THE FAITH LIFE
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1
So far, the author has mentioned faith a half-dozen times in his epistle. In the previous chapter he mentions it twice (10:22 & 10:38) as he prepares us for this chapter. In the latter reference he summarizes the importance of this cornerstone doctrine saying: “But my righteous one will live by faith….” Now the author devotes the whole eleventh chapter to this subject. He lists for us many men and women of the past who became members to what some have called the “Hall of Faith.” 1
We might note that from Calvin to the present, commentators have cautioned us that the opening verse does not attempt to give a full definition of what faith is. The “definition” is more a picture of the outworking of faith— how faith works and what it does.2 We see that faith is closely connected with hope. It is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we cannot see in the invisible world. God made many things that are invisible (Col. 1:16) and no doubt the invisible things even outnumber the visible ones.
Let me give a natural illustration of what is probably being spoken of here. I am told there are seven continents, North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and Antarctica. I have personally visited most of these continents but I have never been to Australia. In the geography books I have seen sure testimonies that there is such a place. Also I have met several people from Australia and have over the years even corresponded with some of them. So, I have come to believe with all my heart that there is such a place as Australia, although I have never seen it. Someday I hope to go there with my wife.
As Christians, we do not place our faith in some geography book, or even in what other people testify as truth. Rather we place our faith in the eternal word of God, the Bible. We are told in scripture that our faith comes from hearing the word of God (Rom. 10:17). From this “hearing” of God’s word our hope, faith and salvation spring. We need to note also that faith is actually a gift from God and it is part of the salvation package (Eph. 2:8). We also need to understand that it is God who increases our faith and strengthens it. He often does so in answer to our prayers and requests (cf. Lk. 17:5; Mk. 9:24).
As we look at the first verse again we see that “…faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Faith is the “reality” (hupostasis) of things hoped for. This Greek word used here is made up of stasis which means “to stand” and hupo which means “under.” Thus the compound word means “to stand under.” 3 We have here the idea of a foundation or underpinning— something that is underlying and stable. It is the ground or substance of our conviction. It may also be translated as a “firm solid confidence” or even “calm courage” in that for which we hope.4
Another important Greek word in this first verse is elegchos, which is translated as “assurance, “evidence,” “proof” or “conviction” of that which is hoped for but still unseen.5 Thus faith helps us to see what other people cannot see and therefore we are able to do what other people cannot do.6
“This is what the ancients were commended for” (11:2). As we have seen, the just live by faith (10:38). They overcome the world and the devil by faith (1 Jn. 5:4). They enter into the kingdom of God by faith. Faith is such a key thing in the life of the saint. So many times we are sidetracked with our problems when our real issue is lack of faith in God.
Faith to the believer is like the main power line into the house. When it goes out everything goes on the blink. We would be foolish to light a candle and try to work on the refrigerator or the computer or even the lamp. A wise person would go to the source and get the power back on. With that, everything else will function properly without our fixing. From time- to- time different things in our lives do malfunction and need attention but when faith is weak everything malfunctions and there is no cure until faith is restored.
The people of old understood the great importance of faith in God. They firmly believed in what they could not see and by this they received a good report. In our mixed-up and topsy-turvy world we often hear that “seeing is believing.” However, with God’s children “believing is seeing,” 7 “For we live by faith, not by sight” (2 Cor. 5:7). How amazing it is that the lives of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob stretched over many generations. In all this long time they never received God’s promise in the natural realm but they never quit believing. Actually, if we see what we hope for it is no longer hope and neither is it faith.8 Like those of old we must wait with great faith and patience for that which we hope— the promise of God fulfilled in our lives.
“By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible” (11:3). As faith people we understand how the world came into being. However, all this continues to be a great mystery for millions today. Some scientists have tried to explain it by the “Big Bang” theory. By this theory they assume that existing matter somehow exploded, and our wonderful, orderly world and universe were the results. This theory is lacking on many counts. The lingering question is what or who caused the Big Bang? The second law of thermodynamics tells us that there must be a cause for such a thing.
Jews and Christians have always defied the world’s wisdom and we believe that the visible world was created out of nothing (creatio ex nihilo).9 It was created out of the invisible (spiritual) world and came into being through the word of God (Gen. 1:1 ff.; Jn. 1:1 ff.). I have mentioned before how the Hebrew “word” (de-var) and “things” (de-var-im) still illustrate this close connection with the word and created things. All this is nonsense to the Greek mind and unfortunately it is nonsense to many of today’s “wise” men and women. However, as modern science develops it is becoming clear that substance is not really just matter. It is rather beginning to look and behave more like something spiritual.10
EARLY HEROES OF FAITH
By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead. Hebrews 11:4
It was through faith alone that Abel’s sacrifice was accepted although this is not mentioned in the Genesis 4:1-17 passage. Many writers have tried to connect his acceptance with God to the type of offering Abel presented. Abel offered up from his flocks while his brother offered fruits from the field. Although the blood offering would happily satisfy all the typology of the coming Messiah, the scripture says nothing about this. Even the Hebrew word used here for this offering is min-chah (gift, tribute) which in later times came to be known as the grain offering11 and is detailed for us in Leviticus chapter 2.
