Who are our heroes? Science, Technology, Medicine, Education and Media have
largely replaced Christ.
Chapter 10 concludes with a warning against Apostasy
with contrast between Fearfulness and Faith.
Introduction to Chapter 11:
Definition of Faith: neither philosophical in
language nor exhaustive in Scope, but the main expressions are from the Old
Testament HALL OF FAME--Inspiring
examples to follow--NOW!!
The Context of Chapter 11--Faith is certainly
concerning what is Hoped For and Proof of what is not seen.
Finality of Faith--it is Christianity in
Crisis-Syncretism-Tolerance-Divergence--Warning against unbelief--Falling away
(Apostasy 5.11--6.1-8)
Case studies in Faith as ultimate commitment (11.1-3)
to balance Intellectual (James 2.10) Doctrine context in Jude 3.
Because
of faith men of old gained their testimony (witness) (Supreme example was Jesus
(12.2) as He endured the Cross)
First example of Faith/Creation is the requisite to
all others and not scientific proof.
Faith is concerned with ultimate invisible reality/future hopes; faith
in terms of spiritual rather than temporal proving of what is unseen. Gives further extension rather than
greater precision. Faith does not
cause ultimate reality.
Belief
in Creation is foundational (Genesis 1-3; James 1.1-14), GodÕs presence in the
world.
By
faith we understand that the universe was fashioned by GodÕs Word. Faith in this creator God empowered man
to recognize the design of the creator (Romans 1.20). Order of this recognition is not acceptance of the Creator,
which leads to recognition of His Design in creation.
Faith
is the process that reverses the order: recognition of supernatural ordering of
the universe
GodÕs
Word is not equated here with pre-existent Word, GodÕs creative omnipotence that
fashioned the universe. Ugliness
and suffering and predatory character of the natural world cast no shadow over
the authorÕs argument; what is visible has come into Being from what is not visible. God is not a Divine Architect (Genesis
1.2, Philo), but the Divine Creator.
The
phrase (Greek words) Òthe visible has not been created out of material things -
this affirming creation Ex Nihilo (not invisible world but an intelligible world
in Philonic is the archetype of the physical universe.
The
Roll Call of the Faith Hall of Fame now begins. Does not include Adam and Eve
because their relationship with God was one of Sight, not Faith. Cain and Abel were sons of Adam and Eve
(Cain was older). AbelÕs sacrifice was preferred over Cain (radically inferior
to Jesus (see 12.24), better quantity or quality. Scripture gives no real reason for GodÕs acceptance (Abel
had herds and Cain had grain).
Abel,
Enoch, Noah: Noah was first called righteous (Gen. 7.1); Cain had an evil
character (Matt. 23.35) expressed in I John 3.12 and Jude 11). Such faith is not self-reliance but
reliance on the Promises of the Invisible God.
Chapter 11 8-12: Abraham
was the greatest Old Testament example of Faith. First instance of Faith was the promise given and fulfilled in Christ;
by faith he obeyed the call to receive the promise (Romans 4.3; Gal. 3.6; Jas
2.23; Acts 7.5). Not until Abram
settled in Haran that Canaan was designated as the goal of his wandering.
Faith
into the future to the unknown. He
was a pilgrim in the Land of Promise; he did not question the Promise; he
lodged in tents-temporarily unsettled and made the nomadic life his life, ÒThis
world is not my home.Ó
The
Promised Land ÒCity with FoundationsÓ (social concern not personal) (city not
Canaan)
Heavenly Jerusalem (Gal. 4.26; Rev. 21-22) Permanence/Security
(II Cor. 5.1ff)
Second
instance of Faith -
descendants multiply
Third
instance of Faith -
Sarah was his barren wife (11.11)
Fourth
instance of Faith -
GodÕs command to sacrifice his son.
Descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and grains of sand. All lived and died in faith.
Security
of HeavenÕs Everlasting Commonwealth: Compared with the transitory nature of earthly
existence is the deeper conviction of Hebrews. The theme is so important (they
did not enter the Promised Land because of their unbelief) that it first
appeared in chapter 3 when the wilderness wanderings of the people of God were
constructed with ÒHeavenly RestÓ which awaits them and the same theme reappears
in Hebrews 11.10,13,14.
Seeing
The Promise from afar by Faith in the creator of the universe--seeing the
future on the foundation of the Word of origin of the universe (Òsaw and
welcomed from afarÓ)
Death
is the end of life and marks the point beyond which human faith can no longer
operate. Death is FaithÕs final
test; and a life of Faith is crowned and completed by faith acceptance of
death. Death is not ultimate! GodÕs promises have not yet taken
place. They had not yet witnessed
the universal blessing that God was to accomplish through the faith of these
pilgrims of FaithÕs Hall of Fame.
