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David1949
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Name: David
Country: United States
State: Indiana
Birthday: 6/22/1949
Gender: Male
Interests: Family, theology, engineering, photography, & biking
Expertise: Jack of several things, master of none
Occupation: Engineering
Message: message meEmail: email me
Member Since:
1/23/2004
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| Bible Prophecy – Figuring It Out
Recent events have once again brought me in touch with people who have a highly organized and systematized method of interpreting Bible prophecy. These people by their teaching in lessons, sermons, and books give every indication of having “figured it out” and in rather intricate detail. I have definitely read and heard enough from those who have “figured it out” that it would seem that I should also by now have “figured it out.” But, I confess that I have not “figured it out.” I would readily admit that this might be an evidence of a defect in me, either an intellectual shortcoming or a stubbornness of character – possibly a combination of the two. Beyond that, I know that I am sometimes unable to see my flaws with the clarity that I should. Frankly, the flaws that I can see with clarity bother me far more than those that are somewhat veiled from my view, but I know that I have both. In this situation, the possible flaw on my part would be one of those veiled from my view because I have done and continue to do my best to not be intellectually lazy or dishonest in my consideration of the facts.
However, having said all of that, I am surely not alone in my yet incomplete quest to understand Bible prophecy, regardless of the reason. Further, it is apparent to me that I am bound by the love commanded by my Lord to extend grace to those who do believe they have it figured out – even when they seem to me arrogant in their personal knowledge, even when they seem obnoxious, and even when they make what appear to me to be leaps of logic that make the physical jumps of an Evil Knivel or other dare devils like him to be nothing in comparison. I can also hope that the ones who do have it figured out will be compelled by the same love to extend grace to me as one of the slower brothers in getting it all figured out. Based on Scripture, the mutual extension of grace that I have just described is as fundamental to being Christian as any acceptance of a theological understanding, regardless of how certain one may be of that understanding. It is in the exercise of Christian virtues that we most openly demonstrate our faith, and not in the recesses of our minds as we establish finer points of doctrine based on our current human understanding of Scripture. Jesus said:
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this (singular) all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35 NIV, emphasis mine)
The mandate for this mutual extension of love and grace is of greater importance than anything I will say in the remainder of this writing. (But I hope you will read on anyway.) Without a mutual extension of love and grace, topics such as Bible prophecy will generate ill will, rancor, and even outright division in the body of Christ. Regrettably, it already has and undoubtedly will continue to do so. It is not that the topic of Bible prophecy does not matter – it does. It is that the divine edict to love one another matters supremely.
The fact that a huge part of Scripture is prophecy (the common estimate is that about one-third of all of the Bible is prophecy) indicates that it matters to God. I want to focus on what seems to me to be a key reason why it does matter, and the reason goes beyond the mere volume of information that has been placed in the Bible about it or our ability to figure out all of the details of it.
The mere existence of Bible prophecy says something about the nature of God. It is an expression of what scholars commonly refer to as His “omniscience” – His knowing all. This is poignantly illustrated in the following quotation from Scripture:
I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. (Isa. 46:9-10 NIV)
This aspect of knowing “the end from the beginning” is indeed amazing, but God’s nature involves more than His being a super computer beyond all others with a database of knowledge that spans all times and places. That characteristic alone would make the declaration of God, “There is none like me,” true. But even beyond that, there is the detail that God is a communicator. He says, “I make known,” so while we may not know everything, He has let us in on some things that we could not have known by ourselves with our human limitations. This is truly amazing that such a great God would care enough to include us in the circle of knowledge that only He knows. But beyond all of that, there is the sovereignty of God staring us in the face – “My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.” So prophecy emphatically declares all of these things – He is an omniscient; He communicates to us, and above all, He is sovereign!
Seeing the core characteristics of God displayed brilliantly in full color through Bible prophecy is as important, if not more so, than any of the minute details of it that men think they have figured out. In fact, as I communicate with those who believe they have it figured out, I often get a strong sense that they have so focused on the details and have so honed their ability to elaborate on their view and put down opposing views that they are at risk of loosing the core truths conveyed by Bible prophecy. If it is so simple, then why do not more people agree on it? Answer: it is not that simple. It is God at work doing all that He pleases.
