Judging the Judges: Searching for Value in these Problematic Characters

 

The Role of the Judges In Hebrews 11

The book of Hebrews is an elaborately constructed literary masterpiece that speaks to a number of theological, ethical, and social issues that are of concern to its intended audience. Although the complexity of the book continues to defy biblical scholarship’s quest for consensus regarding its purpose, the text suggests, on one level at least, that Hebrews is an encouragement to Christian faithfulness in the face of severe opposition.¹⁰ The nature of Hebrews as exhortation is registered in the frequency of hortatory subjunctives: ‘Let us fear … lest anyone fall short’ (4.1); ‘let us strive’ (4.11); ‘let us hold fast to our confession’ (4.14); ‘let us approach with confidence’ (4.16); ‘let us go on toward perfection’ (6.1); ‘let us approach with a true heart’ (10.22); ‘let us hold fast’ (10.23); ‘let us consider one another’ (10.24); ‘let us lay aside every weight … and let us run the race’ (12.1); and so forth. Christian believers are enjoined to hold fast, to run their race patiently, and to encourage each other, because Christianity is the better way. Christ is better than the angels (1.4), better than Moses (3.3), better than Joshua (4.8), and better than the Old Testament priesthood (7.1-28). Christians have a better hope (7.19), based on a better covenant (7.22), with better promises (8.6). They offer better sacrifices (10.1), have a better future (10.34), in a better country (11.16), because God has ‘provided something better for us’ (11.40).

The Christian audience of Hebrews, therefore, is enjoined to do better than the Israelites of the Old Testament; that is, they should go forward and not turn back (Heb. 3.7-4.13). They are exhorted to beware, lest there be found in them ‘an evil heart of unbelief’ (3.12). They should be steadfast (3.14), unlike the Israelites in the wilderness, who heard God’s word but did not have ‘faith’ (4.2). The audience should not fall into ‘unbelief’ (4.11), but should believe the living word of God (4.12), and should, in times of struggle, approach the throne of grace through Jesus, the faithful high priest (4.16).

The importance of faith to Christian perseverance, a topic introduced in ch. 3, is revisited in ch. 10 in a text which, along with 12.1-3, serves to bracket ch. 11 with calls for steadfastness. Thus, before we are presented with the hero list of ch. 11, we hear, ‘the just shall live by faith, but if he should hesitate my soul takes no pleasure in him. But we are not people of hesitation that leads to destruction, but people of faith¹¹ that leads to the preserving of the soul’ (10.38-39). This faithful endurance is then exemplified in the biblical characters who are presented in Hebrews 11. The kind of faith practiced by these Old Testament believers is more than saving faith;¹² it is ‘persevering faith’;¹³ it is ‘active’ faith.¹⁴ By faith they obey God; by faith they overcome insurmountable odds; by faith they continue walking with God when contextual forces stand in opposition to his promises.¹⁵ However, even though the heroes of ch. 11 are ‘witnesses’¹⁶ to God’s faithfulness and are examples of endurance, the most important example is Jesus himself. Following the list of prominent Old Testament characters, we hear another call to perseverance, ‘Therefore, let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the founder and perfecter of faith; … consider him lest you grow weary and lose heart’ (12.1-3).¹⁷

The bracketing of Hebrews 11 with exhortations to steadfastness,¹⁸ suggests that the function of ch. 11 is to give hope to those who are struggling,¹⁹ by demonstrating the genuine possibility of faithful endurance.²⁰ These Old Testament characters persevered; they ran faithfully ‘on the same field, in the same arena of life, in the name of the same God, as the present readers’.²¹ Both of the bracketing texts contain the word ‘faith’ (Heb. 10.38, 39; 12.2). Thus, the writer of Hebrews argues that the just shall live by faith, and we are people of faith (10.38-39). This faith is exemplified in the heroes of the Old Testament (11.1-40), but Jesus is the greatest example. In fact, he is more than an example; he is the founder and perfecter of faith (12.2).

 

Tags: characters, judges, judging, problematic, searching

Category: Biblical Studies, Fall 2010