Redemption Making Sense of History

Reading through Hebrews lately, I realized something deeper about the momentum of the history of redemption: time makes sense of much. What is unclear in the present becomes clear in the future. Perhaps, this is because the God of the Bible is the LORD, YHWH, the Great I AM. His existence is of an eternal present.

In Hebrews 11, the author gives a long list of some key players in redemptive history who had "the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" (11:1). In a word, they were believers in the promises of the LORD. However, verses 39-40 makes a critical addition, "And all these, though well attested by their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had foreseen something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect."

I had read this passage before, but this morning, it humbled me to the dirt. The experiences of Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets was "for us?" Can this be right? They are imperfect apart from us? Is this fair?

I could point to countless passages where these warriors struggled to make sense of their suffering. I think of Abraham on the long hike to Mt. Moriah to sacrifice his beloved son Isaac, the son of the promise. I think of Joseph being sold into slavery through the betrayal of his own kin. I think of Moses struggling with the stiff-necked and hard-hearted people. I think of David's shrilling cry of honesty, "How long, O LORD, will you forget me? How long will you hide your face from me?" (Psalm 13). They received little incarnate consolation for their problems and remained imperfect in their faith. Yet, all their struggling expectation is "for us" because we have seen the incarnate promise, the Son of God, Jesus Christ, in whom the promise is fulfilled and shadow becomes light!

And so it gives me great comfort to know that for those heroes of faith, their lives did not always make sense. They did not always understand why this God was calling them to do such-and-such. Yet, they believed that his promises were good and true. They had no plan-B. Centuries and millennia after their deaths, it all made sense in the coming of the Lamb of God. Struggle, guilt, expectation, and longing gave way to the seed of David's throne, King Jesus.

I live on the other side of that event and still, my life does not always make sense. But I have (and we have) more than they did. The promise is fulfilled, the shadows have receded under the one true light. Christ's perfect life and atoning death and victorious resurrection mean that if God has given us his Son, won't he freely give us all things? (Rom. 8:32) The future is certain through the guarantee of the Holy Spirit and the coming of the Kingdom.

In the past, we can see the redemption perfected in Christ Jesus making sense of all that preceded. So too in the future. For now, in my confusion and uncertainty about what is to come, I can but plead two things: 1) I believe, help my unbelief and 2) Marantha, come Lord quickly.