Have You Seen God's Silence in Hebrews 11?

     Hebrews 11 is inspiring.  Almost every verse begins with "By faith…"  Whenever I've read this chapter, I've been touched by how powerful faith is.    For some of the people listed, it's evident that God did something humanly impossible--like Sarah having a son after the age of 90, the walls of Jericho falling because of the Israelite's shouting, or Samson's pulling down a stadium with his bare hands. 

     But what about the prophets that were sawn in two or stoned to death (verse 37)? Did they not have enough faith?  Or did they do something that made them undeserving of God's deliverance?  In chapter 48 of the Life-Study of Hebrews Witness Lee explores a topic you don't hear very much about and that is the silence of God. 

And still others underwent the trial of mockings and scourgings, even, moreover, of bonds and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they died by the murder of the sword, they wandered about in sheepskins, in goatskins, destitute, afflicted, ill treated…and these all, having obtained a good testimony through their faith, did not obtain the promise.  Hebrews 11:36-37, 39.

 I was greatly helped  by these excerpts on pages 554-545 in chapter 48:  

God performed miracles for some of them, but He did not do such things for all of them.  Do not think that if you have faith God will always do something for you.  Many times the exercise of our faith will only bring us the enjoyment of God's silence…..When Stephen was being martyred, the Lord did not rescue him but gave---such a sweet silence (Acts 7:54-60).  To suffer persecution without any rescue coming from the Lord requires great faith. God's silence is greater than His miracles. Which do you prefer to have--God's miracles or His silence?  If we would be honest, most of us would say that we prefer God's miracles….God will remain silent much more often than He will perform miracles.  At times, we all must enjoy God's silence by faith….As we read the history of faith recorded in this chapter, we see that it is not just a record of miracles, but also a record of God's silence (Lee, Witness. Life-Study of Hebrews. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, 1975, Print).

     God's silence tests us.  Sometimes when I'm complaining about God's silence, my husband will sometimes say back, "When the Son of Man comes will He find faith on the earth?"  He says that because we heard a brother share once that the parable of the widow in Luke 18 illustrates the silence of God. But we have to realize when we're there that God won't always be silent.  No matter what's going on we have to still pray in faith.   

You can  also listen to live excerpts from these messages on Hebrews on The Life-Study of the Bible with Witness Lee.  You will enjoy listening to both  the excerpts  from these spoken messages and the helpful and enlightening commentary of the radio hosts.

Other Posts on the Life-Study of Hebrews:

Why is the Background of the Book of Hebrews Important to Understanding This Book?
What Does God's Speaking Show us In Hebrews 1:1-2?
What Does Hebrews 2:10 Say About Christ?
How Does the Lord Sanctify Us In Hebrews 2:11?
The High Priest in Hebrews 2:17 Makes Me Think of the Poem Footprints
Why is the Sabbath Rest Mentioned in Hebrews 4:9?
Why is Unbelief in Hebrews 3:12 the Biggest Offense to God?
How Do We Come Forward in Hebrews 4:16?
What Does Hebrews 6:1 Say About Christian Maturity?
What Does Hebrews 8 Tell Us About the Differences Between the Old & New Testaments?
What Does It Mean to Gain our Soul in Hebrews 10:39?
Have You Seen God's Silence in Hebrews 11?
How Do You Run the Christian Race in Hebrews 12?
What is the Birthright About in Hebrews 12:16?
From the Life-Study of Hebrews - What is the Central Concept of the Bible?
What's the Focus of the Book of Hebrews?