Hebrews Chapter 11
Hebrews 11:1-3 “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for: By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible."
NOW FAITH IS....Being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
At the end of chapter 10, the writer of Hebrews finished describing why the new covenant in Jesus Christ was superior to the old covenant of animal sacrifices (Hebrews 10:1–18). This concluded with a reassuring reminder not to "shrink back," but to "have faith" (Hebrews 10:39). What does it mean to "be sure" and "certain"? NIV: (confidence in) what we hope for and (assurance about) what we do not see. NASB: (the assurance of) things hoped for, (the conviction ) of things not seen. KJV: (the substance of) things hoped for, (the evidence ) of things not seen. The Greek word for faith is pistis (#4102) and is simply translated 'belief'. It comes from the root verb 3982/peithô, to persuade; (passive) be persuaded of what is trustworthy.Noun: faith, confidence, belief Verb: to believe, to be confident The Lord persuades the yielded believer to be confident in His preferred-will (Gal 5:10; 2 Tim 1:12). 3982 (peíthō) involves "obedience, but it is properly the result of (God's) persuasion" The significance of this is that we often just think of faith as action and we end up putting our faith in "our ability to have faith". We look to ourselves rather than the real object of our faith - God. Faith is our belief - our knowledge of God. We can grow in our faith by growing in what we know of God. "I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better." Ephesians 1:17) "We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please Him in every way; bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God..." Colossians 1:9b-10 When we build ourselves up in the knowledge of God - what we know about Him...His character, His promises, His strength, power and might and how we have experienced His faithfulness; our faith in God grows...because He is the object of our faith. AND when our knowledge of WHO He is grows, we are compelled to produce actions that are consistent with our faith. To say that we know and believe in God but not produce fruit that is consistent with those beliefs means we don't really believe...it is not an active faith...it is a dead faith. "What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, 'You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that - and shudder. You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not your father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,' and he was called God's friend. You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone. In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead." James 2:14-26 We must not be confused in our thinking and focus on doing actions to show ourselves worthy in earning our salvation. There are people who do good deeds but do not know God...they are lost. But the person of faith will be compelled to act in obedience and produce deeds, actions and attitudes that are consistent with their faith spoken and acted upon. |
Conviction of things not seen
We become aware that we are surrounded by an invisible spiritual kingdom. that that which is seen is not the whole explanation of life, that there are realities which cannot be seen, weighed, measured, analyzed, our touched, and yet which are real and as vital as anything we can see. In fact, they are more real because they are the explanation of things which are as real because they are the explanation of things which can be seen. What is the object of our faith? Faith is only as solid as the object that we put our faith in. We are told that faith is the assurance...the confidence...the substance...of what we hope for. Being sure of what we hope for..... Biblical hope is a certainty, a strong and confident expectation that what God promised in His Word is true Certain of what we do not see..... We can be certain that everything will happen in accordance with God's sure Word. (See more on Hope) Faith looks Forward and Backward Faith is developed by combining our sense of the past, present, and future. Earlier verses described faith looking forward, to "things hoped for…not seen." The context of this idea is that what we have seen and experienced of God ought to inspire trusting confidence in the future (Hebrews 11:1–2). In verse 3, that same idea is used to show faith looking backwards, to the past. The point being made here is not about inventing beliefs, but about putting our trust in God, based on what we can see, in order to rely on Him in areas where we cannot see. Ancient doesn't mean Irrelevant In the following verses, the writer of Hebrews will point out examples of believers who demonstrated real, saving faith in God. Each example of faith demonstrates trust, based on what that person knew and held as reassurance that God would act according to His promises. The "assurance" and "conviction" of faith is not blind belief, or gullibility, or wishful thinking. The ancients had a choice to follow God with confidence, even when they didn't fully know what lied ahead. Their obedience and actions were products of saving faith, not the cause of their salvation. God honored their actions, but did so because of the faith which produced those works. The point made here helps to explain faith by combining our sense of the past, present, and future. Earlier verses described faith looking forward, to "things hoped for…not seen." The context of this idea is that what we have seen and experienced of God ought to inspire trusting confidence in the future. The point being made here is not about inventing beliefs, but about putting our trust in God, based on what we can see, in order to rely on Him in areas where we cannot see. This perspective is especially important when reading upcoming verses about biblical figures. In each case, their faith is demonstrated by obedience to God, despite a lack of complete knowledge. Abraham is held up as the highest example of trusting faith for that reason: his actions show that he was willing to trust God, though he himself could not see how God's plan was going to be worked out. Spiritually, as well as physically, God takes what is "unseen" to us, and makes things which, later on, we can see. Study of the various characters mentioned in this chapter shows that they all had good reasons to trust in God. Their "faith" was not naively accepting fairy tales; it was acting in full confidence that God would do as He had promised, based on those experiences. As the rest of this chapter demonstrates, that kind of faith—trust which produces obedience—results in God's blessings and approval. Our perspective, looking back on their example, should inspire confidence that God will make good on His promises, even if our earthly lives don't last long enough to see them come to fruition. God "creates" out of things we cannot see—both in a literal, physical sense, as well as a spiritual sense. Just because we don't understand how God will act does not mean He cannot, or will not act. |
Hebrews 11:4 "By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead."