JohnÕs statement that Abraham saw the day of the Messiah and rejoiced
(John 8.56). Memories of the lives of FaithÕs Hall of Fame are kept alive by
the biblical accounts of the death of Abraham (Gen. 25.8) and Isaac (Gen.
35.29), and the blessing of Jacob (Gen 49.18). These were looking for a homeland. A homeland is a personÕs country of origin. As aliens they were in their country of
adoption, not origin.
Both
in Pauline writings (Phil. 3.20; Eph. 2.19) and in the Apocalypse (21.2) heaven
is conceived of as a city.
Westcott sees the three chief different conceptions of a city which
belong to Jewish, Greek and Stoic thought combined in the Christian conception
of Commonwealth. It is the seat of
GodÕs Presence. It is a community
in which each citizen is endowed with the most complete privileges and charged
with the fullest responsibility for the general welfare. It is a worldwide organization
embracing in a communion of the largest hope Òall thinking things all objects
of thought.Ó The author of Hebrews
now returns to the Faith of Abraham.
(Jewish tradition of Abraham Jubilee 19.8; Wisdom of Solomon 10.5;
Ecclesiasticus 44.20; I Maccabees 2.52 and Philo (de Abram 167).
When
Abraham Was Being Tested: God called Abraham to make a decision that
seemed to contradict The Promise.
Abraham knew that God could not lie about a promise nor could GodÕs command
be disobeyed. ÒHe reckonedÓ (logisemenos,
aorist tense of particle shows AbrahamÕs decision was immediate). He knew that
if GodÕs commands were to stand this would be the only way by which his promise
could be fulfilled. AbrahamÕs
faith in the God of resurrection empowered him to obey. (Verse 9) ÒHe reckoned that God had power even to raise from the
dead.Ó The consequent salvation of
IsaacÕs life was the resurrection of one who was as good as dead. (Isaac had been in the loins of Òthe
dead.Ó (vs. 12). The line of the
Hall of Fame continues--(vs. 20-22).
By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau and that concerning the things to
come, vs. 21. By faith Jacob
blessed each of JosephÕs sons.
This phrase indicates JacobÕs frailty and a symbol of his pilgrim status
(Gen. 32.10)
As
Isaac and Jacob have looked to the future in faith, so also did Joseph (left
Canaan at the age of 17 (Gen. 37.2) and lived in Egypt until his death at the
age of 110) Gen. 50.24). Yet he
trusted that God would keep His promise to Abraham that in the fourth
generation his progeny would return to the Promised Land (Gen. 15.16). By faith Joseph made mention of the
Exodus of the Israelites and gave direction concerning his bones (Gen
50.25ff). According to Exodus
18.19 Moses took JosephÕs bones with him in his wanderings and according to
Joshua 24.32 they finally were laid to rest in Schechem.
Five Examples of MosesÕ
Faith in the Roll Call of Witnesses (Hebrews 11.23-29:
Moses is one of the greatest figures unfolding the
promise line until Jesus (this is the message of Hebrews, the superiority of
Jesus to Moses).
1. MosesÕ
Birth - By faith Moses was hidden for three months by his parents. This is an affirmation of the faith of
the parents, not the infant (Pharaoh had ordered that all Hebrew male children
should be drowned, Exodus 1.22).
Their faith was in the conviction of GodÕs providential care. The baby, because he was vital in
unfolding the promise line.
2. As an infant he was rescued from his hiding place
and cared for by PharaohÕs daughter (Ex. 2.5ff.). By faith Moses refused to be called the son of PharaohÕs
daughter. We see an emphasis
neither of the awkwardness of a child nor the rebelliousness of an adolescent;
it was the responsible choice of an adult, by Faith in the God of Promise.
3. Moses
chose to identify himself with the persecuted fellow countrymen rather than
with the Royal Family of his adoption, preferring rather to suffer ill
treatment with GodÕs people than enjoy the transient pleasures of sin. Moses recognized that Israel was GodÕs
people. He preferred to share
spiritual security with them rather than to enjoy present material advantages
from Pharaoh. By faith he was more
concerned with GodÕs providence for His chosen people than with less permanent
privileges and pleasures. That
apostasy would have brought him sin (Heb. 10.26). By faith the reproach of Israel was greater wealth than the
treasures of Egypt (see esp. Ps. 89.51f. where Israel is spoken of collectively
as the anointed). The reproach of
Israel was a prefigure of the reproach which fell on Christ (Romans 15.4; Col.
1.24). Israel trusted in GodÕs
providential care. By faith Moses
kept his eyes on his future reward.
