Last time we began chapter 11 of Hebrews - the great chapter on faith.
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
We learned that faith is believing that God is who He says He is and that He will do what He promised He will do - even though we can’t see it, we have evidence for it based on the Word of God, the presence of Jesus, the witness of the Apostles and the prophets.
We learned that faith is coming to God on His terms not our own (Cain & Abel). We learned that faith was acting on God’s Word, even if it contradicted what we would have done (Noah & Abraham). We also learned that faith is not a scheme to get God to do things for us - like a vending machine. Faith is not blind - it trusts in and is convicted by evidence in something someone greater than ourselves has said. Nor is faith a system you can inherit or just join. Faith is something individual and dynamic.
Today we are going to see faith in action in the lives of what are called the "heroes" of faith. Sometimes this chapter is called the "Hall of Faith" instead of the "Hall of Fame." Verses 17 through 40 contain a huge list of people, all who had to chose whether to trust God or not - to have faith, or not. From them we learn lessons about what faith is, and when God forces us into that same choice.
We start up where we left off - with Abraham. Last time we saw Abraham’s faith in knowing God was moving him to a new city, though he had never seen it before - and that God would provide a promised heir - the down payment on a blessing of uncountable descendants. This time we pick up with God almost taking away that very promised child:
17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, 18 of whom it was said, "Through Isaac shall your offspring be named." 19 He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.
(Genesis 22:1-19) Abraham was told to do something that might at first seemed to undo the promise - by killing the very thing that would provide the fulfillment of what God told him.
God told him to offer up Isaac as a sacrifice and Abraham had the knife ready to cut his own son’s throat until God stopped him. Why would Abraham throw away the impossible gift of a son? Because he figured that if God could bring about a baby in his old age, He could also bring the child back to life. It prefigured Jesus’ death at the hands of the Father as a sacrifice for our sins. Abraham had no assurances other than God’s Word and the demonstration of that Word he had witnessed in Sarah’s pregnancy.
20 By faith Isaac invoked future blessings on Jacob and Esau.
(Genesis 27) Isaac said the older would serve the younger - seemingly contrary to what Isaac would have done and what he wanted. The story of how Jacob "stole" the blessing isn’t the important point here - it’s that God chose to bless the younger over the older - again, not how we would have done it.
This reminds me of:
1 Corinthians 1:26-29 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise ; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. ESV
Jacob, then, does the same thing as Isaac later on:
21 By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, bowing in worship over the head of his staff.
(Genesis 48) Jacob had given up on ever seeing his son Joseph again - yet God came through in a wonderful miraculous way. Jacob then trusted God enough to bless the younger first. He’d learned this lesson the hard way - for years he’d tried on his own wits to get ahead - but when he gave his life to God, and allowed God to prune him and then break him - he learned that God’s ways are better, even if they don’t make sense.
This reminds me of:
Isaiah 55:8-9 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways , declares the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. ESV
The line of faith is passed on then, not by blood so much as through patterning, to Joseph.
22 By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones.
(Genesis 50) As good as God had made it for Jacob’s family in Egypt, Joseph knew it wasn’t the final place of promise. God had told Abraham in Genesis 15:13 that his descendants would go to a strange land where they would be afflicted for 400 years and that they would come out. Joseph knew his final resting place was not in Egypt, but in that Promised Land - so he reached beyond the grave, even as we reach beyond the grave, knowing that our final resting place is not here on earth, but in the real Promised Land with God in heaven.
23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.
Jochebed, Moses’ mom, disobeyed a direct order from Pharaoh to kill every male firstborn of the Hebrews. In a sense, Moses was thrown into the river, in a little boat - and Pharaoh’s daughter saw him and ended up having Moses’ mom nurse him. They had faith that God would take care of their child, and set him free on the Nile. In this case, Jochebed disobeyed the law to save a child God had chosen.
There are times when our faith calls us to draw a line between what civil authorities command, and what God commands. When they come into direct conflict we must chose which to obey. That takes faith. There will come a time soon when having faith in Jesus Christ will bring the same death sentence laid on the first born males of Israel. In that time (the Tribulation) many will chose death rather than obedience to the world in opposition to God (Revelation 7:14)
24 By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. 27 By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible. 28 By faith he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, so that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them.
It took faith for Moses to ignore all that he had in the world in order to serve God, but he realized that all the glitter surrounding him was "fleeting." There were more permanent treasures waiting those who served Yahweh - but yet Moses only knew fleeting glimpses of what was coming - yet it was enough.
