A Commentary in Simple English on the letter to Jewish Christians

CHAPTER 11: FAITH

Now the writer begins his great chapter about faith. It is when we have faith in Jesus that we are saved from sin and hell. (See Ephesians 2: 8.) It is our faith, which received from God with the forgiveness of our sins, and the new life that He promises. But it is not only at the start of the Christian life that we need to have faith. We need faith all the way through. So the writer will tell us about what the great men of God did in Old Testament times. It is only by faith that we rise to God's presence on high; by faith we get over all the dangers of this life. By faith we get over the sorrows and troubles of this life. By faith we find a quiet place to meet with God among the violent storms of life. [11.1]

The writer tells us what faith did in the lives of men in the past. This is because faith still has a greater work to do in our lives and in the future. Faith is useful in our whole life with God, and not only at the start of it. Faith alone takes people who believe in Jesus and lifts them up out of this world to God, while they are still in the world. It lifts them above the world, even when the world is bitter and angry with them. And faith means that we can live now on things that we do not yet see and which are still in the future.

Verses 1-3: What faith is

So before he speaks about the great men of the past, the writer says that our faith in Jesus gives substance to the things which we hope for. Our hope is like a building: faith is the base, the 'foundation', on which hope stands. Hope here means what God has promised to us. Faith is like a solid base on which we can build our lives. [11.2].

The things that we do not see are God, His power, His grace, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, eternal life and all the things that God promises to give us. Now these things change our lives. It is not the things we can see which make a difference to our lives. (See Romans 1:20: what cannot be seen about God is quite clear, says Paul. So again in 2 Corinthians 4:18 Paul says that we look all the time at things we cannot see, especially Christ's glory. In 2 Corinthians 5:5 Paul says that we live by faith, and not by what we can see.) Verse 27 of this chapter also tells us that Moses kept going because He could see God by faith, although our eyes cannot see God.

Verse 2 tells us that God spoke well about these men. This was not because of any of the great things that they did. It was because they had faith that He was pleased with them. The world was not pleased with them. It may not be pleased with us!

In verse 3 the writer tells us that the world which we do see around us was made by God from things which we cannot see. It is only when we believe that God can give us new life in Jesus that our faith shows us that God made everything. So God can make more new things for us out of things which we do not see. The words the writer uses may mean the creation of the world. They may rather mean that God put in order the long ages of human history. [11.3].

Now the writer is ready to talk about the faith of the great men of God in the past.

Verse 4: Abel

You will find the story of Cain and his brother Abel in Genesis 4: 1-16. They were the children of Adam and Eve. The name 'Abel' means something like 'He does not amount to much'. [11.4]. They grew up close to the Garden of Eden. Abel, the younger brother kept sheep but Cain grew crops. God looked at them both. Abel offered to God some of his sheep. Cain offered to God some of the crops that he had grown. God looked with favour on Abel and his offering. Notice that it is put this way round. It does not say 'Abel's offering and Abel'. This is very important. What mattered to God was not the difference in their offerings. It was the difference in their hearts. Abel had faith in God. Cain did not. In some way God showed that He was pleased with Abel. Perhaps fire came from heaven and burnt his offering. We do not know at all. But Cain was angry. God spoke to him but he killed his own brother. Abel had poured out the blood of his sheep on the ground as an offering to God. Now God says (verse 10) that Abel's blood cries out to Him from the ground.

There is much in this part of Genesis that we do not quite understand. This should not surprise us. It all happened long ages ago. But here the writer of Hebrews finds his first man of faith. (See also 12: 24.)

Verses 5 and 6: Enoch [11.5].

We read about Enoch in Genesis 5: 18-24. Enoch lived close to God, and he did not die. God took him home to Himself. People tried to find him, but they could not. The first man of faith, Abel, died a violent death when he was still young. The second man of faith, Enoch, did not die at all, but lived in peace to a good age. Even before God took him from the world, people around him knew that he was a man of God. Verse 6 tells us that we must please God in this life if we hope to find joy and peace with Him after this life.

Only when we have faith can we please God.