My recent encounter with those who convey the idea that they have “figured it out” was unique in that they take a quite different angle of approach to Bible prophecy and the resulting view is also significantly different than I have encountered previously. This difference is no small deal for I have met sincere people who feel they have figured out Bible prophecy who hold widely varying views. In most cases, there is no way to integrate their divergent views. The basic building blocks of their different views are so different, which explains why they end up with radically different conclusions about Bible prophecy. It also explains why there is no logical way to integrate their variant views. The only ways that an integrated view of Bible prophecy could be established would be for one of the parties to convince the other parties of their point of view – and that is not likely -- or for the parties to build a new view from the ground up using different building blocks – an even less likely possibility.
Modern-day Christians discussing prophecy is a great deal like Job’s three friends discussing the great misfortunes that Job experienced. There were plenty of opinions being given, but in short, none of them had a real clue about the nature of what was happening. After Job’s three friends “ran out of gas” and became quiet, a young man named Elihu spoke out of his frustration and anger at hearing all that had been said. Elihu did not have a clue about the nature of what was happening either, but he did have the good sense to recognize that he did not. So in the midst of not knowing, he issued a statement that has triggered many a devotional thought throughout the ages to draw people’s focus to God when he said:
“How great is God – beyond our understanding!” (Job 36:26 NIV)
It is interesting that the three friends of Job that are most commonly mentioned (Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar) were later chastised by God for what they said, but Elihu was not. Elihu’s point to the three friends and to Job was to show that they were foolish for thinking that they had God all figured out. What Job needed to do was reflect on God's creation as proof that God is infinitely wise – that He knows exactly what He is doing in all circumstances even when we don't. If you read the conversation of God with Job in Job 38-41, this same theme is repeated over and over again as God asks Job questions that he cannot answer, challenges him to do things that he cannot do, and keeps pointing out things that distinguish an awesome God from even one of His servants like Job. A similar New Testament Scripture expresses the same kind of exclamatory sentiments:
“Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!” (Rom. 11:33 NIV)
Our God is no simpleton, and we should not expect His plans to be simple either.
It is with this sense of awe of God’s greatness of knowledge, power, and sovereignty that I confess to a real feeling of discomfort when I am under the gun of those who think they have Bible prophecy figured out regardless of the system of interpretation that is taken by the person with the gun. The beauty of the common dispensationalist view of premillennialism is its contemporariness and its ability to always be finding modern-day fulfillments of Bible prophecy happening or about to happen as the news feeds from the Middle East pour in day by day. For the preterists who see most – if not all – Bible prophecy as having been already fulfilled, the beauty of their position is its simplicity. Almost everything that might be made to be yet future by other positions is interpreted to apply to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. Forgive me for generalizing these positions that usually take books to explain, and forgive me if I have not even mentioned a view that you hold. The fact that any of the systematized views take books to explain and the ability for me to end up with encapsulations as I have given them should give us all pause. It seems to me that any position that prides itself on having spun all the pieces of the puzzle together to make them fit is at high risk of loosing a sense of awe of the Almighty. And for me, that is no small risk.
Each of the views has their “beauty” – as I have termed it – meaning their appealing characteristics, but real beauty in the creation of God is always more elaborate and glorious than beauty that we fully observe or create. I may try to paint a sunset, but I cannot fully capture the span and intensity of colors that God has placed in a sunset by virtue of His having created it. Even if I could capture all of the color information in a beautiful sunset, I have not fully captured it. The God-created principles of physics that determine the production of the colors is yet another layer of knowledge that in my focus on the artistic aspects would seldom even receive a passing thought. And in this short discussion, we have only scratched the surface of things that make a sunset what it really is. And yet, God continues to paint them every day and often without any cognizance from us. God is a God of complexity.
In my view, the common and highly systemized methods of interpretation of Bible prophecy tend to over simplify the complexity with which a sovereign God is known to operate. In so doing, the stunning elegance and glory of God’s working is missed or in some cases possibly even demeaned. I fear it is so even if it is not done so intentionally.
There is a mystical characteristic to God that is lost if we “know” so much that there is no longer any real mystery remaining about God. Webster defines the word “mystical” as “having a spiritual meaning or reality that is neither apparent to the senses nor obvious to the intelligence.” Now having just come through the modernistic age where so much emphasis was placed on reason and our ability to know, this may seem foreign to our mindset, but this concept is not foreign to Scripture, and as we grasp the awesomeness of God it is only natural that we must also be struck with the concept.
