New Moon Meeting: December 2005, 3:15 EST
Heroes of Faith
Zahakiel: Okay, can you open the meeting with a prayer, Luke?
Qinael: Our Almighty and loving Father,
We thank you for this time you have set aside for your people to come together and learn of Your will.
We ask that Your Spirit attend to the hearts of those present, that all may have a full understanding and application of what you have for us to hear. In Yahshua’s name we pray, amen.
Zahakiel: Amen.
Barb: Amen.
Jeanie: Amen.
Crystle: Amen.
Zahakiel: This month I want us to take a look at some “heroes of faith,” but not the ones you might immediately think of. When you use the phrase “Heroes of Faith,” many Bible students automatically think about the list provided in Hebrews 11. That isn’t a bad place to begin an examination of this topic, so let’s take a look at a few key points of that passage.
“By faith Abel offered unto Elohim a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, the Almighty testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.
“By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because Elohim had translated him; for before his translation he had this testimony: that he pleased Yahweh.
“By faith Noah, being warned of Elohim of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
“By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.
“Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised.” (Heb 11:4, 5, 7, 8, 11)
Then there is a comment in verse 13: “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.”
Zahakiel: After that the list continues with a few more names:
“By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son.
“By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.
“By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.
“By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.” (Heb 11:17, 24, 25, 30, 31)
Now, looking at that long list, which I gave for this reason, let’s try to extract a few qualities and characteristics. Go over those verses, and let’s make a list of some of the defining attributes of these men and women.
Crystle: They all had great faith.
Jeanie: Yes, even in the face of persecution and derision.
They believed, even when it seemed impossible (as in the case of Sarah).
Annetta: They all trusted in Yah no matter what.
Zahakiel: Okay, though those are all saying basically the same thing. <nods.>
How about... obedient? And self-sacrificing?
I see those in the list.
Pastor “Chick”: Determined (focused)...
Zahakiel: Good, that is one.
Jeanie: They were loving (Yah first, and their fellow man).
Zahakiel: That is a good one, yes.
Barb: Pleased Yah.
Jeanie: Meekness.
Zahakiel: Right, they had those also.
Now, when you think of a hero in general, most people think of things like strong, fast, competent, disciplined, and so on in addition to those virtues that we have put down for Christian heroes specifically. And if you look at it, you find that the qualities, as well as the image in the minds of even worldlings, define an individual belonging to one of two classes, either
1) A Soldier
or
2) An Athlete
This is not a coincidence, and indeed the Bible uses both these analogies when referring to the Christian. From the lists above, we can separate the concepts this way:
A good Soldier is: strong, disciplined, competent, obedient, self-sacrificing, dedicated; and we could add a few more like: well trained, fearless, and so on.
A good Athlete is: strong (or fast, depending on the type), disciplined, dedicated, well trained; and we could add a few more like: respectful of his/her body, persevering, and things like that.
Zahakiel: You’ll notice that there is quite a bit of overlap, and the longer we make those lists, the more overlap we are likely to see. Of course, neither of these analogies is perfect because there are some ways in which the Christian decidedly differs from both a soldier and an athlete – but Paul in particular found them to be useful examples for making specific points.
What points were these? Let’s look at the passages in which the comparisons were made. First, the soldier.
This is a very well known passage, and in fact I did a series of short articles about this part of Paul’s epistle, but here are the relevant verses:
“Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of Yah.” (Eph 6:14-17)
Say when you’ve read that.
Barb: Done.
Jeanie: Done.
Qinael: Done.
Pastor “Chick”: OK.
Crystle: Finished.
Israfel: Done.
Zahakiel: And actually, Paul appears to get the basis of his soldier analogy from the Old Testament. Long before this apostle wrote to the Ephesians, a prophet said these things:
“Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey; and Yahweh saw it, and it displeased Him that there was no judgment. And He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor; therefore His arm brought salvation unto Him; and His righteousness, it sustained Him. For He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon His head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloke.” (Isa 59:15-17)
A couple lines later it becomes apparent that the prophet is speaking of the Messiah, for it reads, “‘And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob,’ saith Yahweh.” (verse 20)
In addition to the elements of armor mentioned by Paul, there is also a “Cloak of Zeal,” which Christ has, but we note that while zeal is a quality that Christ and His people share, (2Cor 7:11) there is one aspect that is not shared – vengeance. It is true that a Christian must “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” (Jude 1:3) This contention, however, must come in the form of “an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear,” (1Pet 3:15) not with violence or force. Unto Yahshua belongs vengeance; and even then, only at the appointed time. (John 12:47, 2Th 1:8)
Strength is important to the Christian. I do not mean physical strength, although that is certainly useful under certain circumstances. Paul says in the very Epistle we cited above, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.” (Eph 6:4)
What does it entail to be “strong” in Yahweh, that we may be good soldiers?
