*Hebrews 11:1-40
The author of Hebrews defines faith and illustrates it through the lives of Old Testament heroes.
- Definition of Faith:
- The chapter opens with a definition of faith as the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
- Faith is portrayed as foundational to the believers’ relationship with God and crucial for gaining his approval.
- Examples of Old Testament Faith:
- Abel: Offered a better sacrifice than Cain through faith, and though he died, he still speaks through his faith.
- Enoch: Taken up to heaven without seeing death because he pleased God, illustrating that without faith it is impossible to please God.
- Noah: Warned by God about unseen events and built an ark to save his family, his faith condemned the world and he became an heir of righteousness.
- Abraham: Obeyed by going to a place he would later receive as an inheritance, and lived as a stranger in the Promised Land, showing unwavering faith in God’s promises.
- Sarah: Despite her old age, believed in the faithfulness of God to conceive offspring, enabling the birth of descendants as numerous as the stars.
- Continued Legacy of Faith:
- Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph: Demonstrated their faith in future promises of God concerning their descendants.
- Moses: Chose to be mistreated with God’s people rather than enjoy fleeting pleasures, considering the reproach of Christ greater wealth than Egypt’s treasures because he was looking to the reward.
- Acts of Faith:
- Describes various acts done in faith including the Israelites passing through the Red Sea, the walls of Jericho falling after being encircled, and Rahab the prostitute not being killed with those who were disobedient because she welcomed the spies.
- Sufferings and Triumphs:
- Many faced trials, tortures, mockings, and chains for their faith. They were stoned, sawn in two, killed by the sword, and wandered destitute, afflicted, and mistreated.
- Despite their sufferings, these people of faith were commended for their perseverance, yet none of them received what had been promised during their lifetime, demonstrating that their faith was forward-looking, to something greater.
- Conclusion and Perspective:
- The chapter concludes by noting that these individuals did not receive the promises in their lifetimes but only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, acknowledging that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
- God had planned something better for them that would only be completed together with us, indicating that the fulfillment of God’s promises spans beyond individual lifetimes and into a collective future.