Hebrews 11:33-38: Of Whom the World Was Not Worthy
We believe that Jesus Christ died for our sins, was buried, and on the third day was raised from the dead according to the Scriptures. The thing about faith is that it causes the believing one to become more like Christ. This is done by bringing us to the end of ourselves and to trust Christ more. “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). Death works in us while His life is manifest. It is no wonder that the next section shows us the splendor of His life, salvation, and strength as well as things that show us our weakness and death. See how the Old Testament saints discovered the power of God through their own weakness by faith.
Hebrews 11:33
Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, (Hebrews 11:33)
Subdued Kingdoms
Let us look at a few examples of people who subdued kingdoms by faith. Recall Jehoshaphat, where three kingdoms were destroyed before him without lifting a finger. Consider 2 Chronicles 20:1-24. When the king heard of the invading armies, he immediately turned to the Lord. Not many do it this way, but he did so, and he was correct. How much would change if we had this faith.
The whole congregation fasted and prayed before the Lord. The king recalled God’s faithfulness in the past as He prayed. Jahaziel then is led of the Spirit to encourage them and give them advice on how to handle this battle. They ended up getting worship singers and putting them before the army, and they watched the battle take care of itself while the invaders attacked each other. This was all from the LORD.
We already spoke of Joshua and how the battle of Jericho went. Likewise, the whole conquest of Canaan was an impossibility, but God delivered the land to Israel by miraculous means. The only time foreigners were left in the land was because the people did not have faith. Consider Joshua 17:16-18. They saw with their eyes the iron chariots and dismissed it as impossible. But what did Joshua say? “for thou shalt drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots, and though they be strong.”
How about 85-year-old Caleb and the giants? “And Caleb drove thence the three sons of Anak, Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak” (Joshua 15:14).
How about David and the Philistines? Consider 2 Samuel 5:17-25. In this case, these two campaigns were different. The king asked the Lord if he should fight, and then he did as God said. When the plan was different the second time, he followed those orders. By faith he trusted the Lord’s method to defeat the enemy.
Wrought Righteousness
Almost everyone of faith in the Old Testament is going to have righteous acts associated with them. We’ll take one example, Ahijah the prophet. Consider 1 Kings 14:1-18. Jeroboam sent his wife to the prophet with a bribe to see if he could get a good fortune from him, like some kind of fortune teller. Ahijah, who once gave Jeroboam tidings of ruling the northern kingdom, did not pull any punches. He held his ground and did what was right. He had no respect of persons with this king’s wife. This old blind man could have been putting his life on the line. However, he honestly told what would befall this king and his descendants, to the point of being crass about it. He told her the justice of God because doing right was better than the rewards of a king.
Obtained Promises
Who obtained promises in the Old Testament? Here are some examples. Consider Elijah the prophet in 1 Kings 17:1-9. The Lord promised to sustain him during the years of drought, Elijah believed He would do so, and he followed the appropriate instructions.
How about the Davidic Covenant? David may not have seen Jesus come, but he saw some of it materialize. “And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom” (2 Samuel 7:12). Solomon was that king, and David gave him charge concerning the temple he would build in 1 Chronicles 28:9-21.
How about Naomi and Ruth? With all the tragedy they experienced, a kinsmen redeemer came a long and gave seed to continue the family line. “So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife: and when he went in unto her, the LORD gave her conception, and she bare a son” (Ruth 4:13).
Stopped the Mouths of Lions
The most famous story involving lions is Daniel. His story also goes along with the “wrought righteousness” part. Let us consider Daniel 6:1-23. All the rulers below the king got together to try to get rid of Daniel by getting the king to sign this absurd executive order, which, because ancient Persian law is strange, cannot be changed. They lied and said all the presidents agreed to this no-prayer rule when clearly only two of them did.
Daniel still prayed toward the temple mount three times a day. This is in accordance with Solomon’s dedicatory prayer in 1 Kings 8:48-50. Because he would not stop praying to the Lord for any reason, it cost him, and he was cast into the lions’ den. An angel kept the lions back from hurting him, though a day later they pounced on Daniel’s enemies.