Some mysteries have been made known, and the Bible clearly speaks of this, so in spite of my skepticism of the detailed views that I have heard, I am not saying that it is impossible for Bible prophecy to be understood and that all of Bible prophecy must remain in the dense fog of the totally unknowable. It is noteworthy that the same context of Romans 11 that speaks of not wanting us “to be ignorant of this mystery” is the same context that speaks of God’s judgments being “unsearchable” and “his paths past finding out.” (Rom. 11:25, 33) It is for this reason that I will continue to study what He has revealed to us in His word and remain open to people of good will who have insights to share and who are open to dialogue – even with those who think they have it figured out.
As that process to figure things out has gone forward, it has become increasingly apparent that none of us has it all figured out. That is okay. It is yet another reflection of our incomplete knowledge and inability to understand fully in constrast to God’s full knowledge. In the meantime, those of us who do not have it all figured out can simply say to the One Who does have it all figured out:
There is a whole lot that I do not know. I still do not have it all figured out, but through it all, I still trust you Lord. I know that You are sovereign, and I trust you to bring all things to completion according to Your perfect plan. Amen. | | |
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“Still There”
In Memory of Donald G. Hunt
 Donald G. Hunt, a family friend and hero of the Christian faith, passed from this life on July 1, 2005. Those who discovered him primarily through his prolific writing of books, tracts, charts, and his editorship of the periodical called “The Voice of Evangelism” knew him as “Donald G. Hunt.” To those who spent any length of time with him in person came to know him affectionately as simply “Brother Hunt.” I knew him primarily from a distance, and not up close and personal, so it may seem unusual that I would be writing about him. He was a college level instructor, yet I never had him as an instructor in any of my college classes. In fact, I never attended Midwestern School of Evangelism where he taught for nearly 60 years. He led in several churches throughout his many years of preaching, yet I never was a co-worker of his in any of those ventures. I was not even a member of any of those churches where he was a leader. Beyond all of that, I have no biological family ties to him. I am not a son, a nephew, or even a distant cousin. Nonetheless, this man figures prominently in my heritage of faith. While his influence on my life has seldom been direct, he has touched my life through numbers of other people with whom he did have close and direct contact.
My first contact with Brother Hunt was back in the mid-50’s as a young grade school child when he came to speak on mid-winter preaching rallies at the church where our family attended. My last contact with him was a little over a month before he died, but again it was more incidental than substantive. He had come with his wife, Margaret, for her to participate in the remake of a recording that she and the Gee Twins (Barb Prilliman and Sandra James) had made back in the 60’s. He was just there. He did not sing. He did not play the piano. He did not help with the sound system. He did not offer suggestions to the musicians. He did not even engage in a great deal of conversation although he was polite and friendly, for he was busy working with items he had brought in his attache case. (See picture.) He was just there.
For me, the statement, “He was just there,” says a great deal about the life of Brother Hunt. It is a very terse but yet emphatic description of his life for me and perhaps thousands more like me. It is in the solidness of just being there, faithfully doing a job, that consistency and stability are demonstrated -- day in and day out -- when it is easy and when it is tough – when it has kudos associated with it and when it has complaints and criticisms associated with it. To use Biblical terminology, it is doing the job both “in season and out of season.” (2 Tim. 4:2 NIV) It is standing “firm,” letting “nothing move you.” (1 Cor. 15:58 NIV) It is not becoming “weary in doing good.” (Gal. 6:9 NIV) It is holding “unswervingly to the hope we profess.” (Heb. 10:23 NIV) It is “persistence in doing good.” (Rom. 2:7 NIV) In short, it is being “faithful, even to the point of death.” (Rev. 2:10 NIV) These all would be fitting descriptions of the rock-solid nature of Brother Hunt’s life of faith.
The characteristic “cool, calm, and collected” nature of Brother Hunt can easily lead one to believe that he never faced significant difficulties and problems. However, such is not the case. Even in his autobiography, “My Cup Runneth Over!” he has a chapter called “Difficult 60’s.” – although in characteristic Brother Hunt fashion, he spends less than one of the eight pages of the chapter addressing the difficulties and quickly moves on to talk about other things. His nature was to be a shock absorber rather than a shock generator, and that characteristic will long live in my memory of his life. Oh, that his kind were multiplied! His life had far more ups and downs to it than his demeanor and responses would have indicated. His level demeanor merely serves as yet another example of this man “just being there” – consistent, insistent, and persistent with the truth he had determined from Scripture. He had an anchor placed in something more firm than the shifting sands of public opinion regardless of whose “public” was involved. Consequently, as the winds of difficulties blew, you may have seen the storms lash out at him, but you really did not see his ship of life shift much. Even in the midst of the storm and beyond, you would see him still there.
