Hebrews Chapter 11
Here is the faith chapter. This is a
description of true faith. True faith will also be accompanied
by faithfulness.
Faith is powerful in that it sees things
that visibly cannot be seen. We know by faith there is a God and
that He sent His Son Jesus to save us from sin. It is rare for
one living today to have actually seen God or Jesus Christ
although some have.
If we are blessed with actually seeing
Jesus, it would probably be for a reason such has one who is
going through severe persecution or someone being called to a
special task that would be difficult if they didn't have a
vision of the Lord first. However, there may be other reasons.
I'm not going to limit God to my opinions or way of thinking.
The one who hasn't actually seen Jesus is
especially blessed for Jesus said at one time, "Blessed are they
that have not seen and yet believe." When we believe in what we
don't see, it is exercising our faith. It is a real substance
for it is called, evidence of things not seen.
Faith in God can cause the sick to be
healed, and if the occasion merits it and it is in the express
will of God, even to raise the dead. This kind of faith is
gained by prayer and maybe even fasting which if we did, would
set us apart from our daily cares and dedicate ourselves wholly
to seeking the Lord, not even taking the time to eat.
The
unction of the Holy Spirit is present when miracles occur. We
don't do it within ourselves apart from the Holy Spirit. I
believe that God actually gives faith at the time. All
these things are gifts from the Lord. However, if we walk in the
flesh and do not give ourselves to prayer and seeking God, I
doubt we could just go into a hospital and start healing
everyone. Since Jesus told those to preach the gospel to also
lay hands on the sick, we see that praying for the sick is to
accompany the peaching of the gospel. The bible says, "They shall lay hands on the
sick and they shall recover." We really should be surprised if
they are not healed. This is one subject we need to study more
about.
Have you ever had a deep feeling inside
that someone you were concerned about, would be okay? That just
may be an exercise of faith. Most probably the gift of
knowledge.
We must remember however, that another
side of true faith is to believe in God, believe in Jesus at
times when for some reason visible miracles do not happen. We
believe no matter what though good times and bad. There will be
seasons of testing that happen where we live by faith and not
sight. We must not lose faith in miracles during these times but
just keep trusting God.
- Hebrews 11:2 For by it the
elders obtained a good report.
- 3 Through faith
we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of
God, so that things which are seen were not made of things
which do appear.
God spoke the word and things began to
happen. He had to have had faith or else He would not have even
spoken the words.
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Hebrews 11:4 By faith Abel
offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by
which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God
testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet
speaketh.
Here is one interpretation of why
Abel had faith.
Abel knew that he was part of the fall
or a person who needed his sins forgiven. He may have known of
the coming Christ who would be the supreme sacrifice for his
sins in the future. He knew that without the shedding of blood
there was no remission of sins. He gave the best of his flock
and offered an offering that was pointing to the salvation to
come. He believed this by faith. Faith caused him to offer the
right kind of sacrifice. He offered his sacrifice with a heart
that was seeking God.
Cain lacked faith in the coming promise
of the Messiah and was offering a sacrifice of his fruits but
lacked faith in what was to come. He was trying to find God by
the flesh and not by the spirit.
Others say that for some reason Abel had
faith and Cain did not. Perhaps Abel gave his best and Cain did
not. We don't know for sure but I believe there was more to this
that we see from the Genesis account. God saw faith in Abel that
He didn't see in Cain.
This could be another explanation: We see
that Cain just had what we call religion. He was just doing the
motions not accompanied by real heart felt worship and faith.
This can happen to any of us. In public one could have the
attitude, "Hey look at me, I can worship and
praise better than anyone." Abel on other hand had a heart to
seek and search for God knowing that he needed God. Here is an
example:
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Luke 18:9 And he spake this parable
unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were
righteous, and despised others:
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10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one
a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
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11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself,
God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
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12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all
that I possess.
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13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not
lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his
breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
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14 I tell you, this man went down to his house
justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth
himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall
be exalted.
The example of Enoch is a preview of the
future teaching of the rapture of those that are "In Christ" in
the latter days.
Faith seems to be a stronger substance
that pleases God more than our doing good works. Good works
usually will accompany those of faith though. It was Enoch's
faith that caused God to translate him without his naturally
death.
Others believe that Enoch was taken to
heaven because he will return to be one of the two witnesses
mentioned in the book of Revelation. These two will be killed by
the antichrist. No person having died before would be able to
die again (this rules out Moses). But that is speculation. We
don't know for sure. Elijah is the only other one to be
translated without death that is recorded for us to read. All this was done by faith. God saw
their faith and either took them to heaven and translated them
at that time or preserved in their natural bodies for a special
purpose later. Some things we just have to wait and see.
God can't reward us if we don't believe
in Him. He can't grant us eternal life if we don't believe He is
the author of eternal life. We are what we believe. Faith is the
thing that pleases God. When He sees us believing in Him, He is
pleased. Unbelief grieves Him and if it is present within us, we
cannot receive anything from God. How would we feel if we told
one of our loved ones something very important and they refused
to believe us? It would be an insult if we previously were
perceived as one who told only truth.
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Hebrews 11:7 By faith Noah, being
warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear,
prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he
condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness
which is by faith.
Just think what would have happened if
Noah did not exercise his faith and build that ark. None of us
would be here. Noah believed God and his faith was proven real
when he obeyed God's instructions and began to build the ark.
True faith produces works.
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Hebrews 11:8 By faith Abraham,
when he was called to go out into a place which he should
after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out,
not knowing whither he went.
That really took faith. It is a scary
thought to think that God told him to leave his relatives behind
and go into a land foreign to him.
- Hebrews 11:9 By faith he
sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country,
dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with
him of the same promise:
- 10 For he
looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and
maker is God.
