The Book of Hebrews, Chapter 11 by Lane Rogers

I. The Triumphs of Faith

1Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2For by it the men of old gained approval. 3By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.

A. Faith is the hupostasis or foundation

(hupostasis) ὑπόστασις

1. confidence

a standing under; that which is set or stands under, a foundation, origin, beginning, hence, spoken of that quality which leads one to stand under, endure or undertake anything, for example firmness, boldness, confidence, then, the foundation or ground of this confidence, well-founded trust;

B. Faith has a hope:

hope [verb] -ed, -eth, -ing (elpiz 1679) ἐλπιζομέν to expect, to hope for any thing (elsewhere, trust). (a) with (epi 1909) upon, Dative resting upon, Accusative upon, by direction towards. (b) with eis (en 1722) in. (c) with (eis 1519) unto, towards (to direct hope towards).

C. Faith has a conviction:

(elenchos 1650) ἔλεγχος
1. evidence
evidence, demonstration, proof, convincing argument (this specific meaning occurs only in 2Ti 3:16, (elegmos) conviction, reproof.
2. reproof
proof, means of conviction or of proof, convincing argument (this specific meaning occurs only in Heb 11:1).

D. Now we have a good definition of faith. It has these three elements. Faith has a foundation, and expectation, and all of this is based on evidence.

E. It is this type of faith that men of old gained approval and so will we.

F. It takes this type of faith to understand the doctrine of ex nihilo (Look Here)

II. The faith of Great men before the flood (vv. 4-7)

4By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about hisgifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks. 5By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; AND HE WAS NOT FOUND BECAUSE GOD TOOK HIM UP; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God. 6And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. 7By faithNoah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

A. How is it that Abel responded by faith?(Look Here)

a. There can be no doubt that God told Abel what He wanted for a worship offering.

b. One sacrifice represented true worship and the other false worship.

B. By faith Enoch was taken up

a. We find the story of Enoch in Genesis 5: 21-24.

b. The author of Hebrews, uses the LXX for a reference.

c. Enoch is mentioned in the NT (Jude v.14f)

d. It is a reference to the apocryphal book of Enoch (1 Enoch 1:9)

e. According to Jubilees 4:17, Enoch was the first man on earth to learn writing and wisdom.

f. Ben Sira says: "Enoch was found perfect and walked with YHWH and was taken, and this is a sign of knowledge to every generation.

g. In Jubilees 10:17, Enoch is said to have been even more righteous than Noah.

i. What ever credence we put on these books two themes are stressed. Enoch was a man of faith but he was also a righteous man. Righteousness and faith cannot be separated.

C. Now we come to someone a little more familiar. That is Noah!

III. The Faith of Abraham and Sarah 11: 8-19

8By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9By faith he lived as an alien in ^the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; 10for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised. 12Therefore there was born even of one man, and him as good as dead at that, as many descendants AS THE STARS OF HEAVEN IN NUMBER, AND INNUMERABLE AS THE SAND WHICH IS BY THE SEASHORE.

13All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. 14For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. 15And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. 16But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.

A. Abraham is not just an OT figure, but also a NT figure. (See Acts 7:28, Rom. 4:3, Gal. 3:6, James 2:23)

a. As opposed to the above figure (Enoch) our author devotes much more space to Abraham since he is a larger figure in the biblical text.

b. (V. 8) It then was "by faith" that Abraham left his country and went to a place "not knowing where he was going." We must also notice here that "faith" described in this text is not an intellectual assent but "actions." The "going" of Abraham was faith and not the "thinking" of Abraham.

c. (V.8) Now we know why Abraham is mentioned 10 times in the book of Hebrews. Abraham "obeyed" the Lord. He did what he was told to do. When we do what we are told to do, only then do we have faith. Sometimes times we must "trust and obey." Abraham did not know where he was going but he trusted the Lord (Gen.12:1). "I will show you." It was even later after this that God informed him of his coming descendants (Gen. 12:7), and even later yet when Abraham himself was included in the promise (13:15).

B. V.9___When Abraham got to the land that God had promised him what a shock. He as not to be the owner but an "alien."

a. The "land of promise" is found only here in the entire Bible. But even more interesting, v.10 tells us that the promised land, or land of promise, was 'heaven.'

b. V.10___The "real" promise was not a city made with human hands but a city built by God.

c. V.10___The reason for Abraham's acceptance of his faith was his forward look. Abraham knew all along the earth was not to be his home.

d. The idea of the "heavenly city" occurs again in v.16, but look at 12:22, 13:14 and other places in the NT as Philippians 1:27.

C. Bible students are presented with a great problem in v.11. Notice the words in question.

11By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she:

A literal reading is: δύναμιν εἰς καταβολὴν σπέρματος ἔλαβεν καὶ , or Sarah was able to deposit semen!

D. There is general agreement that we have a translation problem but certainly calls into question as to whether this is a statement of Sarah's faith or Abraham's faith. The best solution seems to be that this should be in the dative case and not the nominative case. If that is the case it should read "Sarah herself" meaning "he" together with Sarah received power.....!

E. V.12 Just "one man" and on top of that, a man who was as "good as dead." From small beginnings will come the innumerable progeny.

F. V. 13 We now stop taking about "Abraham" and speak of "all these people."

a. They knew that God had promised certain blessing but never received them.

b. Be very careful here, since the author has already said that Abraham "received what was promised" (6:15). From a human point of view, Abraham did receive what was promised when Isaac was born.

