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FAITH OVERCOMES THE WORLD

Message

FAITH OVERCOMES THE WORLD

Hebrews 11:29-40

Key Verse: 11:29

   "By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land;

    but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned."

 

    There is a geographical division in Hebrews chapter 11. The

borderline for this division is the Red Sea. Part I, verses 4-28, deals

with fathers of faith who practiced faith as a matter of life and

death. As a result, they pleased God and experienced the power of

faith. Especially, by faith, they overcame their fatalistic elements of

life and gave life-giving examples of how to live a victorious life.

Their faith pleased God. God set each of these heroes of faith as a

pillar in his salvation work and history. Part II, verses 29-40, is the

history of Israel's conquest of the promised land, beginning from

crossing the Red Sea. Here, the author deals with fathers of faith who,

by faith, fought and conquered the promised land. It is indeed

startling to know that the people of Israel, who had been too helpless

to move as a result of 430 years of life in captivity, now stood up to

fight and conquered the promised land. The people of Israel, who were

once slaves, became people of conquest when they depended on God. May

God help us to learn faith that overcomes the world.

 

I.  The acts of faith (29-31)

 

First, by faith, the people passed through the Red Sea (29). The people

of Israel were not at all fighters due to 430 years of slavery in

Egypt. But by faith they escaped Egypt and made the Exodus. At that

time, they must have felt that they were mighty warriors. Soon they

confronted another impossible task. Look at verse 29. "By faith the

people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the

Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned." This verse vividly shows

that impossible people carried out an impossible task.  As we know,

until now the Israelites had been slave people who were broken,

dispirited and powerless to do anything. It was impossible for the

600,000 Israelites to cross the Red Sea, for it was too deep and wide

to swim across and they had no boats. They were too afraid to look at

the Red Sea; it made cold sweat break out on their backs.

 

    The 600,000 Israelites could not advance because they were blocked

by the Red Sea, and at the same time, they could not retreat because

the Egyptian army was chasing them from the rear. They could not fly

away because they had no wings. They were in a boundary situation: they

had to either surrender or drown. When they heard the sound of the

Egyptian chariots, which was like the sound of a speedy whirlwind, they

immediately turned on Moses and began to complain, "Was it because

there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to

die?...Didn't we say to you in Egypt, 'Leave us alone...'" (Ex

14:11,12). They felt like dying when they looked only at their

situation.

 

    What could Moses do in this situation? Humanly speaking, he had no

way. But in God, he had a way. Moses did not say like contemporary

leaders, "Well, I will think about what I can do.  Instead, Moses

looked at God and remembered God's promises (Ex 3:12a). Moses said to

the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the

deliverance the Lord will bring you today" (Ex 14:13a). How did the

people respond? In this helpless situation, they did not remain

stubborn. They responded to Moses' words because they were obedient,

and they had no choice. His people, who had felt like dying in fear,

began to gain strength when they began to have faith in God through

Moses.

 

    When Moses raised his staff and stretched out his hand over the sea

as the Lord had commanded, the water was divided into two parts and

stood like walls. At that moment, the people could have calculated and

said, "What will we do if the water falls upon us and we are drowned?"

But they overcame their inner fear, and by faith they put their shaky

feet in the Red Sea, and passed through it as on dry land. The people

of Israel were slave people. In their slave mentality, they were used

to sitting down. They moved as much as they were whipped. But they

crossed the Red Sea as on dry land when they heard God's words through

Moses.

 

    Verse 29 also teaches us about God. God wanted his people to become

strong by overcoming their human conditions by faith. God wanted them

to experience the power of faith in God Almighty. God wanted them to

cross the Red Sea by faith. God did not let them remain as weaklings

permanently. God did not want them to remain as childish or petty

people. God wanted them to experience the power of God and to become

powerful people. God wanted them to conquer the promised land.

 

    There is a Red Sea in each person's life. If a man remains in

despair, looking at his roaring Red Sea, he will become a man of

despair and die of despair. He will suffer from all kinds of fear

throughout his lifetime and die in fear. Moreover, he cannot please

God, nor can he be a child of God. But if, by faith, he crosses his own

Red Sea, he will be called a child of God who pleases God. Let's look

at verse 29b. "...but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were

drowned." The Egyptians thought, "If these Israelite slaves can pass

through the Red Sea unharmed, so can we." So the Egyptians depended on

army force and their skill and tried to cross the Red Sea. They all

drowned. We can cross our Red Sea only by faith.

