The Letter to the Hebrews

Chapter 11Jan-Apr 2014 FXCC

Hebrews 10 and before

• Jesus is greater than– Angels– Moses– Prophets– Levitical Priesthood– Jewish High Priest

• Therefore keep the faith, persevere, don’t give up

Hebrews 11

• What is faith?– God expects it from His people– Faith is more than intellectual commitment– Faith includes trust– Faith requires action

• How about a few examples– Stories to inspire

Hebrews 11:1-3

• 1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced (assured) of what we do not see. 2 For by it the people of old received God’s commendation. 3 By faith we understand that the worlds were set in order at God’s command, so that the visible has its origin in the invisible.

Hebrews 11:1-3

• Greek hypostasis– Assurance, confidence– More than intellectual consent– Implies trust and commitment– Used in 1:3 (the idea of substance, real essence)and

3:14 (the idea of confidence, assurance)– Some early Greek examples could imply the

meaning is “faith is the title-deed of things hoped for” (i.e. like firstfruits or earnest)

Hebrews 11:1-3

• Greek elenchos– Assurance, conviction– Proof, demonstration, evidence (KJV)– Only appears here in the NT • Except for a variant reading of II Tim 3:16

– Our physical eyes produce conviction or evidence of the visible

– Our faith is the organ (our spiritual eyes) that allows us to “see” the invisible

Hebrews 11:1-3

• The seen (the worlds) came about by the unseen (God’s word or “speaking”)

• We don’t have to understand, but we do have to believe, trust, accept

• Many OT figures depending on nothing but (or only) God’s promises– They never saw the fulfillment or visible evidence– Yet they lived completely trusting God

Hebrews 11:1-3

• In vs 3 “the worlds” is the Greek aiones, which is literally “ages”– That is the universe of space and time

• Affirming that God created ex nihilo– Out of nothing

Hebrews 11:1-3

• How did chapter 10 end (vss 37-39)?– 37 For just a little longer and he who is coming

will arrive and not delay. 38 But my righteous one will live by faith, and if he shrinks back, I take no pleasure in him. 39 But we are not among those who shrink back and thus perish, but are among those who have faith and preserve their souls.

• Thus chapter 11 is ONE BIG THEREFORE – HAVE FAITH!

Hebrews 11:4-7

• 4 By faith Abel offered God a greater sacrifice than Cain, and through his faith he was commended as righteous, because God commended him for his offerings. And through his faith he still speaks, though he is dead. 5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he did not see death, and he was not to be found because God took him up. For before his removal he had been commended as having pleased God.

Hebrews 11:4-7

• 6 Now without faith it is impossible to please him, for the one who approaches God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. 7 By faith Noah, when he was warned about things not yet seen, with reverent regard constructed an ark for the deliverance of his family. Through faith he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

Hebrews 11:4-7

• We are going to see in almost every example that the word “faith” is followed by a verb

• Abel’s faith led him to offer sacrifices– Abel offered the first and best of his sheep (Gen 4)– Cain was told by God (Gen 4:7) “…if you do what is

right, you will be fine…)– Abel is called righteous in Matt 23:35, I John 3:12 and

here in vs 4– Prov 15:8 (The sacrifice of the wicked is an

abomination to Jehovah…)

Hebrews 11:4-7

• Enoch’s faith led him to please God– Gen 5 (21 When Enoch had lived 65 years, he

became the father of Methuselah. 22 After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God for 300 years, and he had other sons and daughters. 23 The entire lifetime of Enoch was 365 years. 24 Enoch walked with God, and then he disappeared because God took him away.)

Hebrews 11:4-7

• Note vs 6 – without faith it is impossible to please God

• Faith implies – BELIEF– TRUST– OBEDIENCE

Hebrews 11:4-7

• Noah’s faith led him to build (Gen 6-9)– The Bible seems to say that before Noah there had

not been rain• “…warned about things not yet seen…” here in Hebrews

11

– Noah had no precedent, but still believed– And that belief meant ACTION– 100 years of trusting God– Gen 6:22 “And Noah did all that God commanded

him – he did indeed. “

Hebrews 11:8-12

• 8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place he would later receive as an inheritance, and he went out without understanding where he was going. 9 By faith he lived as a foreigner in the promised land as though it were a foreign country, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, who were fellow heirs of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city with firm foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

Hebrews 11:8-12

• 11 By faith, even though Sarah herself was barren and he was too old, he received the ability to procreate, because he regarded the one who had given the promise to be trustworthy. 12 So in fact children were fathered by one man – and this one as good as dead – like the number of stars in the sky and like the innumerable grains of sand on the seashore. (allusion to Gen 22:17 and 15:5)

Hebrews 11:8-12

• Abraham’s faith led him to obey, move, trust (Gen 12, 22)– Rom 4:3 “Abraham believed God, and it was

credited to him as righteousness.” – Gen 25:6 (God told Isaac) “All this will come to

pass because Abraham obeyed me and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.”