The author purposefully calls the reader’s attention to those manifestations of faith that occurred before (or apart from) the law. This passage focuses on examples of faithful obedience from the Old Testament, to show that God's favor was on those whose trust led to obedience (despite the lack of complete knowledge or clear understanding of how or when His promises would be fulfilled). Abel was the second son of Adam and Eve, after his older brother Cain (Genesis 4:1–2). Both brought sacrifices to God, but Abel's was apparently a more sincere and acceptable sacrifice than Cain's (Genesis 4:3–5). The problem wasn't just with the offering but with the offerer. Although we don't know exactly was transpired, we see that God made sure that Abel knew that he had received God's favor and Cain did not. Cain responded in anger. God further sought him out in response to his anger and gave him an opportunity to "do what was right." But Cain rejected God's reassurances and responded to God's rejection of his sacrifice by murdering his brother and attempting to hide the body (Genesis 4:6–10).
The pattern being shown here is that God will bless those who respond to Him in obedience (and right motivations of the heart)—yet the opening example is the victim of Scripture's first recorded murder! However, this fits perfectly with the purpose of the book of Hebrews. Faith, as defined earlier, is a forward-looking trust that God will make good on His promises, even when that fulfillment is "unseen" to us. Abel obeyed God's commands, in faith, and was accepted by God. As the writer of Hebrews has shown, it is this trusting faith—not ritual actions—which brings God's commendation. Abel's sacrifice didn't cleanse him from sin (Hebrews 10:3–4); his faith in God is what saved him. |
By faith, Abel still speaks?
We do not have any of his recorded words, but his story plainly tells us…By faith, Abel was credited righteousness and he set an example for us to follow that righteousness is apart from law-keeping. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things, I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ - the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. Philippians 3:8-9 Chapter 11 is emphatic in its teaching that death is not the termination of life for the people of faith. As the author will further expound, the Old Testament saints died, assured that they would even yet receive the promises God had made to them. This certainty of eternal life after death is further exemplified by the actions of the patriarchs at the time of their deaths. For everything that was written in former times was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and through encouragement of the scriptures we may have hope. Romans 15:4 Much of this encouragement to persevere comes from godly men and women who persevered by faith. Note: Today's First15 Devotional reminded me that through Christ, our hope lives, Jesus really is the anchor of our hope! Through God’s promises of his presence now and total restoration in the age to come, we can have peace in the midst of trials, joy in persecution and steadfastness when it seems nothing can go our way. 1 Peter 1:3-4 says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.” |
Hebrews 11:5-6 "By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.
Hebrews 11:7- "By faith, Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith, he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith."
Faith, according to the writer of Hebrews, is what gives us confidence in an unseen future. When we trust God, based on what we know of Him, we act according to His will. That is the "faith" which God commends, and which is required in order to please Him.