Brother Hunt was like the musical portrait painted by Francis Scott Key in our national anthem. Regardless of the fiery assaults, the song says that “our flag was still there.” Brother Hunt was a lot like that. It was not that he was “just there.” It was that as time passed, he was still there! In fact, if we follow the imagery of the national anthem, it was the “rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air” – those items that reflect the raging of a battle – that gave “proof through the night that our flag was still there.” And the “proof” was given on “through the night.” And it was not just “through the night,” for the anthem indicates that the flag “does … yet wave.” And in a subsequent verse that we seldom sing, it indicates that into the future it “shall wave.” In the span of my lifetime, perhaps no man epitomizes for me this principle of being stable, fixed in his resolve, always the same, and always still there than Brother Hunt. The passing of time with its inherent mix of trials places a badge of honor on those who endure. Those people become a point of reference of faith for others. This one aspect of Brother Hunt’s life deserves emphasis in our modern day world where few things last very long, and everything from diapers to marriages is considered disposable.
Again, I have never been close to Brother Hunt. However, it has been my privilege to know those who have been close to him. My father-in-law, Carl Corder, was a friend of Brother Hunt fairly early in life. They became friends even before Brother Hunt went to Bible college to prepare for the preaching ministry. Brother Hunt mentions my father-in-law in his autobiography as being his partner in some of his very first Bible studies. Their mutual friendship at that early age cemented a friendship that lasted a lifetime. While my father-in-law never chose to preach as his life’s vocation, he was nonetheless a close friend and supporter of Brother Hunt throughout his life. When I recently reread Brother Hunt’s autobiography, I noted that the details about his Saturday night Bible studies with my father-in-law are a part of a series of events that he describes as a “sacred process.” “Sacred” for Brother Hunt in that it ultimately led him into the preaching ministry, but “sacred” also for the father of my wife, “sacred” for my wife, and ultimately “sacred” for me too. For in those Saturday night studies were birthed not only a lifelong friendship between the Hunt and Corder family, but a love for the Scriptures was also birthed and nourished that was passed on to my wife who has now been my life’s partner for well over thirty years. Oh sure, I doubt that Brother Hunt and Dad Corder were thinking too much in their studies about the only Corder daughter that was to be born a few years after that, and I seriously doubt that they had any inclination whatsoever about the husband-to-be of Carl’s only daughter that would come along years later. But the fact remains that because Brother Hunt and Dad Corder established a friendship focused on the Bible, I am the beneficiary. The influence of those studies is not fully known, nor can it be, but it is just there – still there.
In the early heritage of my faith, no one is more significant than my own parents. When I began the fourth grade, my father began as a freshman at MSE to study for the ministry. (For an adventure in faith, see my dad’s testimony of those years in the newly republished book on the web, Telling on God at www.FaithLegacy.info.) I do not know the extent of the Donald G. Hunt-Al Schwartzkopf connection, but I know they became friends for life also. As was common with farm children in my father’s generation, my father never completed high school. So to embark on a college level regiment of study was a daunting undertaking. Brother Hunt, along with other men at MSE, I know inspired a great deal of confidence in my father for him to quit a good-paying job, sell the family home, and move our family of four to Ottumwa so that he could begin studying for the ministry. Again, there is no way the influence of the hours spent by my father in the classroom with Brother Hunt along with their one-on-one exchanges over the years can be fully known, and how much of it spilled over on me in the sermons, lessons, and things that I heard as a young person growing up, but it is nonetheless there – still there.
