The Life of Faith.

Hebrews 11:1‑7
THE last three and a half chapters of this remarkable epistle form a section distinct in itself.
In the earlier portion the Holy Spirit, by the pen of the nameless writer, has been passing in rapid review the glories of the person of our Lord Jesus Christ; the excellence of His work; the abiding character of His Priesthood; and has shown much of what that means to all true believers. At the middle of chapter ten the climax is reached, as we read the astounding statement that they who believe have “boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,” and that they are invited to do so.
After having attained the summit there is a somewhat sharp reminder that they, to whom the epistle was addressed, were still in earthly circumstances, and that they must be prepared for exercises and trials of various kinds. With this there was the assurance that God, who had brought them to the wonderful elevation indicated in verse 22 of chapter 10, would not fail them in the difficulties outlined in verse 33 and 34. It would seem as if the Hebrew Christians had grown weary and discouraged; hence the word in verse 36, “For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.”
Afflictions and persecution might be their portion, but if they were doing the will of God, nothing else mattered. For their encouragement they were referred to the charming little book of Habakkuk.
May we ask our readers to stop just here, open their Bibles, and read these three short chapters? It may be the prophet himself was feeling discouraged, and dressed, because of the state of things all around him. The Lord graciously spoke to him, told him of a vision, and cheered him by saying, “Though it tarry, wait for it, because it will surely come, it will not tarry” (Hab. 2:33For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. (Habakkuk 2:3)). In our epistle the inspired penman, by way of encouragement, called attention to this, writing not of a vision but of a Person. “For yet a little while, and HE that shall come will come, and will not tarry” (verse 37). “Good! But how are we to get on till He comes?” might have been asked.
For answer, Habakkuk is once more quoted, “The just shall live by his faith” (2:4). So great importance is attached to these six words, that no less than three times are they found in the New Testament. If each time we read them there, we put the emphasis on a different word we shall arrive at the meaning in the particular setting in which we find them. Thus: —
This last is illustrated in chapter 11. where there is passed before us a galaxy of men and women, named and unnamed, who had proved the reality of it. Thus chapter 11. to which we now invite the attention of our readers, might well be entitled:
The Life of Faith.
After stating what is characteristic of faith in verse 1, certain outstanding persons are named, and it is of them that we desire to write. We trust we shall see that the names were chosen not in haphazard fashion, but that there is a moral order, so that the Hebrew believers in their day, and we in our day, might learn a lesson therefrom. In this paper we propose to look at the first three. We observe then that
(a) Abel worshipped God.
(b) Enoch walked with God.
(c) Noah worked for God.
This is the correct order. It is fitting that walk should occupy the center place. From it we move backward and forward. We will be able to worship and to work only in measure as we walk with God.
In Gen. 4:4,4And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering: (Genesis 4:4) we read that “Abel... brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect to Abel and to his offering.” Abel recognized what was due to God. He approached God on the ground of sacrifice, and he was taken account of by God in the value of the sacrifice. He obtained witness that he was righteous” (Heb. 11:44By faith Abel offered unto 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. (Hebrews 11:4)). Shall we stop and ask ourselves — Do we come thus to God? Has it to be confessed that we approach God mainly when we desire something from Him? He delights that we should come to Him thus, He encourages us to do so; and He assures us of His loving interest. We are quite sure however that He would have us approach Him because He desires worship from us — the overflow of hearts that are at home in His presence and that delight in His love.
The story of Enoch is intensely interesting. Shall we, at this point turn to Genesis 5 and read verse 22 to 24? Up to the birth of Methuselah it is said of him, as of all the others mentioned in the chapter, he “lived.” Then it is recorded of him that after he begat Methuselah he “walked with God” three hundred years (verse 22). He was not an ascetic; he accepted family responsibilities; his name which is said to mean, “disciplined,” or “devoted,” would suggest that he was by no means free from exercise and trials, and the state of the world, in which he found himself, was as bad as it could possibly be.
Yet he “walked with God.” Probably he was considered peculiar; it might have been suggested to him that if he would associate with the men of the world; show an interest in its pursuits, and not plough a lonely furrow, he might do some good. Realizing that he could not walk with God and walk with the world, he chose the former; and thus got the distinction of having this testimony that “he pleased God,” with the additional Honor of being translated to Heaven without dying. It was well worthwhile: was it not?
Is there a young man or a young woman reading these pages who is wobbling? Anxious to walk with God, yet fearful of losing some imaginary advantage, missing some position, and who wonders if it might not be possible to go just so far, and make it all right later? Take courage dear brother or sister! Emulate Enoch, and seek to walk with God. Better than all that the world has to offer, is the knowledge of pleasing God. Enoch had to bear witness against the world-(Jude 14, 1514And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, 15To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. (Jude 14‑15)). His life was a short one as reckoned in his day, but his record was this, “he pleased God.”
Noah worked for God and he is the only man of whom this was said. He was in “the secret of the Lord.” God had told him what was going to happen, and also to make an ark into which should come himself, his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives with him (Gen. 6:1818But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with thee. (Genesis 6:18)) and “By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house” (Heb. 11:77By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith. (Hebrews 11:7)). His work did not seem encouraging. He was in a world that was under judgment; and he was surrounded by those who refused to believe that a flood was coming. He may have been looked upon with pitying eyes by some, spoken to, and spoken of, in contemptuous terms by others, but he went steadily on working for God, walking with God, and he was rewarded by God.
God is doing a great work at the present time: we might say, the greatest work to which He has ever put His hand. He is taking out “a people for His name” (Acts 15:1414Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. (Acts 15:14)). The Apostle Paul could speak of himself and his fellow-apostles as “workers together with Him” (2 Corinthians 6:11We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. (2 Corinthians 6:1)); and in lesser degree we may think of ourselves as workers for God and with God. In the kitchen or in the drawing room, in business, in the workshop, at school or college, just where we are, it is our high. Honor and our holy privilege to work for and with God.
In closing, let us recapitulate. Joying in God, (Rom. 5:1111And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. (Romans 5:11)), we approach Him in worship. In simplicity and humility we seek to walk with God. Talk is cheap, it is walk that counts. To please God, not ourselves but God, our one consuming ambition. To work for God and to work with God our heart’s desire. How can it be done? “By faith,” for “By faith Abe “ worshipped. “By faith, Enoch was translated,” haying walked with God and pleased God; and “by faith Noah” worked for God and worked with God. Theirs was a life of faith, and the record has been given for our encouragement that we may follow on in the path of faith, recognizing that “without faith it is impossible to please Him” (Heb. 11:66But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (Hebrews 11:6)).
W. Bramwell Dick.
Next month, God willing, verses 8-21. Kindly read the whole chapter over and over again.