How does Hebrews 11:28 relate to the concept of salvation through faith? Text of Hebrews 11:28 “By faith Moses kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch their firstborn.” Immediate Setting: Hebrews 11 and the Logic of Faith The verse sits inside a rhythm that began in 11:3—“By faith…”—and crescendos through Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and others. Faith, in this chapter, is the instrument that brings unseen promises into present reality (11:1). Moses’ act is highlighted because it demonstrates that deliverance from divine judgment rests on trusting God’s word rather than on merit or ritual precision. Exegesis of the Key Phrases • “Kept the Passover” (πεποίηκεν τὸ πάσχα) stresses deliberate observance; the aorist indicates a decisive historical act. • “Sprinkled the blood” (πρὸς χύσιν τοῦ αἵματος) echoes Exodus 12:7, 22. The blood marked the houses; it did not improve the occupants’ morality—it marked them as believing God. • “The destroyer of the firstborn” points to the angel of judgment (Exodus 12:23). The only barrier between death and life was the blood applied in obedient faith. Passover as Prototype of Salvation by Faith 1. Revelation: God declares an impending judgment (Exodus 11:4–6) and provides a means of escape (Exodus 12:3–13). 2. Response: The Israelites act “by faith”—they slaughter a blemish-free lamb, apply its blood, and trust God’s promise (Exodus 12:28). 3. Rescue: Where blood is present, wrath “passes over.” The linkage is explicit: “When I see the blood, I will pass over you” (Exodus 12:13). Hebrews 11:28 reinforces that the saving effect resided not in ethnic status or accumulated works, but solely in faith-driven reliance on God’s provision—precisely the New-Covenant principle (Romans 3:25–28; Ephesians 2:8–9). Blood, Substitution, and the Messianic Trajectory The Passover lamb embodies substitution: an innocent victim dies so the guilty may live. New Testament writers pick up the line unbroken: • John 1:29—“Behold, the Lamb of God…” • 1 Corinthians 5:7—“Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.” • 1 Peter 1:18–19—redeemed “with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish.” Hebrews itself crystallizes the point: “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (9:22). Faith First, Works Follow Notice the chronology: faith precedes deliverance and produces obedience. Moses trusted, therefore he acted. Modern behavioral science affirms that genuine belief motivates costly action; Hebrews 11 showcases that reality millennia before Bandura’s “self-efficacy” research gave it academic vocabulary. Historical and Archaeological Corroboration of the Exodus Backdrop • Papyrus Brooklyn 35.1446 lists Semitic slaves in Egypt circa the 18th Dynasty, matching the biblical setting. • The Ipuwer Papyrus (Leiden I 344) laments “the river is blood… plague is throughout the land,” echoing Exodus plagues. • Excavations at Tell el-Daba (Avaris) by Manfred Bietak reveal an Asiatic quarter in the Delta, including sheep remains in quantities unusual for Egyptians but routine for Hebrews. • The Merneptah Stele (c. 1208 BC) verifies a distinct nation “Israel” in Canaan within the biblical timeframe. These data, though contested in secular circles, furnish converging lines that the Exodus memory rests on real events rather than myth. Early Christian Witness Justin Martyr (Dial. 40) calls the Passover lamb “a type of Christ,” and Irenaeus (Adv. Haer. 4.10.1) connects the sprinkled blood to the cross. Such second-century testimony confirms that Hebrews’ linkage was recognized from the Church’s infancy. Theological Implications for Salvation Today 1. Universality of Judgment—just as every Egyptian household faced the destroyer, “all have sinned” (Romans 3:23). 2. Singularity of Provision—only blood on the doorposts availed; likewise, “there is salvation in no one else” (Acts 4:12). 3. Appropriation by Faith—the lamb had to be slain and the blood applied; intellectual assent was insufficient. So today, “with the heart one believes, resulting in righteousness” (Romans 10:10). Practical and Evangelistic Application If the tenth plague were announced tonight, would mere good intentions spare a household? Neither will moral effort avert final judgment. Hebrews 11:28 invites every listener to do what Moses did—believe God, apply the Lamb’s blood (John 3:16), and experience the ultimate “passing over” at the final reckoning (Revelation 20:11–15). Conclusion Hebrews 11:28 is a concise theological jewel: salvation’s pattern—grace promised, blood provided, faith exercised—is the same from Goshen to Golgotha to the present moment. The destroyer still passes over any life marked by the blood of Christ, and that mark is received solely “by faith.” |
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