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January 20, 2013 |
| It Was Always Faith | ||
The book of Hebrews may not have been written specifically to a church as the other epistles were. Instead it was probably written to Christian people who lived in Jewish areas of the world and may have been raised as Jews. From what is said in the book, it's clear that the audience were Christians who were being influenced by Jewish reasoning. As a result they have asked questions and this epistle was written to answer those questions.
By answering those questions the author explains to us many of the details about how Judaism changed as it became Christianity, what Judaism was really about, and what Judaism tells us about Christianity.
Much of the book of Hebrews is difficult to understand. This is because it makes frequent references to the Old Testament people and especially Old Testament law to support the arguments it is making. In the chapter we will be studying in this lesson there are only references to Old Testament people, which is easier for us to understand.
It appears that the question that is answered in this chapter is about the role of faith in salvation. The author, possibly Paul, will build a list of examples of faith beginning in Genesis and going all the way through the Old Testament. The author begins by defining faith.
1 Now faith is the conviction concerning those things that are in hope, as if it were these things in action, and the revelation of those things that are unseen; 2 And by this there was a testimony concerning the ancients.
The word faith is commonly used as a synonym for religion. For example someone might say "That's what my faith believes." But that is not the meaning of faith that is being used here. The author refers to faith as a conviction, or firm belief about something that is hoped for or desired. Further he says that this faith is so certain it is as though the things desired were happening or the things wanted were coming into existence.
This is the kind of faith that God wants from us. It is the kind of faith that makes things happen. It was the kind of faith required of the people in Jesus' time in the miracles he performed.
The author also says that faith is a testimony to us from the ancients, by which he means the people of ancient times.
3 For by faith we understand that the worlds were fashioned by the word of God, and these things that are seen came into being out of those things which are unseen.
This same faith that God requires of us is also the faith by which the universe was created.
4 By faith, Abel offered to God a sacrifice much better than that of Cain, and because of it there is a testimony concerning him that he was righteous, and God testifies concerning his offering; and because of it, although he died, he also speaks.
By faith Abel obeyed God and offered a sacrifice that was pleasing to him. Cain offered an unacceptable sacrifice. Abel's faith, which lead to obedience, speaks a testimony about him that he was righteous before God.
5 By faith, Enoch was transported away and he did not taste death, neither was he found, because God transported him away; for before he was to transport him, there was this testimony concerning him: "He pleased God."1 6 But without faith, no one can please God, for whoever is brought near to God must believe that he exists and that he is the rewarder of those who seek him.
The author's point here is that Enoch also had faith, although the Bible does not say that he did. The author says that we know he had faith because it was said of him that he pleased God and because it is not possible to please God without faith, we know that Enoch had faith.
7 By faith, Noah worshiped, when those things which had not been seen were spoken to him, and he made the Ark for the lives of his children in his household, by which he condemned the world, and he became the heir of the righteousness which is in faith.
When Noah built the Ark there had never been rain and there had never been floods. Yet he believed God when God told him of these things and so he built the Ark. The Ark would save his family but by it, because they would not repent, it was also the death of the world. Their deaths would leave Noah as the leader of a new generation who were righteous because of their faith.
So far the author's trip through history by examples of faith has taken us through the time prior to the Israelites. We'll come back to that later. Now we move forward into the Israelite phase.
8 By faith, Abraham, when he was called, obeyed to go out to the place that he was going to receive for an inheritance, and he went out when he did not know where he was going. 9 By faith he became an inhabitant in that land which was promised to him, as in a foreign land, and he dwelt in tents with Isaac and Jacob, his heirs of The Promise. 10 For he was looking for The City which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
When Abraham was told by God to take his family and move to a place that God would show him, it was by faith that Abraham went, even though he did not know where he was going. He was convinced that God would be true to his promise. That promise included a city built by God.
11 By faith also Sarah, who was sterile, received power to conceive seed, and she who was not in the time of her years gave birth, for she was sure that he who promised her was faithful. 12 Because of this, from one who was failing in old age were born as many as the stars in the Heavens, and as the sand which is upon the seashore, which has no measure.
Sarah also had faith that God would be true to his promise. As a result she conceived and gave birth to a nation – a nation that still exists today.
13 These died in faith, all of them, and they did not receive their promise, but they saw it from a distance and rejoiced in it and confessed that they were foreigners and nomads in The Earth. 14 But those who say these things show that they seek their City. 15 And if they had been seeking that city which they had left, they had time to return again to it. 16 Now it is apparent that they longed for better than that, which is in Heaven; because of this, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a City for them.
