All the characters mentioned in this passage commonly known as the “Hall Of Faith” are Old Testament saints who have endured the trials and tribulations in their lives without seeing the Messiah, but because they had believed in the Abrahamic covenant of the coming Messiah, they received a good testimony and had their names mentioned here. Living in hope, they believed and had faith in God despite not having seen the Messiah. Each of them was convinced that it was worthwhile to persevere because of their conviction of what God had promised. Though they had no idea of when the Messiah would come or the means of God’s salvation, they had the confidence that one day God would do the necessary to redeem and reward them, and though they did not witness the promise, they gained God’s approval through faith!
However, God has provided something better for us because we have seen how God has fulfilled the Abrahamic covenant. Jesus the Messiah, the lamb of God who took away the sin of the world, has come! We are the beneficiary of the Abrahamic covenant because it is through this covenant that all the families and nations are blessed, and we have also found and acknowledged the Messiah who is the way, the truth and the life. He has brought about peace and restoration with God for us through His blood, and we have the abundant and eternal life now!
We can draw this conclusion from the history recorded in the Bible that when God promises something, it always comes to pass in His time, because He is not a man who should lie, nor a son of man that He should change His mind. Therefore, since we have witnessed the faithfulness of God through His fulfilment of Scriptures, and the Messiah has come, we should treasure what we have found and live the lives of faith based on a deep appreciation of what Jesus has done for us.
Sermon Series: You Are in the Hall of Faith! (Part 1)
致以最崇高的敬意
希伯来书 11:30-32,37,39-40 以色列人因着信，围绕耶利哥城七日，城墙就倒塌了。 妓女喇合因着信，曾和和平平地接待探子，就不与那些不顺从的人一同灭亡。我又何必再说呢？若要一一细说，基甸、巴拉、参孙、耶弗他、大卫、撒母耳，和众先知的事，时候就不够了。 ……被石头打死，被锯锯死，受试探，被刀杀，披着绵羊山羊的皮各处奔跑，受穷乏、患难、苦害， ……这些人都是因信得了美好的证据，却仍未得着所应许的； 因为 神给我们预备了更美的事，叫他们若不与我们同得，就不能完全。
这段经文告诉我们信心的旅程并不是在公园散步，而更像是一段激动人心的旅程，见证神大能的手在我们的生命里。
这段通常被称为“信心的殿” (信心名人堂) 的经文中被提及的所有人物，都是旧约圣经中的圣徒，他们在没有见到弥赛亚的情况下忍受了生命中的考验和磨难，但是因为他们相信亚伯拉罕之约中那即将到来的弥赛亚，他们得了美好的见证，他们的名字也在这段经文中被一一提及。他们活在希望中，即使未见过弥赛亚，他们相信并对神有信心。他们每个人都深信所坚持的是值得的，因为他们深信神所应许的。虽然他们不知道弥赛亚什么时候会来；也不知何谓神的救恩，但他们确信神有一天会做必要的事情来拯救和赏赐他们，即使他们没有见证到所应许的，但因着信他们得到神的认可！
然而，神为我们预备了更好的，因为我们已经看到神如何应验了亚伯拉罕的约。弥赛亚耶稣，神的羔羊，除去世人的罪，已经来了！我们是亚伯拉罕之约的受益者，因为正是通过这约，所有的家庭和国家都得到了祝福、我们也找到并承认弥赛亚就是道路、真理和生命。祂用祂的宝血为我们带来了平安和使我们与神和好，我们现今有丰盛与永恒的生命！
我们可以从圣经记载的历史中得出这样的结论：当神应许某事时，这事总会在祂的时间里实现，因为祂是神，不是会说谎的人，也不像人的后裔那样会改变心意。因此，既然我们通过经文的应验见证了神的信实，而耶稣也已经来了，我们应该珍惜我们寻到的、深深感恩耶稣为我们所做的，以此活出信心的生命。
你在信心的殿中！（第一部分）