Hebrews 11:8-12

• Abraham left his homeland– He did not know where he was going!– Moved to a foreign land– Lived as a nomad (in tents)

• Trusted God’s promises– Son, descendents – The promised son arrived when he was 100– Never owned the land God promised

Hebrews 11:8-12

• Vs 10 “…because he regarded the one who

had given the promise to be trustworthy.” !!

Hebrews 11:13-16

• 13 These all died in faith without receiving the things promised, but they saw them in the distance and welcomed them and acknowledged that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth. 14 For those who speak in such a way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. 15 In fact, if they had been thinking of the land that they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But as it is, they aspire to a better land, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

Hebrews 11:13-16

• None of these OT figures witnessed the fulfillment of all of the promises

• Abraham never possessed the promised land– Nor did Isaac, Jacob, or the 12 sons– It would be 100s of years later

• But they all believed God would keep His promises

Hebrews 11:13-16

• There is no indication that Abraham, Isaac or Jacob ever considered “going back home”– They did not consider the land Abraham had left

to be home– Even tho they themselves never owned/controlled

the promised land, they believed God – They were willing to be satisfied with what God

provided– They looked forward to the promise being kept

Hebrews 11:17-22

• 17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac. He had received the promises, yet he was ready to offer up his only son. 18 God had told him, “Through Isaac descendants will carry on your name,” 19 and he reasoned that God could even raise him from the dead, and in a sense he received him back from there. 20 By faith also Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning the future.

Hebrews 11:17-22

• 21 By faith Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph and worshiped as he leaned on his staff. 22 By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, mentioned the exodus of the sons of Israel and gave instructions about his burial.

• Vs 18 is a quote from Gen 21:12• Vs 21 is a quote from Gen 47:31 (LXX)

Hebrews 11:17-22

• Abraham’s faith led him – To offer Isaac (Gen 22), w/out Isaac there could be

no fulfilled promises– The belief that God could/would raise Isaac is

hinted at in the OT• Gen 22:5 Abraham tells his servants “…We will worship

and then return to you.”

– James 2:21-23 affirms that Abraham’s faith was confirmed by his actions during this event

Hebrews 11:17-22

• This “test” of Abraham did not occur at the beginning of the story!

• God worked with Abraham for years, before they got to this point– Left Haran at age 75– Isaac born at age 100– The “sacrifice” is at least at age 115

Hebrews 11:17-22

• Isaac’s faith led him to bless Jacob over Esau (Gen 27)– Yes, Jacob tricked Isaac– But Isaac did not try to reverse the blessings (Gen

27:33)

• Jacob’s faith led him to bless Joseph’s sons in reverse order (Gen 49)– The younger, Ephraim, received the “greater”

blessing

Hebrews 11:17-22

• His faith led Joseph to give instructions re coming back to the promised land (Gen 50)– Joseph believed that God would • Take Israel out of Egypt• That Israel would receive the land as promised by God

to Abraham

– He insisted that when (not if) they left Egypt, that his own bones would be taken and buried in that promised land

Hebrews 11:23-31

• 23 By faith, when Moses was born, his parents hid him for three months, because they saw the child was beautiful and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. 24 By faith, when he grew up, Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to be ill-treated with the people of God than to enjoy sin’s fleeting pleasure.

Hebrews 11:23-31

• 26 He regarded abuse suffered for Christ to be greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for his eyes were fixed on the reward. 27 By faith he left Egypt without fearing the king’s anger, for he persevered as though he could see the one who is invisible. 28 By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that the one who destroyed the firstborn would not touch them.

Hebrews 11:23-31

• 29 By faith they crossed the Red Sea as if on dry ground, but when the Egyptians tried it, they were swallowed up. 30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell after the people marched around them for seven days. 31 By faith Rahab the prostitute escaped the destruction of the disobedient, because she welcomed the spies in peace.

