Hebrews 11:38
(Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
HEBREWS 11:38
Verse 38 continues the catalogue with a provocative parenthetical: “Of whom the world was not worthy.” The wanderings “in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth” depict a life of exile and dependence on God’s providence. This line echoes the experience of faithful ones who refused worldly securities to cling to God. The phrase suggests a counterintuitive judgment: those who seemed persecuted or marginalized were, in God’s economy, gifts to the world—loved by God, and yet not celebrated by worldly standards. The image evokes the prophets and saints who endured without the comforts of home, relying on God as their daily bread.
Theologically, this verse underlines the paradox of worldly values versus divine valuation. It affirms that God’s people are found faithful in odd, lonely, or marginalized places, and that such faith is not wasted but honored in eternity. It reinforces the pattern that God’s true home has more to do with His presence than with institutions or urban centers.
If you feel out of place or unwelcome, you may be in a company God esteems. Practical steps: cultivate a rhythm of prayer, maintain integrity in difficult environments, and seek community that shares a similar desire to honor God in unlikely places. Your faithful presence in deserts or caves—figurative or real—can become a witness to others about the sufficiency of God.
Cross-References: 1 Thessalonians 2:16; Hebrews 11:13; John 15:19; Psalm 84:10