In Hebrews 10:19 Paul then moves
from a doctrinal emphasis and explanation to how all of this should be applied
in life. In light of all that he has said thus far the Hebrew believers in
Jesus their Messiah should "draw
near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled
from and evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water"
(Hebrews 10:22). He exhorts them, "Let
us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised
is faithful" (Hebrews 10:23). He exhorts the Hebrews to unite in
fellowship for mutual encouragement in this endeavor (Hebrews 10:24-25). He
warns that the atoning sacrifice of Jesus, described repeatedly as a "once for all" sacrifice (e.g.
Hebrews 7:27; 8:7; 9:27-28; 10:10, 12, and 14), is totally and completely
sufficient as a sacrifice for our sins. To reject that is to lose the benefit
of such a sacrifice for sins. Paul goes on to say, "Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For
you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you
may receive the promise" (Hebrews 10:35-36).
How can the Hebrew believers in
Jesus and we "not. . . draw back to
perdition, but [be] those who
believe to the saving of the soul"? (Hebrews 10:39). Paul introduces
the way to endure is through faith - "Now
the just shall live by faith; but if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure
in him" (Hebrews 10:38 quoting the Septuagint translation of Isaiah 26:21
and Habakkuk 2:3-4). And it is to the life of faith and what that means that we
turn to now.
It is by faith that we enter and
walk in the presence of God. Even in the Old Testament saints were able to
approach God and experience His presence in their lives. Those mentioned in
Hebrews 11 certainly had a relationship with God and had a sense of God's
presence. They lived in faith. They trusted in God and walked with Him by
faith. The deepest fulfillment of entering and living in the presence of God is
found through faith in Jesus. But the one common denominator of experiencing
all that God reveals is faith. Old Testament saints experienced by faith what
God revealed and made available to them under the Old Covenant. In the New
Testament we can boldly or confidently enter and walk in the presence of God
through faith in Christ. In the New Covenant the Holy Spirit's indwelling
eternal life regenerating brings the presence of God to the deepest inward parts
of our being. By faith we receive such an incredible blessing from God. By
faith we proceed and grow in the presence of God. By faith we comprehend
greater depths and higher highs concerning the presence of God. Faith is,
always has been, and always will be integral to what God does in our lives.
Hebrews 11 provides clarity in this regard.
When we look at this chapter we
can divide it into an introduction and a body that follows. In Hebrews 11:1-3
we have The Definition and Purpose of
Faith. In Hebrews 11:4-40 we have The
Faith that Pleases God.
The Definition and Purpose of
Faith - Hebrews 11:1-3
Hebrews 11 (NKJV)
11
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not
seen.
Paul begins
with a clear definition of what "faith"
is. The primary problem he is addressing with the Hebrews is their lack of faith in the gospel revealed by
God in Jesus under the New Covenant. This chapter will clearly define faith. In
the first three verses we will be given five basics of faith. And then in the rest of the chapter we will be
given numerous faith examples from the Old Testament as a means to convince and
edify the faith of his Hebrew readers. And we are also the beneficiaries of one
of the greatest chapters of the Bible.
First, faith is necessary for life. "Faith" (Greek pistis) is a word defined as persuasion,
credence, assurance, belief, faith, fidelity, trust, trustworthiness,
reliability. Faith is something we couldn't live without. Faith has both a
common and particular, a temporary and eternal aspect. In reality you can't
live without faith.
Common faith is necessary to live
temporally. It would be impossible to live without faith. Every time we
make a move in life we exert faith in some way. When we awake in the morning by
faith we trust the bathroom will work, our clothes will still be there and that
there will be food for breakfast. When we step out into the world we trust that
the sky won't fall, the car or other transportation will work and that certain
things will all be in place for us. We may step on a train, plane or ship and
when we do we are trusting they will work and transport us safely to our
destination. When we walk down a street we do so by faith that there is safety
to do so. We take faith for granted but to a certain extent it would be
impossible to live without faith. Faith is like breathing. In fact, every time
we take a breath we exert a little bit of faith that air will be there to
breath.
Biblical faith is necessary to live
eternally. But such common faith is not what saves the soul. Faith must be
ridden to into spiritual life (e.g. John 3). And that is what this chapter is
about. Saving faith and the faith we live in to receive the promises of God, is
much more than that. The faith of the Bible is much more than faith in objects
and machinery. The faith spoken of in scripture is faith to live in a
relationship with God in Christ. Hebrews 11 speaks to us of a faith that please
God, saves the soul and enables us to live spiritually with God. Hebrews 11
speaks to us of faith in terms of the moral conviction of religious truth and that
God is true. In the context of Hebrews as a whole this faith speaks to us
about reliance on Jesus for salvation and
life. When someone puts their faith in Jesus as Savior their eternal life
begins at that point. They may die but they pass from this existence of
salvation in Christ to their eternal existence in the presence of God in Christ
(e.g. John 11:5-26; Hebrews 9:27; Revelation 21-22). Those who die without such
saving faith will live eternally in a state of loss and separation from God in
a place called hell (cf. Revelation 20).
Second, faith is foundational to moving forward. Faith is described as "the substance of things hoped for." "Substance" (Greek hypostasis) refers to the foundation of a thing, the concrete, essence, confidence in something, substance of what makes it what it is. The phrase "of things hoped for" is a translation of one word in the original language (Greek elpidzomenon - Present/Middle/Participle of elpis or "hope") points us toward what we hope for, look forward to, trust in for life. Elpis or hope is a verb which means, "'to put one’s expectation and trust for the future in someone or something. It means to hope for something to come to pass, or to expect to be able to do something.' It is a verb which deals with the future in an anticipatory and positive way. Elpizō thereby brings the power of the future into the present to give meaning and motivation. Hope involves expectation, trust, and patient waiting." [1] The message of Hebrews 11 is that when God is accepted by faith as part of our hope for the future, we can live victoriously no matter what that future holds.