I have long known the “Hunt boys.” We have never been close, but we have always known each other from a fairly young age. Of course, to me the “Hunt boys” are Don and Ron since Rich was not part of the mix when I was a boy. There were only two “Hunt boys” in those years. In recent years – actually months – it has been my privilege to become better acquainted with Don Jr. in the projects we are planning together to mark our spiritual heritage in work we have called “Legacy.” There has periodically been a flurry of e-mails that have gone back and forth discussing our growing up years and people who figured prominently into those years. It is in these discussions that I have had yet another glimpse of Brother Hunt. The comments were passing comments, but the fact that they were random recollections of days gone by adds credibility and emphasis to them. While none of them betray a confidence, many of them reflect a personal knowledge that would make them inappropriate to share in a public forum. However, the really up close and personal observations fit the public man I have observed over the years in church meetings. He was not a different man in public than he was in private. In fact, it is children who see the more private side of a parent’s life. I was touched when recently I received an e-mail from Don Jr. with subject line of “Donald Hunt from one of his son’s perspective” that he wrote the day after an emotion-filled evening visit to his father's grave. In the e-mail, he listed over 30 items about his father that he said were “things that I appreciated about having the earthly father that God allowed me to live with, grow up around 24/7, watch his life, and listen to his answers.” It is a very impressive list with descriptions of his dad that includes words and phrases like “unconditional love that seemed to know no limits,” “hungered for the Word of God every day – so his well never ran dry,” “challenged people in his world to excel,” “a quiet man,” “a lover of home,” “a zest for life,” “a zeal of steel,” “flexible, yet firm,” “honored his wife and refused to ever argue or speak unkindly to her,” “approachable,” “would not compromise his beliefs for anyone, anywhere, any time.” And so goes a sampling of the list. I responded to his e-mail by recalling the words of Scripture, “And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.” (Heb. 11:4 NIV) And then I added, “I’d say he was talking to you last night, and he has talked today to those of us who have been the recipients of your written thoughts, and the neat thing is: he is not done talking.” In Don Jr.’s growing up years and even in his adult years, the influence of his father was just there, but it is still there through the multitude of memories of his life. Beyond that, it is still there through the life of his children and grandchildren.
My wife’s experience with the Hunts predated my arrival on the scene, but I have been privileged to have a somewhat up close and personal knowledge of them through her eyes. She attended MSE, so not merely as the daughter of special friends of the Hunts, but through four years of college at MSE, working at the college, and traveling with the Hunts to work with the church in Des Moines on weekends along with some travel with them to rallies, my wife came to known the Hunts quite well. In a recent e-mail to a friend who did not know the Hunts, she explained that we had gone to a funeral for a friend that she considered like a “second father.” Now my wife is a very loving person, but to call someone a “second father” is no trivial epithet from her. It conveys a degree of respect and admiration that has few parallels. Her experience, however, is not isolated. Many of her college friends still recall fondly the days at MSE and their association with Brother Hunt. Respect and admiration that spans decades is indeed an honor. Many a college instructor and work associate are soon forgotten after the college years and work relationships end, but it has not been so with Brother Hunt. He made a mark many years ago. Yes, he was just there, but that mark for good is still there.
The mark of a man’s life is a composite of many things, but the summation of man’s life is perhaps best characterized by what is still there when he leaves the bonds of earth. It is for that purpose that I have chosen to note this key characteristic of the life of Brother Hunt. I, who only knew him primarily through the eyes of others and through my brief occasions of contact with him over the years, consider it important to note the powerful spread of the influence of his life. His influence was wide as well as deep. I count it a privilege to have been within the reach of the breadth of the sphere of his positive influence. His influence lives on. In a real sense, he was not simply just there – he is still there. | | |
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Legacy – A Celebration of Faith
If you are a person of faith in God, you are the recipient
of a legacy of faith whether you fully realize it or not. This legacy connects
you to people of faith that we know about from the Bible who lived many years
before you were ever born. At a most personal level, this legacy is composed of
links between you and people of faith who have touched your life directly.
Often, the most significant personal legacy links are the ones that cross
generational boundaries to those whose lifetime experiences have overlapped
ours. Legacy links us to the past, and it will link us to the future.
Faith Legacy as Seen in Timothy
This concept is illustrated for us in Scripture when Paul
wrote to Timothy:
“I have been reminded of your sincere
faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother
Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.” (2 Timothy 1:5 NIV)
You see faith lived in Timothy, but before it ever lived in
him, it lived first in his grandmother and mother. There was more than a
biological link between Timothy and his grandmother and mother. There was a
link of faith to them. Many of us have been similarly blessed.
