Heb 11:1-7 | KingComments | STEP | You’re at the beginning of a wonderful and an enormously encouraging chapter. It is full of examples of persons, who lived by faith. Their lives have proven the power and the working of faith. Therefore the whole chapter speaks about nothing else than faith. All these examples are quoted by the writer to show the Hebrews, and also you, what a person who lives by faith, is capable of. This faith is not different from the faith that brought you to God and with which you put your confidence in God for the forgiveness of your sins. That was the beginning of your faith. But faith always remains active. Faith in God is: trusting Him, regarding Him as faithful, having the assurance that He helps and that He does what He says. The future becomes present by faith and in that way what is invisible becomes visible. And the difficulties you are faced with are the challenges for faith. Difficulties are, as it were, food for faith, difficulties are the very causes for faith to prove itself. . This verse has also been called the definition of faith, but this is not correct. Faith cannot be defined. Faith is the effective power in view of the future and in view of the present. Faith fixes the eye forward , to what has been promised and is absolutely sure that it will be achieved: it “is the assurance of [things] hoped for”. Faith fixes the eye upward , to God and Christ: it is “the conviction of things not seen”. Faith looks forward and upward. In you see that faith is the most important thing in the relationship between man and God and indeed from the beginning till the end. It is about creation, sin and offering, life and walking to the pleasure of God, the testimony toward the world, the judgment on the world and finally the millennial kingdom of peace. In all these aspects the Son is central. Creation shows the Son as Creator. The offering shows the Son as Redeemer. A life and a walk to the pleasure of God is perfectly seen in the Son. When He was in the world He has given a perfect testimony of Who God is. The Son will judge the world and He will also establish the millennial kingdom of peace. Furthermore, creation points forward to the recreation of which the Son is the Heir. On the basis of the offering all things will once be subjected to the Son. In the taking up of Enoch ( ) you see a picture of the rapture of the church, the heavenly people of God. The church is connected to the Son and shares in all that belongs to the Son and what He will receive in the kingdom of peace. Noah ( ) is a type of the earthly people in the millennial kingdom, of the believers who will inherit the world through judgments. The common thread through everything is faith. This theme connects everything together. If you summarize , you can say the following. Faith sees 1. that the visible things came from what is not visible; 2. that the sacrifice is the only ground to exist before God; 3. that a walk to the pleasure of God is possible by believing that He is (looking upward); 4. that a new world is awaiting (looking forward). . This is the faith that “the men of old”, men and women of faith from the Old Testament, the former generations of Israel, had. They demonstrated again and again that they were sure of what they hoped for and were convinced of what they did not see. Therefore they gained approval from God. God gave in their conscience His approval. God still does that in everyone who lives in daily trust in Him whatever circumstance he is in. . After the two introductory verses you get examples of the effect of faith. The first example implies that only by faith you are able to understand how the worlds were prepared, namely by the word of God. There is here no mention yet of men and women of faith from the Old Testament. Here it is about you, about your insight in the preparation of the worlds. Everything you see, is not made of something else that is seen, but emerged from the Invisible. This principle goes for everything that has to do with the practice of faith. In the life of faith nothing emerges from something that is seen around us, but only emerges from the unseen God Who also prepared the worlds. God has spoken and as a result all that is visible came into being. That’s how it works when God speaks. His speaking is full of authority and effect. He speaks and it is done ( ; ). In that way He “prepared” the worlds (the world of the stars, the world of angels, the world of men), which means that He has put them in order, classified them; He put everything in its right place. The only way you can “understand” or inwardly, spiritually see this, is by faith. Faith determines that God placed everything exactly there where He wanted it to be ( ). There is no gradual development, evolution, in creation. In this third verse all the erroneous arguments of the human spirit, who have endlessly looked for and are still looking for the existence of things, are judged and eliminated in one phrase. The one invented system is still more foolish than the other to explain the things that become perfectly simple when faith acknowledges God. The universe is not a cause that is creating. It has been created itself and it functions through a law which God has imposed on it. . God uses His creation as a platform on which the working of faith is displayed. Then He created man on that platform. With that man He wanted to have fellowship, contact. Through sin that has entered the world, this fellowship is cruelly disturbed. Due to this man was not able anymore to draw near to God. But even worse: man who fell into sin could not exist before God. God should remove him from this platform. But in His love and mercy God gave a way. He made a Lamb available as a sacrifice for fallen man, so that on this righteous ground he could still exist before God. In Abel the example of the power of faith in the sacrifice is presented. Abel had the insight of someone with a conscience that was taught by God. He acknowledges God’s judgment over sin. He goes to God and confesses to be a sinner. But he comes with a substitute, an offering which he, as it were, places between himself and God. In this way he obtains the testimony that he was righteous. This testimony is in accordance with the righteous judgment of God. God had to execute judgment. He judged the offering and due to that Abel could go free. Not only the offering is accepted, but Able himself too who came with the sacrifice. If you draw near to God through the offering of the Lord Jesus, God testifies to the offering that it is righteous and He also testifies to you that you are righteous. Your righteousness has the value and the perfection of the offering, which means of Christ Who offered Himself to God. To God you are now according to the perfection of the work of Christ. What that means you already have read comprehensively in this letter. So the first man of faith is Abel. In him you see a believer who actively presents himself to God on the ground of a substitutionary offering. Also his brother Cain is mentioned. He also brought an offering, but the offering of Abel was better or more than that of Cain. Abel’s offering had added value. The added value was the fact that Abel killed an offering according to the example that God had given after the fall of man ( ), while Cain came with his own good works that also came from a cursed earth. Abel’s sacrifice was, as it seems, not because of a special sin, but he offered it because of the awareness that man could only exist before God on that ground. The sacrifice of Abel was accepted. Possibly the fire from God fell on it, visibly, like what happened at the tabernacle ( ), at the temple ( ) and with the offerings of David and Elijah ( ; ). Cain acknowledged the existence of God and desired to gain His favor, but he did not acknowledge to be a sinner. He turned his back to God. The difference between the persons who brought the sacrifices is faith. Abel’s faith and his sacrifice made God declare him righteous. Abel had to pay his life of faith with his death by the hand of a murderer. His testimony on earth was ended that way, but the message that was sent through it did not. That echoes through the ages in a way that was not possible in another way. God uses the work of satan entirely against the will of satan to the greater glory of His Name. Now read Hebrews 11:1-4 again. Reflection: What do you do with faith? How does that affect you?

