Hebrews 11:36-37
"And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, (for their trust) yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented:"
Not a pretty picture is it? But that’s too often been the lot of the believers. All you have to do is go back and read a book like Fox’s Book of Martyrs. Man it’s frightening what Christians have gone through for their faith. Then what we have to ask ourselves is, "Could we do it? If all of a sudden we were confronted with torture or recanting, could we stand?" This is the lesson - that God is able to keep the believer, receiver of Him by faith, through whatever his circumstances, be they good or bad. Verse 38.
Hebrews 11:38a
"(Of whom the world was not worthy:)…"
So why did they do it? Because, as we saw earlier in the chapter, not because of the recompense of the reward in eternity. As many have wrongly assumed and taught. But because of the power (resurrection power) of God and through the ontological essence Christ restored in them as they were living witnesses (testimonies) of this fact. They had received of Him, they stood strong in the evil day, the few from the very beginning.
Hebrews 11:38b
"…they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth."
Now again, if you know anything of history, even of Christendom, my, how many of the true believers were chased from mountain range to mountain range, uprooted and indeed they had to eke out a living in caves and dens. Those of the first and second century Hebrew and Gentile Christians of which the six churches in Asia Minor found in Revelation chapters 2 and 3 are but examples because they had succumb to the evil one through Religion. Evidence of these churches is being unearthed even now and they speak of the Faith in Christ which they had hung onto for the most part. This is also seen in Psalm 94:3-7 in the Septuagint LXX Greek Old Testament from which the writer is quoting here and chapter 12. Now verse 39:
Hebrews 11:39
"And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:"
All God was looking for was their trust. Yet they still did "not receive the promise." It’s almost enough to make you cry, isn’t it? In spite of all that they went through, now this is again mostly dealing primarily with the Old Testament believers. All of this suffering and yet they didn’t receive the promise. At least not in this life, because what was the promise that they were all looking for? Well, the Kingdom and city! The Heaven on earth. The Old Testament is full - how that God would rule and reign on the earth and Israel would be the top nation of the nations. That’s what they were looking for. And yet, they never saw it. Was it because they were foolish? No. Because God in His own timing is still going to bring it about. But they went through life, lived it by trust, and yet never saw those promises fulfilled on earth. Not until Christ ascended into the lower parts of the earth where He preached this kingdom gospel to the captives there held until His day, the Lords day (in His vicarious death) and resurrection power. After which He lead the captivity captive into the Holiest of all (in His first ascension, John 20:17) and there sprinkling them with His blood.(1 Peter 1:18-20, 3:18-22, Colossians 1:20) Now they’re seeing it in the eternal, of course. Verse 40:
Hebrews 11:40
"God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect."
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