The
third instance of MosesÕ faith - by faith Moses put his trust in an invisible
God before the wrath of a very visible Pharaoh.
The
Fourth example concerns the events immediately before the Exodus. The last of ten plagues was to be the
destruction of all male firstborn of men and beast (Exodus 12.12). Moses provided the celebration of The
Passover and sprinkled the blood in order that the Destroyer might not touch
their firstborn (elsewhere in the New Testament The Passover is the type of
ChristÕs death (I Cor. 5.7; compare with Exodus 12.33). MosesÕ faith empowered their belief
that God would pass over the IsraelitesÕ homes.
The
Final ExposeÕ of MosesÕ Faith: Moses revealed his
pre-eminent faith by stretching his hand out over the Red Sea for separation of
the water to enable Israel to escape Egyptian destruction. MosesÕ faith was exposed the first time
to save Israel for Egyptian destruction.
By faith he raised his hands again for the water to engulf the Egyptian
army.
JoshuaÕs
Faith (11.30-31):
It is important that after Moses, Joshua is mentioned. His name is Greek and is the same as
that of Jesus. The two events
mentioned in the Joshua faith narrative is The Walls of Jericho--they
fell because of JoshuaÕs faith in our all powerful God (see esp. Joshua
6). Their faith consisted in their
belief in the efficacy of these unprecedented proceedings.
The
Faith of Rahab the Prostitute: (she is listed in the
linage of the Messiah). GodÕs use
of sexually immoral women for the furtherance of His providence is noted
elsewhere in the New Testament (e.g. Tamor, Matt. 1.3) and Rahab, Matt.
1.5). James regards this
particular incident as indicating RahabÕs works rather than showing her faith
(James 2.25; contrast with Romans 4.3).
Her faith did not merely consist in her offer of hospitality and of a hiding
place to the spies whom Joshua had sent to Jericho. She also expressed a conviction that the Israelite God was
God of heaven and earth and that in His providence He had given the land to His
chosen people (Joshua 2.9ff.) In
return for her help she and her household were spared when Jericho was taken,
her home being identified by a scarlet thread placed in the window as an agreed
upon sign (Joshua 2.18).
The
Power of Faith Then and Now (11.31-35a) FaithÕs Hall of Fame presents a long biblical chronology,
yet the bulk of history lies ahead of it.
ÒWhat more can I say? We do
not have (paralipsis) time to tell of all of many others from the Hall of Fame. There are four Judges who witness to
the gradual extension of Israelite power in Canaan. David and Samuel are here clearly associated as the
respective founders of theocracy and prophetism (Spicq).
Only
King David is in the list! (I Sam.
10.17ff; Hebrews 7.1,15). Perhaps
it is strange that no priest figures in the Roll of Faith while the prophets
are not listed as heroes of faith, yet the great cloud of witnesses Òoverthrew
kingdoms,Ó and Òexercised justice.Ó
By faith they Òobtained the promises.Ó These are not the same as Òthe promise of the heavenly city
(11.39). The promises refer more
generally to promises of land and inheritance, which they saw fulfilled
in their lifetime (Joshua 21.43).
The
following three instances of lives dominated by faith concern personal
deliverance, not social advantage (e.g. David, I Sam. 17.34f; Daniel,
Meshach, Abednego, 3.25, Daniel, 6.22).
ÒThe
triplet of victorious faith is followed by a single, abrupt clause which
presents the highest conquest of faith.Ó
(Westcott). Women received back their dead by resurrection. The references are to the widowÕs son
from Sarepta whom Elijah returned to life (I Kgs. 17.22), and the son of the
Shumnamite woman whom Elisha restored by the Òkiss of life.Ó (II Kgs. 4.34; Lk. 7.11, the widowÕs
son at Nair and JesusÕ raising of Lazarus).
Faith
Under Fire, 11.35b-38: Hardship is often FaithÕs most powerful
testimony (vs. 39-40). ÒAll these
have won testimony because of their faith. Their witness of their faith is in the Scriptures and they
did not Òreceive the promiseÓ, their final reward of their faith. GodÕs promise includes ÒUsÓ! ÒSo without us they should not be made
perfect.Ó By perfection, He does
not mean here either the perfect nature of the resurrection body or the
perfection of Christ, which will be bestowed on the Church at the last
day. GodÕs plan is for all his
elect, whether they belong to the Old or New Testament period. Salvation is
social, not individualistic. So
long as a single member of the family is not present, the household of faith
can never be complete and thus never perfect. Here is our present postmodern inclusivism versus GodÕs
exclusivistic gospel. Only the
Faithful in all periods of GodÕs plan are saved!
James D. Strauss