‏ Hebrews 11:1-7

Living by Faith (I)

You’re at the beginning of a wonderful and an enormously encouraging chapter. It is full of examples of persons, who lived by faith. Their lives have proven the power and the working of faith. Therefore the whole chapter speaks about nothing else than faith. All these examples are quoted by the writer to show the Hebrews, and also you, what a person who lives by faith, is capable of.

This faith is not different from the faith that brought you to God and with which you put your confidence in God for the forgiveness of your sins. That was the beginning of your faith. But faith always remains active. Faith in God is: trusting Him, regarding Him as faithful, having the assurance that He helps and that He does what He says. The future becomes present by faith and in that way what is invisible becomes visible. And the difficulties you are faced with are the challenges for faith. Difficulties are, as it were, food for faith, difficulties are the very causes for faith to prove itself.

Heb 11:1. This verse has also been called the definition of faith, but this is not correct. Faith cannot be defined. Faith is the effective power in view of the future and in view of the present. Faith fixes the eye forward, to what has been promised and is absolutely sure that it will be achieved: it “is the assurance of [things] hoped for”. Faith fixes the eye upward, to God and Christ: it is “the conviction of things not seen”. Faith looks forward and upward.

In Heb 11:1-7 you see that faith is the most important thing in the relationship between man and God and indeed from the beginning till the end. It is about creation, sin and offering, life and walking to the pleasure of God, the testimony toward the world, the judgment on the world and finally the millennial kingdom of peace. In all these aspects the Son is central. Creation shows the Son as Creator. The offering shows the Son as Redeemer. A life and a walk to the pleasure of God is perfectly seen in the Son. When He was in the world He has given a perfect testimony of Who God is. The Son will judge the world and He will also establish the millennial kingdom of peace.

