GREAT CHAPTERS OF THE BIBLE
LESSON 14
HEROES OF FAITH
LESSON TEXT
Hebrews 11:1-14
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.
3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.
5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.
9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:
10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
11 Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.
12 Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.
13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
FOCUS VERSE
Hebrews 11:6
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
FOCUS THOUGHT
Faith is the necessary prerequisite for pleasing God, obtaining salvation, and overcoming difficult circumstances.
INTRODUCTION
Hebrews 11, the faith chapter, begins with these three words: “Now faith is.” Not only is this a three-word statement of the existence of faith, it is an introductory statement to a classic definition that seems to be a riddle. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). This definition seems to be the quintessence of faith.
Perhaps our greatest difficulty in understanding the definition of faith lies in its abstractness. If faith were a concrete entity such as fruit, we could say, “Faith is like an apple or an orange.” But faith, like love and hope, is abstract. A person cannot take a picture of something that is abstract. Neither can one weigh or measure it.
The words “substance” and “evidence” used in the definition of faith are concrete words that we understand. But when the writer mixes the two qualities—abstract and concrete—and talks about the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen, we often become confused.
In this lesson, we will try to bring concrete qualities to the abstract concepts of faith. We will attempt to put a handle on faith to minimize its elusiveness. It is imperative that we well understand something so vital as faith, and what better way to look for comprehension than through an examination of the lives of many heroes of faith?
I. ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF FAITH
A. Provides a Commendable Witness
“For by it the elders obtained a good report” (Hebrews 11:2).
The Message paraphrase of the Bible renders Hebrews 11:2, “The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd.” The elders manifested faith and by it they were elevated to victory. This witness of faith through the lives of great believers underscores the effectiveness of this abstract entity.
What an example for us to follow! These elders had faith and were able to accomplish great things for God that could not have been accomplished without faith. For this reason, we should not be fearful to trust the Lord. They trusted and were successful; we can trust God and succeed as well.
B. Illuminates the Understanding of Creation
“Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God” (Hebrews 11:3).
It is through faith and not science that we understand the Creation. Because we believe that God created the universe, we do not have to have any other proof. Science so-called wants to take everything to the laboratory and submit it to the microscope or the computer. Scientists believe that they cannot accept anything as scientifically true unless they can analyze, prove, and compute it. True faith, on the other hand, moves scientific knowledge into another realm—one that believes first and accepts confirmation later, rather than requiring proof of confirmation prior to belief.
The first four words of the Bible offer all that we need to know about the dynamics of the Creation: “In the beginning God” (Genesis 1:1). God, who framed the worlds by His word, is evidence enough for the believer. In Colossians 1:16-17, the apostle Paul wrote, “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: and he is before all things, and by him all things consist.”
C. Pleases God
“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).
It is reasonable that God demands faith, for it is impossible to prove His existence scientifically. He is invisible; no one can produce visible evidence of God apart from faith. Because He existed before all things, there is nothing contemporary with God with whom one can compare Him. Consequently, one can only accept God by faith. A person first must believe Him if there is to be a relationship with Him and His Word.
It pleases God when someone accepts Him as true, even in the absence of every other avenue of human logic, for this is the essence of faith and belief. Further, faith is so important that God made it essential to salvation. Without faith, it is impossible for one to be saved.
II. FAITH ACTIVATES AND MOTIVATES
Faith is an action that initiates developments and triggers the machinery of miracles. When we believe, God chooses to respond; He will process our request and answer our prayer. We may not be able to see immediate evidence of His response, and His response may be to deny our request or to say, “Wait,” but in every circumstance, faith puts God to work. The wheels begin to turn, and receiving His answer is only a matter of waiting for its full development and delivery according to His time schedule.
God bases His responses to our requests both on our faith and on His eternal, supreme will. We do not receive everything for which we pray, but God always answers our prayers. Sometimes, He says, “No.” Other times, God says, “Not now.” He may say, “Not that, but this.” And sometimes, our attitude influences His response. James 4:3 says, “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss” (or “evilly” as the margin of one Bible notes).
