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A practical guide to

understanding and applying

faith lessons from the Book of

Hebrews (#10)

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What do these images have in

common?

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Hebrews 11: 1-16 Circle the hidden words that fill in each sentence

1. Faith gives us an _____________________ about things we cannot see. 2. By _______________________ we understand that the entire

______________ was formed at God’s command. 3. It was by faith that _________________________ brought a more acceptable

offering to God than Cain did. 4. It was by faith that ________________________ was taken up to heaven

without dying. 5. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that ______________ exists

and that He rewards those who sincerely seek him. 6. It was by faith that _________________________built a large boat to save his

family from the flood. 7. It was by faith that _______________________ obeyed when God called him

to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going.

8. Both ____________________ and ___________________ lived by faith in the land God promised them, living like foreigners, in tents.

9. It was by faith that _________________ was able to have a child, though she was barren and too old.

10. All these people died still believing what God had promised them…They were looking for a better place, a heavenly ________________________.

G u f a i t h f u l l o J a s s N o A h o t d a y s e n d b t o z o c l u n i v e r s E S o a r o s a l e e n A b r a h a m o w n o r i t n o o I s a a c a l l c i t y o r a h h o m e l a n d d o o

Heb 11:1-2 Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation.

3 By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.

Hypostasis --

substance

Elenchus – test, or

proof

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What do they teach us about faith?

ABEL -- It was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable

offering to God than Cain did. Abel’s offering testified that he was a righteous man, and God showed his approval of his gifts. Although Abel is long dead, he still speaks to us by his example of faith.

Abel is Eve's second son. His name may have originally meant "breath", and is used in the Hebrew Bible primarily as a metaphor for what is "elusive", especially the "vanity" of human beauty and work.

The death of Abel and that of Jesus are sometimes compared. Abel is seen as the first martyr. The blood of Jesus is interpreted as bringing mercy while Abel’s demanded vengeance (hence the curse and mark on Cain). In Matthew 23:35 Jesus speaks of Abel as

"righteous." Abel is mentioned in the Canon of the Mass along with those of Abraham and Melchizedek. The Coptic Church commemorates him with a feast day on December 28. They believe Abel's body, after many days of mourning, was placed in the Cave of Treasures, before which Adam and Eve, and descendants, offered their prayers. According to Shi'a Muslim belief, Abel is buried in Nabi Habeel Mosque, located west of Damascus, in Syria.

ENOCH -- It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven

without dying—“he disappeared, because God took him.” For before he was taken up, he was known as a person who pleased God. And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.

The New Testament mentions Enoch in the Epistle of Jude where the author attributes a passage unknown in the Old Testament. This Enoch prophesies: “Enoch, who lived in the seventh generation after Adam, prophesied about these people. He said, “Listen! The Lord is coming with countless thousands of his holy ones to execute judgment on the people of the world. He will convict every person of all the ungodly things they have done and for all the insults that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” These people are grumblers and complainers, living only to satisfy their desires. They brag loudly about themselves, and they flatter others to get what they want.” (Jude 14-16)

What about Abel’s offering infers

he was a good guy?

Why is it impossible to please God apart from faith?

Can a demon’s prayers be answered by God?

Abel’s sacrifice was superior:

Living

Involved blood

Best of flock

Spontaneous

Costly

Gen 4:3-7

Martyreo – witness, testify, commended, pleased

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NOAH -- It was by faith that Noah built a large boat

to save his family from the flood. He obeyed God, who warned him about things that had never happened before. By his faith Noah condemned the rest of the world, and he received the righteousness that comes by faith. Noah was the first man in the Bible to be called righteous (Gen 6:9). He was right with God because he took God at His word; he believed what God said and acted upon it. Noah lived a God-oriented life. His conduct stood in sharp contracts with his generation. Living a life obedient to God is a daily condemnation of wickedness. “The people of Nineveh will stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for they repented of their sins at the preaching of Jonah. Now someone greater than Jonah is here—but you refuse to repent. The queen of Sheba will also stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for she came from a distant land to hear the wisdom of Solomon. Now someone greater than Solomon is here—but you refuse to listen.” [Matt 12:41-42]. “For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life…” [2 Cor. 2:15-16].

ABRAHAM -- It was by faith that Abraham obeyed

when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going. And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith—for he was like a foreigner, living in tents... Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God…. It was by faith that Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice when God was testing him. Abraham, who had received God’s promises, was ready to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, even though God had told him, “Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted.” Abraham reasoned that if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life again. And in a

List the ways Abraham was

faith-filled: 1. Obeyed when…

2. Left his home for… 3. Didn’t know where… 4. Lived like a…

5. Accepted God’s promise of… 6. Offered God his only… 7. Other?

G u f a i t h f u l l

o j a s s n o a h o t

d a y s e n d b t o z

o c l u n i v e r s e

s o a r o s a l e e n

a b r a h a m o w n o

r i t n o o i s a a c

a l l c i t y o r a h

h o m e l a n d d o o

What is the connection between real faith and obedient action?

