ICS Daily Devotions
Greatest Tribute
Hebrews 11:30-32, 37, 39-40 (NKJV) By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days. By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace. And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets …They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented…And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.
This passage tells us that the walk of faith is not a stroll in the park, but rather more like an exciting journey where we witness the hand of God in our lives.
All the characters mentioned in this passage commonly known as the “Hall Of Faith” are Old Testament saints who have endured the trials and tribulations in their lives without seeing the Messiah, but because they had believed in the Abrahamic covenant of the coming Messiah, they received a good testimony and had their names mentioned here. Living in hope, they believed and had faith in God despite not having seen the Messiah. Each of them was convinced that it was worthwhile to persevere because of their conviction of what God had promised. Though they had no idea of when the Messiah would come or the means of God’s salvation, they had the confidence that one day God would do the necessary to redeem and reward them, and though they did not witness the promise, they gained God’s approval through faith!
However, God has provided something better for us because we have seen how God has fulfilled the Abrahamic covenant. Jesus the Messiah, the lamb of God who took away the sin of the world, has come! We are the beneficiary of the Abrahamic covenant because it is through this covenant that all the families and nations are blessed, and we have also found and acknowledged the Messiah who is the way, the truth and the life. He has brought about peace and restoration with God for us through His blood, and we have the abundant and eternal life now!
We can draw this conclusion from the history recorded in the Bible that when God promises something, it always comes to pass in His time, because He is not a man who should lie, nor a son of man that He should change His mind. Therefore, since we have witnessed the faithfulness of God through His fulfilment of Scriptures, and the Messiah has come, we should treasure what we have found and live the lives of faith based on a deep appreciation of what Jesus has done for us.
Sermon Series: You Are in the Hall of Faith! (Part 1)