How about Samson? “Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath: and, behold, a young lion roared against him. And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: but he told not his father or his mother what he had done” (Judges 14:5-6).
And David? “And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God” (1 Samuel 17:34-36).
Hebrews 11:34
Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. (Hebrews 11:34)
Quenched the Violence of Fire
Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego), the friends of Daniel, are the chief example of the quenching of the fire. Consider Daniel 3:12-30. We see this story is also about working righteousness. These three young men were not intimidated by Nebuchadnezzar’s ire. They straitly told the king that they knew God could deliver them, but if He didn’t, they still were not going to bow to false gods. We see that the fire destroyed the enemy while the three boys did not have a bit of smoke smell on them. This played a role in softening the king’s heart toward the Lord, which we see happen in stages throughout the book.
At the same time, where was Daniel? Maybe he bowed. Who knows? Don’t think that there is anybody completely beyond the power of sin in this life.
Escaped the Edge of the Sword
David would be an example here. “And Saul cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it. And David avoided out of his presence twice” (1 Samuel 18:11).
Elisha is another, during the siege of Samaria. The king said, “God do so and more also to me, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day. But Elisha sat in his house, and the elders sat with him; and the king sent a man from before him: but ere the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, See ye how this son of a murderer hath sent to take away mine head? look, when the messenger cometh, shut the door, and hold him fast at the door: is not the sound of his master’s feet behind him?” (2 Kings 6:31-32).
Out of Weakness Were Made Strong
This sums up so many people of faith. “For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty” (1 Corinthians 1:26-27).
We saw some examples already. Young Gideon from the smallest family of his tribe with 300 men defeated armies. Ahijah, an old blind prophet, stood up to king Jeroboam. The three young men in Daniel stood up to Nebuchadnezzar. David stood up to Goliath.
Consider the little servant girl of Naaman’s wife. “Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the LORD had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper. And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman’s wife. And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy” (2 Kings 5:1-3). Because of the advice of this little girl, not only was this mighty general Naaman cured of leprosy, he also was turned to the true God of the Bible.
Waxed Valiant in Fight
Some of the previous examples like Jephthah and Gideon would be good examples. But how about some of David’s men? Consider one of his three mighty men. “And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David, when they defied the Philistines that were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone away: He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword: and the LORD wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to spoil” (2 Samuel 23:9-10). This goes with the “strength out of weakness” principle we just discussed. This was an otherwise strong man who was very tired, but he continued to fight until his hand stiffened around the hilt of his sword.
This Eleazar was a brave man who had to trust the LORD to accomplish his task. “Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies” (Psalms 60:12; 108:13).
Turned to Flight the Armies of the Aliens
Consider 2 Kings 6:8-23. The prophet Elisha heard everything the king of Syria said from the Lord. The king of Syria was sure that there was a spy in their midst, but when he heard about Elisha, he sent to capture him. This host that was sent to Elisha was blinded and led to Samaria, where they could have been destroyed. But they were fed, and this particular army of aliens never came back to apprehend Elisha. This power was not of men. Elisha trusted God for this deliverance.
Consider King Asa in 2 Chronicles 14:9-15. See how the king entrusted the entire battle to the LORD and went in His name? The LORD destroyed the enemy, chasing them to Gerar.
Hebrews 11:35
Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: (Hebrews 11:35)
Women Received Their Dead Raised to Life Again
Elijah was one of the prophets that the LORD used to raise a man back to life. Consider 1 Kings 17:17-24. Elijah knew that the LORD could raise the dead, so he called on Him and he was raised. This would have been important, because a widow has no way to support herself when she is old. Children would be the means to that end.
The other woman was not a widow, but she had an old husband and no child, so she possibly would be in a similar predicament one day. Because she helped Elisha, she was promised to have a son. This son was the son that died and that was risen. Consider 2 Kings 4:32-37. Elisha prayed to the LORD and warmed his body, and he rose again. Likewise, Elisha believed that the LORD could raise from the dead.
This ends the more positive aspects of the results of faith; we now turn to the more sorrowful aspects.
