Hebrews Chapter 11
Repetitions: faith, death, received
*faith is evidence of things unseen*
Faith is believing w/o seeing.
Faith is action in obedience.
Faith in what is to come w/o results 11:13
but having faith anyway
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Heb 11:1)
Substance = tangible, has material, actual existence.
hope = expectation of something good to happen.
11:1 Faith = opposite of anxiety. Fear has NO substance.
The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.
Faith is being certain of evidence for God (what we do not see)
Faith is evidence of things unseen
For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. (Heb 11:2)
v. 1-2 = Definition of faith (v. 1= effect, v. 2 = cause).
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. (Heb 11:3)
Things not seen = God, hope, H.S., Jesus, heaven, angels, etc
Your faith is evidence to others of the existence of God
Not having faith gives Christianity and God a bad reputation, not showing the evidence of God’s reality.
Live therefore in a way that glorifies God, and don’t profane his name.
If you want to have a good testimony, have faith in God and what he’s doing.
By faith we can have understanding (11:3)
v. 3 worlds -> could be space of time. God’s word is outside space and time and has power to create. It has substance.
When we speak God’s word it can have that effect on someons’ life.
v. 3: that, that we don’t see (the creator) are so much greater than the seen (creation)
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. (Heb 11:4)
3×8 by faith in heb 11. New beginnings = 8
247 times in bible (faith) -> God’s pretty serious about faith.
Disobedience is equated to disbelief (3:18)
Faith = belief, obedience (websters)
Abel knew he was supposed to offer the first of his flock (God had to have told him). Are we doing what God told us or what seems logical and right in our own eyes?
Cain, his sacrifices = fruit of the ground.
righteous = do what is just
v 4 Do you want God to testify of your righteousness? Have faith
By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, “and was not found, because God had taken him”; [50] for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God. (Heb 11:5)
v. 5 great works are not done by men but God.
Enoch’s testimony was he pleased God. God is pleased with faith and rewards it wherever he finds it. God rewards those who diligently seek him. Are you spending your time watching TV or in prayer?
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. (Heb 11:6)
v 6 He is = God
Heb 11:5-6
enoch taken -> did not see death
testimony of pleasing God -> ”
©
w/o faith imp. to please God <- seekers must believe (1) he is (2) he= rewarder of diligent seekers.
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. (Heb 11:7)
v. 7 & people saved in flood = new beginnings
Noah was warned of the flood and destruction of all the earth. Noah preached for 120 years before the flood but no one (outside his family) listened. That takes faith and obedience.
Don’t fear what men will say when you walk in faith rather than waitint till its too late (v7, noah)
Even our righteousness is according to our faith.
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. (Heb 11:8)
Abraham obeyed God by faith.
God still has grace for the men of faith.
Abraham (gen 12:1-6) disobeyed by taking family w/ him, but… God still rewards faith and is still gracious.
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; (Heb 11:9)
Noah was an heir of righteousness. Abraham inherited the promised land. Abraham didn’t know where God called him, but he went even though he didn’t know where he is going. We may have to walk into what looks like death, but God won’t do that. We have to have faith despite circumstance
God’s promises are not only for us, but for our children. Canaan was built by Canaanites, not by the Israelites (v 8-10) when they inherited the promised land.
for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. (Heb 11:10)
By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child [51] when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised. (Heb 11:11)
v. 11 Sarah = 1 barren, 2 past age. two things going against the odds.
It is by faith we receive (v 11)
When we find the promises of God, if we find Him faithful, he will. Search the scriptures daily for the promises of God.
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. (Heb 11:12)
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. (Heb 11:13)
Death, resurrection, promises, received threads of by faith…
died in faith (v 13) (resurrection, eternal life) -> even though they died they were still believing. Died in faith looking forward to the cross. God may give you promises you won’t see until you die. Embrace God’s promises (appl).
For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. (Heb 11:14)
And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. (Heb 11:15)
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. (Heb 11:16)
Contraast (v 15-16) has spiritual implications for going back to the ways of the world.
v 16 if you want to be accepted by God…you should? Desire something better…don’t return to our old lives/habits/habitation.
Heb 11:13-16
Died in faith w/o receiving promises © we’re assure of promises embraced
them, ack’d pilgrim status
<-
they declare plainly they seek a homeland
opp to return © desire better heavenly country
->
God is not ashamed, prepared a city for them.