The movie Rocky Balboa (2006) is about an aging boxer dealing with the internal sense of life's
meaning within who finds the answer to that problem through one last fight; to
put the animal to rest. Rocky's grown son is at first very much opposed to his
father's decision to take another fight, even if it is only an exhibition. His
son complains about not being able to escape the shadow of his famous boxing
father. His son complains that his
father is too old to fight again. In a great scene Rocky takes some strong
verbal body blows from his son and then provides a flurry of his own. His words
illustrate the importance and power of faith in life. Rocky states:
Let
me tell you something you already know. The world ain’t all sunshine and
rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty
place, and I don’t care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently
if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as
hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can
get hit and keep moving forward;
how much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done! Now, if you know what
you’re worth, then go out and get what you’re worth.
But you gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you
ain’t where you wanna be because of
him, or her, or anybody. Cowards do that and that ain’t you. You’re better than that![2]
Hope is faith
for the future. If we didn't have faith for the future each moment would be
filled with paralyzing fears. Fear is the foe of faith. Fear is ultimately the
loss of faith. People with phobias have lost faith to live in certain
situations or in the presence of certain things. Faith enables us to move
forward. Fear stops us dead in our tracks. Fear is the foe of faith. Faith, and
particularly faith in God, is how fears are overcome. What is your faith versus
fear meter reading?
Third, faith is an ingredient of our worldview.
Paul goes on to refer to faith as, "the evidence of things not seen." This speaks to us
further about hope or faith for the future. The idea is faith is a way of looking at life. Someone has said, "We may
not know what the future holds, but we know Who holds the future. That is the "evidence of things not seen."
"Evidence" (Greek elegchos)
refers to conviction, evidence, proof,
the evidence arrived at by testing. The faith Paul is speaking about in
this chapter is faith as a lens through
which to view life. If you look at life through a merely secular lens you
have only your imperfect self and imperfect others to rely on. But if you look
at life through the lens of faith in God, then "nothing will be impossible" (cf. Matthew 17:20; 19:26; Mark
10:27; Luke 1:37; 18:27). This is the kind of faith that makes all the
difference in the world in terms of your quality and meaningfulness of life.
Everyone's
worldview involves faith. Atheists who deny the existence of God do so by faith. They may deny this but until
they can exhaustively investigate and disprove every possible piece of evidence
to the existence of God their claims are faith
claims. Secularists live by faith in
humanity. Scientists live by faith in scientifically repeatable evidence. Like
Atheists, until they can exhaust every possible explanation of the
supernatural, spiritual, the miraculous they live by faith too. All religions involve faith of some kind. Faith is a
necessary ingredient of all worldviews because human beings do not know all
things. Until humanity knows all things about all things, it proceeds by faith in
what it knows. Therefore whatever worldview one has, it involves faith. .
2 For by it the elders
obtained a good testimony.
Fourth, faith is necessary for a meaningful
life. The faith exhibited by a person is what gives them a good quality of
life. A faithless person, fearful of exciting their room or home or being a
part of life is not going to amount for very much. Faith on the other hand is
the power to risk loss to reach our destination. Faith enables people to
overcome the inevitable challenges encountered in life. Faith keep us moving
forward.
Heroism is
faith to risk life and sacrifice on behalf of others. Achievement is the fruit
of faith willing to risk and overcome failure. Integrity and character is faith
to remain true and loyal to commitments even when it costs personal opportunity
or personal comfort. The elders of the Old Covenant had a good testimony, one
pleasing to God, because of their lives of faith. Hebrews 11 is about people
who had faith in God, to take a hit and keep moving forward in Him toward Him.
3 By
faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the
things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.
Fifth, the meaning
and purpose of faith is realized when it is placed in God in Christ. Faith by itself is useless. Faith becomes
purposeful based on the object in which it is placed. Faith can be misplaced.
We can have faith that we can fly and even jump off of a building to prove it.
But the messy splatter we become when we hit the ground exposes the futility,
falseness and failure of such faith.
Faith finds its
highest meaning and purpose when it is placed in God. Evolution in its
various forms is an attempt to explain away God as the Author of His creation.
The Bible opens with the words, "In
the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1).
Ultimately this is a statement which challenges us to put our faith in God. It
reveals that God is the Creator not a big bang or set of fortuitous accidental
circumstances. The world view of Humanism puts humanity at the center of the
universe and humanity as the sovereign of the universe, to the exclusion of
God. Satan tempted humanity to turn from God to himself and humanity succumbed
to pride and turned their back on God. The result over time has developed into
a choice to view the world from God's perspective or from humanities'
perspective.
Faith is God's
ordained means to help us understand the order of the universe. The faith
challenge to us is whether or not we will believe, "By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God,
so that the things which are seen were not made of the things which are
visible." The word "framed"
(Greek katartidzo) means to complete thoroughly, restore, repair, put
in order. The question before us is do
we trust that God alone orders our universe? Are we willing to rely on
God's word to order our lives and this world?
Faith particularly
and specifically finds its highest purpose and meaning when placed in God as
revealed in Jesus Christ. Some people have faith in faith. This is what we see in the secular world.
"Faith" in anything is exalted as the objective of this fallen world.
But God does not see faith as an end in itself. For God faith is a means to an
end. God has manifested the revelation of Himself in the Second Person of the
Triune Godhead; Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:1-3). By faith in Jesus we are saved
from our sin and enter into an eternal relationship with God in Christ (John 3;
17:3; Romans 5:1ff.). God provides humanity with the capacity for faith by
creating us in His image (cf. Genesis 1:26). Faith is God's gift to humanity;
it is what sets humanity apart from the rest of God's creation (e.g. Eph. 2:8-9).
