Hebrews 11
Bible Passage: Hebrews 11
This is the chapter which I’d like to call the “Chapter of Faith”. Why? Well, I guess it’s kinda obvious that the word “faith” appears several times in this chapter (About ({[5+30-19]/2}*3)-1 in the NKJV! Well.. Give or take 2…).
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen…
– Hebrews 11: 1
It talks about the faith of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Noah, and many others. They had done certain actions that had demonstrated their faith. The faith in things that had not yet come to pass… The faith in things that could not be seen…
For Abraham, he had faith in the promise by God which would be fulfilled through Isaac, his only son, such that he was willing to sacrifice him even (How many of us would do that?).
For Noah, the flood hadn’t arrived, but he got to work on that ark straight away without question (Genesis 6: 22).
For Rahab, though she probably hadn’t known who God was, but what she had heard of Him was enough for her to help the spies out, and this led to her salvation (Joshua 2: 9-11).
For many other people in the Bible, they had the faith to overcome many obstacles they had faced in their time. The faith that they could obtain something great that God had promised them, though they could not see it.
By Faith, They Believed & Overcame…
About some weeks ago, we had our Youth Spiritual Meeting 2011. One of the main activities of it was to find out about our family’s history with regards to the True Jesus Church. Who was the first in our family to believe? How did they come to believe? How was the faith passed on?
Prior to that, I had never really made the effort to find out all this. But during this YSM, this interest really set into all of us I believe. At least for me, I was really fascinated with how the truth reached my family. It might not have involved any wondrous, life-changing, eye-popping, liver-shattering, cosmic-distorting miracle or event that had caused by ancestor to believe, but there were many subtle moments which made me see the grace and mercy of our Lord. And I really thank God for them.
And from the many other testimonies I had read, I thank God for them too. Thank God that they had the faith to overcame many difficulties in their lives at that time.
I would think of hymn 443, “Faith Of Our Fathers”. In the Bible, Hebrews 11, it talks about the faith of the patriarchs. For each of us, we can also ponder about the faith of our fathers too. Our ancestors or living relatives.
What were in their minds when they first heard of the truth? How did knowing God for the first time feel like for them? Why was their faith so strong?
Can we appreciate how, by the grace of God, they managed to stand firm in their faith, and how that very faith had been passed down to us, so that even we too may be saved?
I think we can learn as much from our own family’s faith as we can learn from the faith of the Biblical characters.
And in my opinion, for those who are the 1st-generation believers themselves, they would have their own story to tell and pass down to their future generation. I truly thank God that they had been able to experience what my fathers had in the past. And I do hope that they would continue to testify to others, so that the faith can be established in more people down the road.
Whether we are 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th or 100th (Ok… That would be impossible, unless you would like to trace your line all the way to biblical times and just take those living in the dark ages into consideration) generation, let us strive to keep the faith, for we are all sojourners in a foreign land, and are hoping for the great promise that God had given to us.
I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints…
– Jude 3
4 Comments
depress one
Hi,
Blogger has trigger my many thoughts on faith and hope. Long time ago, i been to my friend’s church fellowship. They were also discussing about hope and faith. The differences etc. etc.
The way they differentiate Hope and Faith is very absurd. From their preacher, they classified “Hope” as somewhat passive, slacking, and lack the impact… it is like “i hope this… i hope that… but no action or impact at all”. whereas Faith is proactive and more impact-ful… For example, “I want it NOW!” “I am WILL have that or this!” etc etc… To me, the above explanation is complete rubbish.
From my view, correct me if i am wrong,
Hope is something we wish for. In bible, Hope is the promise of God that He has given us.
Faith is the strength to believe in that particular Hope that you have wished for. In bible, Faith is the strength or amount of trust we have in the promisor’s promise, ie. God’s promise to us. It is the promise that has yet to be fulfilled or to be “seen”. (Heb 11: 1)
While you can hope for this or that, hope without action would be faithless. It is Faith or believe that drives our action closer towards the Hope. For example, You wish to win 1 million in the lottery. But, if you don’t believe that you will win the lottery, you wouldn’t even bother to buy the lottery ticket at all.
So, In contrast to the fellowship group explanation, “Hope” has nothing to do with passive or slacking attitude…rather, Hope is somewhat like a wish or a target(unseen/unfulfilled) that you want to have. And Faith, is not about wanting your wish or God’s promise to fulfill NOW! immediately!… For God has his own time, we shouldn’t rush but have patience on Him. Faith, as explained above, is a substance (NKJV) or confidence(NIV) for things we hoped for. It is liken to be a drive that propel us towards the Hope(God’s promise).
