Bible Commentaries
Hebrews 11

Verses 1-3

Heb 11:1-3

THE NATURE, PROVINCE, AND

SUSTAINING POWER OF FAITH
Hebrews 11:1-3

Hebrews 11:1 ---Now faith is the substance of things hoped for,—It is I think obvious from the context that the object of our author in this verse is, not to define faith, not to tell what it is in and of itself, but simply to describe it in its relations to the human soul, as a means of endurance and principle of enjoyment. Having shown from Habakkuk, its marvelous conservative power, it was natural that he should next explain wherein its great strength lieth; and how it is that it wields so great an influence over the character, lives, and fortunes of those who possess it. This he does with great clear­ness, beauty, and energy in the course of this section. He begins by telling us that faith is the hupostasis of things hoped for. This is all plain enough except the word hupostasis. What does it mean? In Hebrews 1:3, it evidently means essence or substance, in con­trast with the outward manifestations of the Deity; and in Hebrews 3:14, it just as clearly means confidence in God and in the word of his grace. In this latter sense, confidence in reference to the things hoped for, it is here taken by Luther, Melancthon, Grotius, Bohme, Tholuck, Bleek, DeWette, Bloomfield, McLean, Lunemann, Ebrard, Stuart, Delitzsch, Alford, Moll, and most other modern interpreters. “There can be no reasonable doubt,” says Alford, “that this is the true meaning here.” But others, as Chrysostom, Ambrose, Augustine, Bengel, and the translators of our English Version, see in this word something more than “a well grounded confidence.” They allege that, in the use of this term, the Apostle means to say that faith is in effect to the soul of the believer the very substance or essence of things hoped for: so that, by means of it, he is able to enjoy as present realities, what without faith would be to him in effect but as mere nonentities. It was faith, say they, that gave to the heavenly country such a substantive existence in the minds of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as enabled them to enjoy it, in a measure, even while they were strangers and pilgrims on the Earth. That this is all implied in the use of the word hupos- tasis, is I think very clear from the several illustrations which fol­low in this chapter. But it is not so clear to my mind that the Apostle intends to express by this word anything more than a firm and well grounded confidence in reference to the objects of our hope. This confidence is of course followed by many joyful and encouraging effects, some of which are well illustrated by the re­marks of Chrysostom and Augustine. For other instances of the use of this word, see 2 Corinthians 9:4 2 Corinthians 11:17.

Hebrews 11:1 ---the evidence of things not seen.—This, in connection with the preceding clause, forms a sort of constructive Hebrew parallelism. The expression, “things not seen” comprehends more than “the things hoped for.” The latter has reference only to future good; but the former embraces all the invisible realities of the universe, past, present, and future, about which the Holy Spirit has borne witness. The word here rendered evidence (elenkos) is also used in different senses. It may denote (1) the proof or demonstration, by means of which any proposition is shown to be true or false; and (2) the conviction or full persuasion wrought in the mind by means of this demonstration. Commentators are much divided as to the proper meaning of the word in this connec­tion. Some, as Bengel, Bohme, Stier, Ebrard, Hofmann, Stuart, Delitzsch, and Alford, take it objectively, in the sense of proof or demonstration; and others, as Kuinoel, Menken, Bleek, De Wette, Liinemann, etc., take it subjectively, in the sense of conviction or firm persuasion.