And it is through faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord that the solution
for sin in the cross of Christ is provided and through faith the redemptive
reconciling work of Jesus is appropriated into our life (cf. Colossians 1:19-23).
Faith is futile and meaningless apart
from having its purpose fulfilled through faith in Jesus for salvation and
living.
This framing does
not simply mean that God took already in existence and put them all together.
The second portion of this verse clearly states, " so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are
visible." God created exnihilo or
out of nothing. God alone is eternal, not that which was created. The universe
is not eternal. God alone is. And God alone called something to be out of
nothing. God created an orderly universe. Sin infected this universe with
disorder and brought such things as disease and disasters. This world fallen in
sin, by God's grace, still has a semblance of order. Humanity can only find
order and meaning with God. One day God will scrap this world and create a new
one (cf. Revelation 21-22). Until then, if we want to find meaning in the
confusion, order in the midst of chaos, if we want to experience restoration
and have our lives repaired, we have to turn to God in Christ. And we do that
by trusting by faith in Him.
We might also add here that the Bible was far ahead of
its time stating that what we see is made up of particles and space that is
unseen. With the advent and advances of microscopes that can peer deeper and
deeper into the minutiae of life, what we find is there are great unexplained
amounts of space between matter. The deeper we look the more space we find.
Scientists grapple with how matter is held together. Electrons orbit around a
nucleus of protons and neutrons and there are also sub-particles and matter
this author can't begin to mention in any appropriately scientific way. But the
question remains, "How is matter held together?" If by faith we go to
"the word of God" that frames
or orders the world we find that, "For
by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth,
visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or
powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all
things, and in Him all things consist" (Colossians 1:16-17). I am
perfectly satisfied and content to take those words by faith and say all matter and everything in this universe
is held together by Jesus. What would you be willing to say?
From creation we look now at examples of faith in human
history. What we will find is that faith if filled with examples of people who
persevered in life through faith in God. And this same faith finds its
culmination in faith in Jesus Christ.
The Faith that Pleases God - Hebrews 11:4-40
The importance of faith expressed in the chapter can be
summed up in verse 6 where Paul is inspired to state - " But without faith it is impossible
to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that
He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." God created this
universe including all humanity. God is in sovereign control and rule over this
universe including humanity. God by virtue of Who He is, God holds in HIs hands
the eternal destiny of each person every created. it is impossible to please
God apart from faith that God exists and that He is benevolent toward His
creation; that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. That is the
foundation and reason for this chapter on faith.
Faith finds fulfillment and purpose in Jesus. How is this
expressed in life? In the Old Testament Jesus had not yet been fully revealed.
Righteousness before God was based on people living by faith in what God had
revealed to them at the point of their living. By looking at the Old Testament
examples of those who lived by faith we see the nature and types of faith that
pleases God. What follows is the kind of faith we should live with in our
relationship with God in Christ.
4 By faith Abel offered to
God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness
that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being
dead still speaks.
First, the faith that
pleases God is the ingredient that makes our offerings to God acceptable. Abel's
sacrifice was acceptable to God because it spoke of the Lamb of God Jesus and
because it was offered in faith. Cain's offering of vegetables spoke of his own
efforts and was not offered in faith but relied on his works. Abel's faith
offering was accepted as "righteous" while Cain's offering was
dependent on his own works and not righteous. Through this early historical
righteous sacrifice of Abel we continue to learn (compare Genesis 4).
5 By
faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, “and was not found,
because God had taken him”; for before he was taken he had this testimony,
that he pleased God. 6 But without faith it is
impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He
is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Second, the faith that
pleases God brings us close to Him. Enoch is an example of one who by faith
bypassed death. By faith he walked so close with God that God took him. His testimony before God was that "he pleased God." "Pleased" (Greek euaresteo) means to well fit, to please, to reconcile, to make peace with, to reconcile
with. The faith of Enoch perfectly fitted him ino a relationship with God.
The faith Enoch lived with toward God pleased God and put him at peace and
reconciled to God. Trust (faith) is
necessary for a relationship to live and thrive. Because Enoch had faith in
God, because he trusted God, their relationship flourished to the point where
God simply ushered him right into heaven. It's as though God was so pleased
with his relationship with Enoch that he said, "You know what Enoch my
friend, let's just skip the rest of your life down here and just spend it
together in eternity starting right now." God's pleasure involves His
love. The pleasure of God here implies that faith put in Him releases to us His
love in a very immediate way.
This leads to the truth affirmation that "without faith it is impossible to please
Him." "Impossible" (Greek adunatos) means impotent to
do, weak, unable, powerless, impossible. No matter what we do, if it is not
in faith it doesn't please God. This is because, like with Enoch, to walk in
faith is to walk with God. To walk in faith that pleases God means:
1. To walk in faith
means to come to God - "for he
who comes to God" - By faith we come to and approach God. Faith comes
to life as we consider God and seek Him out. As we seek Him out He reveals
Himself to us. Faith therefore involves and is birthed when we come to God.
2. To walk in faith
means to believe in His existence - "must
believe that He is" - We come to God because we respond to His
gracious revelation of Himself in creation (e.g. Psalm 19; Romans 1). We look at the creation and
see its design. Faith grows as we deduce a Designer from His design in
creation.
