The
writer of Hebrews shared many of the conquests of people who
exercised “faith”
such as, “quenching the violence of fire, escaping the
edge of the sword, being strong in weakness, valiant in flight and
turning to flight the armies of the aliens”
. In chapter eleven and verse thirty-five of Hebrews the
writer shares more conquests of
those who exercised “faith” where we read:
Women
received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured,
not
accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:
The
verse begins, “Women received their dead raised to life
again:”. The writer began with
the words, “Women”
which means “females of any age, whether a virgin, married or a
widow” “received”
or “claimed, procured, laid hold of and possessed” “their
dead” which means “those who
breathed their last who were lifeless, deceased, departed and
inanimate” “raised to life again”
or “restored, resurrected and made to live again”. “Women”
who had “faith”
laid hold of their loved ones who were raised to life again.
The
verse goes on to say, “and others were tortured, not
accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better
resurrection:”. The writer
continued with the words, “and others” or
“other people” “were tortured”
which means “beat with the drum, timbrel, tympanum or instrument of
punishment”, “not accepting” or
“not receiving or getting access to” “deliverance”
which means “release effected by payment of ransom, redemption or
liberation”; “that they might obtain”
or “so they would hit the mark, reach, attain, get or become master
of” “a better”
which means “a more useful, serviceable, advantageous and
excellent” “resurrection”
or “raising up or rising”. These people of “faith”
referred to by the writer of Hebrews did not receive immediate
blessings but were “tortured” without “escape” because they
knew there would be a “more serviceable and advantageous”
“resurrection”
afforded them.
When
we meditate upon these words in Hebrews, we notice on the one hand
huge immediate “blessing” - women receiving their “dead
raised to life again”, but on the other hand, others were
“tortured” for their “faith”. Unless we have an
“eternal” perspective, we will think this unfair or at the lease
wonder what the difference was for the believers. God is sovereign,
and He decides what shall happen to everyone. Our “faith”
is to be in Him regardless of the results, and that is very difficult
for many people. Jesus Christ came into this world to offer salvation
and eternal life to all who will believe, and this belief has cost
many their lives.
Next
time the writer shares how ”others
had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings”,
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.
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