Zahakiel: The Bible gives us a few elements of the nature of this strength.
“And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus.” (Acts 18:24) One element of Christian strength, then, comes from knowledge of the Bible.
“[Abraham] staggered not at the promise of Yah through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God.” (Rom 4:20) Trust in Yahweh is great strength.
“… the joy of Yahweh is your strength.” (Neh 8:10) True trust in Yah, true knowledge and belief in the promises of Scripture has an inevitable result – joy. The man who rejoices always in Yahweh cannot be overcome by the trials and difficulties of this life, and there is no loose thread left with which demons or evil men can worry. An insult thrust at one who is truly joyful in the Almighty draws forth only an undeserved blessing, and the man goes his way uninjured. This is strength.
Discipline, of course, is very important for both soldiers and Christians.
“Behold, Elohim is mighty, and despiseth not any; He is mighty in strength and wisdom. He openeth also [the righteous men’s] ear to discipline, and commandeth that they return from iniquity.” (Job 36:5, 10)
That passage is interesting. It indicates that if the righteous find themselves in difficult situations, (verse 8) Yahweh educates them by opening their ears, so that they see the errors they have made which resulted in their unpleasant circumstances. This is a very important teaching, and found early on in Biblical literature. Christ Himself spells it out later on, informing us that, “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten; be zealous therefore, and repent.” (Rev 3:19) We find even back in Job that this principle is expressed; Yah is patient with His people, and will allow cause and effect to take its course for our edification.
Now, if we are disciplined, we can benefit from this in two ways. First, our natural course will be to do all we know is right anyway, so that when something does go wrong, we can easily pinpoint the precise cause of that effect. Second, as discipline has to do with self-denial, even if the cause is something pleasant to the flesh, we are able by Yah’s grace to avoid it and remain in the channel of truth.
Does anyone have any questions so far on these two elements?
Qinael: No.
Zahakiel: Ok.
It should be clear by now that the point is this: every Christian is called to be a hero of faith. Those who stand with the Lamb in the last days will have the best characteristics of both soldiers and athletes, while differing from them in a few key ways we will examine at the end of our study. But for now we are focused on the similarities, and first with the “soldier” archetype that Paul employs in Ephesians.
So then, next is Competent. This means able, qualified, and capable of working effectively.
The Bible says this: “And [king] Jehoshaphat waxed great exceedingly; and he built in Judah castles, and cities of store. And he had much business in the cities of Judah; and the men of war, mighty men of valor, were in Jerusalem. And these are the numbers of them according to the house of their fathers:”
And it gives a list of men from various places, ending with this, “And of Benjamin; Eliada a mighty man of valor, and with him armed men with bow and shield two hundred thousand. And next him was Jehozabad, and with him an hundred and fourscore thousand ready prepared for the war. These waited on the king, beside those whom the king put in the fenced cities throughout all Judah.” (2Chron 17:12-14a, 17-19)
Let me know when you have read this.
Qinael: Done.
Barb: Done.
Pastor “Chick”: OK.
Crystle: Finished.
Jeanie: Done.
Zahakiel: No one joins the ranks of the “mighty men of valor” without something very important… preparation. It says that those who waited on Jehoshaphat were “prepared for the war.” In the CSDA Church today we are facing a struggle, not sure exactly when the next step will come, but anticipating little pleasant when it comes to worldly security.
Are we competent for the upcoming trial? It is another way of asking, “Are we prepared?” A good soldier is prepared; we must learn this lesson from the Scriptures and history, and ask ourselves, each individually, “What must I do to be ready, so I can be an effective witness for Yahshua?”
The Bible tells us, “Study to shew thyself approved unto Yah, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2Tim 2:15) Competent workmen need not be ashamed, and while Bible study (the meaning most often drawn from this verse) is important to our competence, the word “study” there means “work hard;” it means to put forth effort to be ready, for by Yah’s grace we will not be lacking in anything necessary for our tasks. This aspect of competence also really covers the principle of being Well Trained.
Obedient. In a sense we have to be careful with this one, for while obedience is certainly a cornerstone of the Christian experience, there are multitudes that believe that being obedient means, “doing what God says to do.” And you say, “But doesn’t it mean exactly that?”
Only partially – as we examined a study or two ago, the motive is just as important (if not more important) than the actions performed. For the Christian, obedience is, “doing what God says to do with perfect trust and willingness.” That’s a big difference. Now, it does not always mean with a perfect understanding, for certainly some of the heroes of faith from Hebrews 11 did not fully understand their trials at the time of their experiences.