3. To walk in faith
means to diligently seek God as One who is findable and worth finding - "and that He is a rewarder of those
who diligently seek Him" - Why come to God? Because He will reward us
with conversation, revelation, illumination, and understanding, because we
believe and trust He will reward the diligent seeker. "Rewarder" (Greek misthapodotes)
means a remunerator, rewarder, one who
pays wages. "Diligently
seek" (Greek ekzeteo) means to diligently seek out, crave, worship,
carefully seek after, inquire. To walk with God means to seek Him out with
the belief He will be found and that finding Him is a great reward. It's worth
your time and effort to seek out God.
This is not a works righteousness but a work of God in us
to find Him (e.g. John 6:29). We can take credit for being saved as much as a
drowning man can take credit for being rescued. We wouldn't be looking for God
unless He was drawing us to do so (cf. John 6:44). The Holy Spirit awakens
sinners to their sin and need of a Savior (John 16:8-11). And no one would find
God unless He made Himself findable (Luke 11:9-13).
These three things mentioned are what makes faith
pleasing to God.
7 By
faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly
fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned
the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.
Third, the faith that
pleases God involves godly fear and obedience. The account of Noah and the
Flood is found in Genesis 6-9. The world had degenerated into a demonic,
violent, immoral and totally sinful world (Genesis 6:1-7). God determined to
bring a catastrophic world judgment on the world. But Noah was walking with
God. It says, "But Noah found grace
in the eyes of the LORD" (Genesis 6:8). He found grace because by
faith He was walking and looking into the eyes of the LORD (Genesis
6:9-10).
God spoke to Noah. He told him of the judgment He was
going to bring. Noah was a "preacher of righteousness" (2 Peter 2:5).
He no doubt preached during this time calling people to repent. But they
apparently did not listen. God instructed Noah to build an ark and he
obediently did so. Noah and his family were saved by his humble obedient walk
of faith. Noah, by faith, did everything
God instructed him to do and so had a good testimony before God.
I like the application Bible Teacher Jon Courson observes
here saying:
Twenty
years before his first child was born, Noah planned the construction of the ark
with rooms for his sons and his sons’
wives. In other words, by faith, he said, “My sons and their wives are going to be saved. And I’m providing a
place for their salvation.”
Every
parent should have this verse underlined and by faith say, “With the hammer of intercession in one hand and the nail of
instruction in the other, I believe You will use my meager labor, Lord, to save my family.”[3]
8 By faith Abraham obeyed
when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an
inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By
faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling
in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; 10 for
he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is
God.
Fourth, the faith
that pleases God follows God step by step. God called Abraham and because
Abraham was already walking in faith he was alert to the voice of God and able
to hear Him. God called Abraham to leave Ur of the Chaldeans and "To a land I will show you" (Genesis
12:1-3). God didn't give Abraham a road map. They didn't have GPS in those
days. No, God simply told Abraham to get up and go and Abraham, one of the
greatest examples of faith in the Bible, simply got up and by faith followed
the Lord (e.g. Genesis 12-25; Romans 4).
Abraham went out in faith following God, "not knowing where he was going." When
we move we oftentimes want a plan of action. We want a one, five or even ten
year plan for life. The problem with that is that it isn't the way God works.
we can make plans, but God always reserves the right to change them (Psalm
33:10-11; Proverbs 16:1-2). "There
are many plans in a mans' heart, nevertheless the LORD's counsel - that will
stand" (Proverbs 19:21). Proverbs tells us planning is good and leads
to blessing (Proverbs 21:5). There's nothing wrong with planning. But we must
always be willing to surrender and submit our plans to God's plans. The steps
of a good faithful man are ordered by the LORD (Psalm 37:23). And even if a
good man falls numerous times, God will raise him back up (Psalm 37:24). We
need to "Trust in the LORD with all
your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways
acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths" (Proverbs 3:5-6).
Walk with the LORD by faith. Acknowledge Him every step of the way and He will
direct you. That's what Abraham did. That's what we should do too.
How was Abraham able to just pick up and go? How was he
able to risk everything and follow the Lord? It has to do with his perspective
on life. It states of Abraham, " for
he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is
God." Because Abraham's final destination and his end all objective
was not in this world, but was "the city which has foundations, whose
builder and maker is God" he was able to not worry about loss in this
world.
But more to the point was the fact that Abraham wasn't looking for something out of
this world; for a place built by God. Therefore, Abraham knew from the
start that he wouldn't find what he was looking for in this world. And because
of that he couldn't be disappointed. We
often question and fear being disappointed when we leaven one place for the
next. But if we go understanding that what we are looking for is out of this world, then we don't have to
worry about being disappointed. People who live for this world will be
disappointed. Or, all the satisfaction they have to look forward to is what
meager morsels of satisfaction they find in this world. But if you look ahead,
if you look up to the heavens with expectations and ambitions to receive what
God has built, then you are headed for joy unspeakable and fullness of glory.
Again Jon Courson comments:
You’ll
never be a man or woman of faith if you’re looking for fulfillment here. No
matter your ministry, your
geographic location, your job, or who you marry—you’ll not find it here. Like Abraham, don’t look for a
city that has foundations on earth. Look for eternity, and you’ll experience heaven in your heart, and you’ll be
blessed in your soul wherever you
are.
Had Abraham
looked for a city on earth, he would have been stuck in Ur forever. But at some point, God by His grace allowed Abraham
to understand that everything on earth is in
preparation for heaven. If you don’t see Abraham as a model of faith, you’ll be
perpetually paralyzed and completely
frustrated. You must understand that God only leads
you one step at a time. He doesn’t tell you what lies around the bend. And even
when you get around the bend, you
must understand it’s not going to be what you were hoping for because what you really crave is heaven.
In
spiritual life, the Lord will take you as far as you want to go—and not one
step further. If you choose to
take one baby step and stop, God will still love you because His love for you is not based on anything you do
or don’t do. But if you choose to walk by faith from Ur of the Chaldees all the way to the land flowing with milk
and honey, He’ll be with you every
step of the way.