For my own part, I think as in the former case, that both ideas are implied in the Apostle’s use of the term; but that it is the subjective element to which he has most direct reference, and which he intends to express by the word elegchos. There can, of course, be no conviction without a sufficient proof; but it is not I think to the proof, but to its effect on the soul, that the Apostle here particularly refers. This is most in harmony with his main object throughout the entire chapter, which is manifestly to describe faith in its relations to the soul, both as a power of en­durance, and a means and principle of enjoyment. He, therefore, begins the discussion with the simple affirmation, that faith is to the soul of the believer confidence with respect to things hoped for, and conviction with respect to things not seen: that is, with respect to such invisible realities as are revealed to us in the word of God. For where there is no testimony there can be no faith. (Romans 10:17.) But when God speaks, his word is to the believer an end of all controversy. It is to the Christian what a demonstration is to the mathematician: it gives confidence with respect to whatever is promised; and it begets conviction with respect to the truth of whatever is affirmed. Do the Scriptures teach, for example, that “the hour is coming in which all that are in their graves shall hear his [Christ’s] voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good to the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil to the resurrection of damnation ?”—the Christian receives this testi­mony, believes it, and acts in reference to it with all confidence. Why so? Simply because God says so. No reasoning, no philoso­phy, and no demonstration of any kind, can ever go beyond this. And hence it is, that to the believer all the promises of God are yea and amen in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 1:20) ; and like Moses he endures as seeing him who is invisible (Hebrews 11:27). The word elenkos occurs only here and in 2 Timothy 3:16. In the latter case, it means conviction of sin, or of any erroneous notions or hy­potheses.

Hebrews 11:2 ---For by it the elders obtained a good report.—Our author now proceeds with the proof and illustration of his main thesis, as submitted in the first verse. That faith is confidence with respect to the objects of our hope, and conviction with respect to those in­visible realities which are revealed to us in the word of God, he argues (1) from the fact that by it (en taute) the elders obtained a good name and a most enviable reputation from God as well as from his people; and (2) from the fact that by means of it we are convinced that the universe was framed by the word of God. These elders (hoi presbuteroi) were not only persons in official authority, but the term is used here to indicate all the heroic men of the Old Testament from Abel down to the Maccabees, as we learn from what follows. They were not generally distinguished for their wealth, their talents, their learning, or their worldly at­tainments of any kind; but they were men of faith. They believed God’s word; and they were, therefore, constrained to look upward for life, health, and happiness. They set their affections on things that are above, and not on things that are on the Earth, knowing that they were but strangers and pilgrims in the world. This un­wavering confidence in God and in the word of his grace, gave them even while here a realization of good things to come, and en­abled them to endure with meekness and fortitude the severest trials and afflictions.

Hebrews 11:3 ---Through faith we understand, etc.—This is given by our author as an example of the “things not seen.” The creation of the universe is a matter which we did not and which we cannot perceive by means of our corporeal senses: nor is it discernible by even the eye of reason through the medium of the light of nature. This, all must concede. But to the eye of faith it is just as plain that “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth,” as that Columbus discovered America, or that George Washington was once President of the United States.

The critics are not agreed as to the textual meaning of the word that is here rendered worlds (aiones). Literally, it means ages; and it is so rendered by Alford and most of the Greek Fathers. But it seems to me, judging from the terms of the context, that the Apostle intends to express here about the same general thought that Moses expresses in Genesis 1:1; and I, therefore, agree with Delitzsch and others that aiones is used here by metonymy to denote at least the whole material universe. See note 1: 3. This will become more obvious from the consideration of the following clause.

Hebrews 11:3 ---so that things are seen, etc.:—or rather, according to our best authorities, So that that which is seen [the visible universe] has not come into being from visible materials, as the heathen philoso­phers all believed and taught. Thales maintained that God made all things out of water or chaos. Plato concedes the eternity of three distinct principles, viz., God, matter, and ideas: meaning by the ideas a sort of incorporeal archetypes according to which God framed and fashioned all things. Aristotle held to the eternity of matter; and says, it was the common opinion of naturalists that “Nothing can be made out of nothing.” This is as far as philoso­phy goes or can go. But our faith assures us that God alone is eternal; and that in the beginning he created the Heavens and the Earth. (Genesis 1:1.) It assures us moreover that through the eternal Word, who was with God and who was God, all things came into being (egeueto) ; and that without him not even one thing came into being which is in being (John 1:1-3). And just so in our text. The Apostle makes no attempt at explanation; but like Moses he simply affirms, by the authority of the Holy Spirit, that God did not make the universe, as an architect makes a house, or as an artist makes a steam engine out of pre-existing materials; but that in the beginning he’ created it by the word of his power. “He spake,” and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.”

