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Hebrews 11 continues with some of Scripture’s great victories of faith. The walls of Jericho fall after Israel follows instructions that would have made little military sense to those watching from the city. Rahab trusts the word she has heard and acts accordingly. Then the writer races through Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets – people who “through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises” and saw extraordinary deliverance. Jericho also becomes a useful picture for the walls that can develop within our relationships. Resentment, hurt, and unforgiveness can build barriers one brick at a time, but rather than standing behind those walls blaming the other person, faith calls us to forgive, pray and trust God with what we cannot repair ourselves.
If Hebrews 11 were to stop halfway through verse 35, however, we could easily develop a seriously distorted understanding of faith. We might conclude that enough faith always results in healing, prosperity, deliverance or the earthly outcome for which we prayed. But the chapter deliberately continues: “Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection.” Others endured mocking, imprisonment, violence, homelessness and persecution. Scripture does not present these believers as people whose faith failed. Quite the opposite. Hebrews says they obtained a good testimony through faith and even declares that “the world was not worthy” of them. Their suffering was not evidence that they lacked faith.
This gives us one of the most important distinctions in the entire series. Sometimes God gives victory over the circumstance – walls fall, prayers are answered, and deliverance comes in a way we can clearly see. At other times He gives victory through the circumstance – the difficulty remains, yet the believer is strengthened to endure faithfully without abandoning Christ. Biblical faith does not attempt to force God into producing the outcome we want. We may bring our requests boldly before the throne of grace, but we ultimately pray as Jesus did: “Nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” Our confidence is not that God must do what we ask, but that He remains good and faithful whatever He determines.
That brings the four-part message back to where it began. Faith is “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”. Our ultimate hope is not a trouble-free life here, but Christ and the resurrection life He has promised. James therefore tells believers to count trials as joy because the testing of faith produces perseverance and maturity. Hardship gives us somewhere to practise what we say we believe. Whether God removes the trial or carries us through it, faith keeps looking beyond the visible circumstance towards Him. Our victory is not finally measured by whether life unfolded as we hoped. Our victory is to remain faithful to Christ, trusting His promises all the way home.
Part 4 completes the series with four important truths:
1. Faith can see walls fall.
Jericho demonstrates God’s power to accomplish what His people could not accomplish themselves. The practical application extends to the relational walls that can grow through hurt, resentment and unforgiveness.
2. Faith sometimes produces visible earthly victory.
Hebrews 11 records kingdoms subdued, promises obtained, lions silenced, fire quenched and people delivered from danger.
3. Faith is not measured by whether we receive the outcome we wanted.
The same chapter immediately describes believers who suffered, were imprisoned, persecuted and killed – yet Scripture praises their faith.
4. Faith can give victory through the trial.
The believer’s ultimate hope reaches beyond present circumstances to resurrection and the heavenly promise God has prepared.
The key distinction for the whole message is:
Sometimes God gives us victory over our circumstances. Sometimes He gives us the faith to walk victoriously through them.
Read Hebrews 11:30-40 without stopping at the accounts of miraculous deliverance. Consider both groups of believers – those who saw circumstances dramatically change and those who remained faithful while suffering continued. Then ask yourself: is my confidence in God dependent upon Him giving me the outcome I want, or can I still say in faith, “Your will be done”?