People
wonder why some folks are so spiritual, why others seem particularly blessed, why others are mightily used. It’s not
that God is playing favorites. It’s just that those who seem to have a special relationship with God are simply
those who chose to keep going.
Whether it’s in expression of praise, gifts of the Spirit, or aspects of
ministry— however far you want to go in
spiritual life, God will never say to you, “You’re going a little too far. You’re getting a
little too spiritual.” Never.[4]
11 By
faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a
child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had
promised. 12 Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead,
were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude—innumerable as
the sand which is by the seashore.
Fifth, the faith
that pleases God does not have to be perfect. When we look at Hebrews 11 we
can discover a lot by who the Spirit inspired to be included in this chapter as
examples of faith. Sarah is mentioned here. But she was no means perfect in her
faith. She grew impatient with God's plan and concocted a plan involving Hagar,
and Egyptian slave girl. This led to the birth of Ishmael and a historical
contention (Genesis 16). She also laughed at God's plan to give her and Abraham
a son when they were far beyond child bearing years (Genesis 18:12). Have you
ever laughed at the thought of something God put in your heart or wanted to do?
She did. She laughed with a lack of faith.
Sarah, laughing-lack-of-faith-Sarah is included in this
Hall of Faith chapter. The point here being that this is not a chapter about
people who had a whole lot of faith. It is a chapter about how God was able to
do mighty things through those who just had enough faith to walk with Him and
press on with Him. This is a chapter about those who simply believed in God and
that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Your faith doesn't have
to be perfect to be used by God. If you have faith, just a little faith, even
as much as a mustard seed, you can move the mountains God wants you to move
(Matthew 17:20).
13 These all died in faith,
not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of
them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims
on the earth. 14 For those who say such things declare plainly
that they seek a homeland. 15 And truly if they had called to
mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had
opportunity to return. 16 But now they desire a better, that
is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their
God, for He has prepared a city for them.
Sixth, the faith
that pleases God doesn't turn back. Abraham never really saw his offspring
number as the stars in heaven. He did receive the miracle child Isaac (whose
name means "Laughter"). And in his son, and through Abraham's eyes of
faith, he saw hoped about what God would do. He "died in faith, not having received the promises."
If Abraham would have, "called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would
have had opportunity to return." If he would have started to recall
what he left behind, he might have succumbed to temptation to look back. Let us
take a lesson from Abraham. Once he left, he
didn't look back. It does not good to look back with regret. The reality of
past hardships tend to become more palatable over time and distance removed.
Keep your eyes on "a heavenly
country." Keep pressing forward not looking back and in it will be
said of you, "Therefore God is not
ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them." (cf.
also Philippians 3:13-14).
The children of Israel, years in the future from Abraham,
were delivered from hard labor and slavery in Egypt. God did a mighty, mighty
work to secure their exodus. But once liberated and going through some
wilderness, the people began to complain and yearned for a return to Egypt like
a dog returning to its vomit. It was only the strong leadership of Moses that
kept them moving forward (e.g. Exodus 15; 16; 17; 32-34).
17 By faith Abraham, when
he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered
up his only begotten son, 18 of whom it was said, “In
Isaac your seed shall be called,” 19 concluding that God was
able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received
him in a figurative sense.
Seventh, the faith
that pleases God surrenders all things to Him. The greatest evidence of
God's faithfulness to Abraham was the birth of his son Isaac (Genesis 21). The
greatest test of Abraham's faith was offering Isaac back to God! God gave Isaac
to Abraham and Sarah. But then God used Isaac to test Abraham's faith. And
Abraham was willing to surrender even Isaac to God, arguably the most precious
thing in his life (Genesis 22).
How could Abraham be willing to offer Isaac up to God in
sacrifice? Isaac embodied all of God's promise to Abraham. Yet Abraham was able
to give him up. How? Because Abraham in faith put no limits on God and what He could do. Abraham had come to a "concluding." "Concluding"
(Greek logidzomai) means reckoned, calculated, took inventory of the
situation, counted, considered. Abraham walked in faith, a faith that was
able to assess a situation in light of
God's capabilities and not mere human limitations. And from a perspective
that factored God into his life equation Abraham came to the conclusion that "God was able to raise him up, even
from the dead, from which he also received him in figurative sense."
Abraham had walked with God for many years now. He had
seen over many years the faithfulness of God. He had seen how God could and
would deliver him even in the face of great odds (Genesis 14). He has seen how
God was gracious to him and members of his family even when they got off track
(Genesis 16; 19; 20). He had seen how God's promises came to pass, even if they
required a long period of time to be fulfilled (Genesis 21). Because Abraham
had a faithful and living relationship with God, when it came time to trust God
in such an excruciating way, Abraham had the faith to do it. God had always had
Abraham's best interests at heart. God has always been faithful. So when it
came to this peculiar request of God to offer Isaac as a sacrifice, Abraham by
faith trusted God.
Now notice something here. What God asked Abraham to sacrifice was not something bad, it was something
good; His promise. Why would God ask Abraham to sacrifice Isaac? Perhaps
Isaac had become a idol to Abraham and Sarah. As such an incredible, real and
tangible example of God's blessing to Abraham and Sarah maybe they began to worship or live for or through their son
instead of living for and through the LORD. Maybe they began to live for Isaac
instead of live for the LORD. Whatever the reason, we need to hold everything,
even God's promises, with open hands before the LORD. Ministry, a heaven sent
mate, a heaven sent heir, a heaven sent career, nothing should ever take the
place of God on the throne of our heart. Nothing should ever challenge God's
place or our ability to obey the LORD. We, like Abraham, need to be in a
position to go when the LORD says go and stay when the LORD says stay.
