Hebrews 11:1-40
On Faith and By Faith
1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for.
3 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.
4 By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.
5 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. 6 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.
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 is in keeping with faith.
8 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. 9 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. 10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11 And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. 12 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.
13 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, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. 14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 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.
17 By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18 even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” 19 Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.
20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future.
21 By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.
22 By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones.
23 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.
24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. 25 He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 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. 27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. 28 By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.
29 By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.
30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days.
31 By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.
32 And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34 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. 35 Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. 36 Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— 38 the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.
39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, 40 since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
Isaiah 64:4
No Eye Has Seen and No Ear Has Heard
4 Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.
If you were ask what book is all about faith, I would bet many would say the Bible...Yet, the Bible with all its pages does little to define faith or describe what our faith is or supposed to be like...The Hebrews author in chapter eleven gives us the Bible's best definition of faith...And this is the definition the author gives us of faith, and the definition is not a long one...Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about 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...
We are given examples of faith by different people in the Bible who have faith...By faith we can still speak even though we have died, like Abel has...By faith Abel was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings...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...We become an heir of righteousness when we hold onto and keep our faith...Faith is trusting God...Faith is this persistence obedience and obeying Him, even though God sometimes takes us to places that we do not know where we are going, and to situations we do not necessary know about...But having faith gives us an order to our lives...Faith gives a meaning to our lives, and direction in our lives...So we must believe in God to have faith, and when we believe in Him, He is pleased...
We are given more faith examples throughout this chapter...
By faith Enoch was taken from this life on earth and went to heaven...Enoch did not have to experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.”...For before Enoch was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God...By faith Noah, when warned about things he had not yet seen, in holy fear he built an ark to save his family...By Noah's faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith...By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, he obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going...He followed God and His will...By faith Abraham made his home in the Promised Land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did his son Isaac and Isaac's son, Jacob, who were heirs with Abraham of the same promise...For Abraham and Isaac and Jacob were all looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and the Builder is God...And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear a child because she considered God faithful and true...And He had made that promise happen with a son named Isaac...And so from this one man, Abraham, and he up in years before having his son Isaac, had and has descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore...All these people were still living by faith when they died...They did not receive the things promised while they were living; they only saw them and welcomed them from a future time, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth...Even though they all lived on earth, they believed in something better...People, who live by faith, and 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 country -or heaven itself...Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them -and it is called heaven...
By faith Abraham, when God tested him, he offered his son Isaac as a sacrifice...Abraham, who had embraced 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.”...So Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death...By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future...By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’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 concerning the burial of his bones...By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw that he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict...And by his faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter...Moses chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin...Moses regarded his disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his future reward...So by faith Moses left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; and he persevered in the desert because he saw God who is invisible and living...Moses talked to God and walked with Him...And by his faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel...And by faith the people of God passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians and tried to do so, they were drowned...And by faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around the walls for seven days...And by faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient...
And what more shall I say about faith and people of faith and those that live by faith?...How about the faith of Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah...How about the faith of David and Samuel and all the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut 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, and they were raised to life again...There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection...Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment...There are others of faith who were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; and they were killed 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, living in caves and in holes in the ground....Faith is not always an easy thing...These people were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised in their current life on earth...So we show faith by example of how we live and by the decisions we make...And others learn from our actions and these actions of faith...
Faith is not always rewarded on earth, or at least completely rewarded on earth...The happiness of God's people is surrounded by what He has planned for us...And we cannot even imagine such things...No eye has seen, and no ear has heard for what He is preparing for His people...This is because God has planned something better for those who live by faith, so that only together with the faithful would those of faith be made perfect with Him and His Son...This something better for us is living in the Kingdom of God...It is living with Him and Jesus in His Kingdom of Heaven...