Now this life of faith was what specially marked Christianity. Judaism was a religion of seen things, Christianity of unseen things. They were to live by faith on an unseen heavenly Christ, with the sure promise of His return. they are put in company with the saints in the Old Testament history, but who saw through the types and shadows their real heavenly calling, and who lived by faith in view of it. We must remember the position the saints are looked at as in Hebrews. They are not seated in the heavenly places in Christ as in the Ephesians. They are brethren partakers of the heavenly calling (see Eph. 3:11For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, (Ephesians 3:1)). They are called to heaven, but not there yet. Consequently in Hebrews we are put in company with the Old Testament saints. In Ephesians we are not. The great truth in the latter Epistle is our union with Christ as Head, members of His body. This was a mystery unknown in Old Testament times, but now revealed through Paul and the other apostles, by the Spirit (Eph. 3).
To return, in Hebrews 11 we have the life of faith set before us in its various actings, as displayed in the Old Testament saints. Their example would be convincing to the Hebrew Christian minds, as being familiar with their history. What is faith? It is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. By it the elders obtained a good report. Now Christ and the heavenly glory and things above were all real to God. But faith is our side. We do not see these things, but realize them. Faith is thus the substance the realizing of these hoped for things. I hope for Christ and the heavenly glory, and to have a portion there, but faith makes it real. I have these things now; they are my portion. So it is the evidence of things not seen. God’s Word tells me of the unseen things. The latter is God’s evidence that these things are true. But faith lays hold of the Word, and becomes in itself the evidence of these unseen things. We shall find these things developed in the examples that follow. There is no doubt an order in them. For instance in the first four, faith connects itself with creation, redemption, translation to the heavenly glory, and judgment (see ver. 3-7). Then with our life here below waiting in patience for the fulfillment of the promises (ver. 8-22). Then the faith that will surmount every difficulty, as specially shown in Moses (ver. 23-31). Lastly, such as will go through all kinds of suffering, in view of the still future fulfillment of the same promises (ver. 32-40). May we learn our own lessons of faith from the examples of these dear saints of God.
Now as to creation (ver. 3) faith is the evidence of unseen things to me. I have never seen how these things which I see were created. But God tells me in His Word, that they were created by the Word of God. I believe, and faith thus becomes the evidence of things not seen as to the actual creation of the world. The heathen philosophers were always reasoning about this, but never could trace creation back to the first cause. But faith can! It says, God created the heavens and the earth by His Word; the things that do appear were made out of nothing.
But sin has come in and with it death, and thus God is again shut out except as a Judge. What is Abel to do who lives after the ruin of man by sins? By faith he offers to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts, and by it he being dead yet speaketh. He believed what God said as to the ruin of man, the ground cursed, and the promise of the woman’s seed, and brought to God a lamb of the flock as a sacrifice, owning himself a sinner, and the only way of approach to God was by a sacrifice. Thus, God’s righteousness was owned. He obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts, he being dead yet speaketh. The value of the Lamb of God was handed over to him, and he was accepted in the gift which he offered. Now man could walk with God as Enoch did; through the death of the Lamb God was satisfied. He had required death, but it had passed now on the Lamb slain. Enoch could stand in the death of the Lamb and say, Death has lost its rights over me. I have a title to the heavenly glory without passing through death. And so in fact he was translated that he should not see death, and was not found for God had translated him; but before his translation he had this testimony that he pleased God. Thus, he becomes a type of the Church at the end of her history on earth, who will indeed be translated that she should not see death. Oh, to be so counted worthy of living till that day. Oh, to be so consciously standing now as dead and risen with Christ, and looking for a coming Christ, as to be translated that we should not see death. But then, like Enoch there must be the walk with God and the consequent testimony that we please God. Companionship with God, and the testimony that we please God must precede the translation. Oh, believers, I speak to myself as well, shall any of us be counted worthy to rise to meet our returning Lord in the air without dying? What a ravishing thought! But refer to 1 Thessalonians 4 and you will see that living saints shall do this, and it is linked with the actings of faith here. Without faith it is impossible to please God, for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.
Noah’s faith was the evidence of things not seen in regard to the coming judgment of the antediluvian world. Moved with fear as a consequence of being warned of God of things not seen as yet, he prepared an ark to the saving of his house, by the which he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness which is by faith. The ark of course, typified Christ, and the same judgment which destroyed the world was the means of his salvation through the ark. So it will be with Israel in the latter day. They will not be translated like Enoch. Their portion is the earth, like Noah. They will be carried through the judgments which will descend on the apostates amongst themselves and the nations, to inherit the millennial earth, like Noah and his sons, the post-diluvian world, but all through the ark, Christ dead and risen, in whom they have found refuge. But the faith of the Christian now, warned of the coming judgment, finds refuge in Christ, by which he condemns the world, for why flee to Christ if the world is right? Only he waits for the heavenly glory like Enoch, and not to be saved through the final judgments that are coming on the earth, like Noah.