Are you willing to sacrifice even God's blessings and promises? By faith
you should be. By faith you can be. And I hope by faith you will be.
Because of Abraham's faith God was able to portray in the
history of scripture an incredible shadow or prophetic picture of how millennia
later, on that same Mount Moriah, God Himself would offer in actuality, His own
only Son Jesus on the cross to fulfill HIs eternal redemptive promise. Abraham
was able to become a part of God's redemptive plan because of his heart of
surrender by
faith. When we trust God and step out in faith, He is
able to do mighty things through us. When we trust Him, He uses us in His redemptive
plans.
20 By
faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.
21 By
faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and
worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.
Eighth, the faith
that pleases God is meant to be passed on. Isaac passed on a blessing to
his sons Jacob and Esau. And Jacob then passed on a blessing to the sons of
Joseph. Now we know from scripture that Jacob became the succeeding patriarch
not Esau. Esau was a fleshly man driven by carnal desires. We also know that
Jacob was imperfect; a very fleshly man too; a dishonest and self-centered man
(cf. e.g. Genesis 25-27). And yet God perpetuated His blessing through
imperfect people. We shouldn't withhold blessing merely because of
imperfections. Like Isaac and Jacob we pronounce blessing on our children, in faith and hope, entrusting them to
God and that in the end they will walk with Him.
Jacob later pronounced blessing on Joseph's children.
Ephraim and Manasseh had been born in worldly Egypt. Joseph their father had no
doubt raised them up in the counsels of the Lord. But their upbringing was less
than ideal. Yet Jacob was moved by God to include them in the tribes of Israel
(Genesis 48-49). All of this shows us that we need to be following God in faith
and passing on blessings to our children in
faith. This is true even when circumstances are muddied or not ideal. God
has a way of taking the ingredients of our life and painting a beautiful
tapestry.
22 By
faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children
of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones.
Ninth, the faith
that pleases God hopes for the fulfillment of God's promises even after we have
died. Joseph knew in faith that God's plans involved God's people being in
the Promised Land. This he believed even if for a time they had needed to take
a detour to Egypt. Joseph had learned in life that even when men meant evil
toward him that God could turn evil intentions to His good (Genesis 50:20).
Therefore, even though Joseph himself would not see a return to the Promised
Land, he instructed that his bones be taken and buried in the Land. Joseph
spoke and planned in light of God's plans (Genesis 50:22-26). That is faith
that pleases God.
23 By faith Moses, when he
was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was
a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s command.
Tenth, the faith
that pleases God maintains a positive prospect and hope toward others. The
parents of Moses, Jochabed and Amram, hid him from the Egyptian order to
destroy him (Exodus 2). By faith their son Moses was special to them. By faith
they felt Moses was worth saving. By faith they hoped God's hand was on Moses and
that God would in some way use him. How do you feel about your children? How a
parent views their child can sometimes be a self-fulfilling prophecy, for
either good or bad. One commentary states aptly:
I suggest it was through the eyes of
faith that Jochabed and Amram said of their son, Moses, “This child is going to be special” (see Exodus 2:2).
So, too, Mom and Dad, if you think your
child will never amount to much, that he’ll always struggle or that she’s not quite up to par—that’s simply a
lack of faith because faith is the substance of things not yet seen. If you
see your kid as a problem child, this will be understood within his soul, and it will greatly hinder
what God can do in and through his life. Such was not the case with Amram and Jochabed.
Knowing Moses was special, they went to great lengths to make sure his life was spared.[5]
Moses
was used greatly by God. That greatness began with parents who saw him as
"beautiful" from his first breath. The positive parental environment
Moses was birthed into, despite the threat to his life from Pharaoh, paved the
way for Moses to come to know God and become a person who would be a great
instrument to bring glory to God.
24 By
faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s
daughter, 25 choosing rather to suffer affliction with the
people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, 26 esteeming
the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he
looked to the reward.
27 By
faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as
seeing Him who is invisible. 28 By faith he kept the Passover
and the sprinkling of blood, lest he who destroyed the firstborn should touch
them.
29 By
faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the
Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned.
Eleventh, the faith
that pleases God chooses to be used by God. Moses is one of the greatest
figures in all of scripture. He was a mighty man of faith. Faith is what
connects us to God's provision and resources. Faith is what opens us to God's
outpoured promises. And faith involves a choice. We must by faith choose to believe God exists and that He
is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6). We see this
crystal clear in the life of Moses. Note the characteristics of this man Moses'
incredible faith that enabled him to be so mightily used by God:
1. Moses man of
faith chose humility - "By
faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's
daughter" - Moses wasn't interested in prestige or worldly
qualifications. When it came to choosing between acceptance of the world or
faithfulness with God, he chose the LORD. He wasn't swayed and lured into the
pride and impressive credentials that came with associating with the royal
family. Moses chose to be humble. He would not forsake his Jewish roots. Moses
would not be something he knew he was not. For Moses the most important thing
was being faithful to God. The Bible says you can't love the things of this
world and the Lord (1 John 2:15-16). Are you willing to forsake the world to
follow God?
2. Moses man of
faith chose to suffer - "choosing
rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing
pleasures of sin," - Moses chose to forsake the privileges that came
with being a member of the royal house and instead to suffer with his people.
Moses was loyal as any man of faith should be and is. Moses did not choose the
easy road. He did not choose the road of comfort. Being a man of faith meant he
would travel the road of what was right even if it meant he must suffer. What
road are you on?
