1/01/17 Hebrews 11:1-7 “I will shew thee my faith by my works. (James 2:18)”
Faith is not a gift of God but
instead it is our response to the promises of God; yet it is not faith in God’s
promises, for if those promises were made by another, we wouldn’t trust them.
Thus, our faith is in the character of the One who makes the promises. Our
faith is a character judgment of God. In this chapter faith is presented as a
positive attribute without which it is impossible to please God.
The amount of belief you have in
the Word (including the promises) of God is directly related to the amount of
trust you have in the God who spoke the Word (and made the promises). This
effectively defines faith as dependent upon how much we trust the character of
God. The more you trust the character of God, the more you will trust His Word
(including His promises), and thus the greater your faith in Him and therefore
in His Word (and His promises).This then becomes your belief; that is, what you
believe concerning God and His Word. And the more you actually believe
concerning God and His Word, the more you will act positively upon those
beliefs, thus, this is your faith! Faith is then the outworking of your trust
in the character of God.
Hebrews 11:1 – Now faith is the
substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Most commentaries appear to focus
upon the things not seen as meaning the spiritual world as opposed to the
physical world which we can see and feel. Of course, this appears to be at
least some of the picture.
Note 2 Corinthians 5:7 – (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
2 Corinthians 4:18 – While we look not at
the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things
which are seen [are] temporal; but the things which are not seen [are]
eternal.
But it is more than this, as I
have already begun to explain above.
faith – pistis
(conviction of the truth of anything; belief; the conviction that God exists
and is the creator and ruler of all things, the provider and bestower of eternal salvation through Christ; a strong and
welcome conviction or belief that Jesus is the Messiah, through whom we obtain
eternal salvation in the kingdom of God; belief with the predominate idea of
trust (or confidence) whether in God or in Christ; faithfulness, the character
of one who can be relied on)
substance – hypostasis (thing
put under; substructure; foundation; that which has actual existence; the
substantial quality, nature, of a person or thing; the steadfastness of mind,
firmness, courage, resolution; confidence; firm trust; assurance)
This is an interesting word which
in medical terms means The accumulation of fluid
or blood in the lower parts of the body or organs under the influence of
gravity, as occurs in cases of poor circulation or death. (oxforddictionaries.com)
It can also mean An underlying reality or substance, as opposed to
attributes or to that which lacks substance. (Philosophy) or The single person of
Christ as contrasted with his dual human and divine nature. (Theology) (oxforddictionaries.com)
From Greek hupostasis
= sediment, thus essence, substance, from hupo-
(under) + -stasis (standing).
The idea is of that which stands
under in order to uphold, a foundation.
hypostasis occurs in
two other places in Hebrews:
Hebrews 1:3a – Who being the
brightness of [his] glory, and the express image of his person,
Hebrews 3:14 – For we are made
partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;
things hoped for – in a religious sense, to wait for salvation with joy and
full confidence. (+ hopefully to trust in)
evidence – a proof; that by which a thing is proved or tested;
conviction. It is only used twice in the New Testament. The other occurrence is
found in:
2 Timothy 3:16 – All scripture [is]
given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof,
for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
“evidence” may mean that faith is
the means by which a thing is proved or tested, that our faith determines the
extent to which we understand those things we cannot see (or cannot see yet
see (2 Corinthians 4:18). In this sense, our faith becomes our means of
persevering to the end, that is, faith is our victory. Our faith is the visible
evidence of where we are going.
1 John 5:4 – For whatsoever is
born of God overcometh the world: and this is the
victory that overcometh the world, [even] our
faith.
That which is proved or tested by
faith may be our beliefs, and therefore faith may be seen as the proof of our
beliefs. We might say we believe in God and what He says concerning our
salvation, but faith is that which demonstrates the reality of our beliefs.
Faith is that which puts our beliefs into action. Our beliefs are not to be
seen in us; we may walk down the street without looking any different from the
others around us. It is our faith that puts our beliefs into action such that
people will then judge us on our beliefs as manifested by our faith. This is a
correct interpretation of the word “evidence”.
Faith has been introduced at the end
of Chapter 10, and now is being taught as the means by which a person may not
fall away, the means by which a person may hold fast, hold onto, hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast
unto the end (Hebrews 3:14) It is presented as
the acceptable alternative to apostasy.