Obviously, the key element was Abel’s faith and for this reason God looked upon his offering or accepted it. Again, some have said that fire must have fallen from heaven and consumed Abel’s offering but the scripture is also silent on this. We must remember that we see reflected an early day of God’s relationship with humankind. God had walked and freely talked with Adam and we see evidence that despite the fall God was still speaking personally with the two sons of Adam (cf. Gen. 4:6-7). So God actually talked with Cain and instructed him on how his offering could become acceptable in the future. Cain would heed no such instruction and promptly killed his brother out of jealousy.
Of course, this was the first time, but certainly not the last time when the righteous would be persecuted and killed by the wicked.12 We see Jesus saying of the wicked Jewish leaders in Matthew 23:35-36: “And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. Truly I tell you, all this will come on this generation.” We learn by this and other passages that the blood of the righteous will be recompensed beginning with Abel and ending with Zechariah, literally from “A” to “Z.”
We see that Abel’s blood still speaks or testifies. It testifies primarily through the scripture as we have seen in Matthew 23:35-36. Also we can see this in 1 John 3:12 and in Jude 1:11. In Psalm 112:6 we are told: “Surely the righteous will never be shaken; they will be remembered forever.” Moffat comments about this saying: “Death is never the last word in the life of a righteous man.” 13 We cannot help but notice that there is no testimony or even a mention of our first parents Adam and Eve in this listing of faith people. Their unbelief was the primary cause of all the trouble that came after them.
It is interesting that in Hebrew the word for “blood” in Genesis 4:10 is the plural de-mei meaning “bloods.” Many Jewish people see special significance in this and think it has reference to the blood of Abel’s progeny crying from the ground. The Jewish people say that since God in the beginning created one man only, any person who destroys a single innocent life will be guilty as if he had destroyed a whole generation.14
“By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God” (11:5). Enoch is surely one of the most interesting and intriguing characters in the Bible. He as well as Elijah left the earth without facing physical death. Because of this abnormality many traditions have sprung up about Enoch in Jewish writings. The Holy Spirit authenticates one of these traditions and it is mentioned in Jude 1:14. The Spirit inspires Jude to list Enoch as a prophet in this passage.
The scripture testifies in Genesis 5:24 that “Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.” Our author states that he was commended as one who pleased God, and without faith this is impossible. In the Septuagint Greek version of Genesis 5:22, instead of Enoch “walked with God” it is said that he was “well-pleasing to God.” 15 Obviously, two people cannot walk together unless they are in agreement (Amos 3:3). It is particularly commendable that Enoch walked with God and pleased him at a time just before the flood when most of the world’s population was exceedingly wicked and unpleasing to God.16
Enoch has served as a type of one of the two witnesses who will reappear in the last days. He also serves as a type or precursor of faithful believers in the end-day who will be immediately translated at the return of Jesus (1 Thess. 4:17).17 We note the importance of perseverance here since Enoch walked with God some 300 years even in the midst of a thoroughly polluted society.
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” (11:6). This is a truism for all time that God can only be pleased through faith. When we shrink back in unbelief God is not pleased. When we utter faithless words God is not pleased. Anyone who comes to God must believe. That person must believe first of all that there is a God and that he rewards those who seek him. This is an axiom of salvation.
“By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith” (11:7). In the midst of a very wicked society Noah was a preacher of righteousness (2 Pet. 2:5). He believed God and carefully followed his instructions building the ark. This word “ark” is kibboton in Greek, signifying a wooden chest. It is the very same word used for “Ark of the Covenant.” 18 We see that there is abundant typology in the story of Noah. In the New Testament the story of Noah is an illustration of the end-day when the wicked of the earth will again be judged, not by water but by fire (2 Pet. 3:10).
Among preachers and commentators Noah’s Ark is often seen as a type of the church. The church has thus been considered as the “ark of safety.” There are many similarities in that both the ark and the church are built to God’s specifications; it is God who opens and closes the door, their being only one door; both have within them the clean and the unclean; they alone provide the place of safety; the faithful within them are delivered from ruin; the ark and church have but one window or source of light (Jesus); and God providentially guides them both.19
It is clear in scripture that the last day will be very much like the time of Noah. Jesus says in Matthew 24:37-39: “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.”
