Letter to the Hebrews Volume 151

 Overcoming Faith Part 9

Hebrews 11:35 Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: KJV Note: CEV = Contemporary English Version

One of the Prophets (no doubt) that the writer of Hebrews refers to is the man named Elijah. The Lord God/Adonai/Elohim/Jehovah/Jesus Christ our Lord developed this man (even during his times of doubt and despair) (1 Kings 19:4-8), displayed His Omniscients through the words with which he spoke (1 Kings 17:1-7), demonstrated His great Might and Power through him (1 Kings 18:20-40), yet however, the most magnificent, mighty, and miraculous demonstration of Elohim's love and power was the raising of the widow of Zarephath's son back from physical death to life. The faith shown by the widow in the words and request of the Prophet Elijah was tremendous, for she would not have been blamed by anyone during that extreme time of drought in the land if she refused his request and went her way. She had unknowingly received answers to perhaps many of her prayers to Jehovah by simply believing the Prophet Elijah, as it is written, "When Elijah came near the town gate of Zarephath, he saw a widow gathering sticks for a fire. 'Would you please bring me a cup of water?' he asked. As she left to get it, he asked, 'Would you also please bring me a piece of bread?' The widow answered, 'In the name of the living LORD your God, I swear that I don't have any bread. All I have is a handful of flour and a little olive oil. I'm on my way home now with these few sticks to cook what I have for my son and me. After that, we will starve to death.' Elijah said, 'Everything will be fine. Do what you said. Go home and fix something for you and your son. But first, please make a small piece of bread and bring it to me. The LORD God of Israel has promised that your jar of flour won't run out and your bottle of oil won't dry up before he sends rain for the crops.' The widow went home and did exactly what Elijah had told her. She and Elijah and her family had enough food for a long time. The LORD kept the promise that his Prophet Elijah had made, and she did not run out of flour or oil." (1 Kings 17:10-16) (CEV).  

Faith in God does not exclude someone from tragedy happening in their lives and so it was with this same widow of Zarephath when her son became very ill and finally died because of his illness. But, because of her same strong faith by showing kindness to the Prophet of Adonai (even when she had little to nothing for herself and her son) she received favor from Him through the same Prophet Elijah as Adonai raised her son back from physical death to life "Women received their dead raised to life again" (Hebrews 11:35), as it is written, "And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him. And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son? And he said unto her, Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a loft, where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed. And he cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son? And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul come into him again. And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived. And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber into the house, and delivered him unto his mother: and Elijah said, See, thy son liveth. And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the Word of the LORD in thy mouth is truth." (1 Kings 17:17-24) (KJV).

The writer of Hebrews goes on to declare the overcoming faith of other believers during that time and era with these words, "others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection" (Hebrews 11:35). It is one thing to intellectually believe in the Lord God, but it is all together another thing to show by your willingness to be tortured and brutally murdered/martyred before you would ever denunciate, denounce, or deny your faith in the One True God. If you really believe God and believe in God, nothing done to your temporary house, tent, that is, your body would ever make you deny Him, as it is written by the Words of our Lord Jesus Christ Himself when He said, "And I say unto you My friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear Him, which after He hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear Him." (Luke 12:4-5) (KJV). Here is what Matthew Henry had to say of "women received their dead raised to life again", "In Christ there is neither male nor female; many of the weaker sex have been strong in faith. Though the covenant of grace takes in the children of believers, yet it leaves them subject to natural death. Poor mothers are loth to resign up their interest in their children, though death has taken them away. God has sometimes yielded so far to the tender affections of sorrowful women as to restore their dead children to life again. Thus Christ had compassion on the widow of Nain, Luke 7:12, etc. This should confirm our faith in the general resurrection." Here is what Albert Barnes had to say of "others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection", "When it was offered them; that is, on condition that they would renounce their opinions, or do what was required of them. This is the very nature of the spirit of martyrdom. That is, when they were subjected to this kind of torture they were looked upon as certainly dead. To have accepted deliverance then, would have been a kind of restoration to life, or a species of resurrection. But they refused this, and looked forward to a more honorable and glorious restoration to life; a resurrection, therefore, which would be better than this. It would be in itself more noble and honorable, and would be permanent, and therefore better. No particular instance of this kind is mentioned in the Old Testament; but amidst the multitude of cases of persecution to which good men were subjected, there is no improbability in supposing that this may have occurred. The case of Eleazer, recorded in 2 Macc. 6, so strongly resembles what the Apostle says here, that it is very possible he may have had it in his eye. The passage before us proves that the doctrine of the resurrection was understood and believed before the coming of the Saviour, and that it was one of the doctrines which sustained and animated those who were called to suffer on account of their religion. In the prospect of death under the infliction of torture on account of religion, or under the pain produced by disease, nothing will better enable us to bear up under the suffering than the expectation that the body will be restored to immortal vigour, and raised to a mode of life where it will be no longer susceptible of pain. To be raised up to that life is a 'better resurrection' than to be saved from death when persecuted, or to be raised up from a bed of pain."

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.


Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…