“And thou shalt return and obey the voice of Yahweh, and do all His commandments which I command thee this day.” (Deu 30:8)
Why? And it is okay to ask this if it is done without presumption. Yah tells us why: “And Yahweh thy Almighty will make thee plenteous in every work of thine hand; in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy land, for good: for Yahweh will again rejoice over thee for good, as He rejoiced over thy fathers – if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of Yahweh thy Almighty, to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this book of the law, and if thou turn unto Yahweh thy Almighty with all thine heart, and with all thy soul.” (verses 9, 10)
Annetta: How can asking be presumption?
Zahakiel: Well, some people ask Yah questions in an attempt to get out of what He is asking them to do.
If you demand full understanding before going forward to do the task, for example, the thing Yah would have you avoid might overtake you while you are busy coming up with new questions.
Annetta: Understood.
Zahakiel: Ok.
In that passage above we see the three elements of a covenant with Yahweh. First, the conditions: the commandments and statues that are in the Book, which are to be performed by the devotee. Second, the promises of what will happen if the commands are obeyed (sometimes accompanied by a list of what will happen if they are ignored). Third, and often forgotten by commentators, is the attitude of the worshipper.
The promises are fulfilled, not if the human merely follows the commandments and statutes but also, “if thou turn unto Yahweh thy Almighty with all thine heart, and with all thy soul.”
Obedience involves, as in the military, following orders with precision and skill: “Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Yahshua the Messiah; as obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance.” (Acts 5:32) When it comes to spiritual things specifically, however, this most obvious and outward application is only a part of it. “But Yah be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.” (Rom 6:17)
Zahakiel: Self-sacrificing. The saints are called to give up much: all their old lives, and many comforts of the world in the new life to which they are called. We are told, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Yahshua shall suffer persecution.” (2Tim 3:12) Further, “they loved not their lives unto the death.” (Rev 12:11b) Not every age calls for a large scale martyrdom, but as I heard it said somewhere once, death does not create martyrs, it only reveals them. All who are “dead to self” in the Son of Yahweh are already slain for the cause of righteousness, and in another sense slain because of the Law we have, in our past lives, violated.
As Paul put it, “I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto Yah.” (Gal 2:19)
A Christian must also be Dedicated. The Savior had quite a lot to say on this topic:
“And Yahshua said unto him, ‘No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of Yah.’” (Luke 9:62)
“And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.” (Mat 10:22) Of course, on any of these characteristics we can (and in some cases have) given entire studies, but we are just drawing the comparisons for now.
Being Fearless really comes from a proper understanding of the Sabbath. Those who are truly resting in Christ claim the promise, “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” (Luke 10:19)
The phrase, “Be strong and of a good courage” appears, without any significant variation, about nine times in the Bible. The phrase “fear not” occurs 62 times throughout the Old and New Testaments. Yah is trying to tell us something :)
We read that “perfect love casteth out fear,” (1John 4:18) and those who have a perfect trust in Yahweh do not hate, do not persecute, do not force, do not slander. All these are examples of violations of the Sabbath’s spirit – and they are all based on fear.
Any questions so far?
Qinael: No.
Barb: No.
Zahakiel: Okay, now from the Athlete we have a few not yet covered. Here is the passage in Paul’s writings that relates to this imagery:
“Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air. But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” (1Cor 9:24-27)
Say when you have read this.
Barb: Done.
Qinael: Done.
Jeanie: Done.
Pastor “Chick”: OK.
Crystle: Finished.
Zahakiel: From the above, we certainly see those elements that overlapped in the two lists. There is strength, discipline, dedication, and training.
One thing that an athlete has in mind that a soldier often does not is a vision. Soldiers are obedient to their commanders, and will often follow orders unquestioningly, but as Paul says here, “one receiveth the prize,” and there is a “crown” involved – a corruptible for the athlete, but an eternal for the righteous. The athlete has a prize in mind, often a medal or trophy. The Christian likewise has a goal in mind, but it has more to do with character than with anything that most would consider a “reward.” This is where those qualities like meekness and loving come in. Even Heaven, the inheritance, is but the natural result of the true prize: the character of Yahshua.
Now, it is true that some athletes are as concerned with their own personal development as they are with competing, and this is closer to the spiritual idea.
For us, “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of Yah in Christ Yahshua. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, Yah shall reveal even this unto you.” (Phil 3:14, 15)
Here again, in the other place the Bible uses the word “prize,” we see what we read in Job, that Yah will allow us time to grow, and will reveal to us the causes of the effects we experience. The goal of this growth is this: “the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ; till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of Yah, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into Him in all things, which is the Head, even Christ.” (Eph 4:12-15)
Zahakiel: The goal, to put it very simply, is the “sealing.” We recall what Ellen White wrote about the nature of the seal of Yah: “a settling into the truth, both intellectually and spiritually, so they [the people of Yah] cannot be moved.” [Manuscript Releases Volume Ten, page 252] This is the maturity of which Paul speaks when he says that the believer will not be “carried about with every wind of doctrine.”