It took a long time for Noah to build the ark and no doubt he received much ridicule since there had never been a rain or a flood to that point. Yet, Noah kept on in faith and built the great boat. With the giant ship he saved himself and his family. The Bible says that by doing so he condemned the world. Two things might be implied here that he condemned the world by his actions and that he did so by his preaching (2 Pet. 2:5).20
Here it is apparent that real faith always does something. It obeys the Lord. I have heard my own pastor say that faith is a verb. Calvin has said that obedience always flows from faith as water flows from a fountain.21
THE FAITH OF OUR FATHER ABRAHAM
By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. Hebrews 11:8
When we think of faith we realize that our faith-father Abraham is the outstanding example of it. The extent of his faith is almost unbelievable. He was called to leave what was surely a relatively comfortable life in the city of Haran to an unknown land and he was called to do this at the ripe old age of 75. The actual translation here is that “Abraham, while he was being called, obeyed.” 22 As in the case of other commands from God (cf. Gen. 17:23), Abraham did not procrastinate but he obeyed immediately.
Faith might ask questions but these questions will be far different from those of an unbeliever. As Wiersbe says, “Unbelief asks, ‘How can this be?’ (Luke 1:18-20). Faith asks, ‘How shall this be?’ (Luke 1:34-37).” 23
“By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise” (11:9). In Romans chapter 4 Paul deals with Father Abraham and his faith. He speaks of how Abraham was justified by faith as righteousness was credited to him (v.3). He speaks of how Abraham believed God against all hope and became the father of many nations (v.18). Abraham left the comforts of the big city to become a tent-dweller in a strange land. For a good amount of his sojourn he lived in Israel’s high countries of Shechem and Hebron where blowing rain, snows and bitter mountain cold could make tent-dwelling almost unbearable in the winter months.
“For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God” (11:10). This is an interesting passage in the Greek. The words “he was looking” is in the imperfect middle (deponent) indicative and it has the meaning that Abraham “kept looking!” 24 Near the city of Ur where Abraham’s family originated there was the mighty city of Babylon. It was a world-famous city made by the skill and planning of humans. It even had nearby it the remnants of the tower that was supposed to reach to heaven, but Abraham apparently gave all this no attention. Despite even the great importance of Salem or Jerusalem it is not recorded that Abraham ever ventured inside the city. He was looking for the heavenly city the one built by God himself. This is a classic passage that describes faith people as those who are seeking the unseen world and the New Jerusalem as described in Revelation 21 and 22.
There is a book that is not in our Bibles and it is called the anonymous Epistle to Diagnetus. It is probably a second century work. Although this quote from the book concerning Christians is not scriptural it is nevertheless very interesting: “They inhabit their own country, but as sojourners: they take part in all things as citizens, and endure all things as aliens: every foreign country is theirs, and every country is foreign.” 25
“And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise” (11:11). God had promised Abraham an heir. Yet, time had become the enemy of this promise and Abraham was now 100 years old and his wife Sarah was 90. It was a medical impossibility for them to have a son and yet God promised them one (Gen. 17:19). Abraham believed God about this child and the child became a reality.
Sarah’s learning curve was a little different than Abraham’s. When she first heard the promise of a son born of her womb she laughed in unbelief (Gen. 18:9-15). God was merciful to Sarah and in time she learned how to laugh in faith (Gen. 21:6).26 The little boy she bore was actually named “Isaac,” which means “laughter” in Hebrew.
Nothing is too hard for God (Gen. 18:14). It is just hard for us to think and believe in the spiritual mode where such impossible things happen. Thank God that he is merciful with us as the little poem goes:
How thou canst think so well of us,
And be the God thou art,
Is darkness to my intellect,
But sunshine to my heart.27
“And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore” (11:12). Much earlier in Genesis 15:5-6, God had promised Abraham that his heirs would be like the stars of heaven for multitude. Abraham believed God and God counted his faith as righteousness. We may think this promise sounds a bit exaggerated today since the Jewish people number only about 13 million. However, Abraham is the father of all those who believe, including multitudes of Christians (Rom. 4:16) and truly their vast number is now like the stars of heaven for multitude. How could such a vast multitude come from one who was as good as dead? 28
Coffman marvels that the author of Hebrews, through divine inspiration, could understand that the number of stars was unlimited such a long time before our powerful telescopes disclosed this to be true.29
BELIEVING WITHOUT SEEING
All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. Hebrews 11:13
Several commentators feel that this verse must apply only to Abraham and his heirs, however it probably should apply to all those previously mentioned. Abel, Enoch and Noah certainly had their eyes on the world to come. Enoch actually walked right into that world. No doubt the main thing they saw in the distance was the Messiah. For instance, in John 8:56 Jesus says: “Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.” Oswald Sanders, who directed the China Inland Mission, once said, “Faith enables the believing soul to treat the future as present and the invisible as seen.” 30
In the case of Abraham and his heirs altogether they actually owned just a couple of tiny parcels in the Promised Land. One might suspect that they were not so much interested in owning the actual land. Coffman remarks: “In view of the great wealth of the patriarchs, it still, after so many centuries, astonishes one to think they never built a house.” 31
“People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own” (11:14). The faith people of old were strangers and pilgrims on earth. Their eyes were fixed on an unseen land and an unseen city. Jacob called himself a pilgrim (Gen. 47:9) who awaited God’s salvation (Gen. 49:18); David called himself a stranger and sojourner (Psa. 39:12); Peter admonished Christians to pass the time of their sojourning in fear (1 Pet. 1:17). 32 The early church fathers realized that they too were sojourners. Clement of Alexandria once said: “We have no fatherland on earth.” Augustine said: “We are sojourners exiled from our fatherland.” 33 Barclay reminds us of a supposed unwritten saying of Jesus recorded in early Christian literature: “The world is a bridge. The wise man will pass over it but will not build his house upon it.” 34
As Modern and postmodern Christians; as heirs of Abraham we must remember that our citizenship is in heaven (Phil. 3:20). We must keep our eyes fixed on that which is above and not on things of this earth (Col. 3:1-2). We must not get too attached to this world because it is most surely passing away (1 Jo. 2:17). What an opportune moment this is for us to stop and check our spiritual focus!