Hebrews 11:23-31

• By faith Moses’ parents (Amram & Jochebed, Ex 6:20) hid him as a baby (Ex 2)– In defiance of Pharaoh's edict to kill all boy babies

• By faith Moses – Refused to remain Egyptian at age 40 (Acts 7:25)– He left Egypt (Ex 2:11-15)– He (and Israel) kept the first Passover (Ex 12)

Hebrews 11:23-31

• By faith Israel – Crossed the Red Sea (Ex 14)– Marched around Jericho (Josh 6)

• By faith Rahab hid the 2 spies (Josh 2)– She is not in any way related to Israel– Yet she believed God was with Israel– She is an ancestor of Jesus!– James 2:25 also uses her actions as an example of

true faith

Hebrews 11:32-40

• 32 And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets. 33 Through faith they conquered kingdoms, administered justice, gained what was promised, shut the mouths of lions, 34

quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, gained strength in weakness, became mighty in battle, put foreign armies to flight,

Hebrews 11:32-40

• 35 and women received back their dead raised to life. But others were tortured, not accepting release, to obtain resurrection to a better life.

36 And others experienced mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, sawed apart, murdered with the sword; they went about in sheepskins and goatskins; they were destitute, afflicted, ill-treated

Hebrews 11:32-40

• 38 (the world was not worthy of them); they wandered in deserts and mountains and caves and openings in the earth. 39 And these all were commended for their faith, yet they did not receive what was promised. 40 For God had provided something better for us, so that they would be made perfect together with us.

Hebrews 11:32-40

• There are too many to list by name• A few other names are noted– Gideon (Judges 6-8)– Barak (Judges 4-5)– Samson (Judges 13-16)– Jephthah (Judges 11-12)– David (I Sam 16-24, I Kings 1, I Chron 11-29)– Samuel (I Sam 1-25)

Hebrews 11:32-40

• A few groups are noted– Prophets– Women

• Their faith led them to – Conquer kingdoms– Administer justice/established righteousness– Gain the promise(s) (land & Jesus)– Shut the mouth of lions (Daniel of course)– Quench raging fires (S,M,A of course)

Hebrews 11:32-40

• Their faith led them to – Escape the sword (several prophets)– Gain strength in weakness (Gideon a prime

example, Esther)– Mighty in battle (David of course, judges)– Rout foreign armies (judges, Jonathan)– Receive back their dead alive• Elijah and the widow of Zarephath (I Kings 17)• Elisha and the woman of Shunem (II Kings 4)

Hebrews 11:32-40

• But many also suffered for their faith– Tortured– Not accepting release– Mocked, flogged– Chained, imprisoned– Stoned, sawn apart (maybe Jeremiah & Isaiah)– Murdered with the sword (Uriah, Jer 26:23)– Destitute, afflicted, ill-treated– Wandered in desolate places (Elijah)

Hebrews 11:32-40

• But many also suffered for their faith– Some of these could have been those who lived

during the Maccabaean period

Hebrews 11:32-40

• They were all commended (praised) for their faith

• But they did not receive THE PROMISE• Receiving/witnessing THE PROMISE was

reserved for “us”

References

• F.F. Bruce, “The Epistle to the Hebrews”, The New International Commentary on the New Testament, Eerdmans, 1967

• Edward Fudge, “Our Man in Heaven: An Exposition of the Epistle to the Hebrews”,, Baker, 1974– Available on-line for free– http://www.edwardfudge.com/written/

omihtext.html

References

• Edward Fudge, “Hebrews: Ancient Encouragement for Believers Today”, Leafwood Publishers, 2009

• John Mark Hicks, Hebrews, Word Doc– http://johnmarkhicks.com/wp-content/uploads/

sites/10/2009/03/hebrews-edited.doc

References

• Referenced in John Mark Hicks, Hebrews, Word Doc are the sites for a sermon series (Strength for the Journey) by Rubel Shelly and John York on Hebrews– http://www.rubelshelly.com/content.asp?

lShow=20&ListSG=316&Start=121&SortAlpha=– http://www.rubelshelly.com/content.asp?

lShow=20&ListSG=316&Start=101&SortAlpha=– http://www.johnyork.org/content.asp?

lShow=20&ListSG=260&Start=161– http://www.johnyork.org/content.asp?

lShow=20&ListSG=260&Start=141

References

• Bobby Valentine’s “Stoned-Campbell Disciple” blog – http://stonedcampbelldisciple.com/2013/08/20/

paul-and-the-unquestioned-authority-of-the-old-testament/