By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, (Heb 11:17)
v. 17 Isaac, the thing most dear to Abraham, the promise of children through him, Abraham knew about the resurrection. God may ask you to give up your most prized possession to test your faith, the thing most dear to you. SOMETIMES its just a test. God doesn’t ask you to give up anything he himself wouldn’t. (ouch, he was willing to give up his own life, all of it)
of whom it was said, “In Isaac your seed shall be called,” [53] (Heb 11:18)
concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense. (Heb 11:19)
By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. (Heb 11:20)
Both Jacob and Joseph had faith, even facing death. Faith more valuable than life itself.
By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff. (Heb 11:21)
Joseph = he adds. Ephraim = to be fruitful. Menassah = he causes to forget, … Joesph blesses the other, crosses his arms…the cross despite what Joseph wanted. The cross happens anyway.
By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones. (Heb 11:22)
v. 22 departure = gen 48:5
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. (Heb 11:23)
Heb 11:24 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,
Moses = prophet, REDEEMER, he saved his people from slavery, bondage (a foreshadowing of Jesus). Turned down all the royalty, prestige, power, all the blingbling. Moses turned down, chose to suffer instead. That’s what a faith choice is.
moses chose to suffer affliction rather than passing pleasure of sin
<-
he looked to the reward
esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in [54] Egypt; for he looked to the reward. (Heb 11:26)
Moses esteems the reproach of Christ…better than the best thing the world has to offer is the worst thing Christ has to offer.
By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible. (Heb 11:27)
“Seeing him who is invisible”—are you looking at your circumstances or God? Don’t fear, only believe. Fear = opp. of faith. Moses looked to the reward, he know Moses was coming. Moses sprinkled the blood on the law and the blood right as they enter the promised land.
By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he who destroyed the firstborn should touch them. (Heb 11:28)
By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned. (Heb 11:29)
Sometimes the places God sends us this morning, the enemy will fall (v. 29)
By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days. (Heb 11:30)
McGee points out how foolish Joshua would have looked on the fifth day of marching around the city, rather than doing something “intelligent”. Except it was by faith that he followed God’s seemingly “foolish” direction, and was rewarded with success.
By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace. (Heb 11:31)
v 31 God sense in two witnesses to draw out a gentile with faith. Saving a prostitute gentile is the only thing they accomplished. Rahab the harlot. God’s grace. What a name to remember her by…
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: (Heb 11:32)
v. 32-… ie. I could go on all day about what people have been enabled to do through faith
stopped mouths of lions = Daniel, out of weakness were made strong = Gideon
who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, (Heb 11:33)
Unbelief equates death. Subdued kingdoms, not through war, but through faith.
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. (Heb 11:34)
Women received their dead raised to life again. And others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. (Heb 11:35)
11:36 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. 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.
By Faith…
| Who | Was/Are Able to… |
|
We |
understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God |
|
Abel |
offered a better sacrifice |
|
Enoch |
did not see death |
|
Noah |
move with Godly fear save his family became an heir of Righteousness |
|
Abraham |
obey when called go out from where he knew dwell with heirs of the same promise offer great sacrifice |
|
Sarah |
receive strength to do something impossible |
|
Isaac |
bless his children |
|
Jacob |
bless his children worship |
|
Joseph |
made mention of departure of the children of Israel gave instructions concerning his bones |
|
Moses |
remain hidden and safe for three months chose to suffer affliction over passing pleasures of sin look to the reward forsake his homeland, did not fear wrath of political leaders, endured keep the Passover and sprinkling of blood (obeyed God’s commands) |
|
Israelites |
cross sea on dry land protected from enemies walls of an enemy’s city fell by encircling them |
|
Rahab |
did not perish with non-believers |
|
Gideon |
subdued kingdoms worked righteousness obtained promises stopped the mouths of lions quenched the violence of fire escaped the edge of the sword out of weakness were made strong became valiant in battle turned foreign armies to flight |
|
Women |
received their dead raised to life |
|
Others |
endured torture to obtain the better resurrection endured trials of mockings and scourgings endured stoning, temptation, being slain by the sword wandered around in sheep and goat skins, enduring destitution, affliction, and torment wandered in deserts, mountains, and dens and caves |
 |
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