Others Were Tortured, Not Accepting Deliverance
I had a rough time coming up with an Old Testament example of this. After doing a little research, the apostle is likely speaking of events that happened during the Maccabean period. Consider Daniel 11:31-34. Some of this is dual fulfillment; the days of Antiochus Epiphanes foreshadow the days of the Antichrist. In the days of Antiochus, this king defiled the temple with a sacrifice of pigs to Bacchus. The Jews were compelled to take part of these sacrifices and eat of the meat.
This was a forerunner of the abomination of desolation: “And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate” (Daniel 11:31). There is a multi-fulfillment of this: Antiochus’ sacrifice, the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, and the future event described in Revelation 13.
The word for torture in Hebrews 11:35 implies they were stretched over a drum-shaped instrument and beaten. They would have been beaten to death.
One such story from the Maccabean period was a 90-year-old scribe named Eleazar. He was forced to eat pig meat from the sacrifice, but he spit it out, for he would rather die. Some of the officers of these feasts knew Eleazar a long time, and they tried to have mercy on him. They told him to bring meat lawful for him to eat and take part of the feast. Though he considered this, he thought of all the young men and the people of his nation that would compromise because he did. In addition, while he might spare his own life, he would not escape the Lord in either this life or the next. “For though for the present time I should be delivered from the punishment of men: yet should I not escape the hand of the Almighty, neither alive, nor dead” (2 Maccabees 6:26). They still gave him a chance to change his mind, but he went to be tortured by stripes. You can see how this man had a chance to be delivered, but he chose to die instead.
There was also a story of a mother and her seven sons who chose to be burned to death, be scalped, some having their tongues cut out and body parts chopped off instead of taking part of the feast. When it came to the seventh son, he was offered both deliverance and a reward to blaspheme. “Now Antiochus, thinking himself despised, and suspecting it to be a reproachful speech, whilst the youngest was yet alive, did not only exhort him by words, but also assured him with oaths, that he would make him both a rich and a happy man, if he would turn from the laws of his fathers; and that also he would take him for his friend, and trust him with affairs. But when the young man would in no case hearken unto him, the king called his mother, and exhorted her that she would counsel the young man to save his life” (2 Maccabees 7:24-25). The son then answered the king, “Whom wait ye for? I will not obey the king’s commandment: but I will obey the commandment of the law that was given unto our fathers by Moses” (2 Maccabees 7:30).
A note about quoting these Maccabees stories, these are not Scripture. No church ever considered them Scripture until the Counter Reformation, and that was only an answer to the Protestant Reformation. However, we should observe two things. First, Scripture quoting these apocryphal books does not make these books Scripture. Second, it also does not mean that all apocryphal books are filled with lies. Paul would have been very familiar with the stories of the Maccabean period, and the Jewish recipients would also have been familiar with them. If he alluded to these stories, it was not to endorse them as Scripture, but to help the readers understand truth. There must be some truth to what was recorded in those stories if they are truly referred to here in the book of Hebrews.
A Better Resurrection
These chose torture so “that they might obtain a better resurrection.” Consider some of what these people said. The youngest son we mentioned spoke to the king before he died. “And when he was at the last gasp, he said, Thou like a fury takest us out of this present life, but the King of the world shall raise us up, who have died for his laws, unto everlasting life” (2 Maccabees 7:9). Another son said to the king, “It is good, being put to death by men, to look for hope from God to be raised up again by him: as for thee, thou shalt have no resurrection to life” (2 Maccabees 7:14).
Whoever these saints were, whether these or others, they were offered a choice to blaspheme God or die. They chose death, and rather painful death at that. They knew that there would be a better resurrection for them which was eternal as opposed to the torture which would not last forever.
So, what is the better resurrection? If we take the Maccabean stories at face value, it is the resurrection of the just versus the unjust. “And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt” (Daniel 12:2). The first resurrection deals with the saved. These are saved people who are rewarded at the judgment seat of Christ. The second resurrection is rather referred to the second death. This is the great white throne judgment.
The better resurrection could also refer to better rewards at the judgment seat of Christ. In the Hebrews context, this makes better sense to me. I believe that Christians could avoid torture by compromising. They are still saved people. The evidence I provide is the following: “It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself” (2 Timothy 2:11-13). We are denied reward if we deny Him, the reward presumably being related to the reigning with Christ. He cannot deny Himself if we are unfaithful; we are in His family which can never change.