Verse 7: Noah

The story of Noah is in Genesis Chapters 6-9. [11.6]. Genesis 6: 9 tells us about his holy life. His huge ship or 'ark' must have taken years to build. Yet no one could see any use for it. God warned Noah that the great flood would come. Noah believed what God said, although no one could see the water of the flood. The flood did not come until the 'ark' was ready. The things that made up the Jewish worship were things which could be seen. Faith has to do with things that cannot be seen. Noah had faith.

Abel and Enoch were men of faith on their own. It was by Noah's faith that his family was saved.

Verses 8-16: Abraham

The writer has more to say about Abraham. He was important to the Jews. He was the father of their race. We have read about him in this letter before (6: 13-15). His story is in Genesis. It starts with his birth (Gen 11: 26). God changed his name from Abram ('High Father') to Abraham ('Father of many people') in Genesis 17:5. The story ends with his death (Gen 25:7-11). Our letter talks mainly about three things. They are: -

1. God's call to Abram (verses 8-10)

2. The birth of Isaac (verses 11,12)

3. Abraham's offering of his son Isaac (verses 17-19)

Verses 13-16 explain more about what faith does in our lives.

God's call to Abraham, then, is in Genesis 12: 1-5. You may find a map in the back of your Bible that will show you where Ur was. Ur was a great city and port in the time of Abraham. [11.7]. Terah and his son Abram left Ur to go to Canaan (Palestine). They went about 1000 km to the north west, to Haran. There they stayed for some time. We do not know why.

Canaan was another 500 km to the south west. Then God spoke to Abram again (Gen 12: 1-3). Abram left his father Terah in Haran, and went on to Canaan. Hebrews tells us these things: -

1. God called Abraham. Abraham did not know at this stage where it was that he was to go. Abraham obeyed God and went. Noah worked on the ark because God had warned him of the Flood. Abraham was not frightened, as Noah had been. And God did not tell Abraham much. He had told Noah how to build the ark.

2. But God told Abraham that He would give the land to him later. We can follow the way that God's promise to Abraham grew. (See Genesis 12: 2,3; 12: 7; 13 14,16; 15:1; 15: 4; 17: 19.) (Hebrews 11: 8)

3. When Abraham reached Canaan, he saw the land, which God had promised to him. (verse 9). He lived there in tents, not in a city like Ur, which he had left behind.

4. What verse 9 says is rather important. Abraham was a stranger in the country, which God had promised to give to him. There was plenty of room there. There was plenty of land that did not belong to anyone, and Abraham could move about and find grass for his flocks. But he did not own any land. He did not have the right to own land. Genesis 23 is of much interest. Here, Sarah has died. Abraham wants to have a cave in which to lay Sarah, his wife, to rest. Now the local people do not want Abraham to buy and to own land. In verse 11, Ephron offers to give to Abraham the land he wants. This is so that Abraham will not buy any land and so gain the rights, which a man had when he owned land. Ephron gives way. Abraham is rich, but all that he owns in the land where he has lived for years is a burying place.

5. We shall read about Isaac and Jacob later in the chapter. Here the writer says that they lived in the same way as Abraham, who was their father, although God had given them the same promise.

6. Abraham did not look back. He had left behind the city of Ur. Now he looked forward by faith. A tent has no 'foundation'. It is put up on the ground. We have to dig down into the ground to lay 'foundations', a base for the buildings of a city. There were cities in Canaan. Abraham did not want to live in them. He looked forward to the city, which God planned and built. We can read about the city which comes down from heaven in Revelation 21: 1,2, 9-27; 22: 1-5.

The writer of Hebrews speaks about the birth of Isaac. This is in verses 11 and 12. Genesis 17: 15-21 begins this story. Chapter 18 tells how God gave His promise to Abraham again. In verses 9 and 10 God told Abraham that in a year's time Sarah would have a son. Sarah, who was just inside the tent, heard and laughed (verse 12). Both Abraham and Sarah were far too old to have a child. Abraham was a hundred years old. [11.8]. We read about the promised son in Genesis 21: 1-7. He was called Isaac, which meant 'laughter'. [11.9].

So we can learn these things from verses 11 and 12: -

1. Our trust is in God Himself. It is not even in God's promises. Abraham and Sarah judged that God was faithful when He gave His promises.

2. God often chooses to do His work through people who are weak. In this case, God chose Abraham and Sarah, who were both far too old to have children. He gave them strength so that they had a son. . More than this, from this one son, Isaac, have come great numbers of people down the ages.