 

Second, the faith that felled the walls of Jericho (30). Here we learn

that the power of faith comes from absolute obedience to God's word.

Look at verse 30. "By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people

had marched around them for seven days." The fall of Jericho is

recorded in Joshua 6:1-20. The Israelites had crossed the Red Sea and

come into the promised land at last. They were overjoyed to put their

feet on the promised land.  But to their surprise, instead of milk and

honey in the promised land, there was an invincible fortress full of

enemies ready to shoot them down through arrow holes in the walls. It

was the well-fortified city of Jericho. They were full of dreams and

expectations of the promised land, but it was not the land they had

dreamt of. It was nothing but a battleground. Jericho was the first

enemy stronghold to conquer. The promised land was not given free of

charge. They had to conquer it to possess it.

 

    It was impossible for the Israelites to do battle and conquer the

walls of Jericho because they were not disciplined in battle. They had

no ladders to climb up the walls. They had to give up.

 

    But they could fell the walls of Jericho when they absolutely

obeyed the word of God.  God commanded them to march around the city of

Jericho once a day in complete silence for six days, and then, on the

seventh day, march around it seven times. They were to blow trumpets

and shout. What a ridiculous strategy! The strategy sounded as if it

would not scare anyone or anything away, not even a pet dog, "Mike." So

it was difficult for them to obey. There are many who say after

listening to God's word, "It's good for you, but not for me." Such

people have no respect for God's word. From God's point of view, they

are very disobedient people to God. To our surprise, the Israelites

obeyed God's instructions exactly. Then the walls of Jericho fell down

flat, making a thunderous sound. Victory was theirs when they

absolutely obeyed God's command. If they had not obeyed God's command

absolutely, they would have perished. But by faith, when they

absolutely obeyed God's command, they won the first victory in the

promised land. We learn that the greatest act of faith is to obey God's

word absolutely in an impossible situation. Then we can experience

God's victory.

 

    This event of felling the walls of Jericho changed the people of

Israel from a multitude of slaves into mighty soldiers of God. This was

a glorious work of God in his people.  Through this victory they were

convinced that by faith they could conquer the promised land. Through

this victory they could say, "God is our commander and he is our

banner!  He is our victory!" (Ex 17:15).

 

Third, "by faith the prostitute Rahab..." (31). Look at verse 31.  By

faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not

killed with those who were disobedient.  There was one woman whose

faith made the conquest of Jericho possible.  She was Rahab. The author

of Hebrews regarded the story of Rahab in the Old Testament as an

example of faith which could not be omitted. Rahab's story is recorded

in Joshua 2:1-24, and its sequel, in Joshua 6:25. When Joshua sent

spies to Jericho, Rahab welcomed them even though she was a prostitute

who lived in the city wall. She helped the spies escape. This

prostitute caused the ruin of her own country. Humanly speaking, she

was a national traitor. She was a medley of contradictions. However, in

God's history she was a woman of faith and wisdom. She staked her life

and future on her faith that the God of Israel is the Creator God. She

believed that God had given the land of Canaan into the hand of Israel.

She believed that God is the Sovereign Ruler of history. She believed

that God would do what he had planned to do. She believed that her

country was about to be conquered. She lost no time. By faith she could

immediately take a stand on God's side. Her act of faith was to stand

on God's side at a historical moment.

 

    Rahab's testimony--that God had given the city of Jericho into the

hand of Israel--convinced the spies that God was in their midst; and

the news enhanced the morale of the undisciplined Israelite soldiers

until they were filled with fighting spirit, until they won the victory

before fighting. Because of her faith that God is the Creator, Rahab

pushed aside other heroines of faith, and she was included in the

genealogy of Jesus, even though she was a Gentile prostitute.