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sense, Abraham did receive his son back from the dead.

Abraham gets the most space on this list. And for good reason. He is perhaps the best example of a faith-filled follower of God. Abraham is given a high position of respect in three major world faiths, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. In Judaism he is the founding father of the Covenant, the special relationship between the Jewish people and God – a belief which gives the Jews a unique position as the Chosen People of God. Both the Apostle Paul and Mohammad claimed Abraham for themselves as a "believer” before the addition of the Mosaic law. For Paul, Abraham's faith in God made him the prototype of all believers, circumcised and uncircumcised; for Mohammad, Abraham's belief separated Islam, submission to God, from the Torah. Abraham, by his faith (according to Paul) or by his submission (according to Mohammad), undercut Jewish claims to an exclusive relationship with God and the Covenant.

Islam focuses on Abraham more than either Judaism or Christianity, but with an important difference: where Judaism says a descendant of Abraham is by birth, and Christianity says we become a descendant through faith, Islam says descent is unimportant – Abraham, in other words, is not the father of the believing community, but a link in the chain of prophets that begins with Adam and culminates in Mohammad. Muslims regard him as a prophet and patriarch, the archetype of the perfect Muslim.

What do we learn about faith from Abe’s life?

Do you believe a Christian can have as intimate a relationship

with God today?

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SARAH -- And by faith even Sarah, who was past

childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.

Having spoken of Abraham’s faith, the writer now makes mention of Sarah’s. There are five things that stand out in her case:

the obstacles to her faith: barrenness, old age, and unbelief;

the effect of her faith: she "received strength to conceive;"

the constancy of her faith: she trusted God to actually deliver a child;

the foundation of her faith: she rested upon the Divine promise-maker

the fruit of her faith: the millions of descendants from her son Isaac.

Sarah exercised the same faith as had Abraham. She left Ur when he did, accompanied him to Canaan, dwelt with him in tents. She experienced and lived through the trials that got them both to this point in life. The writer is concerned that she not be seen as a faith hanger-on. She carried her own load. It was by her own faith that she received strength, despite the very real and formidable obstacles which stood in the way of her exercising it. Sarah did not look at God’s promises through the lense of the obstacles; she viewed the obstacles through the lense of God’s promises. The text says Sarah "judged" or reckoned, reputed and esteemed, God to be faithful. She was confident He would make good His word, on which He had caused her to hope. God had spoken: Sarah had heard; in spite of all that seemed to make it impossible, His promise would be fulfilled in her case, and she steadfastly believed. Luther said, "If you would trust God,

you must learn to crucify the question “How."”

All these people died still believing what

God had promised them. They did not receive

what was promised, but they saw it all from a

distance and welcomed it. They agreed that

they were foreigners and nomads here on

earth. Obviously people who say such things

are looking forward to a country they can call

their own. If they had longed for the country

they came from, they could have gone

back. But they were looking for a better

place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God

is not ashamed to be called their God, for he

has prepared a city for them.

Check all that apply to Faith: _____ the only way to please God;

_____ believes God makes promises;

_____ believe God keeps His promises;

_____ the bedrock of what we hope for;

_____ the confidence to see the unseen;

_____ obeys God’s commands;

In what ways is Sarah’s faith different from

Abraham’s?

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What do these characters all have in common?

Did you ever have an invisible friend?

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A summary quiz on what’s been

covered so far…

T or F OT sacrifices were valid in God’s

judgment, because they anticipated the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ.

T or F God judged Cain’s sacrifice of fruit and

nuts as worthy, while Abel’s sacrifice of wine and cheese was deemed unworthy.

T or F Abraham is given a high position of respect in three major world faiths:

Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

T or F Noah was the second man in the Bible to be called righteous.

T or F Sarah’s faith was dependent upon the example of Abraham.

T or F From Enoch we learn that anyone who wants to come to God must believe

that He exists and that He rewards those who sincerely seek him.

T or F It was through their love that a few OT people earned a standing of

“righteous in God eyes.”

T or F By faith, we know that God created the universe from a single

explosion of dark matter.

T or F When we pray, we can go

right into the presence of God because our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean.

T or F We don’t need to make

annual sacrifices because if our sins have been forgiven by Jesus, there is no need to offer any more sacrifices.

