FAITH THAT PLEASES GOD, Dr. Samuel Lee
BY FAITH, THEY SAW GOD’S GREAT WORK
Passage: Hebrews 11:29~40  
Key verse: 29
29 By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.(A)
30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days.(B)
31 By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.[a](C)
32 And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon,(D) Barak,(E) Samson(F) and Jephthah,(G) about David(H) and Samuel(I) and the prophets, 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms,(J) administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions,(K) 34 quenched the fury of the flames,(L) and escaped the edge of the sword;(M) whose weakness was turned to strength;(N) and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.(O) 35 Women received back their dead, raised to life again.(P) There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. 36 Some faced jeers and flogging,(Q) and even chains and imprisonment.(R) 37 They were put to death by stoning;[b](S) they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword.(T) They went about in sheepskins and goatskins,(U) destitute, persecuted and mistreated— 38 the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves(V) and in holes in the ground.
39 These were all commended(W) for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised,(X) 40 since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us(Y) would they be made perfect.(Z)
Footnotes
- Hebrews 11:31 Or unbelieving
- Hebrews 11:37 Some early manuscripts stoning; they were put to the test;
Cross references
- Hebrews 11:29 : Ex 14:21-31
- Hebrews 11:30 : Jos 6:12-20
- Hebrews 11:31 : Jos 2:1, 9-14; 6:22-25; Jas 2:25
- Hebrews 11:32 : Jdg 6-8
- Hebrews 11:32 : Jdg 4-5
- Hebrews 11:32 : Jdg 13-16
- Hebrews 11:32 : Jdg 11-12
- Hebrews 11:32 : 1Sa 16:1, 13
- Hebrews 11:32 : 1Sa 1:20
- Hebrews 11:33 : 2Sa 8:1-3
- Hebrews 11:33 : Da 6:22
- Hebrews 11:34 : Da 3:19-27
- Hebrews 11:34 : Ex 18:4
- Hebrews 11:34 : 2Ki 20:7
- Hebrews 11:34 : Jdg 15:8
- Hebrews 11:35 : 1Ki 17:22, 23; 2Ki 4:36, 37
- Hebrews 11:36 : Jer 20:2; 37:15
- Hebrews 11:36 : Ge 39:20
- Hebrews 11:37 : 2Ch 24:21
- Hebrews 11:37 : 1Ki 19:10; Jer 26:23
- Hebrews 11:37 : 2Ki 1:8
- Hebrews 11:38 : 1Ki 18:4; 19:9
- Hebrews 11:39 : ver 2, 4
- Hebrews 11:39 : ver 13; Heb 10:36
- Hebrews 11:40 : Rev 6:11
- Hebrews 11:40 : S Heb 2:10
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source:  BibleGateway
There are many other people of faith the author could not mention by name. They were judges, kings, and prophets (32). They accomplished great things. They saw the great work of God when they kept their faith in God and obeyed his words. The victories they received in the world were answers to their prayer and assurance of God's faithfulness (33). However, ultimately, their hope was in God's kingdom and the promise of eternal life (35,38).
None of them received what was promised to them while living in the world. But they found the strength to persevere through the world's persecution by faith. God found their faith commendable (39). What God had planned for them was something that they had never imagined. It was completed through the Messiah, who carried out the salvation plan (40).
Prayer: Father, I find my strength to overcome obstacles of the world when I come to you. Please help me to be strengthened by you today and fight a good spiritual battle.
One Word: Overcome the world by faith