Hebrews 11

Today we take a look at the Faith Hall of Fame. This chapter in Hebrews lists the all stars of faith and reminds us what faith is and how it works.

heb.11.1-40.ESV Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

Faith is the settled confidence that something in the future, something unseen but promised by God could actually come to pass because Gods will brings it about. Notice all the things unseen the people mentioned in this chapter have faith in….

For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.

Imagine that, everything seen made out of things that are not visible….nothing existed before God spoke expect God...

 By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks. By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God.

.Commend: to praise  formally or officially. Watch how often this word appears.It is always in regard to faith.

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he(God) rewards those who seek him.

What 2 things must we believe to draw near to God? I have a hard time accepting that not only does God offer me salvation but He rewards me for having faith. That is one awesome God!

By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

Obedience, that is what God desired from Noah. Imagine the difficulty of building the ark. It took 120 years. There had been no rain on the earth, the neighbors had to notice, they were most likely not understanding. Imagine 120 years of #1 news item trending, hashtag: Noah is wacko , the Facebook comments and updates…… Look up John 14:15 Hebrews 10:5, or  Psalm 40:6. God feels strongly about obedience.

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised.

Abraham looked forward to the city and the nation and the legacy, but did not receive it. Sarah received.Isaac was about 13 when Sarah died. I think Sarah was lucky because she got to hold her “promise” before she died. It is good to be a woman.

Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.  These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.

God has prepared for us a city…and a place for us too...John 14:2 ...it’s all ready but we can’t have it yet…..

 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.

Look at Genesis 22:5, we will go up and ...we will return. Abraham expected to bring his son back down from the mountain.

By faith Isaac invoked future blessings on Jacob and Esau. By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, bowing in worship over the head of his staff. By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones.

Joseph said take my bones to the Promised Land. How do you suppose he knew about the Promised Land? What do you suppose Joe and God talked about when he was in prison all those years?

By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.

Moses the shadow of Christ, the true Israel, Matt 2:15, called His Son out of Egypt…..***

By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him(God) who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, so that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them.  By faith the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land, but the Egyptians, when they attempted to do the same, were drowned. By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days. By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.

Three more all stars of  faith. And Rahab was not from any of the tribes of Israel. She had just heard the news of the Israelites travels and favors from God. It is easy to forget that there is more than one thing happening in the world while Israel wandered in the desert. How many nomads saw them from a distance? Could they see the pillar of fire or the cloud of smoke? Was there water still coming out of the rocks after Israel moved on? There are multiple effects of God’s hand on the earth. The obedience of Rahab is one of them.

And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets— who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

Until reading through Hebrews this time I thought those tortured were the Christians of the day, however that is a gross timing error on my part, as this refers to the Old Testament prophets and heroes of the faith. It has always been  rough to be a believer in things unseen.

And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.

Commended: praised formally or officially. That’s what we are striving for. Have a great week! love h

*** a note I found on Crosswalk.com

MOSES’ CHOICE GAINED THE BLESSING OF THE GREATER RICHES OF CHRIST.

He considered “the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt.” The reproach of Christ is a startling phrase! It probably means, “reproach similar to what Christ endured when He was despised and rejected by the world.” How much Moses knew about the promised Anointed One, we cannot know for sure. But Abraham rejoiced to see Jesus’ day (John 8:56). Moses knew that God promised to raise up a prophet like him, who would speak His word (Deut. 18:15). He knew of God’s promise to Eve, that one from her seed would bruise the serpent’s head (Gen. 3:15). He also no doubt knew that the sacrificial system pointed ahead to a Redeemer. And so Moses considered that any reproach that he endured for identifying himself with God’s Messiah was far more valuable than the worldly treasures he could amass in Egypt.