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Hebrew 11:20-22 -- Patriarchs whose faith looked beyond death…

It was by faith that Isaac promised blessings for the future to his sons, Jacob and Esau. It was by faith that Jacob, when he was old and dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons and bowed in worship as he leaned on his staff. It was by faith that Joseph, when he was about to die, said confidently that the people of Israel would leave Egypt. He even commanded them to take his bones with them when they left.

The Old Testament terms for blessing occur over 600 times. The major terms are related to the word meaning "to kneel," since in earlier times one would kneel to receive a blessing. Three common themes are present in formal Old Testament blessings: the greater blesses the lesser as when Melchizedek blesses Abraham (Heb 7:6-7); the blessing is a sign of special favor that is intended to result in prosperity and success (Deut 28:3-7); and, the blessing is an invocation for God's blessing: "May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful" (Gen 28:3).

The Blessing of Jacob is a poem that appears in Genesis at 49:1-27 and mentions each of Jacob's twelve sons. The poem presents the merits and attributes of each of the Tribes of Israel. Jacob isn’t afraid to scold some of the tribes, in particular, Reuben, Simeon, and Levi. In chapter 48, Jacob also blesses the two sons of Joseph – Manasseh and Ephraim. As with Isaac, his blessing also went against the natural birth order. Joseph tried to have the major blessing go to Manasseh the firstborn. But Jacob crossed his hands to select Ephraim as the greater.

Apart from his first 17 years dwelling in Canaan, Joseph lived all his life in Egypt. Yet by faith, he insisted on being buried in the Promised land. “Soon I will die,” Joseph told his brothers, “but God will surely come to help you and lead you out of this land of Egypt. He will bring you back to the land he solemnly promised to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear an oath, and he said, “When God comes to help you and lead you back, you must take my bones with you.” (Gen 50:24-25)

Genesis27:27-29; 39-40

So Jacob went over and kissed Isaac. And when Isaac caught the smell of his clothes, he was finally convinced, and he blessed his son. He said, “Ah! The smell of my son is like the smell of the outdoors, which the LORD has blessed! “From the dew of heaven and the richness of the earth, may God always give you abundant harvests of grain and bountiful new wine. May many nations become your servants, and may they bow down to you. May you be the master over your brothers, and may your mother’s sons bow down to you. All who curse you will be cursed, and all who bless you will be blessed.” Esau pleaded, “But do you have only one blessing? Oh my father, bless me, too!” Then Esau broke down and wept. Finally, his father, Isaac, said to him, “You will live away from the richness of the earth, and away from the dew of the heaven above. You will live by your sword, and you will serve your brother. But when you decide to break free, you will shake his yoke from your neck.”

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Hebrews 11:23-28 -- Five faith instances from Moses… It was by faith that Moses’ parents hid him for three months when he was born. They saw that God had given them an unusual child, and they were not afraid to disobey the king’s command. It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to share the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward. It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible. It was by faith that Moses commanded the people of Israel to keep the Passover and to sprinkle blood on the doorposts so that the angel of death would not kill their firstborn sons. Moses could be a model for religious legalists. Instead, Moses is a model of a man of faith who believed the Word of God and was accepted by God. Particularly, the writer of Hebrews points out Moses’ decision, his choice, his values, his Exodus, and his keeping the Passover. 1. Moses refused the role given him in Egypt and instead trusts God to fulfill and accomplish his purpose in his life. Faith is willing to deny itself, to deny all that it possesses. 2. Moses chose to reject the pleasures of sin which are momentary and passing to do the work of God because it produces dividends that are lasting. Faith chooses holiness. 3. Moses valued something he couldn’t quite see – at least not yet. And he bore a reproach, the kind of reproach that is characteristic of Christ who was infinitely rich, infinitely privileged, infinitely satisfied in the presence of God and set it all aside to the do the will of God, to come down to suffer ill treatment on behalf of the people of God.

4. Moses forsook Egypt. He renounced it. He rejected Egypt as having any power over his life. He rejected the power that Pharaoh supposedly had over his life. Faith does not fear the wrath of the king because it knows real life is in the hands of God. 5. Moses went all in. He did it God’s way, using God’s play book. Blood on a doorpost. He accepted the Lord’s plans, and the Lord’s provisions, and the Lord’s promise. Faith doesn’t look to itself for the plans. It looks to God to give the plans and the resources to do God’s work, God’s way.

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Hebrews 11:29-31 – Even the Exodus Generation had faith once in a while… It was by faith that the people of Israel went right through the Red Sea as though they were on dry ground. But when the Egyptians tried to follow, they were all drowned. It was by faith that the people of Israel marched around Jericho for seven days, and the walls came crashing down. It was by faith that Rahab the prostitute was not destroyed with the people in her city who refused to obey God. For she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.