As we run toward that goal, as if in a race, Paul says we must keep our bodies in “subjection,” meaning that “if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin,” (Rom 8:10a) and thus under control of the Spirit, which is “life because of righteousness,” as the rest of that verse says.
One of the ways in which an athlete keeps his body in subjection is by diet. If he is serious about obtaining the “prize,” he will not partake of things that are not suitable for keeping his body in shape for the race, for most sports require good physical conditioning. Adventism is one of the few religious traditions that acknowledges the connection between the body and the spirit in this way. Ellen White pointed out, “Moses preached a great deal on [temperance], and the reason the people did not go through to the promised land was because of repeated indulgence of appetite. Nine tenths of the wickedness among the children of today is caused by intemperance in eating and drinking. Adam and Eve lost Eden through the indulgence of appetite, and we can only regain it by the denial of the same.” [Temperance, page 150]
Food must never become the “focus” of our message, for it is a pretty safe assumption that no athlete ever won the race because he thought more about diet than he did about his sport. At the same time, it is an integral part of the whole, and by avoiding gluttony, delicacy, and the other pitfalls Mrs. White cautioned about in her writings on health reform, we can see this aspect, along with every other of the Christian life, in its right light.
Now, we have seen that there is a way in which Christians have more in common with athletes than soldiers, and that is in the matter of a vision.
Zahakiel: There is a way in which we have more in common with soldiers than athletes, and it is unity. As Paul points out, “in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize.” There is competition involved in races and other sports, but in Christianity we are exhorted to help each other run well. It is true that we will each be tested individually, for we are justified individually; at the same time, Paul writes, “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another; and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” (Heb 10:24, 25)
If we all have one Spirit, one common vision, then we will band together naturally, for as we read in an earlier verse there is a “unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of Yah.”
I recently had a conversation with someone about whether or not a Church should have membership records, and a few other things. It occurred to me a little before that talk (and I shared it with the individual) that when Yah gives His people an inheritance, or prepares them for conflict, or appoints them to positions of priestly service (as in the time of Nehemiah), He will do so according to “the number of the names.” (Numbers 1:20) It is one thing to protest the arbitrary enforcement of doctrines by the clergy upon the laity, but it is another to throw out order altogether.
Yahweh is a God of order, and even nature teaches us this. If you take a fly and you hit it with something heavy, everything that was there before of the fly is still there after you hit it. Every protein, every cell, every organ and appendage is still present. The fly still has six legs, two wings, an abdomen, thorax and head. Everything that made it a “fly” is still there in the same spot. The only difference is that now… the fly is disorganized.
Things aren’t where they are supposed to be anymore in terms of the fly’s components; and where there is disorder, life cannot exist.
Zahakiel: Exactly the same thing is true of Churches.
If the people are not disciplined, all moving in the same direction, all supporting each other, all serving each other’s needs, there will not be order. Independent ministries will spring up, and die down. Adventists, you would think, would know better than to try to move independently of divine authority, as if Yah has not promised He would not leave His people without a Witness…
But sadly we see as many splinter groups within Adventism as anywhere else. These things ought not to be. I do not think there were team sports when Paul was writing that analogy; and if there were, the teams existed only to compete against other teams. Soldiers understand unity, and depending upon each other to accomplish a common goal; but even there their goal is to overcome the enemy soldiers.
In Christianity the competitive aspect is entirely eliminated, and so we see that we draw only the best qualities of both the Athlete and the Soldier, resulting in a Hero archetype that perfectly embodies the character of the Redeemer according to all the qualities we have listed.
Heroes of faith, which we are called to be, are: strong, disciplined, competent, obedient, self-sacrificing, dedicated, well trained, fearless, and respectful of the body’s needs. In addition they have a vision of excellence, and they are united by their common faith as they press on toward an imperishable prize. In this way they are separate from, and above, even the closest analogies (useful though they are) that the world has to offer.
Are there any questions before we close?
Qinael: No.
Barb: No.
Crystle: None here.
Zahakiel: Okay, let’s have a prayer, then.
Almighty and loving Father in Heaven,
We thank you for the many and various examples of men and women that you have given to us in your Word. We see the qualities they possessed, and that by their right use, they had the testimony that they pleased you.
We thank you that through faith in your Son, we also have this testimony, and we examine those who went before us so that we can learn from their victories as well as their missteps.
Bless us with your spirit as we continue to fight the warfare to which you have appointed us, and may we be ready in the day of trials, to stand up against the obstacles we were warned about, and testify with our words and actions that you are the Almighty.
Dismiss us from this meeting, but not from your presence, I ask in Yahshua’s name. Amen.
Pastor “Chick”: Amen.
Barb: Amen.
Qinael: Amen.
Jeanie: Amen.
Crystle: Amen.