“All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth.” Hebrews 11:13 NLT
The Bible does a great job revealing mysteries and explaining itself. Hebrews is the classic example of how this works. Hebrews 11 is the hall of faith-fame giving us both context, explanation and shout outs for famous Old Testament people. It’s quite the list!
In this chapter we also discover truth about some tricky passages dating back thousands of years. For instance, Hebrews gives us the reason God rejected Cain’s (the first born son of Adam and Eve) offering. “It was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God than Cain did. Abel’s offering gave evidence that he was a righteous man, and God showed his approval of his gifts.” Comments about Moses that clear up our questions about extraordinary risk by Jochebed to protect her baby and why Moses was so angry about his origin story! “It was by faith that Moses’ parents hid him for three months when he was born. They saw that God had given them an unusual child, and they were not afraid to disobey the king’s command. It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.” Even the reason for Rahab, a Canaanite prostitute, would not just be mentioned but also become part of the lineage of Jesus himself. She was not only a Gentile, but her people were enemies of Israel.
All of these people are heralded and celebrated as faith heroes, yet Hebrews calls them foreigners and nomads. It just reminds me that my lineage, as crummy as it was, is very much a part of God’s grand story. When I read the whole Bible and let the entire Word of God speak for itself, I find that folks like me are not just normal but welcomed and expected to be a part of God’s plan.
The warning for all of us, when we take God’s Word out of context and force it to say something that benefits us or allows us to take advantage of others, it is absolutely WRONG!!! God will hold those who do so accountable for misrepresenting Him – leaders, preachers, pastors and self-absorbed speakers beware. God will not be mocked.
Prayer
Dad,
For sure, I am so happy that “my kind,” the illegitimate, broken, outliers of faith are included and highlighted in this grand story of faith and redemption of humankind. However, those who have misinterpreted your Word to favor themselves and mistreat others is such a grievous behavior. Forgive them. Forgive us for being so cavalier with the Word. Forgive us for wrongfully mishandling the Lord Jesus Christ himself, the Logos, the living Word. For all who teach will be held accountable.