The phrase "passing
pleasures of sin" tells us that there is pleasure in sin. Sin wouldn't
be tempting if it didn't provide some pleasure. The truth is that there is
pleasure in sin. But any pleasure associated with sin is "passing."Pleasures associated with
sin are only temporary. Moses knew this. Moses, man of faith, was not driven by
pleasure. Moses was driven by and attracted to faith in God even if it meant
suffering.
3. Moses man of
faith chose to have an eternal perspective - " esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the
treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward." - Moses didn't know
of Christ but the Spirit communicated to him the eternal priority associated
with Christ. Moses didn't live for the riches of this world. Moses had a
heavenly perspective. By faith he chose to live for God's higher eternal
purposes. Moses accepted that God was working toward a higher heavenly purpose.
Moses vision was not landlocked. He kept his eyes of faith on God. Because of
this God brought deliverance, fulfillment of eternal purpose, and workings that
were historically glorifying to God.
Where did Moses get his heavenly perspective if he was
reared and trained in Egyptian schools? We know that Divine providence led to
Moses being cared for by his own mother while under the roof of Pharaoh's
daughter (Exodus 2:1-10). His mother therefore had an influence on his
upbringing. But Moses very possibly took advantage of the educational resources
found in Egypt as well. The Lord provided for and protected him from the junk
of Egypt and equipped to be all he needed to be to do all God would call him to
do. That is the way God works. God is able to work despite a secular
environment. God is in control!
4.Moses man of
faith chose to be courageous - "
By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king" - Moses
respected and revered God more than he feared any wrath of man. The man of
faith will always choose faith in God over fears of men. Moses demonstrated
great courage throughout his life. That didn't mean he was never afraid.
Courage is not the absence of fear, only the mastery of it. Moses overcame his
fears by faith in God. And at some point in our walk of faith, if we are to
move forward and be used for God's glory, we must, by faith choose to please
God rather than people (e.g. Galatians 1:10).
5. Moses man of
faith chose a God-centered world view - " for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible" - Moses did
not allow himself to be limited by a mere horizontal perspective on life. Moses
saw his world from God's perspective; through the eyes of God. That's why God
chose and called Moses to deliver His people. Moses viewed the world from a
perspective that included God and was governed by God. Because Moses viewed his
life circumstances in a way that included God, there were no impossibilities
only possibilities. Moses lived to revere and glorify God. When you see your world
through God's eyes, then nothing shall be
impossible!
6. Moses man of
faith chose to be washed in the blood - " By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he who
destroyed the firstborn should touch them" - Moses was the man through
whom God presented the first Passover. The Passover demonstrated the
seriousness of sin and that blood was necessary for the atonement of sin. Moses
obeyed God and instituted the first Passover. This speaks of the coming Christ
Jesus, the Lord's Supper, and the Lamb of God who came and took away the sins
of the world (John 1:29). Moses was the man of faith through whom God began
that message.
This ordinance of Passover was the beginning of God's
revelation toward a New Covenant. The Passover sacrifice was a picture of the
sinfulness of humanity, the seriousness of this all pervasive sin, and the
sacrifice of life and shedding of blood as God's means to atone for sin. Moses
was the man of faith God chose to introduce this ordinance of Communion and
atonement. Moses was the one God chose to institute a system of shadows and
symbols to communicate to humanity the substitutionary sacrificial atonement
for sin the ultimately would come at the cross of Christ. What a privilege!
7. Moses man of
faith chose to step through the sea and
experience God's deliverance - "29 By faith they passed through the Red Sea as
by dry land, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were
drowned" - It took faith to be God's leader. It took faith to field
the complaints of God's people when God's leading led to a seemingly
insurmountable obstacle; a very literal dead end. And it took faith to turn to
God to deliver him and his people from the vengeful ravenous wolves of the
pursuing Egyptian army. It took faith to hear God's instruction above the cries
of the calamitous people. It took faith to raise his staff and trust God to
separate the Red Sea barrier before them. It took faith to step out and trust
God to allow them safely though the Red Sea. And it took faith to once again
raise the staff of faith and see the pursuing enemy Egyptian army engulfed by
God in the Red Sea. Moses chose in faith to trust and obey God and saw all of
this great historic work of God come to pass. God works historically through those who trust Him faithfully.
Moses was the first to be used by God to introduce
baptism; a rite symbolizing deliverance, death to the old life, and newness of
life. The parting of the Red Sea is a type or shadow of baptism (cf. 1
Corinthians 10:2). Baptism is a symbol of dying to the old sinful worldly life
and being raised to newness of life (e.g. Romans 6:1ff.). When we are plunged
under the waters of baptism we are saying, "I'm dying to the world, my
worldly ways, and all my past sins. I'm being raised to a new life in
Jesus." Moses was the man of faith God chose to introduce this rite of
baptism. What a privilege!
These are seven characteristics that Moses the man of
faith gives us an example of. We would do well to study them and seek to follow
a journey of faith like Moses did.
30 By faith the walls of
Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days.
Twelfth, the faith that pleases God involves trusting
in God's extraordinary ways. The walls of Jericho were a formidable obstacle
to taking the Promised Land. God's plan was to each day for seven days have the
army of Israel, led by priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant, march around
the city. On the seventh day, they were to march seven times around the city
and shout and the walls of Jericho, according to God, would come down (Joshua
6). A bit unorthodox. It's likely the people of Jericho watching all of this
laughed God's people to scorn. But they weren't laughing when the walls came
down!