There are only a couple of times when Israel is faithful, even though they still can’t stop whining. Moses leads the children of Israel out of Egypt and pharaoh agrees to their departure. But Yahweh causes pharaoh to pursue the Israelites with chariots, and he overtakes them. When the Israelites see the Egyptian army they are afraid, but the pillar of fire and the cloud separates the Israelites and the Egyptians. At Yahweh's command Moses holds his staff out over the water, and throughout the night a strong east wind divides the sea, and the Israelites pass through with a wall of water on either side. The Egyptians pursue, but at daybreak Yahweh clogs their chariot-wheels and throws them into a panic, and with the return of the water the pharaoh and his entire army are destroyed (Psalm 136:15).

Before attacking Jericho, Joshua sent out two spies to investigate the military strength of Jericho. The spies stayed in Rahab's house, which was built into the city wall. When soldiers of the city guard came to look for the Israelite spies, she hid them under bundles of flax on the roof. It was the time of the barley harvest, and flax and barley stalks might have been expected to be drying. The spies promised to spare Rahab and her family after taking the city, even if there should be a massacre, if she would mark her house by hanging a red cord out the window. When the city of Jericho fell (Joshua 6:17-25), Rahab and her whole family were preserved according to the promise of the spies, and were incorporated among the Jewish people.

Rahab married Salmon of the tribe of Judah and was the mother of Boaz. That made her ancestress to King David, all the kings of Judah, and Jesus. Some scholars believe that the Rahab described in Joshua is not the same person as the Rahab mentioned in Jesus' genealogy. The Jewish Talmud says that Rahab of Jericho married Joshua

Bin Nun, a descendant of Joseph. This Rahab was ancestress to Huldah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and other prophetesses and prophets.

Joshua 2:9-13

I know that the LORD has given this land to you and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. We have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. When we heard of it, our hearts melted and everyone's courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below. Now then, please swear to me by the LORD that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and that you will save us from death.

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Hebrews 11: 32-38 -- So many others…

How much more do I need to say? It would take too long to recount the stories of

the faith of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets. By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions, quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight. Women received their loved ones back again from death.

But others were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection. Some were jeered at, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in prisons. Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half, and others were killed with the sword. Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats, destitute and oppressed and mistreated. They were too good for this world, wandering over deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground.

Match up the Act-in-faith and the name...

Shut lion’s mouths

Sawed in half

Killed by the sword

Women received loved ones back from the dead

Chained in prison

Backs whipped

Stoned to death

Wearing goat and sheep skins

Quenched fires of flame

Isaiah

Stephen

Barak, Gideon, Jephthah

Elijah

Shadrach, Meshach, & Abed-nego

Elijah’s hostess, the Shunamite,

Dorcas

Jeremiah

Daniel

John the Baptist

Put armies to flight St. Paul

Barak – Judges 4 Gideon – Judges 6

Jephthah – Judges 11

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And His promise… Hebrews 11:39-40

All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us.

The life of faith is represented as receiving--an act which implies the very opposite of anything like merit. It is simply the acceptance of a gift. As the earth drinks in the rain, as the sea receives the streams, as night accepts light from the stars, so we, giving nothing, partake freely of the grace of God. The saints are not, by nature, wells, or streams, they are but cisterns into which the living water flows; they are empty vessels into which God pours his salvation. The idea of receiving implies a sense of realization, making the matter a reality. One cannot very well receive a shadow; we receive that which is substantial: so is it in the life of faith, Christ becomes real to us. While we are without faith, Jesus is a mere name to us--a person who lived a long while ago, so long ago that his life is only a history to us now! By an act of faith Jesus becomes a real person in the consciousness of our heart. But receiving also means grasping or getting possession of. The thing which I receive becomes my own: I appropriate to myself that which is given. When I receive Jesus, he becomes my Saviour, so mine that neither life nor death shall be able to rob me of him. All this is to receive Christ--to take him as God's free gift; to realize him in my heart, and to appropriate

him as mine. – Oswald Chambers

Check all that apply to Faith: _____ is the only way to please God;

_____ believes God makes promises;

_____ believes God keeps His promises;

_____ is the bedrock of what we hope for;

_____ is the confidence to see the unseen;

_____ obeys God’s commands;

_____ endures hardships;

_____ enables believers to live like a

sojourner;

_____ enables believers to do impossible

tasks.

They were too good for this world.

The Savior is waiting to enter your heart. Why don’t you let him come in? There’s nothing in this world to keep you apart. What is your answer to him? Time after time, He has waited before And now He is waiting again To see if you’re willing to open the door Oh, how he wants to come in.