I will run out of time if...

Monday 9 August 2021

I will run out of time if...

What can I say more ? For I will run out of time if I speak of Gideon, of Barach and of Samson and of Jephthah, of David and of Samuel and of the prophets. Hebrews 11:32

We would like to know what the author of this rich epistle would have written about people like Gideon, Samuel or David. Even for Barac, Jephté or Samson, some elements of their life appearing to be negative, he would have some interesting things to say. But he has this expression : I will run out of time... How can I understand it ?

The author of the epistle has already had to interrupt his presentation towards the end of chapter 5, because of the laziness of his listeners. He must shake them off from a certain indifference and from the fact that some, to whom he is speaking, adhere only superficially to Christianity; he seeks to touch their conscience to wake them up to salvation. It is probably the same with the words of the verse of the day. The author has just given an impressive list of men and women who displayed faith, perseverance, and courage in Old Testament times. How many more will he have to quote to support his demonstration and convince his readers ?

On the other hand, this silence of Scripture will stimulate the interested reader to research for himself the accounts of these Old Testament men of faith left out. What about Gideon and his troop reduced to 300 men to rout the Midianites ? of Barac in whom God discerned a real faith, in spite of a cowardly attitude ? of Samson, a frustrated man, but who won great victories for the people ? of Jephthah, a violent man but determined for God, who freed Israel from the yoke of the Ammonites ? of David whose faith burst upon meeting the Philistine ? of Samuel, the man chosen by God in a time of spiritual decline ? And of the prophets, the spokespersons of God ? Let us search the Scriptures for the works of these men of faith and what lessons the circumstances of their lives provide us.

But we can also think that the author of the epistle did not want to insist too much on these men of faith because he wanted instead to draw attention to Jesus, the head of the faith and the one who leads it to fulfillment. He asks us to run the race ahead of us with patience, with our eyes fixed on Him (Hebrews 12:1,2).

Source (Pleasing the Lord)