Abraham, Sarah, all their family died without seeing the promise fulfilled but by faith they knew it would come to be. The author makes an important argument here. Abraham considered himself as someone away from his true city and a traveler without a city. The author says that because of this we know that he was talking about the city of God because if he had meant the city of Ur they could have gone back there. So there was no city on the earth that they considered theirs.
Because of their faith in his promise God has prepared a city in heaven for them, and for us.
17 By faith, Abraham offered Isaac during his testing, and laid his only son on the altar, whom he had received by The Promise. 18 For it was said to him, "In Isaac your seed shall be called."2 19 And he accepted in his soul that God was able to raise him from the dead, and because of this, he was given to him in a simile.
Abraham was told by God that the promise would be fulfilled through Isaac, therefore when God instructed him to sacrifice Isaac he still had faith in that promise. He reasoned to himself that if he killed Isaac as a sacrifice that God would raise Isaac from the dead in order to fulfill that promise.
Not everyone agrees about the meaning of verse 19. A simile is a phrase that uses 'as' or 'like', for example 'as white as a sheet'3. So the intent is to show that Isaac is like something else. It could be saying that because of Abraham's faith that Isaac would die as a sacrifice and be raised it was 'like' he had been sacrificed. It could also be that Isaac was like Jesus, dying as a sacrifice and being resurrected. It could also be that Isaac is like all those having faith, dying and being resurrected to see the promise. It could also be that God intended all these meanings to be true and valuable to us.
We'll skip verses 20 through 23 for brevity. These verses talk about the faith of Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and the parents of Moses. These people were the fathers of the Israelites, and were considered the greatest of them.
24 By faith, Moses, when he became a man, renounced being called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. 25 And he chose to remain in affliction with the people of God and not to enjoy sin for a short time. 26 And he considered that the reproach of The Messiah was much greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was attentive to the payment of the reward. 27 By faith he forsook Egypt and was not afraid of the rage of The King and he endured as if he had seen God, who is unseen. 28 By faith he observed Passover and sprinkled the blood, lest he who was destroying the firstborn should touch them.
Moses faith was such that he gave up the life of wealth and power he could have had for a promise he was given by God. He reasoned wisely that the worst criticism he would receive from the Messiah would be better than anything and everything that Egypt could offer. In faith Moses also told the people to prepare for their first Passover. In faith the Israelites did as they were told and saved their firstborn sons.
We'll skip verses 29 through 31 for brevity. These verses relate the stories of faith by the Israelites as they passed through the water on dry land, of faith to destroy Jericho by walking around it, and of the faith of Rahab who helped the Israelite spies.
32 And what more shall I say? For I have little time to recount about Gideon and about Baraq, about Samson, about Jephthah, about David, about Samuel and about the other Prophets: 33 Those who by faith conquered Kingdoms and wrought justice, received promises and shut the mouths of lions; 34 They quenched the power of fire, were delivered from the edge of the sword, were strengthened out of weakness, became strong in battle and overturned enemy camps. 35 And they gave women their children by resurrection of the dead, and others died by torture and did not expect to be delivered, that they would have a better resurrection; 36 Others entered mockings and scourgings; others were handed over to chains and to prison cells; 37 Others were stoned; others were sawn in half; others died by the edge of the sword; others traveled wearing skins of sheep and of goats, and were needy, afflicted and beaten; 38 Persons of whom the world was not worthy; and they were as wanderers in desert places and in mountains and in caves and caverns of The Earth.
39 And all of these, concerning whom there is a testimony of their faith, did not receive The Promise. 40 Because God provided for our benefit that they would not be made perfect without us.
It is worth mentioning that the first promise of a Messiah was given immediately after the first sin when the serpent who deceived Eve and Adam was told "you will strike at his heal but he will crush your head"
The author says that all these people he has mentioned died without having received the promise. We now say this of the author of Hebrews as well and all the apostles and everyone else that has died in faith. Some of them saw parts of the promise fulfilled but the entire promise is not yet fulfilled. That complete fulfillment comes with the second coming of the Messiah and the resurrection of those who died in faith.
From the beginning faith has always been the only way to God and salvation. Even some educated people will tell you that Judaism is a religion of works, not faith. This is not true. As the author of Hebrews points out it has always been faith in God and his promises. With the coming of the Messiah there came new promises and a new foundation for faith. But it was always faith.
1 Genesis 5:24
2 Genesis 21:12
3 Encarta Dictionary, Microsoft Word