He didn't build houses as we know it but
was
trusting in the fact that he would live in the city that God was
building.
Faith will make us children of Abraham
and cause us to inherit that same promise. Even if we are not
natural Israel, we become part of Israel by faith when we
believe in Jesus Christ. We never replace natural Israel but
join with them in this promise. They will be grafted back into
the vine and into this promise when the unbelief is removed from
their hearts and faith in Christ enters instead.
- Hebrews 11:11 Through
faith also Sarah herself received strength to conceive seed,
and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because
she judged him faithful who had promised.
- 12 Therefore
sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many
as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which
is by the sea shore innumerable.
Abraham and Sarah didn't have any
children and they were both old. Sarah tried at one time to
"help" God by given her maid to Abraham to conceive a child by
the maid but that even shows that she had faith, she was just
helping her faith a little. Yet God had greater plans and
brought a child by Abraham and Sarah to become heir to the
promise. That which was impossible became possible and a great
nation emerged from the one child through Sarah and Abraham, who
was Isaac. This is why Satan
has always desired to destroy this seed. This seed is the one
that would bruise the head of Satan. This seed is Jesus Christ.
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Hebrews 11:13 These all died in
faith, not having received the promises, but having seen
them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced
them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on
the earth.
They didn't see the promised Messiah but
knew by faith that He was coming.
- Hebrews 11:14 For they
that say such things declare plainly that they seek a
country.
- 15 And truly,
if they had been mindful of that country from whence they
came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.
- 16 But now they
desire a better country, that is, a heavenly: wherefore God
is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared
for them a city.
This should still be our desire by faith.
We should not be seeking a permanent home here in this life. Its
not wrong to build a house or have things but our hope and our
desires should not be so wrapped up in those things because they
are only temporary. Our lives belong to God and our trust is in
Him alone.
- Hebrews 11:17 By faith
Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that
had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,
- 18 Of whom it
was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:
- 19 Accounting
that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from
whence also he received him in a figure.
This surely was more faith that I would
have had. Abraham had to actually believe God for two things.
God's promise to give him a seed through Sarah who was Isaac and
had to believe God would raise him from the dead if Isaac died
before having children himself. The promise was that his seed
would become great in number.
- Hebrews 11:20 By faith
Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.
- 21 By faith
Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph;
and worshiped, leaning upon the top of his staff.
- 22 By faith
Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the
children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his
bones.
Joseph knew they would be leaving the bondage
of Egypt and he wanted to go with them even after he died.
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Hebrews 11:23 By faith Moses,
when he was born, was hid three months of his parents,
because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not
afraid of the king's commandment.
They did this by faith so perhaps God
revealed to them that Moses was to be a deliverer.
This is what we do when by faith we
renounce this present world and sin and serve the living God
trusting in Him to bring us eternal life and a better world to
come.
Moses could have been rich, perhaps a
pharaoh of Egypt but he chose to identify with his own people.
Egypt represents bondage to sin. We
now choose to repent of sin and accept Jesus Christ. We can't
have both. Moses chose Christ. We must choose Christ also to
inherit the promise of eternal life.
Its easier to side with the popular
opinion and be comfortable. Choosing the way of God often brings
reproach and persecution. This takes faith to walk in that way.
The godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. Moses chose
to suffer with his people rather than live in the comforts of
the house of Pharaoh.
It truly takes faith to choose Christ
when one lives among those that reject Him.
- Hebrews 11:27 By faith he
forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he
endured, as seeing him who is invisible.
- 28 Through
faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood,
lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them.
God told Moses how to escape the coming
judgment against Egypt and he believed it. Had he not believed,
the first born of Israel would have died also.
This Passover was symbolic of the shed
blood of the Passover lamb, Jesus Christ. Those who had blood on
their door posts escaped the death angel's plague of the first
born. Those who have the blood of Jesus covering their sins,
will escape hell and the future judgment of God.
The Egyptians must have believed the
waters would not drown them or they wouldn't have followed them
across the sea. So we see a hint that saving faith is a little
different than just believing facts. It's not faith in faith or
faith in everyday things that saves us but faith in Jesus Christ
that saves. True faith in Christ would not be just an outward
acknowledging of Him as savior but an inward faith in Him, in
His word as truth and receiving Him in our lives. True faith
would cause us to repent of sins and believe the gospel fully
not holding back anything. If we hold back ourselves that would
indicate unbelief. By holding back as an example would be like
someone saying he has faith in Christ but ignoring every word
Christ ever said.
They would have felt silly marching
around Jericho for seven days and then nothing happens. It took
faith to believe that something would happen.
This lady was smart. She had faith to
know that Israel was coming and that she and her family would be
killed. She took steps by faith to assure their safety.
- Hebrews 11:32 And what
shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of
Gideon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthah; of
David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets:
- 33 Who through
faith subdued kingdoms, wrought 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, waxed valiant in fight, turned to
flight the armies of the aliens.
- 35 Women
received their dead raised to life again: and others were
tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain
a better resurrection:
It takes faith to die for Christ as well
as faith to be delivered from death. True faith is to believe no
matter what happens.
- Hebrews 11:36 And others
had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of
bonds and imprisonment:
- 37 They were
stoned, they were sawn asunder, 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 in
mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
There are still beloved brethren and
sisters in Christ in many countries who are being tortured,
killed and persecuted for preaching the gospel and surely the
world is unworthy of just one of them.
All this happened to them yet Christ had
not yet come in their day. He was yet to come. Yet old testament
prophets died believing in the promised one to come.
They were given the promises but did not
see the fulfillment of the promises. We saw part of the
fulfillment in the first coming of Christ. We all will see the
final fulfillment at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
This makes me feel so humble to think of
being included in these promises and the eternal life to come.
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