The writer will have more to say about Abraham in verses 17-19. But first, in verses 13-16, the writer tells us the difference that faith made in the lives of these people. And of course he says that faith should make this difference to us, too.

1. In verse 13, we read that these saints in the past lived and died 'in the faith'. Faith was not something they grew tired of after a year or two. They lived long lives, but faith was always the force that ruled their lives.

2. God made promises to these people. But the things He promised, they did not have. They only saw them a long way away, and welcomed them.

3. They all said the same thing. In the land God had promised to give to them, they were strangers. They did not complain about this. In those days, such 'strangers' were often thought by other people to live the life they did because they had done some crime in their own land.

4. In verse 14, we see the way that God often works in our hearts and minds. He promises a land. He led His people to a land, Canaan. When they found that the land was not theirs, they did not give up their faith. They did not doubt God or His promise. They said instead: 'The land is not the land that God promises. So we must look for more. We must look to God to give us a country in heaven, in glory'.

This is the way that faith argues. Our faith says: 'God has not answered my prayer. My prayer was not big enough. I must ask Him for more'. Our faith says: 'God has not kept His promise. I did not expect enough from Him. I must expect much more'. Think about Isaiah 49: 1-7. In verse 4, we hear Jesus saying: 'God my Father gave me a work to do among the Jews. I have done my best. But I feel I have failed'. So what does God say? In verse 6 He does not say 'All right: you can give up!' No. He says: ' I will give you a much bigger work to do. It will not be just with Jews, but for all the nations on earth'. Then in verse 7 God promises him that He will succeed. This is to think God's way.

5. In verse 15, we learn that men of faith do not want to turn round and go back. We say sometimes that we feel 'home sick'. We love our old home and would like to go back there. Abraham could have gone back to Haran or Ur. Abraham would not let Isaac go to Haran to find a wife. Later, Jacob could have stayed in Haran with Laban. He did not want to.

6. Then in verse 16, the writer tells us that although Ur, Haran and Canaan were good, these people wanted an even better land. The choices of the Christian life are choices between what is good and what is even better. It is not enough for a Christian to do what is right. He must always look for a way to do something better.

At the end of verse 16, the writer says something wonderful. God called these men, and they obeyed Him. So they were His people. But sometimes a man may be ashamed of a son who has gone wrong in life. There is no reason why God should be proud of us. We are very ordinary. Yet the writer says that God is not ashamed of us. This is real love to us, and He has prepared for us a place that will be right for us. (See Matthew 25:34; John 14.)

Verses 17-19: Abraham and Isaac

Many of these examples of faith are about fathers and sons. We need to read Genesis 22 to understand these verses. God tested Abraham's faith. Unless God tests our faith we do not know how real and strong our faith is. The best way to tell other people about our faith is often to tell them how God has tested it.

God told Abraham to offer his son, Isaac, to Him (verse 17). This was a picture of Jesus, God's only Son, who on this very same mountain, two thousand years later, offered Himself to God for His people. (Heb 2: 16).

Abraham believed that if he killed Isaac, God was able to bring him back to life (verse 19). Abraham knew that God would keep His promises, and that it was through Isaac that God would keep His promises. God wanted Abraham to obey Him. He did not want Abraham to kill his son Isaac. So God found a sheep to die in place of Isaac. He has given His own Son, Jesus, to die in our place.

Verses 20-22: Three dying men

Verse 20 speaks about Isaac and his two sons. Their names were Jacob and Esau. They were 'twins', born at the same time. (See Genesis 25: 21-26.) Isaac was old and weak (chapter 27:1,2). He did not die until about 40 years later but he thought he would soon die. (See Genesis 35: 28,29.) To 'bless' someone means here to tell him or her in God's name, and with His authority, what good things God will do for them. Isaac wanted to 'bless' Esau (Gen 27: 1-4). His wife Rebekah tricked him so that he gave a 'blessing' to Jacob first (verses 27-29). Then Esau came and he gave a 'blessing' to him also but it was not so great (verses 39,40). It is only by faith that we can 'bless' others. Isaac passes the promises, which God had made, on to his two sons.

In verse 21, our writer speaks about Jacob His other name is Israel. The story of his life begins in Genesis 25: 21, and goes on until we read about his death in Egypt in Chapter 49: 33. Chapter 50: 1-14. tells us how his family buried him.