God works in extraordinary ways. God works in ways we
don't always understand. If we aren't walking by faith we might hesitate to
obey or we might get off of His way. When that happens we really will look
foolish. It's always foolish to not factor God into life's equation (e.g. Psalm
14:1f.). But we need to walk with God and heed His instructions. The disciples
were once fishing all night long with no bites. Jesus came, told Peter to cast
his net right where he failed to catch any fish. Peter didn't feel Jesus knew
what He was talking about, but to be polite, Peter obeyed. And you know what,
Peter and the others caught a haul of fish that almost broke their nets. Just
follow and obey Jesus, and get ready for a haul of blessings (cf. Luke 5:1-11;
John 21:1-6).
Got any enemy territories that need defeating in your
life? Got any walls that need to come down? It's time to march and trust God to
bring them down. Just trust and obey and watch those walls sway and then fall.
Defeating the enemy strongholds and living in victory in the Promised Land of
the Spirit all comes through faith in Jesus. Truly trust and obey for there's
no other way.
31 By faith the harlot
Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the
spies with peace.
Thirteenth, the
faith that pleases God imperfect people. Are you ashamed of your personal
history? Do you think God can't use you? Rahab was a harlot who had faith in
God (Joshua 2). She made the Hall of Faith over the likes of Elijah, Elisha,
Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel to name a few. She had only heard a few rumors
about what God had done for His people. But faith comes by hearing (Romans
10:17). Rahab made good use of what she did know and when the opportunity to be
part of God's plan arose, she dove in heart first. How about you, are you
limiting what God wants to do in and through you because of your past? Why not
simply present yourself to God as a living sacrifice and see what He might do
(Romans 12:1-2). He might have a Book of Acts adventure ready for you.
32 And
what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak
and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: 33 who
through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises,
stopped the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the violence of fire,
escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant
in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. 35 Women
received their dead raised to life again.
Fourteenth, the
faith that pleases God provides the means to victory over life's
circumstances. Gideon is another man who began with little faith in God but
who defeated his fears with faith in God and God mightily used him (Judges
7-9). Barak (Judges 4), Samson (Judges 13-16) and Jephthah (Judges 11) were all
judges who God used to deliver His people with. But they too were imperfect
people. God uses ordinary people to do
His extraordinary work. Through faith God enables the weak to overcome the
obstacles and enemies in life.
Those who hold to a word of faith heretical doctrine are
quick to acknowledge that through faith kingdoms are subdued, righteousness
worked, promises obtained, lions mouths shut, fires put out, the sword escaped,
weaknesses made strong, valiant battles fought and won and that women received
their dead back to life. But they stop there!
Others were
tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better
resurrection. 36 Still others had trial of mockings and
scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. 37 They were
stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They
wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted,
tormented—38 of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in
deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth.
Fifteenth, the
faith that pleases God provides the means to victory in life's
circumstances. God's word doesn't stop at the first sentence in verse 35.
It goes on to say, "Others were
tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better
resurrection." That is part of what faith is able to do too!
Mocking, scourging, chains, imprisonment, stoning, sawn
in two, temptations, slain by the sword, wandering in animal skins, being
destitute, afflicted physically, tormented, an homelessness, all of these are
just the tip of the iceberg that people of faith encountered and walked
through. The world isn't worthy of such faithful saints.
We might wonder how we would do in such situations, but
we can't know what we would do based in theory. God gives grace and faith at the point of need not in theory. By
faith we trust in the faithfulness of God that He would provide whatever we
need to be all that we need to be to do all He requires we do, for His glory,
until He returns.
Whatever our circumstance or situation, faith is what
connects us to the potent power of God. And whether we are ordained by God to
survive or give our lives, it's all in His hands. And by faith we entrust
ourselves to Him, just like the people in this great Hall of Faith chapter.
39 And
all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the
promise, 40 God having provided something better for us, that
they should not be made perfect apart from us.
Sixteenth, the faith that pleases God perseveres to the end even if His promise is not realized. All
of these people of faith lived in a time before the culmination of God's
promise, the New Covenant in Christ could be received. They persevered even
though the complete fulfillment of God's promise wasn't experienced by them.
For them, God's word was good enough. Their eyes of faith trusted that God was
faithful and true to His word. If His promise did not come to them in this
life, then it would surely come in the next. Sometimes we have to trust God
though His promise isn't manifested when we expect it to be. We should always
take God at His word. His timing is eternal. Our timing is limited. While we
are involved in HIs plans that does not mean we will see the completion or
fulfillment of them in our lifetime. The faithful saints of the Old Testament
are all an example of the persevering nature of the faith that pleases God.
We may wonder and even yearn to
have lived in such Biblical times. We may toy with the thought of what might
have been if we were alive in such days. But wait, Paul says we now live in a
better time, the time of the New Covenant provided in Jesus Christ! We now have
Jesus living in us by the Holy Spirit. We walk in His presence and enjoy His
company. We are never alone. Hallelujah! No one mentioned in Hebrews 11 can
testify to that.
God has an adventure for us too.
Maybe He's planning a new wing to His Hall of Faith. By faith we can live out
our era's chapter of the Book of Acts. Without faith it is impossible to please
God. Believe that God exists. Jesus is alive! And He is a rewarder to those who
diligently seek Him. Seek Him out and He will be found by you. Please the Lord,
oh my soul, and all that is within me, bless His Holy Name! He has done great
things! And He will do more great things. Have faith and walk with Him.
[1]
Complete
Biblical Library Greek-English Dictionary, The - The Complete Biblical Library
Greek-English Dictionary – Delta-Epsilon.
[2] http://samplage.com/movie-quotes/it-aint-about-how-hard-you-hit/
[3] Courson,
J. (2003). Jon Courson’s Application
Commentary (p. 1495). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.
[4] Courson,
J. (2003). Jon Courson’s Application
Commentary (p. 1496). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.
[5] Courson,
J. (2003). Jon Courson’s Application
Commentary (pp. 1497–1498). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.
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