Furthermore, creation points forward to the recreation of which the Son is the Heir. On the basis of the offering all things will once be subjected to the Son. In the taking up of Enoch (Heb 11:5) you see a picture of the rapture of the church, the heavenly people of God. The church is connected to the Son and shares in all that belongs to the Son and what He will receive in the kingdom of peace. Noah (Heb 11:7) is a type of the earthly people in the millennial kingdom, of the believers who will inherit the world through judgments.

The common thread through everything is faith. This theme connects everything together. If you summarize Heb 11:1-7, you can say the following. Faith sees

1. that the visible things came from what is not visible;

2. that the sacrifice is the only ground to exist before God;

3. that a walk to the pleasure of God is possible by believing that He is (looking upward);

4. that a new world is awaiting (looking forward).

Heb 11:2. This is the faith that “the men of old”, men and women of faith from the Old Testament, the former generations of Israel, had. They demonstrated again and again that they were sure of what they hoped for and were convinced of what they did not see. Therefore they gained approval from God. God gave in their conscience His approval. God still does that in everyone who lives in daily trust in Him whatever circumstance he is in.

Heb 11:3. After the two introductory verses you get examples of the effect of faith. The first example implies that only by faith you are able to understand how the worlds were prepared, namely by the word of God. There is here no mention yet of men and women of faith from the Old Testament. Here it is about you, about your insight in the preparation of the worlds. Everything you see, is not made of something else that is seen, but emerged from the Invisible. This principle goes for everything that has to do with the practice of faith. In the life of faith nothing emerges from something that is seen around us, but only emerges from the unseen God Who also prepared the worlds.

God has spoken and as a result all that is visible came into being. That’s how it works when God speaks. His speaking is full of authority and effect. He speaks and it is done (Gen 1:3; Psa 33:9). In that way He “prepared” the worlds (the world of the stars, the world of angels, the world of men), which means that He has put them in order, classified them; He put everything in its right place. The only way you can “understand” or inwardly, spiritually see this, is by faith. Faith determines that God placed everything exactly there where He wanted it to be (Rev 4:11). There is no gradual development, evolution, in creation.

In this third verse all the erroneous arguments of the human spirit, who have endlessly looked for and are still looking for the existence of things, are judged and eliminated in one phrase. The one invented system is still more foolish than the other to explain the things that become perfectly simple when faith acknowledges God. The universe is not a cause that is creating. It has been created itself and it functions through a law which God has imposed on it.

Heb 11:4. God uses His creation as a platform on which the working of faith is displayed. Then He created man on that platform. With that man He wanted to have fellowship, contact. Through sin that has entered the world, this fellowship is cruelly disturbed. Due to this man was not able anymore to draw near to God. But even worse: man who fell into sin could not exist before God.

God should remove him from this platform. But in His love and mercy God gave a way. He made a Lamb available as a sacrifice for fallen man, so that on this righteous ground he could still exist before God. In Abel the example of the power of faith in the sacrifice is presented.

Abel had the insight of someone with a conscience that was taught by God. He acknowledges God’s judgment over sin. He goes to God and confesses to be a sinner. But he comes with a substitute, an offering which he, as it were, places between himself and God. In this way he obtains the testimony that he was righteous. This testimony is in accordance with the righteous judgment of God. God had to execute judgment. He judged the offering and due to that Abel could go free. Not only the offering is accepted, but Able himself too who came with the sacrifice.

If you draw near to God through the offering of the Lord Jesus, God testifies to the offering that it is righteous and He also testifies to you that you are righteous. Your righteousness has the value and the perfection of the offering, which means of Christ Who offered Himself to God. To God you are now according to the perfection of the work of Christ. What that means you already have read comprehensively in this letter.

So the first man of faith is Abel. In him you see a believer who actively presents himself to God on the ground of a substitutionary offering. Also his brother Cain is mentioned. He also brought an offering, but the offering of Abel was better or more than that of Cain. Abel’s offering had added value. The added value was the fact that Abel killed an offering according to the example that God had given after the fall of man (Gen 3:21), while Cain came with his own good works that also came from a cursed earth.

