Hebrews 11:31

Hebrews 11:31 says, By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.  Rehab was not an Israelite but was a Canaanite.  Though the people of Israel were God's chosen people, that did not mean that they were His only people.  In spite of her status in life, Rahab by faith was instrumental in God's work.  We should never judge people based on what they are or were in the world, but only by their relationship to Christ.  All people can come to God through faith in Christ, and we as followers of Christ should welcome them all.  Verse thirty-two adds, And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets:  Here the writer asks those he is writing to how much more did he have to say about those who had served God through faith in the past.  Those he was writing to should already have known who he was referring to.  Verse thirty-three continues, Who through faith subdued nations, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,  All these great people of history had one thing in common, and that is that they all relied on their faith in God to accomplish great things for Him.  If we wish to accomplish great things for God, we must do so by relying on our faith in Him.  Verse thirty-four states, Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.  There are at least two references to the book of Daniel in these two verses.  God stopped the mouths of lions and quenched the fire.  God has not stopped working through the faith of His people to do great things today.  Verse thirty-five adds, Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:  These are references to events in the New Testament, such as the resurrection of Lazarus and early believers dying for their faith.  I believe that these are offered as examples of the truth of the new testament between people and God.  We have a better resurrection through Christ, the only resurrection that brings everlasting life with God.  Verse thirty-six continues, And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:  Following Christ is not always easy.  Followers of Christ may be mocked, beaten or imprisoned because of their faith.  This is a far cry from the idea that God wants me to be happy in this world so He will give me whatever I want.  God wants us to be obedient, to take up our cross daily.  We are daily to die to ourselves and live for Christ.  Verse thirty-seven declares, They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;  This was not something that just happened early in Christianity.  It is still happening in the world today.  We sometimes focus on our own little corner of the world at the expense of Christians everywhere.  I believe that if we put our happiness above other followers of Christ, then we are not being true to God's call.  Verse thirty-eight adds, (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.  Once more, this is not a gospel of prosperity, but a gospel of sacrifice and suffering.  There are places in the world today where Christians are having their homes and possessions taken away simply because of their faith.  Verse thirty-nine continues, And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:  Like these early Christians, the only way that we can obtain a good report is through faith.  Verse forty concludes, God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.  Salvation through Christ is the better thing that God provided.  Without accepting Christ as Savior and Lord we cannot be made perfect in the sight of God.