³⁹ And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, ⁴⁰ because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect.

As great as was their faith, and having “gained approval through their faith,” yet none-the-less, none of the Old Testament believers actually gained what was promised. To be sure, many of them had victorious lives as a result of their faith, but the ultimate promise had not been realized. They lived their entire lives without fully realizing what was promised. But what does this really mean?

Keep in mind that the promise, in the context of Hebrews 11, refers to the promise God made to Abraham when He called him out of Ur of the Chaldeas (Gen 12). He promised to make Abraham’s descendants as numerous as the stars in the heaven (which certainly has come to pass) and to bless him (which seems also to have taken place, despite the constant attempts to exterminate them throughout their history). But, the part of the promise of concern to us here is that God would bless the nations of the earth through Abraham’s descendants. That had not taken place during the lifetime of any of the Old Testament believers. The Jews remained a regional nation, which apart from a few brief years during the time of King David and Solomon, had little influence beyond their national borders. That “something better,” that blessing of everyone on earth, was still to come.

Their journey of faith, for the Old Testament believers, continues in us today, those of us who live during the time when God’s message of grace has been revealed in the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the One who is superior to the angels, Moses, Levitical sacrificial system and the priesthood. Everything in the past formed a centuries long crescendo, climaxing in the coming of the Messiah, the Christ of Israel. It is in Him that all the people on earth are blessed. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

The list we call God’s Hall of Faith, Hebrews 11, finds the story culminating in Christ. We have a salvation today that is better than anything the Old Testament by itself can offer. It is incomplete without trusting in God in our hearts today. This validates their faith. This is what is meant by, “For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified” (Heb 10:14). In Christ, the One we believe in today, all believers of all time are made perfect!

My Lord and Savior, how glorious is Your promise to Abraham, that I so richly enjoy today. You are, indeed, a God who keeps Your word!.