 

II.  The power of faith (32, 33-40)

 

    Let's read verses 32-34. Here the author emphasizes the great

things that God had done through the fathers of faith. How could they

do such great things, which have startled people down through the

generations whenever we hear about them? Look at verse 32. "And what

more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak,

Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets...." Most of the

heroes of faith he mentions are judges who were used by God in the days

of the conquest of the promised land. God's people could not maintain

God's blessing because they liked the advanced cultural life of the

Canaanites and flowing milk and honey more than God. The times of the

Judges were a time when the word of God was rare (1 Sam 3:1), and

ungodly people were the absolute majority. But despite their sins and

perversion, God raised up judges to deliver them.

 

    When we study these people whom God used, we find one common factor

in them:  they were all weak people. But their weaknesses were turned

to strength when they believed in God. Faith changed them into new men.

Faith gave them victory. For example, Gideon was threshing wheat in a

winepress--a secret place where the enemy Midianites could not see him.

Gideon was the youngest son and an escape artist. In addition, he was

very fatalistic about his national situation. But an angel of the Lord

came to him and said, "Am I not sending you to fight against the

Midianites?" When Gideon heard this, he had many complaints. But when

he obeyed God's word, the power of faith began to circulate in his

soul, and he became a charismatic leader. He could defeat the

Midianites, who were as numerous as swarms of locusts. Gideon won the

battle when he obeyed God's word.

 

    Barak was supposed to be the commander-in-chief of the army of

Israel when Sisera, the general of a king in Canaan, plotted to invade

Israel with 900 chariots. Barak was too afraid to be

commander-in-chief. So he said to Deborah, "If you go with me, I will

go; but if you don't go with me, I won't go" (Jdg 4:8). So Deborah went

with him. Barak borrowed the faith of a woman, Deborah. Then he

defeated the entire army of Canaanites. May God grant us many

Deborahs!

 

    Samson was a macho man of matchless physical strength. His problem

was his lustful desire. So Samson enjoyed a foxy woman, Delilah. As a

result, his two eyes were plucked out by his enemies. He made God very

sorry. He became like a Chinese bear in a circus before the enemy

Philistines. Samson was so sorry that he had displeased God. By faith

he wanted to please God just one time in his fatalistic situation. He

had no way to please God. But he had a way; it was through his crying

out in prayer. So he prayed, "O Sovereign Lord, remember me. O God,

please strengthen me just once more..." (Jdg 16:28a). When he repented

and cried out to God for help, God returned his strength. Then Samson

began to push the two pillars of the Philistine temple. The temple

crumbled to the ground and 3,000 enemies of God were killed, and so was

Samson.

From Samson we learn that we can get the power of faith through

emergency prayer.

 

    Jephthah was the son of a prostitute; he was nihilistic and lived

like a gangster with a band of thugs under him. At that time, the

Israelites were helpless under the constant threat of the Ammonites.

But by faith the Israelites visited Jephthah, established him as their

leader and defeated the Ammonites. These warriors of faith were too

weak to do anything. But when they depended on God, they became

powerful in battle and routed foreign armies and conquered kingdoms.

 

    We learn that faith makes the weak into strong men and women. As

God s holy people, we cannot remain in our weaknesses, saying, "You

don't understand me." We must remember that God is Almighty God who

does not allow us to remain in weakness.  God sent his Son Jesus to

make us strong while we were still weak in our sins (Ro 5:8).  Those

who dwell in weakness must repent, depend on God, and experience the

power of faith.

 

    Read verses 35-40. These verses exemplify that the power of faith

is stronger than anything else, even stronger than death. By faith,

many overcame extreme persecutions, human circumstances and conditions.

By faith they overcame themselves; they also overcame the world. So the

author says in verse 38a, "..the world was not worthy of them." These

people show us that faith is stronger than the world and that God works

with men and women of faith. These people were all commended by God for

their faith.  We have many things to learn. But God wants us to learn

the faith that overcomes the world. God wants us to learn how to obey

God and become strong (40).

 

    Let's read verse 29. God gave us the Red Sea to cross over. If we

don't cross over our own Red Sea, we cannot please God. When we cross

over the Red Sea, we can please God and be a blessing to our

descendants. May God help each of us to have faith to cross our Red

Sea.

 

 

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