Commentary on Hebrews 11:1-3 by Donald E. Boatman

Hebrews 1:1 --Now faith is assurance of things hoped for, a conviction of things not seen

“Faith” in the original languages:

a. The Greek is pistis—in its forms means “steady, faithful.”

b. In the Hebrew several words are used, also with the idea of stability, steadiness.

The world of men lives by faith in all realms.

a. An auto is driven by faith, or else we would stay off the highway. We have a faith in the machine, faith in self, faith in others.

b. We travel by train, bus, airplane, and ship, by faith in these respects: in pilot, navigator, engineer and on the signal system.

c. We marry on faith. Faith is important for true love.

d. History is accepted by faith.

Some of the questions about faith:

a. The importance of faith. How important is it?

1. Hebrews 11:6 : Without faith it is impossible to please God.

2. Abraham’s life illustrates it to be a basis of friendship with God.

b. What is faith?

1. Hebrews 11:1 defines it.

2. Belief that God exists.

3. Belief in Christ.

4. Belief in the unseen or the spiritual.

5. The substantiating of things hoped for.

c. How do we get faith?

1. Romans 10:17 : It comes by hearing.

Illustrations of it: Pentecost; Phillipian Jailor; Ethiopian eunuch.

2. John 7:17 : It comes by doing.

a) John 14:1-4 :

Two things about God:—He exists and, He is a rewarder. Christ is the Son of God. John 20:31.

b) Hebrews 11:1 : “Things hoped for.”

d. How is this faith stated?

Matthew 16:16 : “Thou art the Christ.”

e. What part does the Bible have in faith?

John 20:31 : “These are written.”

f. Does faith alone save us?

James 2:24 : “Ye see then how that by works a man is justified and not by faith only.”

g. What is the end of your faith?

1 Peter 1:9 : “Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.”

1. We have a new body every seven years, but it slowly wears out.

2. Through it all the real person endures.

h. What is the end of one who does not believe?

1. John 8:24 : “If ye believe not that I am He, ye shall die in your sins.”

2. Revelation 21:8 : “But for the fearful and unbelieving, their part shall be in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

3. Mark 16:16 : “—he that disbelieveth shall be condemned.”

Hebrews 11:1 --is assurance

King James Version—“evidence.”

Alternate—“giving substance, essence, confidence.”

Greek—Hyportasia, “title deeds”—Rimmer.

Other appearances of the word hypostasis:

a. Hebrews 1:3 : “The very image of His substance.”

b. Hebrews 3:14 : “If we hold fast the beginning of your confidence.” Faith is the substantiating or giving substance of these things hoped for. Faith precedes prayer. Prayer is not working at God’s reluctance, but taking hold of His willingness.

Hebrews 11:1 --of things hoped for

He is only defining; he does not give the things hoped for, but we see them in this eleventh chapter—what faith was to others.

a. To Abraham, a new city.

b. To Daniel: Mouths of lions to be stopped.

Our faith becomes hope when it expects, anticipates.

Hebrews 11:1 --a conviction

Also translated “test, evidence.” It is full persuasion wrought in the mind. Noah could have conviction without ever looking at the sky if he had faith. Some Christians are so pessimistic and faithless that they blow out their candles to see how dark it is. Too many are like Peter, who was afraid and began to sink. Matthew 14:30.

Faith is

Forsaking

All

I

Take

Him.

Hebrews 11:1 --of things not seen

This is spiritual.

a. God, Christ, divine power, heaven are not seen, but by faith we believe in Their existence.

b. Reward, reunion are unseen, but are nonetheless real to the person.

c. Faith therefore becomes a power in our lives when it launches us out beyond the physical.

things are nonetheless real in other realms.

a. Wind is unseen, yet we believe it exists.

b. Force of gravity exists.

c. Tracks of an unseen person convince us of his existence, so does God’s handiwork convince us of His existence. Illustration. Hebrews 11:2-3.

Hebrews 11:2 --For therein

He now illustrates what faith has accomplished. In their faith they were conquerors.