Noah exemplifies trusting obedience. God's communication with Noah was relatively detailed—he was told about the upcoming flood and how the ark would serve to rescue mankind (Genesis 6:13–18). All Noah had to do was obey, which he did (Genesis 6:22). Of course, Noah would have grappled with his own unanswered questions, which is what the writer means by referring to "events as yet unseen." At the time God gave His command for Noah to build the ark, Noah had never seen anything like the flood before. He could see no physical evidence that the flood was imminent. But Noah chose to trust God. This trust, sufficient to produce obedience, is what the writer of Hebrews extolls as the "faith" we ought to live by. Noah's trust proved the wickedness of those who rejected God, and his obedience saved his family (Genesis 7:11–13, 22–23). Noah is also referred to here as an "heir of the righteousness that comes by faith." Obedience to God, in the book of Hebrews, is often tied to the concept of an "inheritance," usually meaning the victorious rewards God intends us to obtain by following His will (Hebrews 6:11–12). |
Blame it on the rain, yah yah....
If there had never been rain before the flood,2 then neither Noah, his family, nor any who died in the flood, would have seen rain before. That would mean that no one had ever seen a flood before, either, and surely not a flood that would destroy every living creature on the face of the earth.I am reminded of Peter’s words in 2 Peter 3: Above all, understand this: In the last days blatant scoffers will come, being propelled by their own evil urges and saying, “Where is his promised return? For ever since our ancestors died, all things have continued as they were from the beginning of creation.” For they deliberately suppress this fact, that by the word of God heavens existed long ago and an earth was formed out of water and by means of water. Through these things the world existing at that time was destroyed when it was deluged with water (2 Peter 3:3-6). In the last days, there will be those scoffers who seek to convince themselves and others that there is no coming judgment. Peter reminds his readers that there have been instances of judgment, the first of which was the flood. But for the people of Noah’s day, there was no precedent for a worldwide judgment. Judgment was therefore “unseen.” [I think the ark was a physical representation of what it means to allow God to be our refuge.] |
Hebrews 11:8-13 "By faith, Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith, he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. By faith, Abraham, even though he was past age--and Sarah herself was barren--was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore."
The writer has defined "faith" from the perspective of a forward-looking trust in God's promises . This is in the context of taking all we know of God—the evidence of Scripture, history, and our experiences—and using it to "hold fast" to our confidence that God will make good on His word (Hebrews 10:23). That confidence, naturally, should lead us to obey Him even when we can't fully see the end of the story. This is the core property of saving faith: a trust that God will be God.
One of the Bible's greatest examples of this kind of trusting faith is Abraham. Here, the writer specifically mentions the moment when Abraham—then named Abram—was called by God to leave his homeland (Genesis 12:1–4). Though Abraham didn't know exactly what the future held, he chose to obey God. Despite the fact that he did not know exactly how God would make good on His promises, Abraham obeyed. The writer of Hebrews includes this moment in Abraham's life as an example of how God blesses those who respond to Him with obedience. This verse also mentions Abraham's son and grandson: Isaac and Jacob. God gave to them the same promises given to Abraham. This is a key point that many readers might miss: God's promise to Abraham was to create a large and mighty nation, occupying a particular territory (Genesis 15:5–7). That promise was not entirely fulfilled in the lifetime of Abraham. Nor was it completed during the life of Isaac, or Jacob. However, their faith in God led them to obey, and to trust, knowing that God was able to make good on His promises. Those of us reading their stories, today, can look back and see how God did, in fact, fulfill His guarantees (Joshua 1:1–4). That should inspire us to be all the more confident in our faith. |
The reference here to "the city that has foundations" might be an echo of the visions seen by prophets of the Old Testament (Ezekiel 40—48; Isaiah 60—66), and given more detail in the book of Revelation (Revelation 21:9–14). The city is the New Jerusalem, a feature of God's eventual conquest over all sin and death (Revelation 21:2–4). Their faith explicitly led them to believe that God's ultimate purpose for them was not earthly, but heavenly.
