Honey From The Rock

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Honey From The Rock
Psalm 81:16

"Sweet Stuff From God's Word"

A daily Bible study with Victor Knowles
Copyright 2007

TOO GOOD FOR THIS WORLD, Part 3

This entry was posted on 04-10-2009 and is filed under FAITH.

"They were stoned, they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword" (Heb. 11:37 NIV).

Today's Bible study should probably be rated R for violence. Stoned. Sawn asunder. Slain by the sword. Faith is not for the faint of heart. The blood of believers stains the pages of history and even today continues to be shed. Stoning was a terrible way to die. Some of the prophets experienced this fate. Jesus saved a woman from stoning (John 8) and lamented the stoning of the prophets (Luke 13:34). Stephen was stoned to death (Acts 7) and Paul, who was present at that stoning, was later stoned and left for dead. One tradition says it was Isaiah the prophet who was "sawed in two." I can hardly think of a more agonizing death. Other translations have "cut in pieces" or "cut up with knives." No doubt this was before they died and not afterwards. Some translations add "they were tested" before the last phrase appears in this verse ("put to death by the sword"). I am of the opinion that the sword that is mentioned here is beheading, which was a form of capital punishment that James suffered (Acts 12). The "testing" was "tempting offers [to renounce their faith]" according to the Amplified New Testament. When believers refused to recant they were summarily executed with the sword. The great apostle Paul was probably beheaded.

Why were these people treated in such a horrible, inhumane, evil fashion? Because they were believers who would not deny the faith. Because the world has always hated the godly. Because Satan is "a murderer from the beginning" (John 8:44). No wonder we have these words from Christ: "Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life" (Rev. 2:10). Those who died in such terrible fashion were "too good for the world" - "the world was not worthy of them." We may not know their names but we are challenged by their faith.

Hymn: "Our fathers chained in prisons dark, were still in heart and conscience free; how sweet would be their children's fate, if they like them could die for Thee! Faith of our fathers, holy faith! We will be true to Thee till death!" (Frederick W. Faber)