PERFECTION

PERDITION

OR

sought to show the distinction that must be made between redemption and atonement. Now all the passages cited

above have reference to a people already redeemed, whereas the passover speaks of the great act of redemption

itself.  There is no reference to cleansing, dedicating or service in the passover.  It speaks of deliverance;

consequently the record uses a distinct word. Instead, therefore, of linking Hebrews 11:28 with Hebrews 12:24, we

have to make the following comparisons:

The passover and its sprinkled blood (Heb. 11:28) must be compared with such a passage as 1 Peter 1:18,19: `Ye

were, ... redeemed ... with the precious blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot'. The

redeeming Sacrifice, and its sprinkled blood, must be placed in contrast with `the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh

better things than that of Abel' (Heb. 12:24), which refers rather to worship.

The active faith of Israel begins with the crossing of the Red sea:

`By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned' (Heb.

There is a lesson here regarding faith that may well detain us for a moment. By comparing the faith of Joseph

with that of Moses, as given in Hebrews 11:22 and 24, we learned that the selfsame faith in different circumstances

may produce very contrary actions. Faith led Joseph to occupy the throne of Egypt. Faith as certainly led Moses to

turn his back on it. Now in the case before us we have two peoples performing the same act. Israel ventured to

cross the Red Sea, and the Egyptians ventured to do the same. Externally the acts were similar; internally they were

wide apart. Israel's faith rested upon the Word of God:'Speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward'

(Exod. 14:15). Egypt's following of Israel, though the same act, was not by faith but through hardness of heart: `I

will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them' (Exod. 14:17). Is there no `assaying to do' on

the part of the Lord's people, that ends in disaster?

An outstanding example of faith in modern times is that of George Muller. Doubtless many have thanked God

for that noble witness, but does it follow that because George Muller passed through that Red Sea of difficulties

triumphantly, all should or could? The Lord's will has as much to do with faith as with obedience. He wills that

one should suffer weakness, while He wills that another should be divinely healed. He wills to one pecuniary

straitness, while to another He wills a full and plentiful supply. Faith will never seek to override these divine

appointments. If it is His will that one should be poor, it will not be `faith' but an Egyptian `assaying to do', if that

one seeks to alter this, however plausibly he may speak of the triumph of faith that can move mountains. Let us see

to it that our Red Seas are crossed at the Word of God; that will be by faith. Let us have an holy shrinking from any

act that looks like faith, but is a counterfeit.

Between Hebrews 11:29 and 30 lies a tragedy of unbelief. Marah, Manna, Meribah, Kadesh Barnea are passed

over in silence. In the reckoning of faith they do not exist. There is no recorded gap between the triumph of the Red

Sea, and the overthrow of Jericho forty years afterwards. Alas, we all know too well what these driftings and

doubtings mean on the pilgrim path and they are recorded in chapters 3 and 4.

The faith that accomplished the overthrow of Jericho rested upon the Word of God:

`The LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho ... ye shall compass the city ... six days ... and the

seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets. And it shall

come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet,

all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall

ascend up every man straight before him' (Josh. 6:2-5).

Here is the basis of the faith of Hebrews 11:30.

We saw in an earlier analysis that the seventh in the double list of witnesses in each instance is a woman.

Sarah's faith is positive. Rahab's faith is negative: `Rahab perished not with them that believed not' (Heb. 11:31).

A great deal of unprofitable discussion has taken place over Rahab. Some contend that the Hebrew word zanah

(harlot) may mean just an innkeeper. Schleusner, with many commentators, would derive zanah from zun, `be fed',