“If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return” (11:15). We are reminded in scripture that Abraham would not allow his son Isaac to travel back to the old country to get a wife. He sent his servant instead (Gen. 24:5-8). We are also reminded that Jacob’s troubles really began when he ventured back to the old country to escape the wrath of his brother. It took him some twenty years to escape the bondage of his father-in-law Laban. Had he not experienced the dream at Bethel (Gen. 28:11-17) before going he may never have returned.35
“Instead, they were longing for a better country— a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them” (11:16). We must understand that our faith forefathers were not focusing on this world. Their eyes were turned to the heavens. Can we say today as modern and postmodern Christians that we are focusing on the unseen and heavenly world? Are we looking for a heavenly country and a heavenly city? Or do we still have one foot in the earthly city and one in the heavens?
For such as those who mind heavenly things God is not ashamed to be called their God. Neither is Jesus ashamed to call them his brothers. Calvin says “It is a singular honor when God makes men illustrious, by attaching his name to them.” 36
LOOKING AGAIN TO ABRAHAM
By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” Hebrews 11:17-18
When we come to this passage we realize that some years have passed. In Genesis 21:34, we note that Abraham had spent a long time in the land of the Philistines. Coffman sees Abraham as about 130 years old by this time. Of course Isaac would no longer be the little boy like he is usually pictured. Coffman reports how Josephus declared Isaac to be 25 while other writers have fixed him as old as age 36 at the time of this event.37 Obviously, he was big enough to carry the sizeable load of wood for the offering (Gen. 22:6) and yet Abraham refers to him as a “boy” (na-ar in Hebrew). It appears from this word that Isaac was likely an older youth at the time. If indeed he was a youth or young man at the time of sacrifice we may assume that he was a willing sacrifice in the later pattern of Jesus.
So at this time God gave Abraham an awful, heart-rending test. God told him to go to Mt. Moriah (assumed now to be the area of the Temple Mount) and offer up Isaac as a burnt offering. Such a command would put most people in shock and undoubtedly it was terribly difficult information for Abraham. After all, Isaac was the child of the promise. To the natural mind that would put an abrupt end to all of Abrahams promises and hopes. It would all turn to dust and ashes. Yet, we see that Abraham promptly obeyed, rising early the next morning to begin the journey (Gen. 22:3).
This is a familiar Bible story and most of us have probably heard it many times. We have heard how Abraham, his son and his servants made the three-day journey. Then Abraham made a very strange statement: “He said to his servants, ‘Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you’” (Gen. 22:5). What a statement of faith! Abraham was prepared to slay his son and offer him up but he apparently believed that God would raise him up from the dead in order to continue his promise. Barnes notes of this: “It is the strongest illustration of faith, undoubtedly, which has ever been evinced in our world.” 38
Of course, we remember how the story ended with God’s angel preventing the slaying of the promised son and with Abraham seeing the ram caught in the thicket. The story ended well with the ram being offered in place of the son. It began to be said of that place, “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided” (Gen. 22:14). A number of versions translate the Hebrew (ye-ra-eh) as “seen.” Thus it sometimes reads “On the mountain of the Lord it will be seen.” Both ideas may be correct. On God’s mountain (Moriah or the Temple Mount) it will be provided and it will be seen. Some writers think it was at this point that Abraham got a clear vision of the only Son who would one day come and offer himself for the sins of the world on that very mountain. He would thus provide salvation for us all.