Thus, our faith (in God and His
salvation through Jesus Christ as taught in the first 10 chapters of Hebrews)
is the substance (the underlying foundation; the steadfastness of mind; the
confidence; the assurance) of things hoped for (confident waiting for our
salvation in Christ) and is that which proves the existence of things not (yet)
seen (the means by which we may persevere to the end with confidence). In fact,
it is that which proves the existence of that which cannot be seen otherwise,
our belief in the Word of God because of our trust in the character of God.
Many theologians have surmised
that James, with his emphasis upon works, was not Biblical canon, yet can only
be seen as totally consistent with Hebrews 11.
James 1:22-25; 2:17-18 – 22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only,
deceiving your own selves. 23 For if any be a hearer of the
word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a
glass: 24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his
way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he
was. 25 But whoso looketh into the
perfect law of liberty, and continueth [therein], he
being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed
in his deed.
17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being
alone. 18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have
works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my
works.
Last time, we looked at the quote from
Habakkuk in Hebrews 10:38 – The just shall live
by faith. From Ch.10 we also saw that the
Hebrews were apparently suffering severe persecution. Backing off from their
Christian belief was a very tempting option indeed. (Remember the persecution
of Saul – later Paul – represented the old covenant.) It may have been the
persecution that made some desire to return to the relative safety of the sacrifices
of the old covenant, prompting the writer to teach concerning the superiority
of the new covenant. Hebrews 11 (further on) certainly acknowledges the
severity of persecution on God’s people, with the following clearly being a
reality for them, if not to them personally, to their nation in the past:
Hebrews 11:35-38 – 35 Women received their dead raised to life again: and
others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a
better resurrection: 36 And others had trial of [cruel] mockings and scourgings, yea,
moreover of bonds and imprisonment: 37 They were stoned, they
were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about
in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; 38 (Of
whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and [in] mountains,
and [in] dens and caves of the earth.
The implication is that this is
now going to apply to those of the new covenant now. Only their firm confidence
in the eternal value of it all would keep them going. Thus, faith is that which
converts the unknown into a reality, only able to be seen by faith, not by
sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). Our beliefs can only be demonstrated by putting them
into action through our faith in God’s promises. That is, we must practise what
we preach! It was faith that exposed them to persecution.
Hebrews 11:2 – For by it the elders
obtained a good report.
obtained a good report – to be a witness, to bear witness, i.e. to affirm that
one has seen or heard or experienced something, or that he knows it because
taught by divine revelation or inspiration. Out of 79 New Testament
occurrences, only 2 relate to “good” as in “obtained a good report”. Of the
rest of the occurrences, “bear witness” 25, “testify” 19, “bear record” 13,
“witness” 5, “be a witness” 2, “give testimony” 2, miscellaneous 2.
A witness, testimony or good
report was given concerning those elders because of their faith; “elders” could
(and probably does) refer to the Old Testament saints, some of whom are
discussed further on in Hebrews 11. (Eg. Abel, Enoch,
Noah, Abraham, Sara, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, etc.) It can also mean “forefathers”,
or those of rank or in office of the Jews (or Israel). The term doesn’t
necessarily mean the report was good, although the context in Hebrews 11
strongly suggests it was good.
The same word is used in the
following:
Hebrews 11:39 – And these all, having
obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:
…. where these are those people who
demonstrated their faith in Vs 35-38 (see above).
It was faith in God’s promises
that prompted the elders to live their lives as they did, thus obtaining a good
report, or being a reliable witness to their beliefs. If you really believe in
God’s promises, then you’ll live accordingly!
Hebrews 11:3 – 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.
worlds – aion
(for ever; eternity; the worlds, universe; period of time, age)
were framed – were rendered perfect or complete, that is, established.
the word – rhema (an
utterance; a speaking) Not logos
which is more personal; logos is God,
rather than rhema is an utterance of
God.
God spoke and the worlds were
established.
Psalm 33:6 – By the word of the
Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his
mouth.
Through (or by) faith we
understand that the worlds (ages or universe) were established by the utterance
of God, such that what we now see with our eyes was created (came into
existence) out of things that we are not able to see with our eyes. We cannot
see where it came from, yet by faith we can still understand that God created
all matter out of nothing, even if scientists do say that matter can be neither
created nor destroyed! Our faith tells us otherwise! And our lives should show
the evidence of our belief in God as sovereign Creator of the universe.
