performed, committed and produced”
“righteousness”
which means “the state of him who is as he ought to be and the
condition acceptable to God”. The writer referred to those in the
past who had “conquered dominions” and worked “righteous acts”
before God.
The
verse goes on to say, “...obtained promises, stopped the
mouths of lions,”. The writer
continued with the word, “obtained” or
“chanced upon and attained” “promises”
which means “announcements of good or blessing”, “stopped”
or “fenced in, blocked, closed
and put to silence” “the mouths”
which refers to “the front or edge of the face where language and
eating takes place” “of lions”
which means “brave and mighty lions”. Those who had “faith”
“attained promises”
and some of them, such as Daniel, “closed” the “mouths
of lions”.
When
we think through these words in Hebrews, we see more of the benefits
that were given to those who had “faith”. God desires for
us to believe Him, and the writer of Hebrews has been extensive in
his examples to inspire us to do so. Jesus Christ came to die for our
sins, and we are to have “faith” that He did. These
“conquests” by the faithful may come in different fashion for us
but are nonetheless available to all who “believe” in Jesus. The
greatest “conquest” available to us is over “death” which
Jesus defeated by His death and resurrection, and now we may enjoy
the blessing of “everlasting life” when we simply “believe”
in Him. May all who read understand and have “faith”.
Next
time the writer shares how his examples ”by
faith”
“quenched the violence of
fire” and
more,
so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
No comments:
Post a Comment