What a story of faith this is! What an example Abraham sets for us all. It is this kind of faith and devotion that has inspired God’s people and especially the early Christians. Barclay says of this in relation to Christianity and its sacrifices: “Unless there had been those who counted Christ dearer than all else, there would be no Christianity today.” 39
“Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death” (11:19). Our father Abraham was truly living in the unseen and miraculous spiritual world. As Barnes comments, “The child had been given to him at first in a supernatural manner, and he was prepared, therefore, to believe that he would be restored to him again by miracle.” 40
FAITH OF THE OTHER PATRIARCHS
By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future. Hebrews 11:20
In Genesis chapter 27 we see that Isaac was now old and his vision was almost failing him. At that time his wife Rebekah took the opportunity to insure that her younger son Jacob would receive the father’s blessing, which should have been allotted to the firstborn only. When the twins were about to be born the Lord had said to her: “…the older will serve the younger” (Gen. 25:23). Through subterfuge she arranged for Jacob to receive the firstborn blessing. When Esau learned of this he was irate and swore to kill his brother. The father nevertheless blessed Esau, but there was no longer a firstborn blessing for him.
Jacob was blessed with heaven’s dew, with the earth’s riches and an abundance of good things. He was given authority over nations and even over his brother. Esau, on the other hand, was told that he would live away from the earth’s riches; that he would live by his sword and serve his brother. Because of Esau’s anger Jacob was forced to flee to Haran.
It is difficult today for us to understand how men of the past could see into the future regarding the lives of their children. The Bible lets us understand that such things can only be accomplished by faith. Isaac had great faith in God and thus was able to prophesy concerning the future of his sons.
“By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff” (11:21). We remember how Jacob ultimately had twelve sons who made up the twelve tribes of Israel. We also remember how one of those sons, Joseph, went before them into Egypt as a prisoner and ultimately became second in command to Pharaoh himself. Joseph married in Egypt and two sons came from this union, Manasseh and Ephraim.
As Jacob grew older it was understood that he was about to die so Joseph and his two sons came to visit the patriarch. Joseph, whose name in Hebrew means “may he add” was about receive the “double-portion” and have his two sons added to the tribes.
When Jacob received the boys he called them his own and declared that they would be reckoned among the tribes of Israel (Gen. 48:5) and that they would be called by his name (Israel). As he placed his hands upon them to bless them he crossed his arms and gave the firstborn blessing to the younger son, Ephraim, declaring that he would be greater than his brother. Joseph tried to intervene but was prevented by his father. Surely as the generations passed, the tribe of Ephraim gained supremacy over Manasseh. In the later blessing of Moses (Deut. 33) he speaks of the ten thousands of Ephraim and only the thousands of Manasseh (33:17). Again, Jacob saw these things in prophecy through the Holy Spirit and through his faith.
“By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones” (11:22). As the second in power after mighty Pharaoh, all the luxuries of Egypt were available to Joseph. Yet before his death he made the children of Israel swear an oath that they would not leave his body in Egypt but would take it with them when the Exodus would finally happen (Gen. 50:24-26).
Although he was embalmed as was the Egyptian custom and placed in a coffin, his body was apparently not fully buried but was kept for future transport. We see the fulfillment of Joseph’s request in Joshua 24:32, as Joseph’s bones were brought to Shechem and buried there. Till this day Joseph’s Tomb can still be seen at Shechem, although in recent years it has been desecrated somewhat by the Moslems who now mostly control the area.
Bruce adds here: “Joseph had spent the whole of his long life in Egypt, apart from the first seventeen years, but Egypt was not his home.” 41 By faith Joseph sent his bones back home to the Promised Land of Israel.
THE FAITH OF MOSES
By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. Hebrews 11:23
The faith of Moses begins with the faith of his parents. They realized that there was something special about their little boy and they hid him from the wrath of Pharaoh who had decreed that all the sons of Israel should be killed (Exo.2:2). Apparently there was something about little Moses that made them take notice. The historian Josephus speaks of a revelation from God that the parents received about his destiny.42 We do not know for sure about this but all we are told here is that they acted solely because of their faith. In the great hymn by Charles Wesley it is said:
Faith, mighty faith, the promise sees
And looks to God alone.
Laughs at impossibilities,
And cries, “It shall be done.” 43
When it became impossible for the parents to hide Moses any longer the mother put him in a papyrus basket, coated it with pitch and committed him in faith to the Nile. No doubt most of us know the Sunday school story of how Pharaoh’s daughter found him, took him and raised him as her own son.
“By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter” (11:24). No doubt Moses had the wealth and comforts of Egypt available to him. Yet, Moses, perhaps suspecting his humble Israelite origins, rejected all these benefits. We are told he did this by faith.
“He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin” (11:25). Delitzsch says that by faith, Moses “looked through the deceptive appearances of worldly good things, to their inward and essential nothingness, and to their fearful end.” 44 Dr. Vance Havner, that dean of American revival preachers, in one of his many quips said: “Moses chose the imperishable, saw the invisible, and did the impossible.” 45
There was a cost in Moses’ decision as there always is for the faithful. Moses was mistreated, first by Pharaoh and then even by the Israelites themselves. Despite this he cast his lot with them and firmly grasped his place in the invisible kingdom.
