The world was not worthy

 

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: who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again.

Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. 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—of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth.

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. - Hebrews 11:32-40

 

There is not time in an all the world to tell the stories of people Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah and David and Samuel and the prophets. We are regaled by their tales and actions and faith in the Old Testament. We are amazed what they did as the world up to lions and subdued kingdoms and defeated great enemies and saw dead raised to life. We see that they faced great opposition and some were mocked and scourged and jailed a torn apart by beasts and sawn in two and things like that.

 

Many died. It’s the ‘why’ of the story that makes it interesting. 

 

The world was not worthy of these folks – simple enough. They did all they could, they gave it all, and all they got was opposition. They were, indeed, too good for this world.

 

I’m grateful that this world is not my home. I am glad that we have a greater reward ahead. These folks proved themselves above the world and they didn’t even have the hope we have.

 

Things may get tough – it important that we remember our greater reward.