v.1-6
background 10:36, 39
36 For you need endurance in order to do God’s will and so receive what is promised.
39 But we are not among those who shrink back and thus perish, but are among those who have faith and preserve their souls.
1. Definition of Faith
of the Un seen, in the future,
(1) you have confidence/being sure/assurance/substance (lit), nature, underlining reality (other places), something underneath which is firm, the back rock of a house foundation. What is the reality refer to? 10:36(2) Assurance, being convinced, conviction, evidence (lit), something that we see, but not a prove of what we see, it goes beyond it, we have to go by faith beyond it. It is based on evidence, but not on sight. It is not science because it cannot observe. Faith is based on the observation, and realizing that there is a substance underlying it. We can see the evidences of the early church's behaviors that J is resurrected, but it takes our faith to believe.
2. Relationship between faith and received approval from God
Repeated word: v.2 For by it the people of old received God’s commendation
Repeated word: v.2 For by it the people of old received God’s commendation
4a By faith Abel offered God a greater sacrifice than Cain, and through his faith he was commended as righteous
4b because God commended him for his offerings.
5b [Enoch] For before his removal he had been commended as having pleased God
Similar meaning of a different word:
6 Now without faith it is impossible to please him, for the one who approaches God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
(BKC) THE DIVINE ACCEPTANCE OF FAITH (11:4–16) In the first major movement of his exposition, the author stressed the theme suggested in verse 2. Faith wins acceptance and reward from God.
a. Abel's blood cried out to God and it worked. However, the reward of Abel is in the life to come.
b. Enoch the one who experienced of what we hoped for-rapture
3. Relationship between faith and action
By faith Abel offered God a great sacrifice
4. v.6 He exist, though invisible He created the visible, He is still alive
He rewarded those who seek Him, how we lives matter, He rewards, He cares about how we live, we may live with difficulties, but they are temporary, we will get the final reward not on earth, but in the life to come.
https://www.youtube.com/live/YJ8Jv7Nj13A?feature=shared
Reflection: How can I have faith? How can I see the unseen with faith? How can I focus myself with the unseen, the underneath evidence? How can I see the importance of the acceptance and reward of God?
v.7-12
1. the main verbs in v.7
Noah...constructed an ark...condemned the world...became an heir of the righteousness
condemned=BDAG The conduct of one person, since it sets a standard, can result in the condemnation before God of another person whose conduct is inferior
became an heir of righteousness= BKC What he inherited was, in fact, the new world after the Flood as the readers might inherit “the world to come” (cf. 2:5).
Noah's faith (result in action with reverent regard) had 2 effects: one coming the world, one coming God. Faith has serious and beyond our imagination consequences.
2. The repeated words:
a. (Noah) was warned about the things not seen, (Ab) went out without understanding where he was going...waiting forward to the city (of) God.
(Noah) constructed an ark, (Ab) went out and lived as a foreigner in tents
Both of these things are not very easy to do. Plus, they both acted with respect to things unseen. Therefore, they both required to have: (Noah) reverent regard, (Ab) obedience. Faith needs to be put into action, but only when we obeyed we can do it. And only by faith, we have obedience.
b. (Noah) condemned the world, became an heir of righteousness, (AB) father of many children v.12. The fulfillment of this promise was also contributed by the faith of Sarah.
BKC The writer here chose to introduce his first heroine of faith, one who was able to overlook the physical limitation of her own barrenness to become a fruitful mother. Since “she considered Him faithful who had promised” (NASB) so also should the readers (cf. 10:23). Her faith in fact, contributed to the startling multiplication of her husband’s seed, when old Abraham was as good as dead.
consider= BDAG to engage in an intellectual process, think, consider, regard
Reflection: Even though faith has serious consequences we may find it difficult to do. It requires us to see the unseen and things in the future and put our actions in this perspective. We can only put faith in action, but we can only do it to have obedience by faith first. Does my faith result in reverent and obedience like Noah and Ab? Noah had reverent for years to construct that enormous ark. Ab needed to walk hundred (or thousands) or mile and left his home. Ask God for my perseverance in obedience. Pray that God will help me to have faith like that.
Also faith in action may somethings need the help of another heroine of faith like Ab needed Sarah. Will I be like Sarah and help another Ab?
