Short Thoughts

The Epistle to the Hebrews was written particularly to Jewish Christians who were suffering for their faith. They had come under persecution and were tempted to turn back to Jerusalem and the temple.

The closing verses of chapter 10 address this thought of turning back (He 10:32-39). They are reminded of their past afflictions and exhorted, “Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward” (He 10:35). They are assured, “Now the just shall live by faith” (He 10:38).

The opening verses of chapter 12 are an exhortation to press forward (He 12:1-3). They are admonished to “lay aside every weight” and “run with patience the race that is set before us” (He 12:1). They are directed to look to Jesus and consider Him as they endure affliction and press on in faith.

Coming between these is the eleventh chapter. In chapter 11, a long line of witnesses are called upon to give forth their evidence for the life of faith. The Hebrew Christians were told, “the just shall live by faith,” and, in chapter 11, faith is given a face, hands, feet, and a name. Faith is demonstrated and illustrated by the faithful people of God living their lives in the world.

The testimony concludes that faith is had in opposition to the world. Faith is had through persecution and suffering. Faith is had in varied circumstances and outcomes but it is the same faith.

Giving necessarily involves some sacrifice or it is not really giving in a biblical sense. David refused to offer to God that that cost him nothing. In David’s case, he would merely have been transferring and not giving. Giving means willingly taking something that rightly belongs to us and giving it to another. It comes at some cost to the giver. It was out of “deep poverty” that the Macedonian churches gave to support Paul in the mission work the Lord called him to (2 Co 8:2).

Ironically, this type of giving tends to strengthen rather than weaken the giver. It may seem to us that the opposite would be true, but Solomon avows, “There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth” (Pr 11:24). This is Scripture truth and practical reality. The greedy hand tries to cling tighter and tighter to what he has and cannot seem to find any room for giving to someone else, but in the end he has less.

The only real living is giving and that by sacrifice. But, let us apply the biblical test to the sacrifice. If the sacrifice harms us, we may be trying to play the martyr rather than giving in line with the life of Christ. Christ sacrificed and gave more than all, but rather than weakening Him, He was strengthened, “being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father” (Ac 2:33).