“He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward” (11:26). The treasures of Egypt were immense. Part of this vast treasure can now be seen in the relics of King Tutankhamun (King Tut). The treasures of gold and other precious things found in Tut’s tomb are regularly displayed among the various national museums. As recent as 2004 in Switzerland this treasure was appraised at a staggering replacement value of nearly three-quarters of a billion dollars.46
We might wonder how Moses, who lived well over a thousand years before Christ, could bear disgrace for Christ’s sake. No doubt it is partly the reproach that fell on Moses because he wrote about Christ and was a type of him (cf. Jn. 5:46).47 Moses later said: “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him” (Deut. 18:15). Of course, when we cast our lot with God’s people in any age the enemy must take special note of it and usually his persecution soon begins.
“By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible” (11:27). There is some controversy among commentators whether this exit from Egypt was when Moses fled to Midian or whether it refers to the period some forty years later when he led the people of Israel out of Egypt. In Exodus 2:14-15, we realize that Moses was afraid in this earlier instance because he had slain an Egyptian. Pharaoh became very angry and sought to kill Moses for his act. We then read that Moses fled from Pharaoh to Midian. One thing seems certain in this earlier incident, and it is that Moses fled Egypt out of fear.
In this verse we are told that Moses left (some translations read “forsook”) Egypt and that he was not afraid of the king’s wrath. We see nothing here about him fleeing Egypt. In fact, it is rather difficult to have faith when one is fleeing. So we would have to conclude that this verse has reference to the plagues and the Exodus. One outstanding thing about Moses in the account of the plagues is that he was in no way afraid of Pharaoh. In fact, he was almost like god to Pharaoh (Exo. 7:1). He exercised impressive boldness acting with nobility and dignity before this great monarch.48 Also, Moses left Egypt to face an impassible sea and countless miles of wilderness. He left with some two million stubborn and rebellious Israelites on his hands, and this was an enormous act of faith. He had to see the invisible to do such a thing.
“By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel” (11:28). It took a great deal of faith for Moses to predict the death of all Egypt’s firstborn in the last plague. Then it took a lot more faith for him to believe that the sprinkling of lamb’s blood on the door would protect him, his family and all the other Israelites from the wrath of God and the Death Angel. We all no doubt remember Cecile B. DeMille’s great 1956 movie production of the Ten Commandments. Surely we remember the screams of the damned as the eerie vapor drifted from unprotected door to unprotected door. It must have taken some real faith to remain calm while such a horror was in progress.
Moses by faith kept the Passover. The verb for “kept” is a form of the Greek poieo and it is in the perfect tense signifying that the Passover had existed to the very time the epistle of Hebrews was written.49 Indeed, we see in scripture that the Passover and other major festivals are called “statutes forever” (Lev. 23:14, 21, 31, & 41).
We realize that our author has given a lot of space to Moses, even more than to greats like Jacob and Joseph. He has probably done this because Moses held a very high position with the Greek-speaking Jews of the first century.50 Of course, this was the very group to which Hebrews is addressed.
FAITH DURING THE EXODUS AND CONQUEST
By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned. Hebrews 11:29
The generation of the Exodus is not usually looked upon as a faith generation. In fact, quite the opposite is often said of them. However, they did express a great amount of faith when they took their families into the heart of the sea (Exo. 14:21ff). This was apparently a nighttime event and the wind, water and darkness all combined must have been a fearful sight to them. They passed through this dark terror by faith but the same could not be said of the Egyptians who were drowned in the depths. It is possible that the Egyptians had a lot more courage than the Israelites but unfortunately they did not have any faith.51
We can but imagine the darkness of that night, the wind, the mighty waves, the roaring of the sea and the screams of the drowning. What a fearful sight as God fought for Israel.
In 1588, a gigantic Spanish fleet of 151 ships, containing 8,000 sailors and 18,000 soldiers sailed to the English Channel in order to begin an invasion of England. Due to harassment by the English fleet and gigantic storms, only 67 ships and 10,000 men survived. 52 The battle was a turning point and soon England began to take control of the seas. After this great battle a monument with this inscription was erected at Plymouth Hoe. It read “God sent his wind and they were scattered.” 53
“By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days” (11:30). The record of Israelite faith was apparently suspended for forty years but it had appeared again at the entry into Canaan and especially at the destruction of Jericho.54 Today, there is a sign near Jericho that proclaims it as the world’s oldest city. It certainly is old with archaeological remains going back many thousands of years. At the time of the Exodus it was apparently a strong city with high walls.
