Useful Bible Studies > Hebrews Commentary > chapter 11
When God’s people expect to die, then they still trust God. They trust God even if they must die in a very cruel manner.
And some have died in such a manner. Zechariah the priest died when people threw stones at him (2 Chronicles 24:20-21). Uriah died by a sword (Jeremiah 26:20-23). There is an old story that King Manasseh used a saw to kill Isaiah. But that story is not in the Bible.
Their enemies had many evil reasons for their actions. They were acting as if holy people do not belong in this world. But there are many ways to do evil things. And wicked people have other ways to show that good people do not deserve to live among them.
So, the enemies of God’s people took away their possessions, and they made them poor. Those enemies took away their homes, and they forced them to live away from the towns. The first Christians knew about such troubles, because they themselves had suffered in this way (Acts 8:1). They wore rough clothes. They suffered insults. They had nothing. But they continued to trust God. And in their desperate situation, they learned how good God is. He provided their daily food. He protected them when nobody else would help them. He provided clothes for them (Luke 12:27-28). They were right to trust him.
The people in this world did not care about them. Even their own relatives neglected them. But when they had nothing, they still had God in their lives. He was their companion when they were alone. He was their friend when enemies surrounded them. He was their guide when they did not know where to go.
When God’s people suffer terrible troubles, then they still trust God. And God is good to them.
Next part: When enemies send God’s people away (Hebrews 11:38)
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© 2014, Keith Simons.