Timothy’s legacy of faith is further seen in that the
Apostle Paul referred to him as his “son in the faith.” (1 Timothy 1:1 NIV) This
faith link is clearly seen in the two epistles that are contained in our
Scriptures that are addressed to him. Paul also used the endearing term of
“son” when he was speaking to others about him. (See 1 Corinthians 4:17, Philippians
2:22) Even those of us who were blessed with Christian parents have other key
mentors of faith who have richly blessed our lives.
In Paul’s final letter to Timothy, he repeats his “my son”
form of addressing him and affixes an instruction to it. The instruction is to
“entrust” what he has heard “to reliable men who will also be qualified to
teach others.” (2 Timothy 2:1-2 NIV) The legacy of faith is to go on. We as sons of
faith are to become fathers of faith to yet other sons.
Faith Legacy as Seen in “the Big Picture” of Scripture
This concept of a legacy of faith is nowhere treated as
elaborately as in Scripture in Hebrews 11. It is indeed the “big picture” of
the concept of the legacy of faith. The writer’s appeal to stand firm in faith
is done by an appeal to heroes from the Old Testament. In this appeal, the
writer does one of the fastest run throughs of Old Testament history that you
will find anywhere. It is the Indy 500 version of Old Testament history. As you
see specific historical characters and events speed by your view, you see the
legacy of faith concept displayed brilliantly. Faith is the single thread
through it all. No single chapter in Scripture comes close to mentioning faith
as frequently as this chapter. The uses of the term “faith” in Hebrews 11
accounts for nearly 10% of all the uses of the term “faith” in the entire King
James Bible, but it is only one chapter out of 1,189 chapters in the Bible
(0.08%). It has been appropriately labeled the "faith chapter."
Others seeking to emphasize its celebratory qualities have called it "The
Hall of Faith," making a designation that sounds similar to "The Hall
of Fame." To be sure, there is a tie of faith back to those whose lips
went silent long ago. In the drive to encourage his readers to persevere in
running the race of the Christian life, the Hebrew writer selected people from
their history to showcase living by faith.
When you read Hebrews, you should feel as though you are
looking over the shoulder of a first century Hebrew Christian. Oh sure, they
would be dressed quite different than you, speak a different language than you,
be far poorer in material possessions than you, and be different in a host of
other ways, but they would share with you a common faith and the need to persevere
in it. The words of encouragement penned by the Hebrew writer are for you as
well. So go ahead and imagine yourself as that Hebrew Christian as you read the
words on the paper in front of you. If it helps, mentally put on the sandals
and robe that a first century Hebrew Christian would likely be wearing.
As a student of Scripture, the names would jump off the page
at you -- Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Rahab,
Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, etc. -- all names that you
would readily recognize from your knowledge of the Old Testament history. They
would be as common to you as George Washington and Abraham Lincoln are to you
now because of your knowledge of American history. A legacy of faith includes
both the elements of familiarity and faith. The faith element is by far the
most important one, but the link to us is born out of the familiarity element.
A spiritual heritage consists of people with whom we have familiarity that have
demonstrated faith to us.
The listing of people’s names and the persistent references
to their actions done “by faith” are
sandwiched in between an introductory preview that says, “This (faith) is what the ancients were
commended for” and a concluding summary that says, “These all were commended
for their faith.” (Hebrews 11:1, 39)
It was a connection to the “ancients” (literally, the elders – those much
older), but it was specifically a connection of faith. There was a
connection to real people with real faith.
It was not that these people were perfect. Far from it. We
know about a number of faults in these people’s lives from the Old Testament.
The proverbial "good, bad, and the ugly" are all there and often in
explicit and incriminating detail. One of the marks of the genuineness of the
Scriptures is that the faults of its heroes are not hidden from view or sugar
coated. Without question, the heroes of faith of Hebrews 11 were people of
faults, but more importantly above all else, they were people of faith.
(Remember both the preview and summary of the chapter states that they were
“commended” for their faith.) Consequently, the writer spends absolutely no
time dwelling on their faults, but instead, focuses exclusively on their faith.
With regard to faults, a hush and silence falls. We have entered the hallowed
halls of faith.
The faith of which heroes are made is not mere mental ascent
to some fact. The faith of the people showcased in Hebrews 11 led them to act.
You see names given, and you see faith mentioned, but it does not end there.
