And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.

Hebrews 11:32-38

Our author continues his discussion of the great figures of the Old Testament and their faith, and even in saying there isn’t time to say… he says quite a lot!  Once again, all of the people he mentions put their faith into action. Each of them placed their highest priority on their covenant relationship with God. Each suffered trials and endured difficulty, just as his original readers did… just as we do. Yes, by this time it is so obvious that the whole faith vs. works argument is based upon a false premise, for the two are not in any way mutually exclusive.  To review, there is absolutely nothing that you or I could ever do to earn our salvation. Salvation is entirely by God’s grace through the work of Jesus Christ. Yet, as we pointed out here before, that is not the end of the story, it is the beginning of the story.  From that pint on, our faith as disciples of Jesus Christ is active as Jesus was active. Remember, he commanded us to love one another, and as He showed us, love is active, not passive.

These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

Hebrews 11:339-40

Chapter 11 draws to a close on a note of wonder. All of those great figures of old were commended for their faith, but none of them lived to receive the promises of God. We have received those promises; they are a present reality.  Yes, God has planned better things for us, since we don’t live in a shadow of what will come some day, we live in the reality of His very presence every day.  Those greats of the prior ages can only be perfected along with us by the blood of Christ. How appropriate that we should come to this verse today!

It seems to me that it would be altogether fitting that we should reflect on these things, that we should be encouraged by these things, and that we should give our God the thanks and praise He deserves from His people who have received these better things!