But we know that the promise was much greater than this!

c. This is the language of Moses. When God did not permit him to enter but did permit him to see the promised land from afar (Deut. 3:26-28).

d. We are told in the next verses, that the promise was not an earthly piece of ground. The promise was in heaven and that was what they saw (15-17).

17By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son; 18it was he to whom it was said, "IN ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS SHALL BE CALLED." 19He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which he also received him back as a type.

IV. Now we return to Abraham again:

A. God had promised numerous posterity though Isaac and now God was telling Abraham to offer Isaac as a sacrifice.(The Burnt Offering) How then might the promised be fulfilled?

a. Surely that idea crossed Abraham's mind but Abraham obeyed.

μονογενής (monogenēs 3439) 1. only the only begotten, that is to say only child. 2. begotten (only) only begotten; used to denote the relation of Christ to the Father.Reference(s) 3. child (only) only born, only-begotten, that is to say only child (involving the idea of preciousness and attachment).

b. Abraham had other sons (Gen. 25:1-2, 5-6). Monogenes can not mean only. Of course, we recognize this as a reference to Christ. Isaac was the only one of a kind son that Abraham had.

B. V.19__we have the explanation. Abraham believed that God could raise the dead! The rest of the passage might be read as the NIV puts it, in a figurative sense, Abraham did receive Isaac back from the dead or "as a type, Isaac was raised from the dead."

20By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even regarding things to come. 21By faithJacob, as he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff. 22By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the exodus of the sons of Israel, and gave orders concerning his bones.

V. A different Kind of Faith or a faith that looks beyond death. VV. 20-22

a. V. 20 Isaac will act as Abraham did. He has a view of things to come.

1. He blessed his two sons with a look into the future (Gen. 27:27-29, 39-40).

2. Some object to the way Jacob received his blessing but:

(a) Isaac recognized that the blessing belong to Jacob (Gen. 27:33).

(b) Later Isaac blessed Jacob with full knowledge of what had gone on (Gen. 28:1-4).

b. v. 21, Jacob in turn will bless his grandsons Ephraim and Manasseh (Gen. 48).

c. V. 22, Joseph's faith like that of others looked beyond death. His bones were to be carried to the "promised land" (Gen. 50:24-25); Exod. 13:19; Josh 24:32). What is amazing about this story is that apart from his fist 17 years of life, Joseph lived his life in Egypt.

23By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king's edict. 24By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, 25choosing rather toendure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, 26considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward. 27By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen. 28By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that he who destroyed the firstborn would not touch them.

VI. The Faith of Moses 23-28

A. Moses mentioned 11 times in the book of Hebrews

a. The first example of faith is the faith of his parents. Why did I say parents? If we read the normal translations we have the idea that Moses' mother was the only person involved. But when we read the same story in the LXX, (Ex.2:2-3) the verbs are plural meaning that the father was also involved. In this case, we know that the mother could not have hidden the child without the father's permission.

b. V.24___The author passes right over part of the Moses story and goes to finding of the child by Pharaoh's daughter. Then he moves on to the faith of Moses when Moses was a full grown man. When he grew up was about 40 years old according to Acts 7:23. The author is telling us that that the decision that Moses made was one of a full grown man and not that of a child. Moses refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter.

c. V. 25__When Moses cast his lot with his people he realized the consequences. It was a choice.

d. V. 26__Moses knew what the treasures in Egypt were worth. There are a couple of points about this.

1. Moses may have actually had a glimpse of Christ since we know that Christ was the rock in the desert. Jesus was the Rock and the Cloud (1 Cor. 10:4).

2. It might mean that Moses suffered like Christ.

3. But more probably it means what it says in that Moses suffered since he was looking forward to the reward (in this case heaven) or the "unseen."

4. V. 27__This was the reason that Moses left Egypt___because he had faith in the unseen.

5. V. 28__By faith he kept the Passover, in that he obeyed and trusted that God was to do what he promised.

29By faith they passed through the Red Sea as though they were passing through dry land; and the Egyptians, when they attempted it, were drowned. 30By faith the walls of Jericho fell downafter they had been encircled for seven days. 31By faithRahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace.

VII. The Faith of the Exodus Generation 11:29-31

A. V. 29__The NIV uses "the people" but we must admit that some of those people were anything but a shining example of faith. However, they did cross the sea so they must have had some faith.

B. V. 30__The walls fell at Jericho by faith (Josh 6:1-21).

C. V. 31__ And finally, the list of champions of faith is closed out by a woman and a gentile at that. James speaks of her favorably (James 2:25) and she is listed in the genealogy of the Lord as the wife of Salmon (Matt. 1:5).

32And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak,Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, 33who by faith conquered kingdoms,performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, 34quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. 35Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection; 36and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. 37They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted,ill-treated 38(men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground

VIII. The Faith of Other Servants of God 11:32-38

A. V. 32___ "and what more shall I say" this is a summary. A list of other OT who showed remarkable attributes of faith.

B. V. 33-34__ A list of their accomplishments. Up to now the author has used "by faith" and now he will change and use "through faith." This is no doubt an illusion to OT kingdoms and those great men who conquered those kingdoms.

C. V. 35, a number of times in Scripture women are said to have received their dead back (1 Kings 17:17-24 and 2 Kings 4;18-37).

D. V.37, May be illusion to the death of the Prophet Isaiah (see The Martyrdom of Isaiah 5:1ff). Other illusions in the verse are partial quotes from 1 and 2 Maccabees

E. V.38 is the same

39And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, 40because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect.

Now we are told that all of those mentioned never received the promise land and they understood it. They were not saved apart from us, but were, saved by faith.

by Lane Rogers

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