Hebrews 11:36
And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: (Hebrews 11:36)
Trial of Cruel Mockings and Scourgings
The previous examples were mocked and scourged, among other severely heinous things. Let us consider some biblical examples of mocking.
The postexilic Jews were some. “But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews. And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned?” (Nehemiah 4:1-2).
What about Job? “I am as one mocked of his neighbour, who calleth upon God, and he answereth him: the just upright man is laughed to scorn” (Job 12:4).
Jeremiah said to the LORD, “O LORD, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived: thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am in derision daily, every one mocketh me” (Jeremiah 20:7).
As for a biblical example of scourging, we read, “The LORD will enter into judgment with the ancients of his people, and the princes thereof: for ye have eaten up the vineyard; the spoil of the poor is in your houses. What mean ye that ye beat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor? saith the Lord GOD of hosts” (Isaiah 3:14-15).
Bonds and Imprisonment
Jeremiah the prophet is a good example of being imprisoned and put in stocks. “Now Pashur the son of Immer the priest, who was also chief governor in the house of the LORD, heard that Jeremiah prophesied these things. Then Pashur smote Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that were in the high gate of Benjamin, which was by the house of the LORD” (Jeremiah 20:1-2).
Consider also Jeremiah 38:1-13. Jeremiah preached to the people for a way to be saved from the Chaldeans but was labeled a disturber of the peace. The people wanted to kill him, king Zedekiah didn’t help him, and he was put in a miry dungeon left to sink like quicksand and die of starvation. Ebedmelech, by his name a servant of the king, saved him, but Jeremiah was still left in prison. If you tell people the truth, you will be hated by somebody! How much truer is this when preaching Jesus Christ.
You can see Jeremiah wrestle with preaching the Word and the sorrow and frustration he felt throughout his ministry. But by faith, he continued to preach even to the point of being imprisoned and later kidnapped and brought to Egypt.
Hebrews 11:37
They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Hebrews 11:37)
Stoned
Consider Zechariah the son of Jehoiada in 2 Chronicles 24:20-22. This king Joash was brought up by Jehoiada the priest when Athaliah had killed his family. This priest was godly and would have taught him right. However, Joash was not really any kind of good leader, and when Jehoiada died, he was influenced by ungodly princes. When Jehoiada’s son warned about his gross idolatry, the king did not listen to the prophet and had him stoned. Recall this would have been someone like family to the king, since he was orphaned at a young age.
Sawn Asunder
We do not know to whom this refers from the Scriptures. There is a tradition from outside the Bible that Isaiah was allegedly cut in half: “ON account of these visions, therefore, Beliar was wroth with Isaiah, and he dwelt in the heart of Manasseh and he sawed him in sunder with a wooden saw. And when Isaiah was being sawn in sunder, Belchira stood up, accusing him, and all the false prophets stood up, laughing and rejoicing because of Isaiah” (The Ascension of Isaiah 5:1-2, R. H. Charles, translator.).
This would have happened during the reign of Manasseh. Isaiah’s ministry went through to the reign of Hezekiah, Manasseh’s father. “The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah” (Isaiah 1:1). After that, Manasseh became the most wicked king in Judean history. He was so evil that no good any successor would do would stop the judgment coming to Judah. During Josiah’s reign, we read: “And like unto him was there no king before him, that turned to the LORD with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; neither after him arose there any like him. Notwithstanding the LORD turned not from the fierceness of his great wrath, wherewith his anger was kindled against Judah, because of all the provocations that Manasseh had provoked him withal” (2 Kings 23:25-26).
Manasseh himself turned to the LORD while in prison. “Wherefore the LORD brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh among the thorns, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon. And when he was in affliction, he besought the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, And prayed unto him: and he was intreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD he was God” (2 Chronicles 33:11-13). This still did not erase the consequences of what God would do to Judah.
