THE GOOD REPORT
Heb. 11:2
Morning Meditation 5/8/17
Verse 2 says, “For by it the elders obtained a good report.”
The word “elders” is speaking of Old Testament saints who served God by faith. I have often tried to put myself in the shoes of those Old Testament “elders” and imagine the difficulties they had in walking by faith. Job knew a lot about God. Yet the book of Job is said to be the first book of the Bible. I have no reason to reject that idea. It is the only book that does not refer to some other book. Where did Job learn so much about God and the universe? Now if you answer that, it will have to be speculation. If you say from God, you would have to be right. That is the only possible source of his information. But the reason I brought this up is to show the advantage we have in possessing the Word of God in the sixty six books that we have. I praise the Lord for His Word in its entirety (that which is perfect has come; 1 Cor. 13:10, i.e., the Word of God). It gives one an advantage, and I need an edge. The “elders” received God’s Words in whatever form He gave them and they believed Him.
The words “obtained a good report” translate one word (martureo) meaning “to be a witness, to bear witness, i.e., to affirm that one has seen or heard or experienced something, or that he knows it because taught by divine revelation or inspiration.” It is an aorist passive indicative verb. The aorist tense speaks of the point of time in which they received it. The passive voice means that the actor is God and the elders were the receivers of the witness which He gave.
It was for faith of this kind that men of old received the Divine approval and has been placed on a permanent record as an example to their descendants. G. Campbell Morgan says, “That declaration shows that it was in answer to faith that those who have written the story of origins received a revelation.” Then he draws attention to the next verse as a proof of this: verse 3 says, “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.”
“The elders obtained a good report” does not mean they were well reported of, but that the report or information granted to them was trustworthy. God reveals to faith what the study of nature and science does not reveal to reason. By faith, then, man transcends the proof possible to his senses, and grasps the infinite and spiritual. The elders obtained the revelation because they believed God, and we by that same faith, understand that beyond all the things revealed to the senses, God Himself is found..
Lessons:
1. There is an internal witness of our acceptability to God; 1 John 5:10 says, “He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.”
2. There is an internal witness as to the will of God; Col 3:15 says, “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.”
1.There is the “anointing” that teaches us; 1 John 2: 27 says, “But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.”
The “elders” did receive assurance from God that they acted right when they acted if faith in response to His Word. We can have the same. The steps in discovering the will of God and getting the witness for me is:
1.Recognize a particular need. A need comes about in the providence of God to bring us to seek Him that He might meet that need.
2.Read the Scriptures prayerfully until a verse is found that matches the need. If it is the right verse, God will personalize that verse to us. (The inner witness).
3.Ask God in faith that is a response to what God says in the verse and thank Him for it before you see.
4.Get up and walk against contradicting circumstances. This is the fight of faith. God allows faith to be tried and is the natural process for spiritual growth.
5.Continue to thank Him in prayer for the answer and stay open to anything else He wants to do before the answer becomes a physical reality. God answered Daniels prayer the first day he prayed but the angel that brought the answer was delayed by the “prince of Persia for 21 days. (Dan. 10:12-13). Did Daniel quit praying during those 21 days? No. Did God bear him witness that his prayer was right? I believe so. But God did allow him to struggle for 21 days.
6.The internal witness and the answer will come for God cannot lie. We will be able to testify, “I knew it was going to happen, I just did not know when and how.” Amen.
May the Lord use this meditation to strengthen our faith and to know the witness when it is borne. The secret of prevailing prayer is to have the assurance that what we are asking is His will. Then we can fight the fight of faith until we see the answer (1 John 5:14-15).