Jacob was a strange man. Much of what he did was not quite right. Our writer does not find any example of faith until the time of his death. Jacob had twelve sons, and he gave a 'blessing' to them all. (See Genesis 49: 1-28.) One of these sons was Joseph. He had an Egyptian wife and two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. The story of Jacob 'blessing' them both is in Genesis 47: 29 - 48: 22. By faith, Jacob saw many years into the future. The time would come when both the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh would be important tribes among the Jews; Ephraim would be even greater than Manasseh would. Genesis 47: 31 tells us how Jacob worshipped God, as he leaned on the top of the stick he walked with. (See also Genesis 32: 10.) But in verses 29 and 30 he tells Joseph that he is not to be buried in Egypt. Nor is he to be buried in the way that the Egyptians buried important people. He is to be laid to rest in the cave, which Abraham had bought in the Promised Land.

So in verse 22, we read about Joseph. Jacob his father had only lived in Egypt for seventeen years. Joseph had lived nearly all his long life in Egypt. He was taken there as a young man of seventeen, as a slave. He rose to hold high office in the government of the Pharaoh (or king) and died at the age of 110 years. But like his father, he did not wish his family to bury him like an Egyptian. (See Genesis 50: 24-26.) He spoke about the time when the Jewish people would leave Egypt and go back to the Promised Land. But to show that his faith and hope were fixed in God and His promises, he told his family that they were to take his bones back to the Promised Land. Exodus 13: 19 tells us how this was done, about 300 years after Joseph's death. Joshua 24: 32 tells how Joseph's bones were at last laid to rest at Shechem in the Land of Promise.

So Joseph lived much of his life like a great Egyptian. But when he died he made it clear that he belonged to the people of God.

Verse 23: The father and mother of Moses

The writer will move on to speak of the faith of Moses soon, but first he speaks about the faith of the parents of Moses. We read about the birth of Moses in Exodus 2: 1-10. Exodus 1: 22 tells us that the Egyptians at this time killed all the baby boys born to the Jews. When Moses was born, his parents could see that he was a special child who would grow up to be great. They were in danger because they did not kill him. So they were brave in their faith. The verses in Exodus tell us how the daughter of the Pharaoh (or king) found Moses and brought him up as her son.

Verses 24-28: The faith of Moses

Joseph had been a great man in the government of Egypt. Verse 24 may mean that Moses too became a great man in the government of Egypt. Joseph used his power to bring the Jews into Egypt. But over the years they had become slaves. So Moses did the opposite many years later. He left the power that he had in Egypt so that 40 years later, he could lead the Jews out of Egypt to freedom.

Moses had to choose (verse 25). He could either stay in Egypt, and people would think of him as Pharaoh's daughter's son. He could enjoy power and be rich. Or he could join the people of God, who were slaves, and the Egyptians were cruel to them. Moses gave up honour, wealth and power. This is what Jesus means when He says that anyone who wants to follow Him must 'deny himself'. Moses could have said: ' I can use my power and riches to help the Jews'. Most likely he would not have done so. Instead, he left these things behind. Honour, riches and power are not always sinful. But very often we are tempted to sin when we have these things. So the writer says that Moses could have had 'the pleasures of sin' for a little while. He chose instead to join with the poor people of God. Egypt was very rich: but Moses looked only for a reward from God (verse 26). When we know Jesus, the value of everything changes.

.Exodus 2:11-15 tells how Moses left Egypt and went to Midian, which was to the east of the Red Sea. This is now in Saudi Arabia, and it is the northern part of Hejaz. It is not really clear whether verse 27 speaks about this, or of the time 40 years later when Moses came back from Midian to Egypt. See Exodus 3:1-22 where Moses meets with God in the ‘burning bush’. God spoke to Moses, and perhaps Moses even saw God.

Then Moses led the people of Israel out of Egypt. None of us can see God with the eyes that we have in our heads: but verse 27 tells us that Moses kept on with his work because by faith he could see God. Like his parents Moses had to stand up to the king; see verse 25. Christians may still have to do this.