Most of the words used by the writer describe the actions of these people. You
cannot find one of the people listed that is cited merely because of mental
agreement. Real faith moves people to act! The mental part is there, and cannot
be excluded, but faith is so much more. To be precise, faith is not merely
action, but you will never find faith that pleases God divorced from action.
Real faith as portrayed in Hebrews 11 leads and motivates people to do things.
The faith of which heroes are made is not merely known by
its actions as though by the busyness of many actions that we make ourselves
people of faith. There is no action that is being prescribed or suggested for
everyone. In fact, no two actions are identical. However, there is an
unmistakable qualitative character to the multitude of actions referenced in
Hebrews 11. Ordering a Big Mac at McDonald's is an action, but it represents a
relatively small expenditure of resources and is usually driven more by
convenience than high principles or a concern over one's long term health. Not
so with heroes of faith – no “easy believism” for them. Virtually all of the
actions given in Hebrews 11 involved personal sacrifice. The chapter is full of
snippets telling of brave and bold actions that were motivated by their faith.
The nature of the actions of people of faith is determined and resolute, based
not on a short-term ease, but on eternal values and eternal goals. Those who
are "looking forward to the city with foundations whose architect and builder is God"
can be found performing sometimes outlandish actions that defy human
explanation. (Hebrews 11:10 NIV)
It is easy for modern day Christians to miss the qualitative
nature of the actions of faith as presented in the Bible. Faith is grievously
trivialized if one makes the most basic of Christian actions the sole
representations of faith. Please do not misunderstand -- there are basic
actions involved with being a Christian, but real faith drives a life that
takes risks knowing there is a greater good to be served -- and not only a
greater good, but specifically a great God. I grow weary when the Biblical
question, "What must I do to be saved?" is contorted into something
like "Is that essential?" as though by clever theological slicing and
dicing we can reduce being a Christian to an ever shorter and shorter list of
"must do" items. What is really strange about this thinking is that
it is usually presented as a way to emphasize faith. "Faith is all you
need" is the often heard refrain as though faith were a magic potion that
can be neatly placed in a bottle, capped, and placed on the shelf for safe
keeping. To do so is to divorce faith from everything meaningful. To do so is
to kill faith, for Scripture says, "Faith by itself, it if is not
accompanied by action, is dead." (James 2:17 NIV) You do not see faith by
itself in Hebrews 11. It is the forging of faith to actions of outstanding
quality that gives faith its most honorable display.
The faith of which heroes are made is placed in God
according to the Hebrew writer. There is no more significant point about faith.
In our discussion of the intricacies of the operation of faith, we can easily
miss or not give this point its prime place. Faith can be a very blind and
unrewarding exercise if it is placed in the unstable and untrue. Faith has no
virtue in and of itself. Its only value comes from the quality of the object of
its affections. The God factor of faith cannot be overstated. Faith as
described in Hebrews 11 gains all of its significance from the One in Whom it
is placed. We all have trusted in people who turned out to disappoint us. We
have even trusted ourselves and been disappointed. The key perhaps is not so
much one of faith for most people have faith in something. It is not even the
outstanding acts that may be done by faith. In our time, we witness with ever
increasing frequency those who kill themselves based on a faith that leads them
and their victims to an early demise while at the same time seeking to
terrorize those left living into inaction or submission. God is mentioned
specifically in most of the verses of the chapter, but He is seen in all of
them. As surely as there are actions produced by faith, there is an energizing
source to the faith that is given by the object of the affections of faith. The
faith that moved people to act was placed in God.
The significance of the divine in our faith saturates
everything the Hebrew writer says about faith, but it reaches its crescendo in
Hebrews 12:1-2 when the writer pointedly personalizes to us the meaning of
everything that he has already said and urges us to lock on to Jesus as the
object of our faith.
"Therefore, since we are
surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off
everything that hinders and the sin that so easy entangles, and let us
fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith." (Hebrews
12:1-2 NIV)
Faith has a history. Because it has had a history, it has a
present, and it will have a future. We must not find ourseles in the Hebrews 11
history lesson as half-asleep students ill prepared to grasp the truths of the
lesson as though another boring teacher were droning on and on with but another
dry rendition of history. It was not that the heroes he selected from the
history of the Hebrew people were going to be the end of it all. No! There is a
"we" and an "us" and an "our faith" to story. The
story goes on. We – you and me -- are connected to this history! We have been
given a rich legacy of faith which connects us to people of faith who were born
before us and which ultimately connects us to God and His Son, Jesus Christ.