Abel’s sacrifice was, as it seems, not because of a special sin, but he offered it because of the awareness that man could only exist before God on that ground. The sacrifice of Abel was accepted. Possibly the fire from God fell on it, visibly, like what happened at the tabernacle (Lev 9:24), at the temple (2Chr 7:1) and with the offerings of David and Elijah (1Chr 21:26; 1Kgs 18:38).

Cain acknowledged the existence of God and desired to gain His favor, but he did not acknowledge to be a sinner. He turned his back to God. The difference between the persons who brought the sacrifices is faith. Abel’s faith and his sacrifice made God declare him righteous.

Abel had to pay his life of faith with his death by the hand of a murderer. His testimony on earth was ended that way, but the message that was sent through it did not. That echoes through the ages in a way that was not possible in another way. God uses the work of satan entirely against the will of satan to the greater glory of His Name.

Now read Hebrews 11:1-4 again.

Reflection: What do you do with faith? How does that affect you?

Living by Faith (II)

Heb 11:5. In the example of Abel you have seen that the death of an innocent substitute was the means that God accepted you. With Enoch you see a next step. He who is declared righteous, walks in faith. The name Enoch means ‘taught’. He who is taught in the value of the offering, learns how to walk by faith and is taken up by that same faith. As a principle you are freed from the power of death through the offering of the Lord Jesus. Everything that belongs to the old man, is taken away by that offering (Rom 6:6). The devil, who had the power of death, is rendered powerless (Heb 2:14). The victory over death is that perfect that if it pleases God you can go to heaven without passing through death.

That happened to Enoch and that’s what will happen to the church at the rapture (1Thes 4:15-17). Elijah also went to heaven without dying (2Kgs 2:1 ; 11). Enoch and Elijah both lived in a time of great wickedness. Like Elijah Enoch was a prophet of judgment (Jude 1:14-15). In the first place this judgment came by the flood. But its prophecy extends to the end of time, the return of Christ. A person who lives with God, obtains understanding of the future where Christ is the Center.

Now it is said of Enoch here “that he was pleasing God”. When you read in Genesis 5 what is said about Enoch, you read that He walked with God (Gen 5:24). As the writer does more often in this letter he quotes from the Greek translation of the Old Testament, the Septuagint. In the Septuagint ‘walking with God’ is translated into ‘pleasing God’. The writer takes that over here under the guidance of God’s Spirit. That implies that ‘walking with God’ is identical to ‘pleasing God’.

If you think of walking you should think of the whole way of living. Enoch involved God in all aspects of his life. God was the object of his walk. It also has been presented in such a way that Enoch in his walk with God had come that close to heaven that God said: ‘Come in.’ I believe that we should also be like that as members of the church. The rapture of the church should not surprise or overwhelm us, but should be in continuation of a walk with God. A walk with God can only bring you closer to heaven.

Enoch obtained the witness of God that he was pleasing to Him “before his being taken up”. His faith was revealed during his life that preceded his being taken up.

Heb 11:6. Without faith a walk like that of Enoch is impossible. A person who does not believe is absolutely incapable of walking in a way that God looks at with joy. The walk of Enoch pleased God because that walk reminded Him of the walk of the Lord Jesus when He was on earth. To God the future is present. He looked ahead to the walk of the Lord Jesus. Therefore He reports it. This is how it ought to be with every believer (1Thes 4:1).

You can only walk with God if you believe “that He is”. That is something different and goes much further than believing that He is there. Demons also believe that God is there, that He exists (Jam 2:19), but that doesn’t affect their evil resistance against God at all. To believe ‘that God is’, means that you really experience His presence in your life and that His presence is the main thing in your life. It means that you believe that He is interested in your walk and knows about your walk. You draw near to Him and you seek Him because you trust Him and know that He rewards those who diligently seek Him. Seeking fellowship with the Lord is abundantly rewarded.

Heb 11:7. The characteristic of the faith of Enoch is that he had a hidden relationship with God. With Noah you see how his faith made him a public witness of God toward the world. God gave Noah an indication about things he couldn’t yet observe with his natural eyes. God told him about the flood He had to bring on the world because of the incorrigible and evil conduct of man. When Noah heard that, he became a preacher of righteousness (2Pet 2:5; 1Pet 3:19). At the same time he continued to listen to God.

