Scripture: Hebrews 11:29-31 (ESV)
“By faith the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land, but the Egyptians, when they attempted to do the same, were drowned. By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days. By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.”
In English we have the famous saying “Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me”. This expression has been used to great comic effect over the years where some overly trusting person might fall for the same mistake again and again. They might say, “Fool me once, shame on you, fool me a thousand times, shame on me…”. But the reality is that the reason those jokes are funny is because we all know that deep down as human beings, we are very prone to putting our trust and faith in things and people that just disappoint us again and again. Maybe it is your work place that promises Christmas bonus but every year there is an excuse. Maybe it is a friend who always says they will call you, but never do. Maybe it is that person you really want to believe, but you know it is just so unlikely that they are telling the truth.
As we have been exploring Hebrews 11, we have seen all these people who have put their trust in the right place – in God and in his promises. Today we see this theme continued, but with a twist. The author of Hebrews notes how the Israelites crossed the Red Sea by faith, walking on dry ground where water once was. But here comes the twist: The Egyptians, followed and attempted to do the same, but they were swallowed by the sea. Why did the Egyptians fail? Because their faith was in the wrong person and in the wrong place. Their faith was in their strength, in the power of their gods, in their chariots, horses and military might. Their faith was not in the Almighty who had come to save his people.
Similarly, this chapter mentions the fall of Jericho’s walls. The Israelites marched around the city for seven days, and their faith was shown in obedience to God’s instructions. Their faith was in God, and the walls came tumbling down. Rahab is remembered as someone who believed in the God of Israel even though she knew very little about him.
These stories remind us again of the truth of the famous Tim Keller quote: “It is not the strength of our faith, but the object of our faith that actually saves us”.
I guess the question for us is: Where is our faith really? In whom do we trust?
Prayer:
Lord, please help us to trust you. Help us to see the areas in our lives where we trust in things that cannot save us. Make our faith strong so that we will follow you, even through the waters of the Red Sea. Help us keep our eyes on Jesus. Amen.
Spiritual Challenge:
Today, identify one area of your life where you’ve been placing your trust in something other than God. Consciously choose to trust God in that area and seek His guidance through prayer and scripture.