Some Better Thing for Us Hebrews 11:40

“The world was not worthy” of all the people of “faith” to whom the writer of Hebrews referred even as they “all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise” of the completion of salvation. In chapter eleven and verse forty of Hebrews the writer shares how “God” has “provided some better thing for” himself and his readers where we read:

God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

The verse begins, “God having provided some better thing for us,...”. The writer began with the words, “God” which refers to “the Godhead bodily and trinity which is comprised of God the Father, Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit” “having provided” or “having foreseen or looked out beforehand and furnished in advance” “some better thing” which means “a certain more useful, serviceable, advantageous and excellent object” “for us” which refers to the Hebrew writer and his readers. “God”, according to the the author of Hebrews, has “foreseen and furnished in advance” something even greater for the writer of Hebrews and his readers.

The verse continues, “...that they without us should not be made perfect.” The writer added the words, “that they” or “lest these people of faith make perfect, complete, accomplish, finish and bring to an end” “without us” which means “not with the writer of Hebrews and his readers” “should not be made” or “could not be be completed and finished” “perfect” which means “complete, accomplished, finished and brought to an end”. The Greek phrase in this portion of the verse is, “hina mē teleioō chōris hēmōn teleioō hina mē teleioō” which let's us know the idea was to show the readers how they were important in this process of “faith” which included all these people whom the writer referred as well as himself and his readers.

When we consider these words in Hebrews, we see the importance of Jesus Christ for the “completion of salvation” for people. Both the people of “faith” referenced by the author of Hebrews and his readers were part of the “completion or finishing” of “faith” in God. God gave the readers of Hebrews and the writer himself the “fulfillment” of His promise through His Son Jesus Christ, and all who know Him as “Savior and Lord” have the “better thing” given by God. May all who read these words come to know “the better thing” through “faith” in Jesus Christ, and may we all enjoy the “promise” of “eternal life” that comes through Him.

Next time we begin a new chapter and see the writer declare how we “are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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