The Israelites, being a desert people, were not skilled or equipped in the arts of conquering walled cities. Instead, they fought against the city with faith. For six days they quietly marched around the city with priests holding trumpets and with the Ark of the Covenant in the lead. On the seventh day they marched around the city seven times according to their instructions and at the conclusion of the march there were long blasts from the trumpets and a loud shout from the people. With this, the strong walls of Jericho came tumbling down (Josh. 6:1-21). The people marched in faith, shouted in faith and took the great city of Jericho in faith. Although there is little evidence remaining of this victory today, we must remember that “the forces which operate in the unseen realm, such as the power of faith, cannot be dug up by the excavator’s spade.” 55
“By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient” (11:31). When Joshua took Jericho the whole population perished with the exception of Rahab the harlot and her family. Earlier she had helped the two Israelite spies and had made a great statement of faith to them saying, “…I know that the Lord has given you this land…” (Josh. 2:9). What a strange statement for a woman living in an ancient fortified city threatened only by a band of desert wanderers. Barclay remarks, “At the moment when she was speaking, there seemed not one chance in a million that the children of Israel could capture Jericho.” 56
Because of her faith Rahab the prostitute escaped the utter destruction of her city. She not only joined with the people of Israel but she went on to gain a place in the Messiah’s line. We read about her in Matthew 1:5-6: “Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David….” It is amazing what faith can do! The scarlet cord she hung outside her window as a sign has long since become a symbol of the blood of Christ that saves us from the city of destruction if we but believe. How true are the words of our Savior “…Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you” (Matt. 21:31).
A SKETCH OF ISRAEL’S FAITH HISTORY
And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David and Samuel and the prophets, Hebrews 11:32
Here we have a break in the author’s method of writing. He now moves from the more detailed references to the less detailed accounts of various faith episodes. He also begins to speak more generally of the whole group of faithful.57 The method he uses is a common one for Greek orators of his day. In Greek style he remarks how his time would fail if he had to give account of all the faith people.58
He begins with Gideon who delivered Israel from hosts of Midianites who were impoverishing the land. While it is noticeable that the angel addressed him as a “mighty warrior” (Jud. 6:12), the truth was that he was hiding from the enemy in a winepress at the time. We know how Gideon also required some “fleece miracles” from the Lord before he would venture into the great battle. Nevertheless, through faith Gideon and his 300 men defeated an army of 120,000 Midianites.
Barak is mentioned next and on the surface he does not come off as a great man of faith. Deborah the prophetess instructed him to gather an army and fight against Sisera, the commander of the forces from Hazor, who were at the time harassing Israel. The problem was that Sisera had chariots of iron and the Israelites had only foot-soldiers. Barak refused to go unless Deborah went with him (Jud. 4:8). She reluctantly did so but assured him that the honor for the coming victory would go to a woman and not to him. We might see Barak’s refusal as a slight expression of faith since Deborah was reputed to be God’s spokeswoman.59 Later, Deborah did tell him exactly when to attack and there was a complete rout of the superior army. This resulted in the death of Sisera at the hand of a Jael, a woman. It was a faith battle from beginning to end. Barclay comments on it saying: “It was as if a band of almost unarmed infantry had routed a division of tanks.” 60
Samson and Jephthah were also two unlikely characters that God used for mighty victories. Samson by his great exploits of physical strength helped Israel to begin subduing the Philistines. However, his personal life seemed to be a mess. Jephthah gained an outstanding victory over the Ammonites. We note that Jephthah was a family outcast who led a band of outlaws before his mighty victory. The exploits of these two and the others mentioned help us to see that God uses fallen human beings for great things through his grace and through faith— however small that faith may be.
Even great King David sinned an awful sin with Bathsheba. Nevertheless, he did mighty things for God and came to be listed as the founder of the messianic line. Samuel carried on an unblemished priesthood and led Israel for decades, nevertheless, he somehow failed to bring up his own sons in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (1 Sam. 8:3). God seems to delight in using imperfect people to accomplish great things through his grace and their faith.
The author continues on with the prophets and others: “who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, (11:33). When we think of conquering kingdoms we think of Moses who conquered the kingdoms of Sihon and Og and of David who subdued the Philistines. King Solomon in particular administered justice (1 Ki. 3:16-28). He also gained what was promised by fully extending the borders of Israel from Egypt to the Euphrates. Joshua also gained what was promised as he conquered the whole of Canaan. We think here of Daniel who spent the night unharmed in a den of hungry lions.
Then there were others who “quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies” (11:34). He no doubt has reference here to Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego who were not harmed by the fiery furnace (Dan. 3:17-26). For those who escaped the sword we think of Elisha and his strange encounter with the army of Aram. In that episode an army of angels surrounded the enemy and rendered them blind and powerless (2 Ki. 6:11-18). On that occasion Elisha said to his servant: “…Those who are with us are more than those who are with them” (6:16). The servant was then able to see that the hills were full of horses and chariots of fire.