By faith, Sarah's is able to think, or consider God in a certain way and therefore put her action forward. How do I think or consider God? That is crucial in whether I can put my faith into action.
v.13-16
1. Their faith was seen in that they saw (the things promised)...they welcomed them...they acknowledged that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth.
The things promised related to other worldly thing. And this other worldly thing was so inspiring that when they just a glimpse. That's enough to welcome them and see themselves now totally different than others.
EBC-In their attitude, the patriarchs showed that they knew themselves to be no more than “aliens and strangers.” The latter term means those living in a country they do not belong to, i.e., resident aliens.
2. The repeated word: the other worldly thing is the homeland v.14, not the homeland on earth v.15, but a better and heavenly one v.16, this homeland is not only what they aspired to have, but it was a reality prepared (aorist) by God for them v.16.
aspire=BDAG lit. ‘stretch oneself, reach out one’s hand’) and only fig.: to seek to accomplish a specific goal, aspire to, strive for, desire
a. The aspiring for a heavenly homeland was so pleasing to God that the Scriptures said, "Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God" v.16
EBC Not only is God not ashamed of those servants of his, he honored their faith by preparing a city for them (see comments on v. 10).
b.EBC-The use of the past tense should not be overlooked. It is not that God will one day prepare their city but that he has already done so.
Reflection: The heroes of faith focused their lives on eternity that they adjusted their lives on earth. Do I care to have a glimpse of what God promised to me in the book? After I see them do I welcome them? Do I show an attitude that I knew I am a foreigner on earth? Or I live too comfortably here?
Do I want to reach out my hand to strive for a familiar homeland, a better land, a heavenly land where God is there? Or I aspire to have something else? What is the thing that drives me today?
What the heroes looked for is a homeland, but God prepared for them a city. He is well deserved to be called their God. God has also provided me for not only what He promised, but far more than what I can imagine.
v.17-22
1. Faith not only deals with things in the unseen and the future things, but also deals with test.
17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac. He had received the promises, yet he was ready to offer up his only son
Test=BDAG to endeavor to discover the nature or character of someth. by testing, try, make trial of, put to the test
of God or Christ, who put people to the test, in a favorable sense..., so that they may prove themselves true
offered upx2 =BDAG (the 2nd one) impf., in a conative [desire, volition] or inceptive [marking the beginning of something; initial] sense, because the sacrifice was not actually made NET The tense of this verb indicates the attempt or readiness to sacrifice Isaac without the actual completion of the deed.
He had received the promises=EBC in the legal sense of “undertake,” “assume...Abraham was not passive; he took the responsibility of being the man through whom God would work out his promise
Conclusion: In faith, even though he was in dilemma, Ab offered up Isaac. He was ready to do it without the completion. His nature, or who he was was revealed.
2. Why he was able to pass that test
v.19 and he reasoned that God could even raise him from the dead, and in a sense he received him back from there.
EBC-Now comes an explanation of why Abraham, who believed that God was going to fulfill his promises through Isaac, was nevertheless ready to offer up his son. He calculated (logisamenos) that God could raise the dead
Ab was able to pass that test related to his calculation or reconciliation of facts: God's promise through Isaac and God asked him to offer up Isaac.
Conclusion: Faith was required to pass the test. Ab seemed to pass that through calculation in his mind. Is faith the reason or the power for his calculation? In other to do that calculation one needs to know and trust a certain fact. In this case, God could even raise Isaac from the dead because he needed to carry on the promise God gave to Ab. Other than knowing and trusting the facts, one needs to put them together or interpret the facts in a certain ways.
Reflection: In order to be like Ab, I need to know the facts about God. In faith, I need to trust those facts. Also, in facts I need to interpret the facts and act accordingly.
Do I know the facts about God well? Do I trust those facts that I learn from the Bible? Even when asked to give my life (in Ab's case, offering up his only son's life) I will do? Do I interpret the Bible and act accordingly?
v.23-28
1. Repeated theme: Choices of faith hero
v. 23 Moses' parents hid him...and were not afraid of the king's edict
v.24 Moses refused to be called the son of P's daughter choosing rather to be ill-treated with the people of God
v.25 Moses regarded the abuse to be greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt
v.27 left Egypt without fearing the king's power
v.28 kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood...so that the one who destroyed the firstborn would not touch them
2. Out of these choices, all of them (except the last one) involved the leaving Egypt/P's daughter or not afraid of Pharaoh.