We don’t have a full picture of what heaven is like - but we know that it is a place of profound goodness and joy, and a place where God is - and that’s enough.
It might have seemed very strange for Moses to command the people to kill lambs and put blood on the doorposts - but God told him and he obeyed. It might seem strange to us to trust in the sacrifice of a man named Jesus, and to appropriate His blood on our hearts - but God said it, and it should be enough.
29 By faith the people crossed the Red Sea as if on dry land, but the Egyptians, when they attempted to do the same, were drowned.
(Exodus 14) This shows that relying on someone you don’t have a covenant with isn’t going to get you anywhere but dead. It’s like saying - "God will save Christians so I’ll call myself a Christian and go to church and God will have to save me too." It doesn’t work that way.
And also we see that the impending danger was great - that wall of water could have come crashing down at anytime to those who had to step out - but they trusted that God would see them through the danger.
30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days.
(Joshua 6) This is the literal stepping out in faith. After a few days I wonder if they began to wonder if those very solid walls would ever move. God seems to stretch us out past the breaking point to see how much we will trust Him - even though we might look stupid for serving God.
This reminds me of:
1 Corinthians 3:18-19 Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. ESV
How do you feel when people make fun of you for praying or reading your Bible or coming to a Wednesday night study at church or not doing all the things they want you to do but are sinful? Do they call you a fool? It takes trust and faith to stand your ground.
31 By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.
(Joshua 2) Rahab had no guarantee that she wouldn’t end up dead. Only the word of the emissaries of the Lord’s people. She could have just suddenly had an appointment out of town, but she stayed put. Instead she hung out that scarlet ribbon that identified her as one of the faithful. Rahab - a prostitute - had more faith than a lot of Israelites. She became a progenitor of the Messiah.
32 And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets - 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. 35 Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. 36 Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated - 38 of whom the world was not worthy - wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
My, what a happy group. Sometimes we magnify these people. Indeed - they are called "heros of the faith." But what was their heroism? Yes they did mighty things, but the also suffered mightily for them.
Gideon lost almost his entire army before the battle began (he had too much faith in man, not enough in God).
Barak was saved by a woman
Samson was deceived by a woman and took God’s power for granted.
Jepthah lost his only daughter through a rash promise … and on it goes.
Yes, wonderful things happened. Daniel escaped from the lion’s den - David won mighty battles against the Philistines - but we shouldn’t place halos around these people - they, like us, had to battle their own doubts and weaknesses and be stripped of their own power in order to trust God enough to do His work.
James 5:17-18 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 18 Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit. ESV
Now, I’m not saying that we all need to dress in goats hair and wander about in the mountains to be a giant of faith - no, you need to see where God is moving you to trust Him where you don’t currently. That’s faith!
The author of Hebrews finishes off the chapter by saying that despite all that these people accomplished through God’s power, not their own, a still greater power and promise is in store for us through the New Covenant in Jesus Christ.
39 And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, 40 since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect. ESV
All of these Old Testament saints were looking forward to something they did not receive - what was that? The Messiah - Jesus Christ. Our problem is that we don’t realize just how much we have. Any of the people on that list would trade places with you in a moment - to live in an age where God’s plan of salvation had been fulfilled and where the Holy Spirit actually dwelt in the heart of every believer - wow.
Conclusions
How is God building faith in your life?
What do we see here? Going against the grain, defying the world and it’s traditions and even laws when they conflict with God’s law. We see choosing the better way, not the expedient way. We see facing tremendous odds with the peace that God will see us through - and even if he doesn’t we will still serve Him. That, my friends, is faith.
Faith is not the ability to do mighty things, it is the ability to trust a mighty God.
Are you being stretched? Are you being confronted? Does it seem God is bringing you into situations that don’t seem wise from the world’s perspective but seem right in terms of your growth and the spreading of God’s truth in your world?
Then you are on the right path to faith.
I want to finish with a story not found in the gospels:
It is the story of Jairus, a synagogue administrator, whose daughter was sick. He came to Jesus and asked for Him to come heal her. While on the way Jesus paused to heal the woman with the issue of blood.
Mark 5:35-36 While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler’s house some who said, "Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?" 36 But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not fear, only believe." ESV
The man was faced with the impossible - all his senses and all those around him cried out for him to give up on Jesus. In the midst of this Jesus said to him "do not fear, only believe." You know what - he did, and his dead daughter came back to life.
Jesus is standing next to you in your difficult situation too. All that you see and all that you hear tells you to give up on Jesus - that He is not worth trusting. Jesus stands before you and gives you the choice - "do not fear, only believe." What will you choose?
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