The Old Testament is filled with stories of faith. Two great examples come from the events surrounding the early conquest of the promised land (Hebrews 11:30-31). It is by faith that the walls of Jericho fell (Joshua 6:1-21). A great city with broad walls could have only been destroyed through faithful obedience to God and his servant. The Israelites showed their complete trust in God and his promises when they marched around the city as directed. Rahab’s faith in God’s power moved her to hide the spies (Joshua 2:1-21). She and her family were not destroyed along with the city of Jericho. She became the wife of Salmon and bore a son named Boaz, both of whom are included in the Messianic line (Matthew 1:5).
The inspired writer went on to explain that he could go on but would stop for lack of time. He then listed several men of faith who would be familiar to his readers (Judges 6:11-18; 4:1-5; 13:1-16; 31; 1 Samuel 16:1-1 Kings 2:12; 1 Samuel 1:1-7). Through faith Barak conquered the Canaanites (Judges 4:4-24), Gideon defeated the Midianites (Judges 7:1-23), Jephthah subdued the Ammonites (Judges 11:1-33) and Samson slew the Philistines (Judges 13:24-16:31). Fudge says Samuel and David both “wrought righteousness by the public administration of divine justice” (2 Samuel 8:15; Psalm 101). Canaan was received because of faith (Joshua 21:43-45; 1 Kings 8:56). The lions mouths were stopped because of Daniel’s faith (Daniel 6).
Fire’s violence was quenched for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Daniel 3). Elijah "escaped the edge of the sword” (1 Kings 19), as did Elisha and Jeremiah (2 Kings 6; Jeremiah 36). Gideon would fit the remainder of the descriptions (Hebrews 11:32-34). Fudge notes the case of the widow of Zarephath (I Kings 17:17ff.), the Shunamite woman (2 Kings 4:17ff.), and Eleazar, the scribe of 2 Maccabees 6:18-31, as some of the characters referred to in Hebrews 11:35. These could have escaped the pain and suffering they endured had they been willing to deny God. Instead, they chose to suffer and be raised to a heavenly home later. Some of the hardships they had to endure are listed in verse 36. This could have been an encouragement for people who were also to face times of trial. Milligan mentions the mockings of Samson (Judges 16:25) and the beatings, bonds and imprisonment of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 20:2, 7; 32:2-3). He then went on to site 2 Chronicles 24:20-22; the works of Josephus; Jeremiah 26:23; 1 Kings 17:3-9; 19:3-14; and other accounts of the prophets’ lives to show some of the other things described by the writer (Hebrews 11:37).
The lives of these men and women of faith set them above the people around them, much like Noah who was also a man of faith (Genesis 6-9). The writer went on to conclude this brief commentary on their lives by noting all of these people lived by faith, yet none of them saw the promised coming of the Messiah. Despite that fact, they lived lives of good report and were known for their acts of faith.
The Hebrew Christians, to whom the book was written, had a better thing provided for them. They had seen, or knew of, the coming of the Messiah and they had a better covenant (Luke 10:24). Their sins could not be completely removed without Christ, but neither could the men of faith fully reach perfection until Christ had died. So, the men of faith were faithful to the end, yet Christians have something better than they. This powerful truth is used by the writer to call on his readers, and us as well, to be at least as faithful as those listed in this great hall of faith (Hebrews 11:38-40).
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