Our Faith Legacy
The panoramic view of faith history in Hebrews 11 along with
a more personal view of faith history in the life of Timothy as described in
Scripture naturally leads us to consider a more up close and personal view of
our own legacy of faith. Of course, our personal legacy of faith will never
replace the legacy described in Scripture, but for true believers they will be
fully complimentary of each other.
As one grows older, one is likely drawn to one’s own
heritage because one has had an ever growing span of life experiences upon
which to reflect and certain of them begin to bubble to the top as much more
significant than the others. Additionally, significant earthly relationships
are severed in increasing numbers, as those that we consider close and valuable
to our lives break free from the ever-increasing restrictions of human life to
go to the life beyond the grave. This is when the heritage of faith often glows
most brightly. Our “roots” are exactly that – roots. Spiritual roots give us an
anchor of hope that we can follow in the footsteps of those who have gone
before us. Many may no longer be here to take us by the hand, but the footsteps
of their lives have left clear and indelible imprints that continue to help
guide us onward in our continuing journey of faith. This is the true benefit of a legacy of faith. It comes from
peole who in many cases have exited the scene of this earthly life, but it continues
to give encouragement and guidance for today. The Proverb often quoted about
child rearing says:
“Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is
old he will not turn from it.” (Proverbs 22:6 NIV)
The contrast in this verse is
between young (“a child”) and old. The training of yesterday helps guide today.
It was not done merely in the present. Perhaps if a longer-term view of child
training were taken, it would be done differently. It is not just to keep the
peace today – although it can contribute significantly to that, but it is to give
guidance for tomorrow. And that tomorrow will likely include the years after
parents are gone. The past really is for today.
As I have pondered this historical characteristic of faith,
I have reflected on those who have been added to the faith history since the
writing of Hebrews. I have specifically been drawn to those in my own immediate
spiritual heritage who are a part of my history of faith. Commencing with my
own father’s death a few years ago and most recently with the passing of my
father-in-law, my own spiritual roots have been given emphasis by their
passing. No two men have had a greater influence on my life than those two men.
In these two men is represented the man who gave me my first taste of faith and
the man gave me my wife of faith. I have been richly blessed in that they were
both men of faith.
Beyond these two men, I often think of a host of other
people who have nurtured my faith. The legacy of faith given to me is indeed
rich. The events even as a child still stand out in mind – the summer vacation
Bible schools, the church camps, the revival meetings, the youth rallies, etc.
There were also those people who nurtured my faith as a young adult when my
faith was in its most precarious position. The list is quite lengthy of the names
of people who have had an influence on my life. The legacy of faith is there.
It has been there all along – even when I could not see it -- or perhaps more
accurately, I failed to notice it. I suspect the same is true for many others.
As persons of faith, we owe a debt of gratitude to the
carriers of faith that have brought it to us. God had indeed worked through
history down to this present hour in which we occupy the stage of this earthly
life. Legacy is a gift. We could not have earned it because we were not even
around when much of it was being made, and even for the portion of it for which
we were present generally had little to do with any active participation on our
part. However, that has all changed now.
We are the recipients of a legacy of faith from those who
have preceded us, but it is now our high privilege to become an integral part
of this legacy for those who will succeed us on the timeline of history. The
legacy of faith demonstrates its vitality as it marches onward into the future.
The Hebrew writer spoke poignantly of the living nature of a
legacy of faith when he said of Abel (a man who had lived thousands of years
before he wrote):
“And by faith he (Abel) still speaks, even though he is dead.”
(Hebrews 11:4 NIV)
Think of it! A person dead for thousands of years, and he is
still speaking! In fact, it is clear that the speaking after death may be more
emphatic and influential than the sum of all the words spoken in a lifetime. To
this point, the Scripture does not record a single word that Abel spoke, but
the Scripture says, “He still speaks.” The voice of a life of faith lived in
glory to God cannot be silenced by death for it speaks with a voice that does
not need human organs of speech to speak. Our most significant speaking may also
be done after our human lips cease to
emit sounds. This ever-living
characteristic is the special nature of a legacy of faith. Cherish it.
Celebrate it. Pass it on. |
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