PERFECTION

PERDITION

OR

B Of bonds and imprisonment.

C They were stoned.

D They were sawn asunder.

E They were tempted.

F They were slain with the sword.

G They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins.

H Being destitute.

I

J  Tormented.

K They wandered in deserts, in mountains, in

dens and in caves of the earth.

God having provided some BETTER thing for us.

We shall only be side-tracked from our theme if we stay to discuss the problem of Jepthah's daughter, and it

would take a volume adequately to deal with the faith of David and the prophets. Nevertheless the very mention of

these names impresses upon the mind the length of the list of witnesses to faith found in the Word.

Without attempting that which the epistle sets aside as beyond the scope of the eleventh chapter, we can point

out some obvious connections in these lists with the seven names given in verse 32. David subdued kingdoms, as

Moab, Ammon, and Edom. The note of triumphant faith is sounded by him in Psalm 60: `God hath spoken in His

holiness; I will rejoice ... Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe ... Through God we shall do

valiantly'. God had spoken; that was the basis of David's triumphant faith.

Gideon supplies us with a wonderful example of weakness being made strong, and of turning to flight the armies

of the aliens. When we read of the stopping of the mouths of lions and the quenching of the violence of fire, it is

difficult to deny a reference to Daniel and his three companions. The women who received their dead raised to life

must include the widow of Zarephath (1 Kings 17:22-24), and the Shunammite (2 Kings 4:36).

We now come to the crux of the passage. By consulting the arrangement of the subject-matter set out above, it

will be seen that `the better resurrection' and `some better thing' are focal points.

What is the better resurrection, and how does it harmonize with the balancing clause, `some better thing', the

teaching of Hebrews 11 in particular, and of the epistle in general?

This `better' resurrection evidently has something to do with the `better' thing provided by God. We must

endeavour first to see what this connection may be, then what the relation of this passage is to the teaching of the

eleventh chapter as a whole and finally how far the teaching concerning `the better resurrection' is supported by the

general drift of the whole epistle.

The first thing we propose is to visualize the whole context with these `better' things in view.

A 10:19-24.

Exhortation `Let us'

B 10:25,26.

Warning `No more sacrifice'.

C 10:27-31.

He that despised Moses' law died without

mercy ... how much more ...

D 10:32 to 11:40.  Faith, and the better thing.

Exhortation `Let us'

Warning `He found no place of repentance'.

They escaped not who refused Him that spake

on earth, much more ...