Hebrews 11:2 --the elders

“Elders” ordinarily refers to those in authority. Milligan says here it refers to all the heroes of the faith.

Hebrews 11:2 --had witness born to them

Approved of God, by His blessings perhaps.

a. Enoch had witness born to him that he had been well pleasing. Hebrews 11:4.

b. Abel had witness born to him that he had been well pleasing.

Disapproval of God by His curses was manifested.

a. Cain was sent out.

b. God turned the Israelites free to wander for forty years.

Note the King James Version: “Obtained a good report.”

a. This is misleading if you think of it in the light that an elder is to be of good report.

b. Their report was not good to those of the outside, for note in Hebrews 11:25-28 they were tortured, etc.

c. It was an approval on the divine side.

Hebrews 11:3 --by faith we understand

Things that seem impossible are understood when faith takes hold, Faith puts meaning in life.

a. Atheists are always chronic complainers.

b. The atheists build no hospitals, orphanages, or charitable organizations, but condemn the faith of those who do.

c. If this is a mechanistic world, then it is meaningless; but we see too much of God to believe in atheism.

Hebrews 11:3 --that the worlds have been framed

“Worlds”—the literal meaning is from the Greek aieves, ages,” May mean the world that is seen—the physical world, universe.

The same word is rendered “world” in Hebrews 11:30 and in 1 Corinthians 10:11, Here he affirms what Moses has stated.

a. Look at the theories suggested by men who have no faith.

b. The Java man, “missing link” theories, are promoted by those missing faith.

Ages began with creation:

a. Ephesians 1:4 : “Before the foundation of the world.”

b. 2 Timothy 1:9 : Before times eternal.

c. Titus 1:2 : Before time eternal.

“Framed” is translated by others in such language as this: “Compacted, adjusted, produced, formed”; and Calvin says, “Fitted or joined together.”

Hebrews 11:3 --by the Word of God

Genesis says that God spoke things into existence with the words, “Let there be . . .” The “Word” takes on new meaning when we come to the New Testament:

a. John 1:1 says Christ was the Word.

b. Hebrews 1:2 : “By Whom also He made the worlds.”

c. Hebrews 11:3 : Framed by the Word.

Hebrews 11:3 --so that what is seen hath not been made out of things which appear

Calvin says, “as that they become the visible of things not visible, or not apparent.”

Heathens, infidels, atheists have their ideas, but all are more difficult to believe than Genesis. Genesis uses the word bara, “to create,” generally understood to mean to make something out of nothing.

a. The use of the word in other places does not bear this out, however.

b. God did not make them out of material which we see.

Study Questions

2066. In the original language, what idea does the word “faith” convey?

2067. Are shrinking and shirking compatible?

2068. Is faith limited only to religion?

2069. If you had no faith in men, what would be eliminated in your life?

Could you eat a loaf of bread?

Could you travel by bus, airplane?

Could you be treated by a physician?

Could you accept any history?

Could you believe in Washington, Lincoln?

2070. What is Paul’s definition of faith?

2071. What part of the definition includes belief in God?

2072. What would be included in “things hoped for”?

2073. How is Abraham an illustration of faith?

2074. Is faith more valuable than knowledge?

2075. How do we get faith? Cf. Romans 10:17.

2076. Give an illustration of the method.

2077. Can you name one who received faith otherwise?

2078. What objects are required in faith?

2079. What two things are we to believe about God?

2080. What are we to believe about Christ?

2081. How is faith stated?

2082. Dare we ask men to confess more?

2083. Do we require unwritten confessionals, while condemning written ones?

2084. What part does the Bible have in faith? Cf. John 20:30-31.

2085. Is faith alone sufficient? Cf. James 2:24.

2086. What is the end of our faith? 1 Peter 1:9.

2087. What is the end of the disbeliever? Cf. John 8:24; Revelation 21:8; Mark 16:16.

2088. What does he mean that faith is “assurance”?

2089. Which is the better translation—“evidence” or “assurance”?

2090. What other words may be used?

2091. What things might be included in the “things hoped for”?

2092. Tell what the following people hoped for: Abraham, Daniel, David.

2093. Does this not sound like hope rather than faith?

2094. Could you have hope without faith?

2095. What is meant by the word “conviction”?

2096. What evidence did Noah have that it would rain?

2097. What evidence do you have of your faith in God? Christ?

2098. Is it things yet to be seen or not seen?

2099. Is it something seen by the eye of faith?

2100. What are the “things not seen”?

2101. How do you know unseen things exist?

2102. Are the unseen things less real?

2103. How do you know there is gravity, wind, electricity?

2104. “The elders” would refer to whom?