The result of that was that he not only preached, but he indeed took action. His testimony existed of a deed of obedience. On God’s command he built an ark. That was a remarkable testimony that he didn’t expect anything from this world anymore, for it was going to perish by the waters of judgment. By building the ark he also showed that he fixed his hope on a new world. He could see both the judgment and the new world only by faith. That made him “an heir of the righteousness” that is characteristic for a world that is purified from evil through the judgment of God. He was going to inherit the world as a truly righteous man (Psa 37:29).

This example serves to encourage the Hebrew believer (Heb 2:5) and us. The Hebrews were possibly asking themselves why they were a minority if they were right. The example of Noah was meant to encourage them. Only eight people were saved (1Pet 3:20), while the rest of the world perished. Noah and his family are therefore a picture of the Jewish remnant. They represent the remnant of Israel that will go through the great tribulation (presented in the flood) and with the coming of the Lord Jesus will enter the millennial kingdom of peace. These events will follow in the history of salvation after the rapture of the church that is presented in Enoch.

It was not fear and anguish that led Noah to build the ark, but his respect for God’s Word. In the same way your walk in faith should also be the result of the respect that you have for what God has said. From your walk it will be apparent how you respond to what God says to you in His Word.

Another remarkable thing is that Noah does not only prepare an ark for himself, but for his household. This implies that God wants to save a person and his household. That is an extra responsibility for the head of the family.

This particular verse about Noah delivers a number of aspects of faith that are worthy of being mentioned:

1. First there is the ground of his faith: he is warned by God.

2. Then you read about the territory on which his faith is focused: things that were not yet seen.

3. Then you notice the practice of his faith: he was moved with reverence for God.

4. Then you see the work of his faith: he prepared an ark for himself and his household.

5. Then the result of his faith follows: he saved his household.

6. His whole conduct was a witness of faith: he was judging the world.

6. Finally he received a reward of faith: he became an heir of righteousness.

You could say that in Heb 11:1-7 in the several events and people the general principles of faith are presented. In the section that now follows, Heb 11:8-22, the main point is the perseverance of faith. The examples show believers who walk as pilgrims in the power of faith that God will fulfill His promises, even though that fulfillment still seems to be so far away.

You read in this section seven times the expression “by faith”. The examples that the writer brings forward are the patriarchs who were so familiar to the Hebrews. Concerning Abraham you read four times about faith. That was

1. with his call and obedience (Heb 11:8),

2. in connection with his sojourning (Heb 11:9-10),

3. when it comes to life from death (Heb 11:11-12) and – after a parenthesis in Heb 11:13-16 –

4. when he is tested (Heb 11:17-19).

The other three times are

1. about the faith of Isaac who by faith proves his knowledge of God’s ways (Heb 11:20),

2. about the faith of Jacob at the end of his path of faith, which was full of experiences (Heb 11:21) and

3. about the faith of Joseph who looks forward to the redemption of God’s people (Heb 11:22).

The application to the Hebrews and also to you, is clear. Each man or woman of faith of the past illustrates certain aspects of faith that should also characterize the Hebrews. It altogether refers to the future age and particularly to the heavenly side of it.

Heb 11:8. The previous men of faith were not called to abandon anything, but Abraham has to do that. When God calls him, he goes, even though he doesn’t know where he will end up. The faith of Abraham shows a full trust in God. He had nothing to focus on, he knew nothing nor a name of anything or any particularities of the land he was guided to. God was sufficient for him. He did not ask: ‘Where do I go?’ His faith was not mixed with his own calculations. He trusted in the word of the God Who cannot deceive.

The life of Abraham is the great example of the New Testament believer (Rom 4:11) who is also called (Rom 8:30; 1Cor 1:2; 1Pet 2:9). The crucial point of the calling is the promise. To obtain the promise you have to give up everything. You only do that if you trust that He Who calls you, is everything and that He has a better world for you: a world filled with His glory in Christ.

The obedience of Abraham was immediate. It was not motivated by the attractiveness of what was presented to him, but by the glory of Him Who spoke (Acts 7:2).

Now read Hebrews 11:5-8 again.

Reflection: Which aspects of faith do you encounter in this section and which of them are of importance to you?