The World Was Not Worthy Of Them

(Faith that overcomes the world)

Hebrews 11:32-40

Key Verse 11:38a

This passage says that faith enables us to overcome the world and build God’s kingdom by faith in and through Jesus Christ. [Note: “The world” as used here in the key verse denotes the fallen world which is yet to be redeemed.  Since this world is yet to be redeemed and is to be replaced by a new world, it is natural to say that true believers do not find this world as “fitting” as the reward for their life of faith.]

Read verses 32-38. What does this passage tell us about the work of faith? 

** Essentially the examples listed here show us that as we put trust in the Lord, the Lord enables us to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine. Eph 3:20; Gen 18:14; Jer 32:27

Consider each of the heroic examples of faith (exploits) in Column “A” below.  Fill in Column “B” with modern day examples (or applications) to match each exploit.

Column A (Exploits)	Column B (Applications)
Conquered kingdoms	American missionaries pioneered S. Korea to be a Christian country about a century ago
Administered justice	By blessing those who curse us unjustly we will heap burning coals [or administer justice on the head of our enemies] Romans 12:20; Mat 5:44
Gained what was promised	Many examples are based on Mat 6:33
Shut the mouths of lions	According to Luke 21:15 the Holy Spirit equips us with the wisdom to defend ourselves from the mouths of our human enemies (not just the mouths of animals like lions) who try to discourage us from sharing the gospel
Quenched the fury of the flames	One father threatened to cut off his relationship with his son if the son became a Christian, but when the son kept his faith, the father later not only relented but became a believer
Escaped the edge of the sword	One shepherd went to the Vietnam to fight the war, but the Lord protected him from bullets flying around
Weakness was turned into strength	One missionary had a sleeping disorder (sleep apnea), and yet the Lord used his weakness to strengthen his faith daily
Received back their dead raised to life	Lost souls being saved daily by accepting Jesus as the Lord (one drunkard repented, believed in Jesus and became a great musician promoting the gospel with his music talent)
Were tortured and refused to be released	Dr. Peter Kim of Kiev refused to leave Kiev even after the nuclear power plant melt down
Faced jeers and flogging	One shepherd was jeered by his worldly friends, after he started a Bible study with a Korean missionary
Were chained and put in prison	One missionary is stuck  in the same place for more than three decades for the sake of the gospel
Were stoned…[put to death]	Jim Elliot, who was a missionary to Ecuador and suffered martyrdom there.
Went about in sheepskins…[persecuted]	Many missionaries are still being persecuted in Mainland China
Wandered in deserts and mountains…	UBF missionaries in hard places such as Nigeria

Verse 38a reads, “[T]he world was not worthy of them.” In what respect was the world not “worthy” of them? 

** The world was not worthy of them in that it (all the world could offer) was not “worthy” [or suitable] as the reward for their faith. The connotation is, “They were too good for this world.” Example: Enoch. Read also Isaiah 57:1 which indicates that the Lord takes away the righteous [even seemingly prematurely] only to save them from suffering too much. [2Co 4:17]

Read verses 39 and 40. What does “something better” refer to? What does it mean for one to be made “perfect”? 

** This expression refers to the good news of the righteousness that comes from faith in Jesus, the Son of God. Consider such expressions as “better hope”, “better covenant”, “better promises”, or “better sacrifices” as found in the book of Hebrews (7:19,20,22; 8:6; 9:8-15; 10:1). 

** “Perfect” refers to the “perfect salvation” found in Jesus. Heb 2:10; 5:9; 7:19, 28; 10:1; 12:23 [Ultimately this expression denotes the vision of perfected life in a perfected resurrected body in a perfected world in the presence of God the Father who is infinitely perfect.]

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