It is of interest that Paul tells
the Romans that the just shall live by faith, and then proceeds to tell them
that even those who deny God as Creator have no excuse, that even the invisible
things to do with His creation are to be clearly seen (obviously by faith, in
this context!). Lack of faith in God is therefore what will ultimately send the
lost to hell. They could have, should have known it, so that they are without
excuse.
Romans 1:17-20 – 17 For therein is the
righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just
shall live by faith. 18 For
the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and
unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; 19 Because that which may
be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed [it] unto them.
20 For the
invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being
understood by the things that are made, [even] his eternal power and
Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
Hebrews 11:4 – 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.
Genesis 4:3-5 – 3 And in process of time
it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto
the Lord. 4 And
Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof.
And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering: 5 But unto Cain and to
his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance
fell.
more excellent– greater in quantity; greater in quality; superior; thus
more excellent.
obtained witness / testifying– obtained / giving a good report (as
per Vs 2)
“by which” may apply to either Abel’s
faith, or his sacrifice. But as the sacrifice must have been based upon the
greater faith of Abel, then to assume that it is the faith of Abel will cover
both the sacrifice and Abel’s faith in the efficacy of that sacrifice.
gifts – of sacrifices and other gifts offered to God; offerings
and sacrifices.
By faith (the conviction that God
exists and is the creator and ruler of all things, the provider and bestower of eternal salvation) Abel offered a greater
sacrifice (thus more acceptable to God) than Cain, the better sacrifice (of
Abel) being a witness (testimony; good report) that Abel was considered
righteous (obviously according to the old covenant, being based upon the
sacrificial system). God, through His acceptance of Abel’s sacrifice (and thus
by logic, the non-acceptance of Cain’s sacrifice) testified (gave a good
report) of His acceptance of Abel’s sacrifice (gifts). Thus, though Abel was no
longer alive (and therefore now literally unable to speak for himself), yet
even now his faith spoke after he was dead. (And even today Abel’s witness
still stands.)
Genesis 4:10 – And he said, What
hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth
unto me from the ground.
Faith is being given as the reason
why Abel’s sacrifice was more acceptable than Cain’s sacrifice. Abel trusted
that his sacrifice would be acceptable to God, clearly because he must have
known that God was pleased with such sacrifices, and Abel trusted that God
would continue to be pleased with such sacrifices. Abel believed God’s word
such that he carried out what God required. If Abel had said he believed
in God yet offered a lesser sacrifice, then this would then have been a lack of
faith.
Hebrews 11:5 – 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.
1 Corinthians 15:51-52 – 51 Behold, I shew you a
mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the
twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the
dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
1 Thessalonians 4:16 – For the Lord himself
shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and
with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
translated – to transpose; to transfer one’s self or suffer one’s
self to be transferred; to go or pass over; removed. Enoch was removed from
life without first dying.
Genesis 5:24 – And Enoch walked with
God: and he [was] not; for God took him.
It is apparent that the LXX was in
mind here, though: Genesis 5:24 – And Enoch was
well-pleasing to God, and was not found, because God translated him.
With this in mind, Enoch’s life
witnessed to the fact that he was well-pleasing to God. That is, Enoch’s life
(his actions, his works) were well-pleasing to God.
testimony – good report; witness. As per Vs 2, 4 and 39.
Elijah’s “passing on” would have
been similar. Only two people in the Bible, Enoch and Elijah, haven’t actually
“died” before “passing on” or being “translated”.
Enoch’s body would have
disappeared too; a dead body would have proved his death! It happened because
God “translated” him, and because Enoch pleased God. Hebrews 11:6 gives us the
reason why Enoch pleased God: because he had faith in God (see Vs 6): for
without faith it is impossible to please God!
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.
impossible – without strength; impotent; powerless; unable to be
done; impossible.
That is, without faith there is
absolutely no way to please God.
Faith involves believing (without
any hard evidence) that (a) God exists, and (b) He rewards those who diligently
seek Him. For if you cannot believe that God exists (as He is portrayed in the
Bible, not a counterfeit God) then how can you diligently seek One who isn’t
there to be found? Diligent seeking after God has to be dependent upon your
belief that He exists. James says that without works our faith is dead. In no
way is he proposing a different interpretation of faith, for unless you are
prepared to put your action where your mouth is, then your faith is truly dead.