2105. “Witness borne to them” could be differently expressed. How?

2106. How did Enoch have witness borne? Abel?

2107. What does he mean by saying, “by faith we understand”?

2108. Can faith understand?

2109. Does infidelity render purpose and meaning to life?

2110. What does the word “world” mean?

2111. What does the word “framed” mean?

2112. How does this compare with the theory of evolution?

2113. What brought everything into existence according to the Word of God?

2114. What method was used?

2115. Identify the word used in verse three.

2116. What is included in the expression, “what is seen”?

2117. Does this help to solve what the “world” is in the first part of the verse?

2118. Does he mean that the present things are not remolded old things?

2119. Does this fit the pre-creation theory?

2120. Could the expression “had become waste and void” taught by pre-creation theorists have any substantiation here?

Verses 4-31

Heb 11:4-31

SUNDRY EXAMPLES SELECTED FROM THE
HISTORY OF THE ANCIENTS, ILLUSTRATIVE
OF THE NATURE, POWER, AND INFLUENCE
OF FAITH
Hebrews 11:4-31

Hebrews 11:4 ---By faith Abel offered, etc.—Cain and Abel both brought of­ferings, but of different kinds. Cain brought of the fruits of the ground, but Abel brought of the firstlings and fatness of his sheep or goats. (Genesis 4:3-5.) Wherein, then, did the superior excel­lence of Abel’s offering consist ? Not in its greater intrinsic value, for Cain’s offering may have been quite as costly as that of Abel. Of this, we cannot judge positively from anything given in the in­spired record. Nor can we determine in what the offering of Cain consisted, further than this: that it was purely a vegetable offering. True, indeed, it is called a mine hah, a meat offering, and in Leviti­cus 2: 1-16, the minchah is described as consisting of fine flour, or unleavened cakes, or parched corn, to which were added a portion of salt, oil, and frankincense. But in Genesis 4:3-5, the word min­chah seems to be used, not in its legal and specific sense, but in its more general signification, to denote an offering of any kind, for in the fourth verse the offering of Abel is also called a minchah, though it consisted of lambs or goats; neither of which were in­cluded in the legal meat offering.

If, then, the superiority of Abel’s offering did not consist in its greater intrinsic value, in what did it consist? Evidently, as our author says, in its being offered in faith, and in obedience to the command of God: for “To obey,” says Samuel, “is better than sac­rifice ; and to hearken, than the fat of rams.” (1 Samuel 15:22.) And Solomon says, “The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but the prayer of the upright is his delight.” (Proverbs 15:18.) That is, the most costly offering of the wicked man is hateful in the sight of God, while a mere prayer that costs nothing, if it be offered in faith and in obedience to God’s will, is his delight. Cain, like King Saul, was a proud, haughty, and self-reliant rationalist. Instead of honoring God by bringing as he was required, a bleed­ing victim from his flock, he presumptuously substituted for it, what was more in accordance with his own blinded and perverted reason. But Abel was a man of faith; a man who trembled at the word of the Lord, and whose only question was, therefore, “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” In this, he and Cain had both been sufficiently instructed, for the Apostle says that Abel offered in faith. But this he could not do without a Divine warrant. In all such cases, faith must of necessity rest on the word of God. (Romans 10:17.) Sacrifice is therefore, beyond all doubt, of Divine origin, and the superior excellence of Abel’s offering consisted simply in this: that in making it, he acted strictly in compliance with the re­vealed will of God.

