Hebrews11

Hebrews chapter 11 defines faith as the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. It then presents a comprehensive list of Old Testament figures, from Abel to the prophets, who demonstrated unwavering faith in God's promises and power. These individuals, through their belief, performed mighty acts, endured great suffering, and lived as pilgrims, looking forward to a heavenly country, though many died without receiving the ultimate promise in their lifetime. Their lives serve as a testament to the enduring power and necessity of faith in pleasing God.
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The Definition and Nature of Faith

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Now faith is the assurance of what we hope for and the certainty of what we do not see. ​
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This is why the ancients were commended.
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By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. ​

Faith in the Early Generations

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By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous when God gave approval to his gifts. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead. ​
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By faith Enoch was taken up so that he did not see death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.
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And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who approaches Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. ​
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By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in godly fear built an ark to save his family. By faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. ​

The Faith of Abraham and Sarah

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By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, without knowing where he was going. ​
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By faith he dwelt in the promised land as a stranger in a foreign country. He lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.
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For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. ​
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By faith Sarah, even though she was barren and beyond the proper age, was enabled to conceive a child, because she considered Him faithful who had promised. ​
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And so from 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.
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All these people died in faith, without having received the things they were promised. However, they saw them and welcomed them from afar. And they acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. ​
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Now those who say such things show that they are seeking a country of their own.
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If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return.
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Instead, they were longing for a better country, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them. ​
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By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac on the altar. He who had received the promises was ready to offer his one and only son, ​
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even though God had said to him, “Through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned.”
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Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and in a sense, he did receive Isaac back from death. ​

Faith of the Next Patriarchs

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By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning the future. ​
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By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.
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By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites and gave instructions about his bones. ​

The Faith of Moses and the Conquest

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By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after his birth, because they saw that he was a beautiful child, and they were unafraid of the king’s edict. ​
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By faith Moses, when he was grown, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.
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He chose to suffer oppression with God’s people rather than to experience the fleeting enjoyment of sin.
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He valued disgrace for Christ above the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his reward. ​
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By faith Moses left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw Him who is invisible. ​
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By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch Israel’s own firstborn.
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By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to follow, they were drowned.
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By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days.
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By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies in peace, did not perish with those who were disobedient. ​

Faith in the Period of Judges and Kings

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And what more shall I say? Time will not allow me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets, ​
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who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions,
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quenched the raging fire, and escaped the edge of the sword; who gained strength from weakness, became mighty in battle, and put foreign armies to flight.
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Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused their release, so that they might gain a better resurrection. ​
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Still others endured mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment.
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They were stoned, they were sawed in two, they were put to death by the sword. They went around in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, oppressed, and mistreated. ​
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The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and hid in caves and holes in the ground. ​

The Superiority of the New Covenant

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These were all commended for their faith, yet they did not receive what was promised. ​
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God had planned something better for us, so that together with us they would be made perfect. ​

Study Notes for Hebrews 11

Verse 1

This classic definition portrays faith not as blind belief, but as firm conviction (substance/hypostasis) regarding the reality of future promises and unseen spiritual truths (evidence/elenchos).

Verse 3

This verse highlights that faith is necessary to accept the doctrine of *creatio ex nihilo* (creation out of nothing), emphasizing that God’s Word brought the visible world into being from things that do not appear.

Verse 4

Abel’s 'more excellent sacrifice' suggests a superior offering based on internal faith (perhaps involving blood/life) rather than a mere natural offering, demonstrating a righteousness attested by God Himself.

Verse 6

This is a foundational theological statement: faith involves two necessary components—belief in God’s existence and belief in His character as a just and generous rewarder.

Verse 7

Noah’s faith was demonstrated by action (preparing the Ark) in response to a warning about an unseen future event, leading to his justification and the condemnation of the disobedient world.

Verse 8

Abraham’s defining act of faith was radical obedience, leaving his established life for an unknown destination solely on the basis of God's promise.

Verse 10

Abraham’s faith was driven by an eternal perspective. He viewed the temporary tents (tabernacles) of Canaan as preparation for a permanent, divine city, the heavenly Jerusalem.

Verse 11

Sarah's inclusion stresses that God empowers the weak and overturns natural limitations (childbearing past age) when individuals trust in the faithfulness of the one who promised.

Verse 13

The patriarchs died without seeing the full fulfillment of the promises (the Messiah and the heavenly city), yet their faith was validated by their willingness to live as 'strangers and pilgrims,' seeking a heavenly homeland.

Verse 16

Because of their unwavering desire for a superior, heavenly country, God honors them by being called 'their God,' a title of intimate covenant relationship.

Verse 17

This account of the sacrifice of Isaac (Genesis 22) represents the ultimate test of Abraham’s loyalty, forcing him to choose between the physical promise and the character of the Promiser.

Verse 19

Abraham reasoned that God, who had guaranteed the promised seed through Isaac, must also be capable of raising him from the dead; thus, he received Isaac back 'in a figure' of resurrection.

Verse 20

Isaac’s blessing, though given late in life, demonstrated faith by looking forward to the future destinies of Jacob and Esau, confirming God’s covenant plan.

Verse 22

Joseph’s final command concerning his bones (Genesis 50:25) was an act of faith, asserting his conviction that Israel would certainly inherit the promised land of Canaan.

Verse 23

Moses’ parents demonstrated faith by resisting the Pharaoh's decree, recognizing the divine favor upon their child and trusting God over human authority.

Verse 26

Moses valued suffering for God’s cause (the 'reproach of Christ' being an anticipatory reference to the Messiah’s suffering) more highly than the finite wealth of Egypt, focusing on his ultimate eternal reward.

Verse 27

Moses’ perseverance during the Exodus was based on a spiritual vision—enduring hardship because he had a constant awareness of the invisible, ever-present God.

Verse 31

Rahab, a Gentile outsider, demonstrated covenant faith by aligning herself with God’s people, resulting in her salvation from judgment and inclusion in Israel’s lineage.

Verse 32

The author shifts to a rapid summary, listing heroes from the Judges, Monarchy, and Prophets to emphasize the breadth of faith throughout Israel’s history.

Verse 35

This verse contrasts those delivered by faith with those who refused deliverance under torture (likely referencing the Maccabean martyrs) in hope of a superior, future resurrection.

Verse 37

The extensive list of persecutions (including being sawn asunder, traditionally applied to Isaiah) serves to remind the readers that suffering for faith is historically normative.

Verse 38

This parenthetical statement emphasizes the moral bankruptcy of a world that rejects and persecutes God’s greatest servants, of whom the world was truly unworthy.

Verse 39

Though these Old Testament heroes exhibited great faith and received divine approval, they died without fully receiving the ultimate promise—the realization of the New Covenant in Christ.

Verse 40

Their 'perfection' (completion of their spiritual journey) is tied to the New Covenant community; God intended for the Old and New Testament saints to reach their ultimate goal together in Christ.

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