Only your works can justify the reality of your faith. As the saying goes,
practise what you preach!
You may do all the good works
possible yet never have faith in God and thus never please God. For God doesn’t
require sacrifice (that is, a token effort to make you look like a person of
God), but a broken spirit and a contrite heart (the real thing!).
Psalm 51:17 – The sacrifices of God
[are] a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt
not despise.
This is a major difference between
Christianity and such as calvinism: Christians please God by having faith in Him
and who He is, that is, His character; calvinists become puritans who seek to
please God with works (that is, puritanism).
is (a rewarder) – ginomai (become; come into existence; come to pass; happen)
a rewarder – one who pays wages; a rewarder.
diligently seek – seek out (that is, investigate); seek out for one’s
self; search for.
For he that comes to God must
believe that He exists and that He pays proper dues to those who seek Him out
for themselves. That is, God rewards those who diligently seek Him by allowing
them to find Him.
Jeremiah 29:13 – And ye shall seek me,
and find [me], when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
Ultimately, faith as taught here
must be in the character of God, that he is exactly as the Bible portrays Him.
Compare this with
Hebrews 1:2-3 – 2 Hath in these last days
spoken unto us by [his] Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things,
by whom also he made the worlds; 3
Who being the brightness of [his] glory, and the
express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power,
when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the
Majesty on high;
God is God, and Christ the Son is
also God in every way possible – Christ is the express image of His (God’s)
person.
Our faith has to define the
character of God as the One who has spoken truly at all times, and that every
commitment of God to mankind will be honoured, that is, carried out (both
reward and punishment!). If we believe this, then our faith will demonstrate it
through our works, our lives, and thus putting into action our belief in God is
that which pleases Him! I will shew thee my
faith by my works. (James 2:18)
Hebrews 11:7 – 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.
moved with fear – acted cautiously, circumspectly; was in reverence, in
awe of.
How could Noah actually believe
that he would need a boat in 120 years’ time? His only evidence was what God
had told him.
Genesis 6:13-14; 17-18; 22 – 13 And God said unto
Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with
violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. 14 Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and
shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.
17
And, behold, I, even I, do bring a
flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein [is] the
breath of life, from under heaven; [and] every thing
that [is] in the earth shall die. 18 But with thee will I establish my covenant; and
thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons’
wives with thee.
22
Thus did Noah; according to all
that God commanded him, so did he.
Noah, acting entirely upon God’s
word for 120 years, built an ark. He was warned of things not yet seen and feared
(respected) the word of the Lord sufficiently (he had faith in the word of the
Lord above all that his eyes told him) to build an ark in order that his family
would be saved (which it was when the rest of the world perished in the flood).
That is, Noah by faith in God acted upon his beliefs in God’s word. By doing
so, Noah became the heir to the whole human race, including Abraham who would
be as the righteousness of God to the Hebrews.
2 Peter 2:5 – And spared not the
old world, but saved Noah the eighth [person], a preacher of righteousness,
bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;
heir of the righteousness which
is by faith – Romans 3:22 – Even the righteousness of God [which is] by faith
of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
Romans 4:12-13 – 12 And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the
circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father
Abraham, which [he had] being [yet] uncircumcised. 13 For
the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, [was] not to
Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of
faith.
That is, the promise that Abraham
should be the heir of the world was through the righteousness of faith. Abraham
believed what God promised and his faith was counted as righteousness.
Romans 4:3 – For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was
counted unto him for righteousness.
Some quotes from Faith Beyond
Reason (A W Tozer)
Faith does not rest upon
promises. Faith rests upon character.
Faith must rest in confidence upon the One who made the promise. (P 43)
When we are true believers in
God’s truth we enter another world – a realm that is infinitely above reason.
…. Faith never goes contrary to reason; faith simply ignores reason and rises
above it. (P 37)
The man of faith does not dare
rest upon human reason, but he knows that there are things that human reason
cannot do. (P 40)
That is, faith takes over where
reason fails to explain what we need to know. Faith goes beyond reason; faith
takes over where logic has given up!
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