God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.
The ancient faithful were commended for their faith yet did not receive the promised fulfillment in their own lifetimes, for God had provided some better thing so that they should not be made perfect apart from later believers but together with them. The verse closes a record of faithful servants and heroes through the ages who walked with God by integrity against great odds and now surround believers as a great cloud of witnesses who overcame evil as the Lord sustained them. That better thing is the heavenly country and city whose builder is God, calling the mind away from discouraging things seen to unseen things, and God has such a better thing for His people every day to give cheer and assurance in difficulty. The same faith that worked in them can work now wherever faithful hearts become channels of power, for by their fidelity they were set before the world as examples whose light still leads others to glorify God.
Promise Shared Together
Those commended for faith, including Noah, Enoch, Abraham and the other ancient faithful, obtained a good report through faith yet did not receive the promised fulfillment during their lives. They walked with God by faith, maintained integrity against great odds in times no more favorable to righteous character than the present, reached greater and still greater heights of faith, and honored God by a faith justified by works. God provided some better thing for later believers, so that the earlier faithful should not be made perfect without them but together with them in a shared fulfillment of the promise.
That better thing involves turning the mind from discouraging things that are seen to unseen things and seeking a better country, the heavenly city whose builder and maker is God. God has some better thing for His people every day, and remembering this gives cheer and assurance in times of difficulty and perplexity.
Faithful Witnesses Remembered
Hebrews 11:40 closes a chapter that is a record of faithful servants and heroes of faith through the ages. Those heroes are marked throughout by fidelity to God. The record spans from age to age, gathering the ancient faithful into one account.
The ancients named there, including Noah, Enoch, and Abraham with the other faithful, walked with God by faith. They maintained integrity against great odds in times no more favorable to righteous character than the present. They reached greater and still greater heights of faith and honored God by a faith justified by works. Those described, including those of this verse, surround believers as a great cloud of witnesses. They breasted the evils and difficulties in their way and in the Lord's name braced themselves successfully against the opposing forces of evil, being sustained and strengthened as the Lord held them by the hand.
Later believers stand alongside the ancient worthies. The principles for which the ancients were commended continued to be exemplified after the apostolic age. This continuity was seen in the life of Joseph Bates.
Encouragement for Today
The faith that worked in God's servants in sacred history can work in believers now, for God will work wherever faithful hearts become channels of His power. The ancient faithful and believers now are joined together in His purpose, so what was accomplished through them then can be accomplished through people now. By their fidelity to God they were set conspicuously before the world as examples, that their light might shine forth to reach those in darkness. That visible witness of obedience leads others to glorify God, and their steadfast integrity is to encourage all who follow the Lord till the end of time.
Their faithfulness continues in those who live self-denying lives, submit their will to God, and serve from love in seeking to do good and save souls. The instruction of the chapter belongs in a practical way to workers in the cities. They are to go forward in faith, watching, working, and praying, trusting that God will hear them and gaining thereby an experience valuable for their future work.
The ancient faithful were commended for their faith yet did not receive the promised fulfillment in their own lifetimes, for God had provided some better thing so that they should not be made perfect apart from later believers but together with them.
The verse closes a record of faithful servants and heroes through the ages who walked with God by integrity against great odds and now surround believers as a great cloud of witnesses who overcame evil as the Lord sustained them.
That better thing is the heavenly country and city whose builder is God, calling the mind away from discouraging things seen to unseen things, and God has such a better thing for His people every day to give cheer and assurance in difficulty.
The same faith that worked in them can work now wherever faithful hearts become channels of power, for by their fidelity they were set before the world as examples whose light still leads others to glorify God.
Promise Shared Together
Those commended for faith, including Noah, Enoch, Abraham and the other ancient faithful, obtained a good report through faith yet did not receive the promised fulfillment during their lives. They walked with God by faith, maintained integrity against great odds in times no more favorable to righteous character than the present, reached greater and still greater heights of faith, and honored God by a faith justified by works. God provided some better thing for later believers, so that the earlier faithful should not be made perfect without them but together with them in a shared fulfillment of the promise.
That better thing involves turning the mind from discouraging things that are seen to unseen things and seeking a better country, the heavenly city whose builder and maker is God. God has some better thing for His people every day, and remembering this gives cheer and assurance in times of difficulty and perplexity.
Faithful Witnesses Remembered
Hebrews 11:40 closes a chapter that is a record of faithful servants and heroes of faith through the ages. Those heroes are marked throughout by fidelity to God. The record spans from age to age, gathering the ancient faithful into one account.
The ancients named there, including Noah, Enoch, and Abraham with the other faithful, walked with God by faith. They maintained integrity against great odds in times no more favorable to righteous character than the present. They reached greater and still greater heights of faith and honored God by a faith justified by works. Those described, including those of this verse, surround believers as a great cloud of witnesses. They breasted the evils and difficulties in their way and in the Lord's name braced themselves successfully against the opposing forces of evil, being sustained and strengthened as the Lord held them by the hand.
Later believers stand alongside the ancient worthies. The principles for which the ancients were commended continued to be exemplified after the apostolic age. This continuity was seen in the life of Joseph Bates.
Encouragement for Today
The faith that worked in God's servants in sacred history can work in believers now, for God will work wherever faithful hearts become channels of His power. The ancient faithful and believers now are joined together in His purpose, so what was accomplished through them then can be accomplished through people now. By their fidelity to God they were set conspicuously before the world as examples, that their light might shine forth to reach those in darkness. That visible witness of obedience leads others to glorify God, and their steadfast integrity is to encourage all who follow the Lord till the end of time.
Their faithfulness continues in those who live self-denying lives, submit their will to God, and serve from love in seeking to do good and save souls. The instruction of the chapter belongs in a practical way to workers in the cities. They are to go forward in faith, watching, working, and praying, trusting that God will hear them and gaining thereby an experience valuable for their future work.