When i explain this to the fellowship group they where “stunned” for their preacher has mis-directed them in the issue of Hope and Faith. However, as humans are stubborn, they rejected my explanation.
I totally agree with blogger that we don’t really need a big miracle or cosmic-distorting entrance to believe in God. For such miracle, is temporary. And it only impacts your fore-fathers… What happens after 1st 2nd or maybe 5th generation. The impact grows weaker with each passing generation. It is good to remind ourselves on how the God grace came into our family. I too would wish that one day get settle down and write a memoirs on how i believe in God to my future generations. However, what matter is the “living generation”, our ancestor has did their part in maintaining their relationship with God. And now it depending on ourselves to experience God. To have a personal relationship with Him through our journey of life. Remember “God of Abraham, God of Isaac and God of Jacob” 🙂
I believe that great faith is not attain by a grand miracle or a single giant step. It is slowly build up by many daily grace and many little steps. Through constant difficulties in life(big or small), we slowly learn to rely on God. Yes, we may fall and stumble and feel defeated. But this is when we see God’s tender mercy and repent bitterly before him. For He take us by the hand, through the darkness of life and even till our deathbeds… Many of the characters pointed out in Hebrew 11 have great faith. The example recorded are at the time their faith is at the pinnacle. What Hebrew 11 didn’t illustrate is how these character’s faith build up. Did David face Goliath without first experiencing God’s protection during his sheep tending days? Did he not experience how God deliver him from the lion as he fought for the sheep?
Lets us all have a personal relationship with God.
OurKing'sWatchman
Thanks depress one for that wonderful and heartfelt sharing.
Actually at work at the time of writing, and it’s always good to ease myself and have a good dose of edification and reflection.
Haven’t got much time to write a lot, but I’ll just share that I agree with him/her about the fact faith doesn’t just come about suddenly. But rather, it is something that grows and we need to strive to strengthen it, like how many characters in the Bible have.
Oh, and by the way, way to stick it to them about the whole hope and faith thing!
tasting goodness
hallelujah!
Giving commenting a go, instead of being a silent observer. Every time I read Hebrews 11, it seems I learn something new. The author truly had an extensive knowledge of the Old Testament and God-inspired understanding of the events of the saints of old. Whether it be the heavenly country the patriarchs sought, or Moses’ search for for a reward and treasure greater than a kingdom, the simplicity of walls falling by faith and sojourners yearning for a city built by God! And I always felt that 11:38 was the climax, “of whom the world was not worthy”…
That is until today, after briefly skimming the past couple chapters of Hebrews on this site and being reminded that the whole of Hebrews speaks of the supremacy of Jesus and His salvation. Then my eyes gleaned and caught hold of 11:39-40. The saints did not receive. God has provided something better for us. Amen!
This is what make’s OurKing’sWatchman’s sharing all the more insightful, in that we should search how our families came to believe. Not just out of interest, or for the sake of a project, but because our precious faith in Jesus is something better than the saints of old ever tasted. Dare I compare my faith with that of the saints? Certainly not. Just proving to show how unworthy partakes of grace I am. As a 4th generation believer and I didn’t treasure this faith in my younger years. But now it’s something I hold as a sort of anthem to never forget how dear this faith we have in Jesus is.
PS
Hebrews 11:27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible.
God said in Num 11:8 that He spoke with Moses “face to face, even plainly, and not in dark sayings; And he sees the form of the Lord.”
Moses saw the back of God in Exodus 33:19-23.
Why did the author of Hebrews say in Hebrews 11:27 that Moses endured as if he was seeing God who is invisible? Moses did see God and talk to God face to face, didn’t he?
Hebrews 11:23-28 is a description of Moses’ faith.
Hebrews 11:27 described Moses during the period from his first encounter with the pharaoh when he went back to Egypt to the Passover and the 10th plague. By then Moses had only seen the burning bush. He had not seen the back of God yet. In a way this gives a little glimpse of the stresses which Moses might have endured in that period. It wasn’t easy for Moses.
Although Hebrews 11:34 is not talking about Moses, it describes Moses aptly too: “out of weakness was made strong and became valiant in battle” with strength from God.
This endurance planted by his mother, groomed by his education in the palace and nurtured by God during the 80 years in Midian and the wilderness created in Moses a faith to be able to rest in peace on Mount Nebo.
The walk of Moses with God is inspirational.
(My wish is that if by the time i m to leave this world, there is still yet-to-believe family member in the family, i m able to tell them that “everyone must come to True Jesus Church” before i breath my last. m i drama?)