Of all the evil this king would do, adopting every religion that was contrary to the LORD, apparently one of the things he did was slowly torture this prophet to death. Think of all the good Isaiah did for Hezekiah, including the besieging by the Assyrians and the illness he had. Hezekiah had 12 years to show his son the LORD’s faithfulness and show how Isaiah and his faith was an instrumental part of the Lord’s work. Whatever teaching took place, it had no effect. If this account from the Ascension of Isaiah is true, we can see how it would fit in with the life that Manasseh lived.
Whether this account is right or not, Origen also confirmed this refers to Isaiah.
For the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews, in speaking of the prophets, and what they suffered, says, “They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, they were slain with the sword” To whom, I ask, does the “sawn asunder” refer (for by an old idiom, not peculiar to Hebrew, but found also in Greek, this is said in the plural, although it refers to but one person)? Now we know very well that tradition says that Esaias the prophet was sawn asunder; and this is found in some apocryphal work, which probably the Jews have purposely tampered with. introducing some phrases manifestly incorrect, that discredit might be thrown on the whole. (Origen, A Letter from Origen to Africanus, Chapter 9.)
Tempted
This has the idea of trying to make people stumble. Eleazar and the seventh son in the Maccabean period stories would surely qualify for this, as well as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
How about Micaiah? This was the prophet that Ahab hated because he preached the real Word of God and would not just tell the king what he wanted to hear. Jehoshaphat, who was also there, wanted to hear from a real prophet before attacking Ramothgilead, so they brought in this son of Imlah. Consider 1 Kings 22:13-28. Micaiah was pressured to agree with the rest of the prophets, but he refused to do so. When he answered the king, he told Ahab the expected answer, but you can tell by the king’s response that Micaiah said it in a way that was sarcastic or to show he really did not mean it. Then the prophet gave the real answer. He exposed all the other prophets as phonies and showed that doom waited at Ramothgilead. What did he get for telling the truth? He was struck on the face and imprisoned and given minimal food and water. Where was Jehoshaphat when this occurred? Perhaps this was done without his knowledge, or perhaps his treaty with Ahab was too important. Who knows?
Slain with the Sword
Prophets in the days of Elijah were slain with the sword. “And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.” (1 Kings 19:14).
The Maccabean period (and end-time) saints also qualify: “And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days” (Daniel 11:33).
How about Gedaliah, the governor appointed by the Chaldeans to govern Judah? We don’t know much about him, but he seems to be a man of integrity who was appointed to an unpopular position, and he does not compromise when tempted to do so. We read of him, “Now it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah the son of Elishama, of the seed royal, and the princes of the king, even ten men with him, came unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah; and there they did eat bread together in Mizpah. Then arose Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and the ten men that were with him, and smote Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan with the sword, and slew him, whom the king of Babylon had made governor over the land” (Jeremiah 41:1-2).
How about the prophet Zechariah? Our Lord said to the scribes and Pharisees, “That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar” (Matthew 23:35). No matter what other people are saying, this must refer to Zechariah the minor prophet. “In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet...” (Zechariah 1:1). No matter what we think we know of the postexilic Biblical period, he was killed between the temple and the altar. How do we know it was by sword? Origen told us in his commentary of the book of John:
“They were sawn asunder,” refers to Isaiah, just as the words, “They were slain with the sword,” refer to Zacharias, who was slain “between the sanctuary and the altar,” as the Saviour taught, bearing testimony, as I think, to a Scripture, though not extant in the common and widely circulated books, but perhaps in apocryphal books. (Origen’s Commentary on the Gospel of John, Book X, Chapter 18.)
How about Urijah the prophet? Consider Jeremiah 26:20-24. This man preached, and though he fled for fear, it was not sufficient. Jehoiakim the king fetched him from Egypt to kill him with the sword.
And there are the priests in Ahimelech’s day. “And the king said to Doeg, Turn thou, and fall upon the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned, and he fell upon the priests, and slew on that day fourscore and five persons that did wear a linen ephod. And Nob, the city of the priests, smote he with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and sucklings, and oxen, and asses, and sheep, with the edge of the sword” (1 Samuel 22:18-19).