Sarah is also commended for her faith. Despite being barren for some ninety years, she was able to conceive and birth a son, just as God had promised (Genesis 17:15–16; 21:1–2). Sarah trusted that God could make such a thing happen. And yet, we see that at one point, Sarah and Abraham tried to "help out" God by using her servant Hagar as a surrogate mother (Genesis 16:2–4). Even the name of that promised child—Isaac, meaning "laughter"—was a reference to the reaction of both Abraham and Sarah to God's initial promise of a natural-born child (Genesis 17:17; 18:12): they laughed. The lesson, it seems, is that Sarah's initial doubts, and occasional failures, did not prove that she lacked genuine faith in God. This, too, should be reassuring to the readers of this passage. While the writer of Hebrews is commending faith—specifically, a trusting reliance on God—he brings examples which are just as flawed as we are. Later, as the theme shifts to faith in the face of more dire circumstances, we will see that true "faith" does not make a person morally or spiritually perfect. The general pattern of biblical faith is to trust our future to God, despite not having perfect knowledge of what will happen next. |
Hebrews 11:14-16 "All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country--a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them."
For those who truly trust in God, life on earth is merely a temporary journey. we are "strangers and exiles on the earth." This is the kind of faith which allows us to trust God despite personal abuse, as did Abel (Hebrews 11:4). We can obey difficult and confusing commands, as did Noah (Hebrews 11:7). We can trust God to make good on His word, even when it seems as if He's waited too long, as did Abraham and Sarah (Hebrews 11:8–12).
These figures accepted God's promises and "greeted them from afar," from that perspective. This point is emphasized in the next verse by noting that, if figures like Abraham were merely looking for an earthly home, they could always have gone back to where they started (Genesis 12:1–4). And yet, they did not. So, those with a trusting, forward-looking faith are said to be "seeking a homeland." Instead of relying on this earth as our ultimate end, saved believers can be confident that God's ability to work all things for good extends into eternity. In short, faith in God includes a recognition that this life is not all there is, and that what happens in our time on earth is only a temporary step towards what God has in store for us. |
This is the real goal, and the real purpose, of the faith held by men like Abraham. They realize that God's promises are not necessarily tied to some physical, earthly benefit. Instead, God is working all things for good from a heavenly, eternal plan (Romans 8:28).
The writer sums up his point using the word "therefore." Mere obedience is not enough; a person must have faith in God in order to please Him. Since these listed figures held that kind of trust in God, God was not ashamed of them. It was their faith, leading to obedience, not the actions themselves, which made them acceptable to God. |
Hebrews 11:17-19 "By faith, Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death."
Abraham was not coldly agreeing to murder his son. Nor was he blindly following an unknown voice. Abraham was confident that God would prove righteous, even if Abraham could not see or understand in that moment how such a thing was possible. This passage will go on to offers some insight into Abraham's mind, but the main point is his faith—demonstrated by his obedience
As this verse reminds us, Abraham had been given promises by God (Genesis 17:3–8), and those promises were explicitly tied to the life of Isaac (Genesis 17:18–19). The writer cites Genesis 21:12, where God clearly states that it is Isaac who will carry on Abraham's legacy. And yet, this is the son God commanded Abraham to sacrifice. Abraham would have been mystified, wondering why God would ask such a thing, and how God would fulfill His promises. And yet, Abraham had learned that God was able to work in ways Abraham could not see. God had given him a son when he was 100 years old (Genesis 17:17; 21:5), and saved his nephew Lot from the judgment of Sodom (Genesis 18:22–23; 19:15–16), all despite Abraham's lack of understanding. This is the basis for Abraham's faith, and that faith was the basis for his obedience to God. |
when God gave His mysterious command, Abraham was willing to trust in God and obey—proving by his actions that he possessed a true, godly faith (James 2:14–17). For this reason, he was not only rewarded by God (Genesis 22:15–18), who never intended to let Isaac die (Genesis 22:12), but he became an example of faith for the rest of humanity.
the writer of Hebrews offers one of the justifications Abraham would have held as part of his faith in God. At the time Abraham spoke with God, Scripture had not recorded any instances of God bringing someone back from the dead. And yet, Abraham's faith in God's assurances was strong enough that he felt God could resurrect Isaac, if need be. |
Hebrews 11:20-22 "By faith, Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future. By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Josephs's sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff. By faith, Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions about his bones."
