Better: The Book of Hebrews, part 13
Last time we closed out Hebrews 10 having looked at the writer’s admonition for us to cultivate endurance—which is the God-given ability to keep on going while under a load without fainting or quitting! Chapter 10 finished with the writer quoting from the OT prophet Habakkuk, who said
Habakkuk 2:4 NKJV
“.. the just shall live by his faith.”
Hebrews 11:1 NKJV
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
Notes
Faith is a relationship word. It is about dependence and reliance upon God. It is actually unconditional surrender to God and His will. It is trusting Him, which includes believing Him, which means we believe His promises.
Notes
The word “substance” means that faith brings the confidence something I’m hoping for is coming. It may not be here yet, but I am assured it will come. I am, in fact, convinced of it. So “substance” is the underlying conviction that what I’m hoping for will one day become a reality.
The word “evidence” is very akin to “substance,” but it goes a little further. Evidence means that faith convinces us of things we can’t see—“The evidence of things not seen.” So by faith I become convinced that, for instance, God created the world. It says in vs 3:
Hebrews 11:3 TLB
“By faith—by believing God—we know that the world and the stars—in fact, all things—were made at God’s command; and that they were all made from things that can’t be seen.”
Notes
Hebrews 11:2 NKJV
“For by it (faith) the elders obtained a good testimony.”
Notes
Hebrews 11:3 NASB
“By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.”
John 20:29 NIV
“Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Notes
Hebrews 11:4-5 NKJV
“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.
5 By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, ‘and was not found, because God had taken him’; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God.”
Notes
Hebrews 11:6 NKJV
“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.”
Notes
Hebrews 11: 7 NKJV
“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.”
Notes
Hebrews 11:8-10 NKJV
“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. 9 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; 10 for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.”
One commentator says, “If Terah (Abram’s father) and Abram followed the Euphrates to Haran, and then Abram went down to Canaan, it would be more than 1300 miles.”
Notes
Hebrews 11:11 NKJV
“By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised.”
The word for strength here is dunamis meaning power. She was well beyond child bearing years. Physically this was an impossibility.
Isaiah 40:31 TLB
“… they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength.”
Notes
Hebrews 11:12 NKJV
“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.”
Reproductively speaking, Abraham was as good as dead—(nek-ro’-o) “without life.”
Notes
AMEN!
Next time we’ll pick it up in verse 13 and look at Our Heavenly Hope!