A Faithless Worshiper
The second person named in this biblical
hall of faith is Cain (v. 4), and not in a favorable way. He is mentioned in
contrast to his brother Abel, who “offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice” (ESV).
Seeing that Abel’s offering was “by faith,” and faith is fostered by listening
to and heeding God’s word (Rom. 10:17), the implication is that Cain either
blatantly or carelessly disregarded the revealed will of God. An offering of mere
convenience, innovation, or outright rebellion is unacceptable. We learn from
Cain that worship must never be dictated by human preference and ingenuity. Acceptable
worship is by faith, and true faith can only be established on what the Lord has communicated through his
word.
A Faithless Majority
The general populace of Noah’s day is
alluded to in Hebrews 11:7, condemned because of their failure to exhibit the kind
of faith and righteousness that characterized the lives of Noah and his family.
Noah’s contemporaries, alienated from God due to their wickedness, were afforded ample
opportunity to heed the preaching of Noah (2 Peter 2:5). Sadly, all but eight
persistently rejected the invitation to get on board the divine plan until it
was too late. We learn from these foolish souls that God’s longsuffering has
its limits, and refusing or postponing submissive faith is disastrous.
A
Faithless Temperament
In verse 20 of Hebrews 11 Esau is named in
conjunction with his father Isaac and twin brother Jacob. While neither Isaac
nor Jacob were faultless, their priority of faith afforded them a special place
in God’s redemptive scheme. Esau, on the other hand, was an “unholy” (ESV) or
“profane” (NKJV) person because his spiritual apathy made immediate and
temporal gratification his priority (Heb. 12:16; cf. Gen. 25:34). We learn from Esau
that to live with little regard for heavenly things is to lead a disappointing
and wasted life.
A
Faithless Resolve
Pharaoh and the worldly Egyptians are
alluded to in Hebrews 11:23-29, opposing the divine will and oppressing the
people of God. When the LORD made
demands of Pharaoh that he didn’t like, Pharaoh reacted with stubbornness and
pride. While God’s words and actions softened
the hearts of Moses and the Israelites, Pharaoh’s heart was hardened. One was stimulated
to faith, while the other retorted with anger and rebellion. We learn from Pharaoh and his cohorts that you can’t fight
against God with a realistic expectation of victory. Resisting the Lord always
ends in defeat.
A Faithless Response
In verse 31 of Hebrews 11 we read of the
ancient inhabitants of Jericho. Rahab is portrayed as a heroine of faith, whereas
her neighbors are described as “disobedient.” In contrast to Rahab’s
receptivity and compliance, her fellow-citizens were resistant and defiant. By
faith Rahab and her family were spared and added to God’s family, while all
others in the city were destroyed. We learn from the Jericho residents that obedient faith is the necessary response to God, without which
sure destruction awaits.
Conclusion
There are many lessons to learn from Hebrews 11 about faith, including
negative ones. Since we cannot please God without it (v. 6), let us be
motivated by both the good and bad examples to be counted among the faithful,
“of whom the world was not worthy” (v. 38).
--Kevin
L. Moore
Related Posts: Parents of Faith, What Great Faith Looks Like
Image
credit: Robyn Nevison’s Anger,
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/a9/6a/b8/a96ab853e5ee9df2865a42d2e4dad872.jpg
No comments:
Post a Comment