The writer of Hebrews continues to demonstrate that godly faith is trust, not merely agreement. We demonstrate faith in God when we rely on Him to keep His word, even when we cannot see or understand all of the details.
By faith Isaac... Part of the point of their faith: recognizing that their earthly lives were not the end of God's ability to fulfill His purposes. We need to remember that God's perspective is eternal, and so we can look beyond our own earthly lives as part of that faith. Following this pattern, Isaac received the promises God had given to Abraham (Genesis 21:12), and passed them along to his children. Despite not seeing how or when they would come true, and dealing with considerable family strife (Genesis 27:1–40), Isaac exhibited faith and obeyed God, though he was extremely old and had not seen a total fulfillment of the divine plan. By faith Jacob.... Jacob, for his part, continued this pattern of trusting God by looking to the future. In hindsight, modern readers know that God did, in fact, fulfill those promises. The children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob became a massive throng of people, and those people took possession of the Promised Land (Joshua 1:1–4). But, nearing death, Jacob had not yet seen those promises come true. His faith is exemplified in continuing to pass down the blessings, just as his fathers had (Genesis 48:21). The expression regarding Jacob's staff seems to imply both his extreme age, and nearness to death, as well as his humility in worshipping God despite his doubts. |
By faith Joseph....
Joseph certainly faced struggle and hardship during his life (Genesis 37:23–24; 39:10–20). Despite that, he witnessed God using those hardships to rescue the descendants of Jacob (Genesis 45:1–5; 50:19–20). As a result, though he died with Israel still living outside of the Promised Land, Joseph specifically asked that his bones be carried into that land when Israel finally took possession (Genesis 50:25). During the exodus from Egypt, four centuries later, Joseph's bones were transported personally by Moses (Exodus 13:18–19). |
Hebrews 11:23-29 "By faith, Moses' parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king's edict. By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king's anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood; so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel. By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so they were drowned."
By faith Moses'parents
Moses' parents also faced an immediate, dire dilemma. The ruler of Egypt had ordered the entire nation to kill Israelite boy babies (Exodus 1:22). This was after the Israelite midwives themselves refused to follow such an order (Exodus 1:17). Rather than give in to their natural fear of retribution from the Pharaoh, Moses' parents defied man and obeyed God, keeping their son alive (Exodus 2:1–10). Though they could not know, at the time, exactly what would happen, they knew that it was more important to obey God than to live in fear of men. By Faith Moses... Moses also faced an immediate, personal choice regarding His trust in God. As an adopted son of the daughter of the Egyptian king (Exodus 2:1–10), Moses could have kept himself separate from the oppression and shame of his birth people, the nation of Israel (Exodus 1:8–14). Instead, he took sides with Israel rather than Egypt. Unfortunately, Moses' first recorded action along those lines was the killing of an Egyptian who was beating an Israeli slave (Exodus 2:11–12), an act which forced him to flee the country (Exodus 2:13–15). The mention of Moses' attitude, given here in the book of Hebrews, indicates that this was not a spur-of-the-moment action by Moses. Rather, he seems to have fully embraced his Jewish heritage, rather than rejecting it in favor of a life of luxury in the Egyptian palace (Hebrews 11:25). Earlier verses credited men like Abraham with a faith which looked ahead, not merely into their own lives, but to God's ultimate plan for humanity (Hebrews 11:10–16). Moses, as recorded here, seems to have had this same perspective. Popular depictions of Moses often suggest that he did not know about his Jewish heritage—the Bible says otherwise. On the contrary, as a well-educated member of Pharaoh's household, Moses likely knew more about Israel's history and the promises of God than many of his peers. That knowledge seems to have led Moses to prefer his Hebrew people over the culture of Egypt. Instead of remaining in his palace, taking on the lavish lifestyle of an Egyptian noble, Moses considered the promises God had made to Israel more valuable, and chose to identify with them, instead (Exodus 2:1–10). |
For the sake of Christ
