Chapters 11 and 12—the final major portion of the epistle—establishes a call to respond in the only appropriate way, namely, by faith, to the realities the writer has discussed. Although the stress of the next section of Hebrews is on practical exhortations, doctrine is either taught or assumed in this part of the book as well. Though the importance of faith has already been made apparent, the thought of the writer is not complete until its value and worth are more fully considered. As before, there is exposition (ch. 11) followed by warning and exhortation (ch. 12). The fact that Christ is a superior Person (Heb. 1–6) and that He exercises a superior Priesthood (Heb. 7–10) ought to encourage us to put our trust in Him. The readers of this epistle were being tempted to go back into Judaism and put their faith in Moses. Their confidence was in the visible things of this world, not the invisible realities of God. Instead of going on to maturity, they were flirting with going back to destruction (Heb. 6:1; 10:39).
(One way to think of this last section of Hebrews is to use 1 Thessalonians 1:3, which says “constantly keeping in mind your work of faith and labor of love and perseverance of hope.” Those three phrases provide the outline for the last three chapters of Hebrews, although not in that order. But we will have work of faith in Hebrews 11, labor of love in chapter 13, and perseverance of hope in chapter 12.)
In a sense chapter 11 is a continuation of the encouragement of Hebrews 10:32-39. In concluding the previous warning section, the writer touched on the theme of living by faith (cf. 10:37–39). What this really means the writer then expounded in terms the readers could fully appreciate, because it is faith that underlies the experience of the heroes of Old Testament history. Since these people experienced faith, so could the readers. Chapter 11 is all about the life of faith. This famed “faith chapter” of the Bible describes Old Testament saints who endured in faith; they did not draw back to destruction. In Hebrews 11 all Christians are called to live by faith. In it, the writer discusses two important topics relating to faith: the description of faith (vv. 1-3) and the demonstration of faith (vv. 4-40; i.e. the life of faith).
1 Now faith is the certainty of things hoped for, a proof of things not seen. 2 For by it the people of old gained approval. 3 By faith we understand that the world has been created by the word of God so that what is seen has not been made out of things that are visible. 4 By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he was attested to be righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks. 5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; and he was not found because God took him up; for before he was taken up, he was attested to have been pleasing to God. 6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for the one who comes to God must believe that He exists, and that He proves to be One who rewards those who seek Him. 7 By faith Noah, 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. (NASB)
Key Takeaways:
- Verses 1-3 are a description of faith, not a definition of it
- Faith brings a confidence in God’s promises and shows trust in His character
- The actions of the Old Testament saints show that faith pleases God and that He rewards all who seek Him
- Two convictions characterize the lives of believers: (1) they must believe that God exists. (2) Believer’s must believe that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.
- Faith is the difference between an acceptable offering and one that is not acceptable
Closer Look:
Verses 1–3: In a brief Prologue the author set forth three fundamental considerations about faith: its basic nature, the honor associated with it, and its way of seeing things. In its essence “faith is the certainty” (hypostasis, rendered “being” in reference to God in 1:3) … and “proof” (elenchos, from the verb elenchō, “to prove or convince”) about unseen hopes and realities. Hebrews 11:1 does not really define faith; rather, it describes it. It should be observed that faith always involves the unseen (cf. Heb. 11:1, 3, 7, 10; 2 Cor. 5:7). We have not seen Jesus. We did not see Creation, yet we believe God created the world. Secondly, faith has about it a certain proof or conviction (elengchos). It is not only a matter of evidence, for faith is not always the result of evidence (cf. Luke 16:31). By conviction, that is the idea of trust and there is a trust that is involved there.
That this faith is honorable is seen in the fact that Old Testament heroes, “the people of old,” were commended for it. Faith is also a way of viewing all experience (“By faith we understand that the world”) since it is the way in which believers see “the world” (tous aiōnas, literally “the ages,” also rendered “the world” in 1:2) for what it is—a creation by God.
Let’s talk a little more about verse 1 and faith. Again it reads, “Now faith is the certainty of things hoped for, a proof of things not seen.” This is not a definition of faith. People will ask you for a definition of faith, and some will say this verse. However, this verse is a description of faith, not a definition. Faith does this and it accomplishes this. It is an evidence and a conviction.
Another thing to notice is that faith has three steps. If you do not have these three steps, you probably do not have faith. All three are needed. The first is information. You cannot believe something you don’t know about. You have to have information. It always involves a message. Romans 10:8,14: “…the word of faith which we are preaching…. How then are they to call on Him in whom they have not believed? How are they to believe in Him whom they have not heard?” You cannot believe something you don’t know about. So the first thing is information.
The second step of faith is mental assent. You hear and you say “yes, I think that’s true. That seems correct.” And you still do not have faith, because that is mental assent. James 2:19, “You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.” And notice what they believe; they don’t believe that God is, they believe that God is one. That’s Deuteronomy 6:4, the cornerstone of Judaism. “Hear O Israel, the Lord your God is one.” And they can say, “yeah, I believe that, that’s true.” But they are still lost. They don’t believe.
The third thing is trust. You go through these three phases to come to faith. You have information, mental assent, then trust. Here is an illustration. Think of a really good friend of yours who has decided to build a small two-person submarine. Throughout the process, the friend shows you pictures, talks about what they are doing, and finally finishes it. They tell you to come with them to look at it. So, of course you go and look at it. Then they decide to take you and the submarine to the nearest lake or body of water. You see them drop the submarine into the water and see it float. The friend is astonished and says, “it floats!” Then they decide to give it a try and they take it out for a spin. You see them drive around the lake and even go under water. Just when you are about to call the emergency line , they re-appear out of the water and drive back to the boat dock. They say, “It works, it really, really works.” You confirm and tell them that it does work. You have the information and said it works. Then, the friend tells you to get in. Now, I do not have faith until I get in. I have the information and mental assent, and then the trust when I get in.
