Many of you have probably heard of the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11. Growing up in a Christian household means hearing about the Heroes of the Faith that have preceded us in history and done incredible things for the Lord.
It may surprise you to hear that every last one of these “heroes” were simply everyday people, with flaws of their own, seeking to glorify God in their lives.
Let’s dive into a couple of heroes’ stories and figure out what made them worthy of a mention in Hebrews 11.
To start off, faith is outlined in verse one of this chapter. It says, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Faith is trusting, knowing and believing in something that we cannot see or touch.
Starting off with Abraham, we see that God promised Abraham that his descendants would be numerous, and that through his offspring, the world would be saved. After years of doubt and struggling to have children, Abraham was given a son, Isaac, from the Lord. Then God told Abraham to sacrifice that son he had provided.
Hebrews 11:17 says, “By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son.”
Abraham, not knowing the outcome of the decision to obey God and sacrifice his son, was still faithful to what the Lord had asked of him.
Next, Hebrews 11:22 says, “By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones.”
Joseph was sold into slavery, wrongly accused and thrown in jail, all as a result of his brother’s actions, and yet his faith never faltered.
Near his death he asked for his bones to be taken to the promised land that the Lord had promised the Isrealites.
Lastly, Hebrews 11:31 speaks of a pagan prostitute that not only helped save the people of Israel, but also became a part of Christ’s lineage. It says, “By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.”
If the officials had found out that Rahab had lied on behalf of the Isrealites, she would have surely been killed. Regardless of the outcome, Rahab was faithful to be used as a vessel to save the Isrealites.
Faith is not false bravery or looking tough. Faith is being obedient to God’s leadings and commands regardless of the consequences. This is how these regular people, with sin struggles of their own, ended up in the “Hall of Faith.”
When we yield to what God has asked of us, and ignore the worldly consequences, we too, can be faithful in God’s eyes.