This verse also makes reference to Moses bearing the "reproach of Christ." Christ is a title, derived from the Greek christos, which is used to translate the Hebrew word meshiach, from which we also get the term messiah. Moses' identification with the people of Israel, then, is tied to the same faith spoken of in the rest of this passage. Namely, a faith in God's overall, eternal plan, including His Promised One. Moses chose to favor the "reproach of Christ," by identifying with God's chosen people before the earthly birth Jesus Christ, foreshadowing those who would bear the "reproach of Christ," after Jesus' earthly ministry. The Exodus The "leaving" mentioned here is that of the Exodus itself. Moses' role in leading Israel out of slavery in Egypt required him to face the wrath of the Pharaoh. Instead of shrinking from this duty, Moses obeyed God (Exodus 5:1; 12:40–41). Future verses will help to clarify that the writer of Hebrews is now speaking of this event in particular. Keeping the Passover Moses' actions during the first Passover also serve to demonstrate trusting obedience to God. Once again, God presented a scenario with consequences, and instructions, but no absolute proof or deep details. All Moses and the people really knew was that God wanted them to follow His commands. Moses had seen more than enough of God's goodness to trust Him, and so Moses obeyed by following the Passover instructions: sprinkling blood on the doorways of Israel. This obedience led to exactly the results God had promised: those homes were spared from the death of the firstborn, the last and worst of Egypt's plagues (Exodus 12:21–30). Crossing the Red Sea The people of Israel were able to cross the Red Sea thanks to a miraculous parting of the waters by God (Exodus 14:21–22). When the Egyptian army, sent by a vengeful Pharaoh, attempted to follow them, they were obliterated by those same waves (Exodus 14:23–29). In the context of this part of Hebrews, this example serves two purposes. First, it underscores the fact that robotically acting in a mimicry of faith, without an attitude of faith, is not going to result in God's favor. The Israelites crossed the Red Sea because they trusted God. The Egyptian army tried to cross the Red Sea because they saw Israel doing it, and wanted to follow them for revenge, but failed. |
Hebrews 11:30-31 "By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days. By faith, the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient."
By faith, Jericho....
Jericho was surrounded by impenetrable walls when God commanded Israel to take the city. To do this, God gave what would have seemed like an absurd command: to spend seven days walking in circles around the city (Joshua 6:1–5). And yet, because Israel obeyed, they obtained victory when those walls collapsed and allowed the Hebrews to invade (Joshua 6:20–21). What do you do when you feel like you are walking in circles? You wait in faith until God moves! |
By faith Rahab....
The example given here is fascinating for several reasons. Rahab was a prostitute in the city of Jericho—the site of an Israeli victory just mentioned in the book of Hebrews (Joshua 2:1–2). Rahab's obedience to God exemplifies godly faith: she relied on what she knew of God (Joshua 2:9–10), and trusted God's control of the future (Joshua 2:11–13), causing her to obey God (Joshua 2:15–16), instead of living in fear of other men (Joshua 2:3–6). It's important to remember that God's actions in Jericho were a judgment on that people for their outrageous wickedness (Deuteronomy 9:4–5)—and Rahab was spared from this very judgment (Joshua 2:14–15). This presents a unique contrast, showing that God can legitimately judge sin, and rescue the righteous, even when we can't see how He could do both at once. Further, it should be noted that Rahab was not Jewish—she was a Gentile. At the time this letter of Hebrews was written, not all of the Christians experiencing persecution were Jews. And, there was a lingering sense in which some Gentile believers would have felt a certain distance from their Hebrew brothers (Acts 15:1–21). The reference to Rahab helps reinforce the idea that God's promises, in the new covenant, are for all people, Jew and Gentile alike (Galatians 3:7–8). Rahab is also interesting, as she is eventually listed in the genealogy of the Messiah. Rahab's great-great-grandson was Israel's king David (Matthew 1:5). |
Hebrews 11:32-40 "And what more shall I say? I o not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who short the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated--the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground. These were all commended for their faith, yet one of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
While these figures are all linked by their success, they are also notable for imperfections. Scripture describes people as they truly are, and even these heroes of the faith are linked to personal failures. That only serves to further emphasize God's ability to use sinful, error-prone people to complete His will. It should also help to encourage those who have struggled with sin not to give up. They, too, can "hold fast" to their faith, seeing how God was able to give victory even to those who made mistakes.