Wandered About in Sheepskins and Goatskins
This was another hard one to figure out from the Scriptures. In a non-canonical book, we read: “Let us be imitators also of them which went about in goatskins and sheepskins, preaching the coming of Christ. We mean Elijah and Elisha and likewise Ezekiel, the prophets, and besides them those men also that obtained a good report (1 Clement 17:1)
Destitute
We know the LORD provides for the poor and hears their prayer. “He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer” (Psalm 102:17). This was true about those in the Scriptures.
How about the poor man who saved a city? “Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man. Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard” (Ecclesiastes 9:15-16). This was a poor man, but the LORD used him to deliver his ungrateful countrymen in the city.
Consider David before he became king. “And Saul’s servants spake those words in the ears of David. And David said, Seemeth it to you a light thing to be a king’s son in law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?” (1 Samuel 18:23).
Afflicted
The LORD hears and uses the poor as we saw, but He also leads the afflicted to Himself. “I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the LORD” (Zephaniah 3:12). And again, “I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early” (Hosea 5:15).
Micaiah the prophet was fed with the bread and water of affliction, so he qualifies.
How about Job, who was afflicted by Satan himself? “So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown” (Job 2:7).
Tormented
All the above examples exemplify this. This may perhaps be a summary of everything mentioned before. Imagine the pain that was inflicted on all the people, all the torture and killing and ridicule these people were subjected to. However, they chose the Lord over comfort and acceptance of the world.
Hebrews 11:38
(Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. (Hebrews 11:38)
Of Whom the World Was Not Worthy
The LORD’s people who served Him were the remnant believers in a world that is the enemy of its Creator. The children of the devil killed them without mercy. “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints” (Psalm 116:15). Those devils were not worthy of those poor, tortured souls, yet they were thrown away like trash.
When I think of these devils that harmed the Lord’s people, I get angry. You cannot help but feel injustice. The prophets of the Lord gave up so much only to be mistreated or killed. Many of the murderers and tormentors were kings, including kings of the Israel and Judah. These people should have known better. But because they hated the LORD and had the power and money and fame, they could easily destroy whomever they wanted.
However, instead of getting angry or frustrated, we should accept it as a reality. The world hates God and His anointed, Jesus Christ. If you belong to the Lord, you are going to get pushbacks of some kind at an absolute minimum. Any persecution is perhaps a litmus test to see that you are doing something right. This is why it is written, “And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name” (Acts 5:41).
Perhaps another reason we should not get angry so much is because of compassion. For we were all enemies of the Lord at one time. Those same enemies may turn to the LORD. Many of those murderers may have been reprobate type people. But there are going to be people like Saul of Tarsus.
Keep your perspective. In review, persecution is reality because Satan’s kingdom hates God’s kingdom. Second, it is a sign that you belong to Christ. Third, it is a way that perhaps some enemies may become servants of the living God.
Wandered in Deserts, and in Mountains, and in Dens and Caves of the Earth
Here is an example of those who dwelt in caves. “And Ahab called Obadiah, which was the governor of his house. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly: For it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the LORD, that Obadiah took an hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.)” (1 Kings 18:3-4). Obadiah helped in an ancient witness protection program of sorts; he hid these prophets to save them from harm.
Regarding the wandering in deserts, mountains, and caves, Elijah fulfills all three. Consider 1 Kings 19:1-18. Elijah proved that the LORD was God and Baal wasn’t. Even though many confessed the LORD that day, there did not seem to be much of a lasting effect. Jezebel was not convinced, and she would have had him killed. Elijah fled from Mount Carmel to Beersheba. He was fed of the angel, and then he fled again forty days straight to mount Horeb in Arabia, where the Law was given to Moses. He stayed in a cave there.
Elijah wrapped his face in his mantle, perhaps much like Moses did when his face shone. The Lord rhetorically asked the prophet what he was doing there, and he recounted all his zeal that he felt was in vain. Even after sure proof that Baal was nothing and the LORD was God alone, nobody seemed to care for more than a few moments. They wanted to kill Elijah anyway.
The LORD does not seem to say much to respond to this despair. He told him to appoint two kings and his own successor. But the LORD also said that there were still 7,000 out there that serve Him.
What’s important? The results are not so much the issue but the obedience to the LORD’s command. And if there does not seem to be results, there likely is somewhere, even if you are not aware of it. Just keep walking by faith.