Verse 28 tells us about two things. We read in Exodus 12 of the time when at last Moses led the Jews out from their slavery in Egypt. The night before they set out from Egypt, they ate a lamb at a special meal. This is called the 'Passover'. The Jews still eat this meal every year. Moses told them to do this. (See Exodus 12: 14-20.) But that first time when they ate the meal in Egypt God told them they were also to do something extra. When they killed the lamb, they had to put its blood on the wood above and on either side of the doors of their homes.

All this is a picture for us of Jesus. He is the Lamb of God. The blood, which He poured out when He died, keeps us safe. That night in Egypt, God sent an angel through the land, and the oldest sons in each Egyptian family died. The Jews were kept safe because they had marked their homes with the blood from the lambs. (See Exodus 12; 7; 12; 13; 22; 23.)

Moses believed God when He said that the oldest sons of the Egyptians would die that night, so it was by faith that he told the Jews to put the lambs' blood on the door posts. But it was also by faith that Moses told the Jews to keep the Passover feast each year. They still do. They have done so for about three thousand years now.

Verse 29: Israel at the Exodus

We read about these events in Exodus 14: 21-29. Pharaoh, the Egyptian king, changed his mind. After the Passover night, he said that he would let the Jewish people leave Egypt (Exod 12: 31,32). But he did not want to lose so many slaves (Exod 14: 5). So he chased the Jews with part of his army. Moses and the Jews found themselves with the Sea of Reeds (the Red Sea) in front of them, and Pharaoh's army behind them (Exod 14: 9). [11.10]. God made a way for Moses and the Jews through the sea (Exod 14: 21,22). They went through safely. The Egyptians tried to follow them but the sea closed over them. The water killed them (Exod 14: 26-28). The Jewish people needed faith in God. It was one thing to see a way through the sea open up for them. They had to be brave to go through it. And they were not safe until the water killed the Egyptians as it came back to its usual place.

Notice that the writer says nothing about the next forty years. God gave Moses the Law. The Jews did not obey God or His Law. The writer has dealt with these things already. He finds no more examples of faith in Scripture until the Jews have crossed the Jordan into the Promised Land. Now Moses is dead and Joshua is their leader. (In the same way, Matthew 1 says nothing about the Exodus and the giving of the Law; this would fit in there at about verse 4).

Verses 30 and 31: Israel at Jericho

In these two verses the writer speaks of some of the events in the first six chapters of the Book of Joshua. Moses had died. Now Joshua led the Jews. They crossed the Jordan from the east side to the west side. They were in Canaan, the Promised Land, at last. The city of Jericho was only a few kilometres away. Joshua 6: 1-21 tells how they destroyed the city. For six days the Jews marched round the city once each day (verses 12-14). On the seventh day, they marched round the city seven times. The priests blew their horns (or trumpets). The wall round the city fell down, and the Jews went straight up into the city [11.11] (Joshua 6: 15-21).

Joshua had met the Lord (5: 13-15). God told him what to do and he put his faith in God. The people, too, obeyed God - except for one man (See Joshua 7.) To march round the city was no way to take it, but the people believed that they would win the battle. God would give them 'victory'. And He did. (verse 30). Joshua 7 tells how one man among the Jews did not obey God.

One woman in Jericho, a woman called Rahab, did obey God. Verse 31 tells us about her. The first part of her story is in Joshua 2. She received two Jews into her house, and they promised her that they would look after her. Joshua had sent these men to look at the land. She had heard what God had done for His people since they left Egypt. So when the city fell, God kept her safe. (See Joshua 6: 22-25.) There is no reason to doubt that before this she had led a wicked life. (The Book of Joshua speaks of her family but not of her husband). It is not only the writer of Hebrews who speaks about her faith. (See James 2:25.) More than this. Look at Matthew 1: 5. This woman who had faith, but who had once been wicked, has a place of special honour. She is in the family line from which Jesus came. Faith kept her safe. Faith changed her life. And her faith has never been forgotten.

Verses 32-38: More men and women of faith

The writer does not have time to tell us about all the men and women who had faith in past ages. He gives us a list of names, and what some of these people did. The names are: -

Gideon. See Judges Chapters 6-8

Barak See Judges Chapters 4 and 5

Samson. See Judges Chapters 13-16

Jephthah See Judges Chapters 11 and 12

Many of us do not find the Book of Judges at all easy. So it is of interest that the writer of Hebrews names four men of faith from Judges.