Thus, the first four examples of faith are all connected with the testimonies of God as to creation, redemption, heavenly glory, and judgment. You may see they give us examples of the fundamental points with which faith is connected.
We come now to the life of the Christian in detail, and the manner in which faith displays itself, either as connected with patience waiting for the promise, or energy overcoming the difficulties, or suffering in the sure hope of the promise to be fulfilled.
What characterized Abraham’s faith (ver. 8) was this; first, on the bare promise of God giving him a better country, and blessing to himself, he left home, father and mother, and all, to go into the country that God told him of (see Gen. 11, and Gen. 12:1-31Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee: 2And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 3And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. (Genesis 12:1‑3)). He had only the bare promise of God to rest upon, but he obeyed, not knowing whither he went. Secondly, when he got into the land, he found he was a stranger, but he waited in patience trusting in the promise of God, dwelling in a tent – dwelling in a tent with Isaac and Jacob, proof of his strangership, the heirs with him of the same promise, looking forward to a city which hath foundations whose Builder and Maker is God. Whether this was the heavenly new Jerusalem spoken of in Revelation 21, or the earthly city of Ezekiel 40-48, is little matter. Faith in the bare promise of God of a better country made him leave all at first; faith in the faithfulness of God as to the fulfillment of the promise, made him content to be a stranger when he got into the land, looking for the future enjoyment of it by the sure promise of God. Yes, and blessed be God, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will sit down with many others who lived as strangers and pilgrims here below, whilst many who have had greater outward privileges here below shall go into outer darkness – there shall be weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth (Luke 12:28-2928If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith? 29And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. (Luke 12:28‑29)). But for the fulfillment of the promise Sarah must have a son and here her faith is brought in as an example (ver. 11-12). Delivered from her unbelief (Gen. 16) in anticipating God’s time who had promised Abraham an heir (Gen. 15), she receives strength to conceive and is delivered of a child when past age (Gen 21), because she judged Him faithful that had promised. Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, as many as the stars of heaven for multitude, and as the sand which is by the seashore innumerable. These all died in faith not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. Now if I am in a strange country and confess that I am a stranger three, I declare plainly that I seek a country; so with these men, and if they had been mindful of the country they had left they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is a heavenly. God had promised it to them. He must be faithful; and because they own this, God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He hath prepared for them a city.
Here then we have the patience of faith set before these Hebrew believers. Like Abraham they had left everything for a heavenly Christ, and an inheritance laid up in heaven for them (comp. 1 Peter 1:33Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, (1 Peter 1:3)), but they had not yet come into possession; they were called to wait in patience, like Abraham, for the fulfillment of God’s promise, and they would surely get it on the Lord’s return (Eph. 10:32-37), being in the meantime strangers and pilgrims here below.
But Abraham’s faith was still further tried. God told him (Gen 22), to offer up as a sacrifice the heir of the promises—Isaac, of whom it was said, In Isaac shall thy seed be called (Gen 21:1212And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called. (Genesis 21:12)). He was the only heir; if he were killed the promises were gone. But faith rose above this; it said, God can raise the heir from the dead; and so in figure he received him back from the dead. So with Christ the true Heir. With His death all the promises seemed gone; but, blessed be God, He was raised from the dead, and now all the promises are made good on the righteous foundation of death and resurrection., Yes, blessed be God, faith can trust God under all circumstances, however dark things may appear, and even though death should stare you in the very face to prevent the fulfillment of God’s promises, there is the God of resurrection to come in who must be faithful to His Word.
Ver. 20—Isaac’s faith (Gen. 27:3333And Isaac trembled very exceedingly, and said, Who? where is he that hath taken venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him? yea, and he shall be blessed. (Genesis 27:33)) recalled the promises of God (Gen 25:2323And the Lord said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger. (Genesis 25:23)). He had grievously failed through natural love coming in, but when he had found that notwithstanding all, the younger son had been blessed, he evidently called to mind that God had said before the birth of the two sons, and said, Yea and he shall be blessed. He discerned between the choice of God in the election and nature’s claims (comp. Rom. 9).