By faith Gideon... Gideon started off as a coward, hiding from the enemy (Judges 6:11), and hesitant to believe God's promises (Judges 6:36–40). Eventually, he obeyed God, even in a seemingly-impossible fight (Judges 7:8), and obtained victory for Israel (Judges 7:22–23). By faith Barak.... Barak was so plagued by doubt and insecurity that he could not fight God's enemies without the overt spiritual support of a woman, Deborah (Judges 4:4–9). In that culture, this would have been seen as unthinkable, even shameful. And yet, by acting on God's promises, he was successful in spite of great opposition (Judges 4:15–16). By faith Samson.... It would be fair to say that Samson's personal flaws are not merely part of his story, they are his story (Judges 14—16). Yet it was God who enabled Samson such stunning success against the Philistines (Judges 14:4; 15:14–15), even in his own death (Judges 16:28–30). By faith Jephthah... Jephthah obtained victory (Judges 11:32–33), due to his faith in God (Judges 11:29), and in spite of his shameful birth (Judges 11:1–2), but proved he lacked common sense by making a rash vow (Judges 11:30–31). The emphasis here, of course, is on his success due to his obedience to God. By faith David.... David, the greatest of Israel's kings, achieved all of his success as a direct result of honoring and obeying God (Acts 13:22; 1 Samuel 17:37). Even David, however, was linked to sin and error (2 Samuel 11:2–5), some of which led to the destruction of his own family (2 Samuel 12:10–15). By faith Samuel... Samuel and the prophets, likewise, are credited with amazing miracles and feats of evangelism. |
Verses 33, 34, and 35 summarize the stunning successes gained by these men who lived by faith. The feats named here are meant to include all of the faithful from the Old Testament, not merely the prophets. The accomplishments seem to build, climaxing with a reference to the greatest possible victory: resurrection from death. The text then transitions to describe the kind of hardships these believers endured.
As seen in the lives of heroes already listed in this chapter, those who obediently lived out faith in God were able to achieve military success (Joshua 3:7; 6:20), turn back those who oppressed Israel (Judges 8:28), and see God fulfill His promises (Exodus 13:8–9). Some, like Daniel, even miraculously survived in the presence of lions (Daniel 6:19–23). The miracle of resurrection occurred in the ministries of two of the Old Testament's greatest prophets, Elijah and Elisha. Both were credited with raising a dead person back to life. Elisha did so for a widow's son (1 Kings 17:17–24) and Elisha for a Shunammite woman's child (2 Kings 4:18–37). This, of course, represents the ultimate victory: a conquering of death itself! This verse also transitions into a list which is less positive, but equally important. The purpose of this entire letter has been to encourage persecuted Christians to "hold fast" to their faith (Hebrews 3:6; 10:23). After describing the faithful, trusting, steadfast examples of heroes of the Old Testament, the writer of Hebrews begins to remind his readers just what those earlier figures had to endure in order to achieve those results. The point, as intended here, is that God was faithful to these believers, and they trusted Him despite their suffering. Since they were able to endure, and we have all the more reasons to believe, we ought to be faithful, as well. The purpose of listing these atrocities is a combination of encouragement and conviction. Encouragement comes from knowing that, even when the world is against those who are faithful, God is going to obtain victory in the end. Conviction comes from knowing that these earlier believers experienced truly horrific circumstances, but were able to "hold fast" to their faith (Hebrews 3:6; 10:23; Philippians 4:12–13). This ought to encourage us to maintain a forward-looking, trusting faith, even during hardships. Even more convicting, these believers are still awaiting the ultimate fulfillment of God's promises, for a very humbling reason. God is extending the opportunity for salvation to us—here, now, today—delaying the rewards of those earlier believers for our sake (Hebrews 11:40)! |