SOME SALIENT POINTS ON HEBREWS CHAPTER 11
Hebrews 11 is a well known chapter displaying the gallery of men and women of faith in the Old Testament context and there is much that can be gleaned from the 40 verses in this chapter.
In this sharing, we focus on some salient points related to the subject of faith for God’s people.
The object of faith is God and His promises; faith is expressed confidence in the promises of God and a certainty of the future and eternal blessings He assured us. It rests on the utter and perfect reliability of God and it causes us to cling to the hope that the future realities He promises will come to pass.
Faith is closely tied up with a pilgrim spirit. The saints of old were looking for a heavenly city. Although they were approved by God, they did not yet receive the promise. To them, life on earth was a pilgrimage; the ultimate goal is the new heaven and the new earth. As such, they did not despair when they died in faith, without receiving the promises, although they saw them from afar (11:10, 16 and 39).
Faith is accompanied by an eternal perspective. The apparent setbacks, the sufferings and difficulties do not ultimately matter in the light of eternity. What matters is pleasing God, finishing the spiritual race and reaching the shores of heaven and receiving the approval of God almighty.
Faith is therefore characterised by faithfulness to God, endurance and perseverance in running the race God has assigned to us and finishing it well. In that light, no obstacles, no impediment can discourage the men and women of faith. The difficulties are in fact met with a renewed resolve to persevere and not to turn back.
The saints in the Old Testament demonstrated such a resolve and endurance despite the limited revelation they received, without the privilege and understanding we have in believing and knowing Christ Jesus our Lord. They are our witnesses. If they could do so well for God with their limited revelation and understanding, what about us with the privilege and understanding we have as believers in Christ?
Our supreme example of faith and perseverance is the Lord Jesus who endured the cross for the joy set before Him. He is the ultimate witness and champion of faith. His faith and obedience to God demonstrated the fact that God honours faithfulness when He is exalted on high and seated at the right hand of God the Father. He is our forerunner. In focusing on Him and following Him, we too will enjoy the pleasure of God and receive His approval. Without faith, it is impossible to please God.
The men and women of faith in God move forward courageously and boldly into an unseen future based on the Word of God and the perfect faithfulness of the almighty, and the gallery of faith and the supreme example and witness of our Lord Jesus assure us that they and we will not be disappointed. The harsh circumstances, the sufferings, the persecutions and the mockings will not deter such ones; they look to the pioneer and perfecter of their faith, the Lord Jesus, who has gone before them and awaits their arrival at the pearly gate of heaven.