Hebrews-Faith

[1] Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. [2] For by it the people of old received their commendation. [3] By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.

[4] By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks. [5] By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. [6] And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. [7] By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

[8] By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. [9] By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. [10] For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. [11] By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised. [12] Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.

[13] These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. [14] For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. [15] If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. [16] But 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 for them a city.  Hebrews 11:1-16 (ESV)

My childhood contained with a pretty low tech experience.  No internet or smart phones.  In a decade where cable TV was starting to take off, my dad stuck with a antenna on the house.  Sometimes we could get a signal for a local channel.  As a kid there wasn’t a lot to do.  I lived on property and was pretty isolated.  It was fun to explore in the woods sometimes but my brother was younger than me and I we didn’t really enjoy the same toys or games.  When I was in middle school, we did get the first version of the Nintendo and that was a pretty sweet addition to the VHS machine! 

Because of my simple experience growing up, I always had a book to read.  My mom was a local librarian and I would go there after school and hang out until she got off work. I always had a lot of books around and with not much else to do was always reading.  Luckily, it’s a habit that stuck with me through my adult years. 

I’m a pretty broad reader, I enjoy mysteries, suspense, biography, fantasy, historical fiction, and a humorous rom-com.  I also like to read Christian books to supplement my bible study and have discovered a growing interest in theology and apologetics, as well as books that help us understand the love and work of Christ.  

One genre that I don’t typically enjoy is self-help books.  Being the child of an alcoholic, I have worked through codependency in counseling and there have only been a handful of books from psychologists that have helped me understand family dynamics and my tendency to caretake over the years. In general, I find this type of book unhelpful.  The name of this book category tell why.  These type of books describe how a better life is possible in your own power.  As a Christian, the gospel is good news because I’ve realized 

I can’t meet my biggest needs apart from Christ. 

Recently, a podcast icon released a book that started gaining a following and many of my friends were reading it.  As her theory overlapped into some issues surrounding relational dysfunction, I decided to check out her book.  I’m not going to share the title or the author, as my monthly posts are to help us grow in faith—not as a pop culture commentary. Though there was some helpful perspectives and connections I made to previous learning, I couldn’t get past how self-focused this author was.  Page after page I was presented with the promise that you can have a fulfilling life  if you just present the right attitude towards others.  This book was a guarantee that if you just work a little  harder, with her techniques, you can experience perfect relationships.  

As a Christian, this advice was the opposite of helpful, it was misleading and untrue.  Our worldview describes the reality of our broken world.  Sin and shame have scarred human relationships and even with the right attitude, sometimes pain remains.  God is the answer, in that we can’t help ourselves.  Tim Keller, in a sermon titled A Covenant Relationship explains the beauty of a covenant relationship with God is that though we know what we need to do and we are unable to do it, God does it for us in Christ.  The book I read tells me how to I should live to solve my problems, yet even if I agreed with their advise, I am unable to follow it.  Helping myself can never save me.  And even if I could ‘“achieve” a perfect state of being, living in a world with other people who will inevitably hurt and disappoint me makes this intangible reality come crashing down.  

So what does this have to do with Hebrews?  Chapter 11 is a turning point in the book.  So far, we have been reading about why Jesus is better.  He is a better priest, a better sacrifice, and inaugurates a better covenant.  Chapter 11 of Hebrews is written to a group of people who know God is better.  They took action in the faith that even when they would lose in this world, they would gain by trusting God.  People in our day love to muster up faith in themselves, but those who follow Jesus have faith outside of themselves.  They’ve looked inward and seen sin and have accepted they can’t ever do or be enough.  Their gaze then is focused on God.  Self help books give us impossible direction. Contrastingly, Scripture shares a God-help message.  God’s word describes our need for the atonement of Christ and His sanctifying presence to institute divine change outside of ourself.  

V.1 Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.  

This first verse defines faith for us.  If we have faith, we trust that God will work for good in our lives.  We are assured, meaning sometimes we doubt or fear, to trust once again in things that we hope for, the things that haven’t happened yet.  Anyone that has trusted God over time can testify that sometimes the things we hope for are a change in circumstances, when God is wanting to develop spiritual stamina, make us more Christlike, and bring the fruit of the Spirit to bear in our lives.  When I think of what God has done, I am encouraged to trust Him in the future.  Many things I wanted in my immaturity, didn’t turn out like I hoped, but they were for my good.  I can then trust Jesus to handle my circumstances they way He wills as I know it ultimately makes me more like Him.  

V2. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God

To be sure that God created the world is a pillar of faith.  To look around and see the evidence of all that is, shows the power of God to bring His will into being.  If by a divine word the oceans, trees, and animals came into being, if the sun and stars exhibit because He spoke, how much more can He bring things to pass in our life.  The physical world is made of millions of living things coexisting in systemic patterns.  Look at the humble bee. It flies to flowers to gather nectar to make honey, all while cross pollinating the flowers so they bloom and grow.  The God who causes nature to interact under His direction can orchestrate your life.  

V.6 Without faith it is impossible to please him, because whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.  

Our hall of faith in this passage of Hebrews is filled with examples of those who believed faith in God brings blessing.  I live in the Pacific Northwest so being a Christian is not a culturally acceptable belief.  I also work in educational, which really makes me minority.  I live and work in the midst of people who don’t even believe God exsists, let alone want to follow one.  

There are many examples of faith that surround verse 8.  Summaries of people covered in the Bible who sought God and pleased Him.  Able seeks God by offering the type of sacrifice that He asks for.  Enoch was taken from the earth before dying.  Genesis 5:22 said that Enoch pleased God because he walked with Him, a metaphor in scripture of steadfast and consistent obedience.  Noah, builds an ark as to display his obedience to God’s word and Abraham obeyed when he was called to go, even though he didn’t know where God was leading.  Sarah trusted God to keep His promise that a nation would come through her offspring, even though she couldn’t bear children. 

V13 These all died in faith, not having received the things promised

These examples are given to us as each person demonstrated faith in action before getting what God promised them.  Trusting God, despite our circumstances and before He answers prayer in the way we want, is a heart that pleases God. 

Right now, I am currently longing for something that hasn’t happened yet.  I’ve been praying for years for God to move, to bring hearts back to Him in repentance and nothing has changed…yet.  I say yet because I believe that He can and that He is a merciful God.  It is a good thing to long for the repentance of those we love.  As I read in this passage of men and women who act in faith, I am encouraged to wait on the Lord, like the saints of old.  

V. 16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one.  

Through my long suffering and longing for God to hear and respond to my prayers, He has called me to shift my eyes to heaven.  My pain helps me remember that this world is not my home.  It calls me to not get comfortable but to focus on God’s kingdom and know that heaven is my future, where there will be no more pain or tear.  

2 Corinthians 5:7 reminds the reader that we walk by faith, not sight and looking ahead to verse 9, that those longing for home make it their aim to please Him.  I can’t wait to dwell in the city He has prepared for me.  

I started this post describing this modern idea of looking to the self for all that we need.  Instead, the men and women of Hebrews 11 show that I can’t be perfect apart from God, the object of their faith.  The figures given as an example to us sometimes doubted. Moses, killed an Egyptian to protect his kin.  Abraham told Pharaoh Sarah was his sister, not his wife when the ruler showed an interest in her.  Sarah gave Abraham her servant to bear the child God has promised.  

Being a person of faith doesn’t mean we always trust perfectly.  If it did, many of the characters mentioned would not have made this list in scripture.  Instead, faith is admitting when you attempt to save yourself, repentance that your ways end in foolishness,  and rest in the finished work of Christ who did it perfectly. 

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