Ver. 21—By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph, and worshipped, leaning on the top of his staff (Gen. 48). He thus announced the double portion of the heir of Israel, the one whom his brethren had rejected; himself having nothing but his staff, but in view of the promise, he worships. His staff was the mark of his pilgrim character.
Ver. 22—By faith Joseph when he was dying made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave commandment concerning his bones (Gen 50:24-2524And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die: and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. 25And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence. (Genesis 50:24‑25)). Thus, faith can trust God for the fulfillment of His promises still future, and can patiently wait in the present for their fulfillment.
In Moses’ history we see the energy of faith, surmounting all kinds of difficulties in the road. We would think that Joseph’s saying would be handed down to every Israelitish household, and in the faith of it every godly soul would look for a promised Deliverer to be raised up, to take Israel back to the land. Moses’ parents evidently rested on this, when they hid Moses for three months because they saw he was a proper child, and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment (Ex. 1-2).
Ver 24—By faith Moses likewise when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He knew that as a son of the despised Israelites he had a higher destiny; he knew likewise that that despised people under bondage were the people of God, who had the promises, and he chose rather to suffer affliction with them, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. It was this that made him visit his brethren (ex. 2:11-1511And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren. 12And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand. 13And when he went out the second day, behold, two men of the Hebrews strove together: and he said to him that did the wrong, Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow? 14And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known. 15Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well. (Exodus 2:11‑15)), seeking to deliver them by carnal means, but the spring of his actions was faith, and this was what was owned. Egypt’s riches, stores and position were forsaken to identify himself with the poor, despised people of God, but really rich, for God was their God. He esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt, for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward.
Ver. 27—The same faith in Jehovah who had revealed Himself to him (Ex. 3-4) and His promises made him forsake Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king. If Jehovah was the Deliverer, he could well endure the wrath of a man. Faith saw Him who was invisible.
Ver. 28—But Israel was a guilty people, like the Egyptians, and deserving judgment. By faith therefore he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest judgment should descend on Israel’s firstborn as on the Egyptians. The lamb must be slain, the blood must be sprinkled on the door posts of the houses, and the roasted lamb eaten inside, under the shelter of the blood, because he discerned Jehovah’s claims. (Ex. 12).
Ver 28—By faith Israel trusted Jehovah as a Deliverer and so passed through the Red Sea, which the Egyptians assaying to do, were drowned. If Jehovah’s claims were met by the blood of the lamb, He could now act for them, and with them, to break the power of the enemy. Pharaoh’s Red Sea might seem to shut them in, but Jehovah was for them; and a way clean through was opened to them. And so it is the blood of Christ having satisfied the demands of the Judge, God can act righteously for them. And so it is with us, the blood of Christ having satisfied the demands of the Judge, God can act righteously for us, and can bring us clean out of the world through that very death, which without Christ was the very instrument of the enemy’s power. Faith makes it good in our souls and we stand in spirit in a risen Christ, as Israel on the other side of the Red Sea, singing the song of salvation (Ex. 14-15).
Now by faith the promised land was entered, and high before them the walls of Jericho stood. But seven priests blowing the rams horns and marching around the city seven days, according to Jehovah’s command was sufficient to make the walls tumbled down flat. (Josh. 6).
Ver. 31—By faith likewise the harlot Rahab perished not with the unbelievers, when she had received the spies with peace. She believed in the God of Israel, she knew He had given them the land, she therefore hid the spies, and upon their word hung the scarlet line from her window and brought all her family into her house and was saved (see Josh. 2, 6:22-25).
Then there were Gideon, and Barak, and Samson, and Jephthah; David also and Samuel, and the prophets; who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouth of lions, quenched the violence of fire, going through all sorts of suffering and torture, in view of the promise, and these all, having received a good report through faith hath received not the promise, God having provided some better thing for us that they without us should not be made perfect. Many of these last examples of faith, we have the sufferings of faith, and we are called to go through them all, in the certainty of attaining the promises. Otherwise Paul says (1 Cor. 15), if there is no resurrection we are of all men most miserable. Why do I fight with the beasts at Ephesus, if the dead rise not? At the same time ours is a better portion than any Old Testament saint’s. God has reserved it for us, and their spirits are resting in Paradise until the Spirit has called out the heavenly Bride of Christ. However blessed a path Abraham’s was, he was never united to the glorified Man in heaven, Christ not being there in that character. Nor was He there as Priest, nor had Abraham access into the holiest through a rent veil. Though all Old Testament saints have a part in the heavenly calling, yet without us, they cannot be perfected. We have a higher portion as the body and Bride of Christ, rejected by this world, and this is the better thing, which, however, is not developed in this epistle.