A. Abel Offered an Acceptable Sacrifice
“By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh” (Hebrews 11:4).
Faith was the obvious difference in the sacrifices offered by the first two sons of Adam and Eve. Cain manifested no faith in God’s way of doing things. Offering a vegetable sacrifice, he flaunted God’s will and presumed to have a better way of appeasing God by his own means. This carnal approach to spiritual things made his sacrifice unacceptable to God.
Abel, on the other hand, “brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering” (Genesis 4:4). The second son of Adam pleased God, for he believed in His plan and did not yield to the temptation of doing it his way as did Cain.
All of this has great meaning for us today, for these few verses in the beginning of Genesis 4 set the tone for God’s dealings with man for millennia. The embryonic form of the doctrine of substitution is evident in this passage.
B. Enoch Was Translated
“By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God” (Hebrews 11:5).
Hebrews 11:5 calls to mind Genesis 5:24, which reveals that “Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.” Without Hebrews 11:5, we might be inclined to deduce that Enoch had died. However, Hebrews 11:5 attributes his absence to translation due to faith.
What degree of faith did Enoch’s translation represent? It is impossible for us to measure faith, but apparently, the faith of Enoch must have been so pure and dynamic that the distance between God and him was minimal. What is clear is that his faith pleased God so greatly that He took Enoch up to be with Him.
C. Noah Built an Ark
“By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith” (Hebrews 11:7).
Because of the prevalent wickedness of the world, God told Noah in Genesis 6 to build an ark, for He was going to destroy the world with a flood. What was Noah’s response to God’s warning and command? He immediately began work on a superstructure one and one-half blocks long, a literal floating zoo, that took years to complete.
We may remember all the details of this phenomenal event of the Flood, but often we forget that it was by faith that Noah responded to God’s warning and instructions and built the ark. He had enough faith in God and His word not only to invest years of his life in the building of such a boat, but he also convinced his family to get on board with him. What faith! Because of his unfailing faith, Noah saved himself and his house, condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness that comes through faith.
D. Abraham Claimed the Promised Land
“By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: for he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Hebrews 11:8-10).
Abram, known later as Abraham, was reared in the cradle of idolatry and obscurity in the Mesopotamian city of Ur near the Euphrates River. This man became known as the father of the faithful because God called him to leave his home, family, and country to follow Him, and Abram obeyed and became a nomad. Doing what God told him to do, Abram entered the land of Canaan and moved continuously from place to place, claiming the land that God promised to him and to his seed forever.
It was not a restless, nomadic spirit of wandering that caused Abram to leave his home. It was not an ambitious Abram who wanted to see the world and get away from it all. Abram, by faith, “went out, not knowing whither he went” (Hebrews 11:8). And his obedience pleased God greatly.
E. Abraham and Sarah Received the Promised Child
“Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised. Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable” (Hebrews 11:11-12).
According to the chronological sequence of Genesis 12, Abram was seventy-five years of age when he left Haran for Canaan. It was either at this time or an earlier time when God told him, “I will make of thee a great nation” (Genesis 12:2). Later, God told him, “I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth” (Genesis 13:16).
Once again, in Genesis 15:4-5 God reassured Abram, “He that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.” The fourth time God appeared to Abram and promised, “Thou shalt be a father of many nations. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee” (Genesis 17:4-5).
Interestingly, all this time Abraham fathered no children except Ishmael, who was the son of Sarah’s household servant. And this only happened because Sarah tried to intervene to accomplish God’s prophecy. To add to the complexity of the situation, Abraham was about one hundred years old and Sarah was about ninety. It was at this time that God chose to visit this aged couple one last time to remind them of His promise of a child. (See Genesis 18:10, 14.)
Romans 4:19-21 says, “And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb: he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.”