When we think of those whose weakness was turned to strength we think again of Samson whose strength returned to him although he was defeated and blinded. He felt his way to the supporting pillars of the pagan Philistine temple. He grasped them, bringing the whole building down upon them and upon himself. He killed more Philistine enemies in his death than he did in his whole life (Jud. 16:30).
For those who routed foreign armies there is no story so fascinating as that of Jonathan and his armor-bearer. Acting alone they began a rout which resulted in the Philistine army fleeing and being soundly defeated by King Saul (1 Sam. 14:14-15).61
“Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection” (11:35). No doubt, for these Hebrew believers there were some fresh stories that also popped into their minds, like the recent stories of Jesus raising the son of the widow of Nain (Lk. 7:11-17) and the story of Lazarus being raised from the dead (Jn. 11:1-45).
Some were tortured for their faith and chose to die rather than betray their God. These would not be delivered from death but would be raised in the resurrection of the righteous. The word used here for “tortured” is the Greek “tumpanizo.” This seems to be a reference to a wheel-shaped instrument that criminals were stretched out upon and horribly beaten.62
With this scripture we are suddenly aroused from our twenty-first century Christian slumber to realize that bad things can happen and sometimes do happen to good people. Our lives do not just consist of a solid stream of blessing from above. Jesus did make a special grant to us. Paul speaks of it in Philippians 1:29, “For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him….” Thus suffering is God’s gift to each of us. Although God is a giver of good gifts (Jas. 1:17) sometimes those gifts come wrapped in very odd packages (Jas. 1:3-4).63
We might note that although a few people were raised from the dead in the Old Testament there was no clear understanding of the final resurrection of the dead. This was so much the case that the major religious group, the Sadducees, did not even believe in the resurrection. Bruce points out that it was the oppression of Antiochus Epiphanes in the second century BC that caused the hope of resurrection to blaze. From that time on, with exception of the Sadducees, the hope of resurrection became a cardinal doctrine for the Jews.64
The author continues: “Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment” (11:36). The prophet Elisha was jeered by a group of unruly children (2 Ki. 2:23-25). By the time this book was written there were plenty of recent examples of such treatment. The great apostle Paul, whom these readers undoubtedly knew of, had already been flogged, chained and put in prison more than once.
“They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated—” (11:37). Zechariah the son of Jehoiada was stoned to death by the order of the king and in the very temple compound (2 Chron. 24:20-21). According to Rabbinic sources the prophet Isaiah was sawn in two by King Manasseh because he prophesied the destruction of the temple.65 The prophet Uriah was struck down by the sword under King Jehoiakim because he prophesied against the land and the city of Jerusalem (Jer. 26:23). No doubt by the time this letter was written King Herod had already killed James by the sword (Acts 12:2 ff.). How true the words of Psalm 44:22, “Yet for your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
Through the ages some of the greatest men of God were wanderers who were poorly dressed and often mistreated. It is thought that Elijah wandered about in a sheepskin. This is derived from the translation of the word “mantle” describing an outer garment he wore. 66 Certainly John the Baptist was dressed in some very rough clothing made of camel’s hair (Matt. 3:4). These righteous and ill-clad men were “destitute, persecuted and mistreated.” We think of poor Jeremiah who was imprisoned in a muddy cistern (Jer. 38:6).
In Hebrews 11:38, we read that “the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.” In Elijah’s day, Obadiah hid a hundred prophets in caves to save them from evil King Ahab (1 Ki. 18:1ff.). When we think of all this we have to agree that Hebrews really is “the epistle of sufferers” as it has been called.67 Although such a thing is strange to our postmodern ears God’s people are really called to suffering and sometimes even to death for Christ’s sake. The ardent Christian and twentieth century martyr, Jim Elliot, put it succinctly when he said “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose.” 68
The author of Hebrews says “the world was not worthy of them.” Davidson, adds: “The world drove them out, thinking them unworthy to live in it, while in truth it was unworthy to have them living in it.” 69
“These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect” (11:39-40). The great truth that the author of Hebrews dealt with in detail earlier is again brought out. There was really no completed salvation under the Old Covenant. The blood of bulls and goats could not take away sin. Everything in the Old Testament was looking forward to the True Lamb of God, Jesus, who would take away the sins of the world. The Old Covenant had to wait on the New Covenant. So, in a sense the Old Covenant people had to wait on the New Covenant people. As Barnes has said: “The fathers had one part in the promises, and we the other in the fulfillment, and neither would have been complete without the other.” 70
This scripture truly is an astounding statement which should cause us to want to bow in humility. We are bound up together to all those in the Old Covenant, even to the great men and women of faith that we have mentioned. The Lord calls us to stand up with these of old. “He calls us— with all our habits and hang-ups, warts and worries— to action. We are called to step out of step with the world, hop up on the stage of history, and take our place in God’s roll call of the faithful.” 71