Think about our churches. They have a decent percentage of people with the information, and have given mental assent, but are they really trusting. They hear the message and agree that it is true, but then go on their way. And that is what hurts.
Verse two mentions one of the things not seen but hoped for in verse one; it is approval from God. This concept of approval is an inclusio (term meaning brackets) for the chapter for it is found in verse 2 and verse 39. The theme then of Hebrews 11 is how these people by faith gained approval from God. In fact, a basic idea of the chapter can be described in the following statement: the only assured result of faith is approval from God. But what more would God’s child want! The only guaranteed result of faith is approval from God. Nothing else. No guarantee of health, no guarantee of wealth, no guarantee of popularity, no guarantee of fame. The only guaranteed result of faith is approval from God. What more do we want? We see II Corinthians 5:9 to make it my aim to be well pleasing to Him. This passage describes people who endured, who are approved by God. This is basically God’s stamp of approval on these people. And that is what we have here in chapter 11.
Verse 3 is the illustration of faith involving the unseen. We did not see Creation occurring, but it did. This is an illustration of unseen. The word “worlds” (aionas) here clearly involves the material world as well. This is a good illustration of the word aionas, which is normally translated “ages” as involving the world, the material world. It is a basic point of faith that God is Creator. And it also indicates that God made matter. In other words, matter was not eternal. God made matter.
Also notice the verb “understand” (noeo), comes from a word that means to perceive, to understand. So, we understand by faith. That’s a difficult concept. We perceive, we see it by faith.
In the demonstration of faith section of this chapter (vv. 4-40), in the first major movement of the writer’s exposition, the author stressed the theme suggested in verse 2. Faith wins acceptance and reward from God.
Verse 4: Abel represents the righteous man referred to in 10:38, whose acceptance before God was based on a superior sacrifice. Genesis 4:3–7 and the rest of the Old Testament do not explain why Abel’s offering was more acceptable than Cain’s. Hebrews offers the explanation: Abel showed faith. There are many people who have made the point that the difference between the sacrifices was one was bloody and the other did not involve blood. They say that what made one acceptable to God was the blood. The problem is Leviticus 6:14-20 we find non-bloody sacrifices. There is nothing wrong with a non-bloody sacrifice. The issue is not non-bloody or bloody, the issue is faith versus lack of faith. By faith, Abel offered a better sacrifice. It was the faith that made the difference in the sacrifice and what made one acceptable. The fact that God accepted Abel’s sacrifice showed that he had an obedient attitude of mind. In some way Cain held back from God, perhaps in his heart. Abel’s offering was an unrestrained response to God, complete with lavish worship which pleased God. John tells us that Cain’s works were evil, while those of Abel were righteous (1 John 3:12). Even though Cain murdered Abel, the faith of Abel still spoke over the centuries. Even a violent death could not muzzle the message of faith. Abel’s demonstration of faith allows him to speak a message of encouragement to us today.
Like Abel, the readers found acceptance before God on the basis of the better sacrifice of the New Covenant. Their unbelieving brethren, like Cain, found no such divine approval. Even death does not extinguish the testimony of a man like Abel.
Verses 5–6: Genesis 5:24 says: “Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.” Enoch reflected the kind of life that pleases God since he walked with God by faith (as the readers and we also should). If Christ had come in their lifetimes (cf. 10:37), the readers also would not have experienced death. Enoch’s release from death was due to his faith. Also, before his translation to heaven he had lived a life pleasing to God. In an age of corruption, Enoch stood out as a man of righteousness. He showed his faith by his walk with God. Faith in a God he could not see controlled Enoch’s life. It is also interesting that the testimony was “before he was taken up,” he had this testimony by faith. He must have had a tremendous testimony before he was taken up. Verse 6 is the basic principle that without faith it is impossible to please Him.
In any case, Enoch and the readers could only please God by continued confidence that “He exists, and that He proves to be One who rewards those who seek Him.” Real fellowship with God cannot exist without faith. Two convictions must characterize the lives of believers. One, they must believe that He exists. Anyone wanting to communicate with God must have the deep conviction that God is real. Two, God’s servants must believe that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. Faith is not selfish; rather, faith has confidence in a God of love and goodness. These two convictions provide a firm foundation for the lives of Christians. It would be foolish to look for a god who does not exist or for one who—if it did exist—would punish you if you found it.
Verse 7: That God does reward those who seek Him is suggested by the career of Noah, who became an heir of righteousness by faith. Noah (Gen. 6–9) showed his faith in response to a specific warning from God. He took the warning to heart, built an ark, and saved his family. Noah’s act of building the ark condemned the scoffing unbelief of his generation and provided visible evidence that Noah believed God. Noah’s contemporaries must have been merciless in their ridicule of this “foolish” man who was building an ark so far inland. In building the ark, Noah became an heir of faith righteousness, a theme echoing Paul’s discussion of the subject (Rom. 9:30; 10:6). What he inherited was, in fact, the new world after the Flood as the readers might inherit “the world to come” (cf. 2:5). The reference here to Noah saving his household recalls the writer’s stress on a Christian’s salvation-inheritance. It further suggests that a person’s personal faith can be fruitful in their family, as they share it together.