David
His story begins in 1 Samuel 16, takes up the whole of 2 Samuel and goes on into 1 Kings 3. Many of the Psalms have his name on them.

Samuel
His story begins in 1 Samuel 1. His death is in 1 Samuel 25: 1. He is the priest who became a prophet.

The prophets
Only some of the later prophets have left us books in the Old Testament with their names on them. There were many others.

In verse 33, we begin to read about the things that these people did by faith.

They conquered kingdoms. It was David who fought wars with other kings around him. He added large parts of Syria to the area that he ruled.

They 'administered justice'. This may speak of David, although Samuel too was a man whose work was to see that just decisions were given. (See 1 Samuel 7: 15-17.)

They gained what God had promised. Perhaps this means the prophets. The books which some of them wrote are full of the promises which God gave to them.

They shut the mouths of lions. (See Daniel 6: 22).

They put out the violence of fire (See Daniel 3: 1).

They escaped the ‘mouth’ or 'edge' of the sword. Swords often had the 'hilt' - the part held in the hand - in the shape of a wild animal. The sharp blade was like a tongue, which came out of the animal's mouth. This is why we read of the 'mouth' of the sword. Sometimes, people tried to kill the men of faith with their swords but these men of faith escaped. (But see verse 3.).

They were weak, but their faith made them strong. (See 2 Corinthians 12: 9.)

They became powerful in battle.

They beat foreign armies in battle.

We cannot be sure what Old Testament stories the writer had in mind here. Perhaps it was something in 1 or 2 Kings. However, when we look at the next verse (verse 35) we can be fairly sure what he means.

Women received back their dead, raised to life again. See 1 Kings 17: 22 where Elijah raised the dead son of the widow from Zarephath; and 2 Kings 4:32-35, where Elisha raised to life the son of the woman from Shunem. [11.12]

Some people honour God by their lives. Other people honour God by their deaths. Faith is not a way by which we get what we want. The men who had faith did not win every battle. The women who had faith did not often see their dead sons brought back to life. So in the rest of these verses (down to verse 38) the writer shows us that by faith, men have suffered for the honour of God.

Some were 'tortured'. The word may mean that their bodies were stretched out tight like a drum-skin or perhaps that they were beaten as a man beats a drum. Their enemies were very cruel in what they did to them. They were made to feel terrible pain in their bodies. They could have escaped this. They had only to speak against God. All they had to do was to say that their faith was not true. They would not do these things. Why not? Because they knew that they would rise from the dead, and they knew that God would give them more honour and glory then if they were faithful to Him now. So in verse 36 we read: -

Some faced jeers. People laughed at them in a really cruel way. Some were beaten or ‘flogged.’ (See Jeremiah 20: 2 and 37: 15.) Others were chained and put in prison.

People threw stones at them until they were dead. (See 2 Chronicles 24: 20-22.) The enemies of God tried to make them speak against their faith: but they would not.

They were sawn in two. The Bible does not tell us how Isaiah died, but many people think that these words are about him.

They were killed with swords. (See I Kings 19: 14; Jeremiah 26: 20).

Of course, as the first Jewish readers heard these words, they thought about many other people who suffered for the faith. They knew the stories of the 'Maccabees'. They were great men of faith, but the books with their stories are not in the Old Testament. I think that the first readers of the letter thought: 'Yes! These men and women had faith. We should think well of them. They were men and women who served God. But their own Jewish people were quite wrong in what they did to them'. Now they did not so much want to be faithful to the Jewish people any longer. They wanted to be faithful to God.

So in the last part of these verses, the writer tells us that some of these people suffered for a long time. These servants of God had no clothes. They had no home and no money. But although they had nothing, they were worth more than all the world. The people of their day drove them out: they wanted to have nothing to do with them. Yet they were the best people in the world and they ought instead to have had honour given to them.

Verses 39 and 40: We join the men of faith

God put down the names of these people in His list of those whom He will honour, and this was because of their faith in Him. Yet they did not get what God had promised. God knew that He would send His Son into this world (verse 40). So until Christ came, and we heard and believed the Good News, these men of faith could not be complete. The men of faith were faithful to God. They only had the promise, and they had cruel trials. But we have Jesus. He is the One that God promised that He would send. So we too ought to be men of faith. We should be faithful to God through our trials.