Most people might think it is obvious that staying in Egypt or being P's daughter's son to be better choices. But, the author pointed out that those are fleeting pleasure. Moses chose rather to be with God's people.
EBC It implies... that once he saw where God’s call lay, it would have been sin for him to turn away from it and align himself with the Egyptians. There would have been pleasures, but they would have been enjoyed only at the expense of disobeying God. Moreover, they would have been purely temporary. Moses had a sense of values
3. Not only these choices involved the decision between Egypt vs God's people, but also between not being afraid of the Ph's power v.23, 27
BKC the writer began to focus on the way faith confronts opposition and hostility, a subject familiar to his readers...
Moreover, at the time of the Exodus, Moses was undeterred by fear of the king’s anger. By keeping the Passover, which included the sprinkling of blood, the nation avoided God’s judgment
In the same way, the readers should not be afraid of human wrath and should maintain their separateness from the surrounding world. They should persist in the worship experience made possible by the blood of the New Covenant. If they would do so, they would not fall under divine retribution (cf. 10:19–31).
Reflection: Making other worldly choices involve decisions. The choices were not obvious and were not easy. The secret were to fixing on eyes on the reward v.26 and fearing the One who really deserved to be feared v.28. On where do I fix my eyes today? Do I fear the One who really deserved to be feared? How can I keep myself on these reality?
v.29-31
1. The whole generation of Israel who wandered in the wilderness for 40 years were skipped from v.29-30.
Am I living in a generation that will be skipped in the account of heroes of faith?
2. Those who had faith and those who had not would had vastly different results: crossed the red sea on dry ground vs be swallowed up (devoured) v.29; escaped the destruction vs being destroyed v.31.
While all the disobedient ones or those who did not have faith were destroyed, Rahab was the except. She welcomed the spies in peace.
Will I be able to be an exception in the generation of disobedient? Can I stand the pressure? Will I dare to be different even when I need to risk my life to do that?
v.32-40
1. 2 groups of faith heroes: The victorious group v.23-35a; and the seemingly defeated group v.35b-38
2. The victorious group
v.32 b ...Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets. 33 Through faith they conquered kingdoms, administered justice, gained what was promised, shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, gained strength in weakness, became mighty in battle, put foreign armies to flight, 35 and women received back their dead raised to life
They were victorious because they had a lot of accomplishments and they even received back their dead raised to life. However, even among them, they had their own defeat which is not mentioned in the text.
EBC-Calvin points out that there were defects in the faith of four of them. Gideon was slow to take up arms; Barak hesitated and went forward only when Deborah encouraged him; Samson was enticed by Delilah; and Jephthah made a foolish vow and stubbornly kept it
In faith, they had victory, but only when they had faith.
3. The defeated group
35 and women received back their dead raised to life. But others were tortured, not accepting release, to obtain resurrection to a better life. 36 And others experienced mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, sawed apart, murdered with the sword; they went about in sheepskins and goatskins; they were destitute, afflicted, ill-treated 38 (the world was not worthy of them); they wandered in deserts and mountains and caves and openings in the earth.
BKC In a swift transition of thought, the writer moved from faith’s obvious triumphs to what seemed to be its defeats. But these defeats were only apparent, not real.
not accepting release, to obtain resurrection to a better life=in order that they might obtain a better resurrection
Reflection: What is a better resurrection? The "defected group" were willing to do that in order not just to be resurrected, but a better resurrection. Is that a resurrection with the praise from God that they are a good and faithful servant?
4. The OT faith heroes received the victories including even the resurrection from the death and the better resurrection, what is the something that they had to wait for us to make it perfect? What is that better something?
40 For God had provided something better for us, so that they would be made perfect together with us.
better= BDAG pert. to being of high status, more prominent, higher in rank, preferable
1:4, 6:9, 7:7, 19, 22, 8:6, 9:23, etc. They all pointed to Jesus as the better priest, and the better sacrifice.
BKC It is indeed “better for us” that the future hopes they strove toward be delayed, since only thus could believers enjoy the present experience of becoming companions of the Messiah who leads them to glory. As a result, the perfecting (cf. 10:14; 12:23) of the Old Testament worthies—that is, the realization of their hopes—awaits that of all believers
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