To get an overview of the last few verses in Hebrews 11 let’s start by asking a question, “Do you ever feel all alone?” Do you face trials and temptation and wonder if you are all by yourself? It is easy to think that we struggle alone and that no one else has the same thoughts, issues, questions, or feelings that we do. But the truth is that Hebrews 11 really does not end until we get into chapter 12.

Hebrews 12:1-2 tells us that we are not alone. We have studied all these people, real life, every day people who lived long before us and also live on in the presence of God awaiting the time we will be joining them around the Throne. All of these that we have looked at, and all of these that are listed in the next several verses to finish the chapter, all of these are a “great cloud of witnesses” and they tell us that God is faithful. When we believe Him, there are works that result and benefits that are more valuable than anything this world has to offer.

Verse 32 starts, “And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of…” In other words, there is not room in the Book nor words enough to adequately detail all those who have been faithful to God. What a truth. So often it seems that true, maturing believers are far and few between, but the reality is that there are many, so many faithful that there are not enough words to tell about them. There is not time to cover them all. That makes me glad that eternity is forever – that will give us all the time we need to get to know the faithful.

There are so many faithful and so many works that result from faith. There is so much more to be said. We each have a part in saying what needs to be said. Our testimony is a valuable contribution to these things that the writer of Hebrews did not have time to say.

Have you ever thought that there are so many faithful? Have you ever thought about the fact that we really are not ever alone? No matter how lonely we feel, Jesus never leaves or forsakes us and we are surrounded indeed by so great a cloud of witnesses, of the faithful who know and trust God and encourage us on as we run the race of faith.

What more can we say? There is plenty more to say as we look at those who are faithful and as we strive to see and know the One who is the Object of that faith. Remember – we are never alone.

In our next message from Hebrews 11:32-34 we will learn that these great heroes of the faith were just flesh and blood human beings who sinned, who made some terrible, heart rending mistakes, but also who trusted God and saw Him do great and marvelous things to glorify Himself in their lives. These things were written for us so that we would know that we are not alone.

This coming Sunday, March 13, join us as we review, or perhaps learn for the first time, about several of the faithful judges that God appointed in Israel and about King David, from whose line Christ descended. Along with David we will examine the lives and faith of Gideon, Barak, Samson, and Jepthah in a message titled “Faithful Judges and Kings.”