Remembered by God (Hebrews 11)

If Hebrews 11 had been written by us, we might have written it differently.

We would likely have chosen cleaner stories, safer names and figures with fewer stains on their record. We prefer heroes we can admire without complications. But Hebrews 11 is not written to flatter man’s achievement. It is written to magnify the faithfulness of God. One of the deepest comforts about this chapter is not merely who is included, but what their inclusion tells us about our God who remembers His people.

The names recorded do not belong to flawless men and women. They belong to people who trusted God, yet often did so with profound weakness, inconsistency and, at times, serious failure. Noah obeyed the Lord in reverent fear but later lay uncovered in shame. Abraham believed unto righteousness, yet twice acted out of fear and resorted to deception. Sarah is remembered for faith, though she once laughed at the Lord’s promise. Jacob was a man of promise, but also a deeply flawed man whose life was marked by struggle and sorrow. David is named as well and Scripture does not veil the darkness of his sin.

Among these names, however, one especially attracts our attention: Samson.

His inclusion in Hebrews 11 is startling. When we think of Samson, we do not instinctively think of a model of steady holiness. His life was marked by rashness, ungoverned appetite, pride, and moral compromise. He was extraordinarily gifted by God, yet deeply inconsistent in the way he lived. And yet Hebrews 11:32 places him among those who lived by faith.

An article by Jon Bloom, The Weakness of the World’s Strongest Man, sharpens this point helpfully. Samson’s inclusion in Hebrews 11 does not minimise his sin. Rather, it highlights both God’s faithfulness to His promise and the reality that Samson still exercised faith, even amid serious unfaithfulness.

That helps us see more clearly what Hebrews 11 is doing. The chapter does not erase the failures of God’s people, but neither does it allow those failures to define the whole story. Scripture is painfully honest about their sins. The Bible does not tidy up their lives or present them as polished spiritual heroes. Their unbelief, compromise, fear, folly, and moral failure are plainly recorded for us to see. Yet, when God gathers these names in Hebrews 11, He remembers them in connection with faith.

As the author of the article helpfully observes, Samson could still exercise faith while being unfaithful. He knew his strength came from God. He believed God would empower him for the work God had appointed him to do. In that sense, Samson’s mighty acts were acts of faith. Yet at the same time, he did not trust God enough to obey Him in the governing of his desires and life. He trusted God for power, but should also have trusted God for holiness.

That is both a warning and a comfort.

What is the warning? It is a warning that God’s continued use of a person is not in itself proof that the person is pleasing God in every respect. In Samson’s case, God was being faithful to His own promise to begin delivering Israel from the Philistines. God’s purpose was not cancelled by Samson’s instability, though Samson himself suffered greatly for his sin. God remained faithful even when Samson was not. Giftedness is not the same as godliness. A person may be used by God in real ways and yet be deeply compromised. Spiritual usefulness must never be mistaken for divine approval of everything in one’s life. Samson stands as a solemn reminder that gifts do not excuse sin, and that divine patience should never be presumed upon.

What then is the comfort? The comfort is that God’s grace is greater than the failures of His people. Hebrews 11 does not ask us to admire Samson as though he were a model of mature obedience. Rather, it teaches us that even in a deeply flawed man, God saw and remembered the reality of faith. God did not deny Samson’s sin, but neither did He let Samson’s sin erase the fact that Samson had trusted Him.

Many believers need exactly that reminder. They know too well what it is to fall short. They look back and see fear where there should have been courage, compromise where there should have been faithfulness, or foolishness where there should have been wisdom. They know what it is to grieve over a life that has not been as faithful as it should have been.

For such believers, Hebrews 11 is filled with tender mercies.

It reminds us that the Lord does not cast off His people simply because their faith was mingled with weakness. He disciplines those He loves, humbles them and brings them low when needed. He is not indifferent to sin, and He does not make light of disobedience. But, neither does He forget His work of grace in those who are His. He remembers them not merely by their worst chapter, but by His redeeming work in them through faith.

That is why Hebrews 11 does not leave us admiring man. It leaves us admiring God.

The chapter is not a monument to spotless saints. It is a testimony to relentless, divine faithfulness. The God who remembered Samson is the God who remains faithful to His promises, even while dealing truthfully with the sins of His servants. He does not excuse their failures. But neither does He allow their failures to have the final word.

So, when we read Hebrews 11, we should not only say, “What surprising people are named here.” Let us with deeper wonder declare, “What a merciful God this is.”

For in the end, that is the singular hope of every believer: not that we have lived without failure, but that in Christ we will not finally be remembered by failure. We will be remembered by grace. - Elder Sim Chow Meng

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Reference: Jon Bloom, “The Weakness of the World’s Strongest Man,” Desiring God, January 17, 2014