It does not follow, as Magee, Bloomfield, and others suppose, that Abel understood the typical import of his sacrifice, and that through it he showed his faith in the sacrifice of Christ, which was afterward to be offered for the sins of the world. That he may have had some faint conception of God’s far-reaching designs in in­stituting sacrifice, is quite probable. Of this we cannot speak with certainty. All that is plainly and fairly implied in our text, is sim­ply this: that Abel did what he did in consequence of his firm and unwavering faith in God. He knew God’s will, and like Noah, Abraham, and others named in this chapter, he resolved to do it.

Hebrews 11:4 ---by which he obtained witness, etc.—The meaning is, not that he obtained this “witness” by his sacrifice, but rather by his faith in offering the sacrifice. Faith is the leading thought in the whole sentence, and to “faith” as the leading word, the pronouns which and it have both reference. But how and from whom did he ob­tain this witness? The answer to this question is given in the fol­lowing clause.

Hebrews 11:4 ---God testifying of his gifts:—(epi tois dorois) with respect to his gifts. This God did, no doubt, in the usual way, by causing fire to come down and consume the victims which Abel offered. See references. So say the Jews as well as most Christian exposi­tors. Abel’s offering, like that of Elijah (1 Kings 18:38) was ac­cepted by its being consumed on the altar, but Cain’s offering, like the offerings of the false prophets, remained unconsumed, and of course unaccepted. This at once greatly excited and provoked the envy of Cain, and so he was moved to kill Abel, “because,” says John, “his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.” (1 John 3:12.)

Hebrews 11:4 ---and by it he being dead yet speaketh.—The Textus Receptus, with the manuscripts, D, E, J, K, and the old Italic version, has the passive form of the verb (laleitai) “is spoken of.” But some of the best manuscripts, most of the ancient versions, and several of the Greek Fathers, have the active voice (lalei), as in our English Version. This reading is also best supported by the internal evi­dence, and it is therefore now justly preferred by most expositors. The idea is not that Abel “is now spoken of” as a faithful man, and so commended for his piety, but rather that he, though dead, still speaks to us by his faith and example.

What, then, does he say? Most commentators, as Calvin, Ebrard, Delitzsch, Alford, etc., maintain that there is here direct reference to Genesis 4:10, and that in harmony with the record there given, Abel’s blood still calls to God for vengeance. But it is not by his blood, but by his faith that he still speaks. And I therefore agree with Chrysostom, Stuart, and a few others, that what the Apostle means is simply this: that Abel by his faith and example still speaks to us, warning, admonishing, and encouraging us to obey God’s will by doing just what he has commanded us to do, and giving us assurance, at the same time, that all things will cer­tainly work together for the good of those who do this. His is the first example on record of just such an exercise of faith as God commends and approves, and hence it is, perhaps, that the Holy Spirit has given to it so great prominence.

Hebrews 11:5 ---By faith Enoch was translated—There is but little said in the Bible respecting this eminently pious man. In Genesis 5:24, Moses says: “And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, be­cause God took him.’’ And from Jude (5: 14), we learn that he was a prophet, and that he warned his contemporaries that the Lord would finally come with “his holy myriads to execute judg­ment on all, and to convict all the impious concerning all the hard sayings which impious sinners spoke against him.’’ Having thus, like Noah, been for a time a preacher of righteousness, the Lord rewarded him for his fidelity by translating him no doubt to Heaven, as he afterward translated Elijah. (1 Kings 2:1 1 Kings 2:11.) So the Psalmist expresses his confidence that, after death, the Lord would receive him to glory. (Psalms 73:24.)

Hebrews 11:6 ---that he should not see death;—That is, that he should not experience death like other men. So the word see is often used in the Holy Scriptures. See, for example, Psalms 89:48; Luke 2:26 ; John 8:51. Enoch did not experience death as men ordinar­ily do, but was miraculously delivered from it, perhaps in the same way that the living saints will be at the second coming of Christ. “Behold I show you a mystery,” says Paul; “we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we [the living saints] shall be changed.” (1 Cor. 15: 51, 52.) All attempts at explanation in such cases, however, are wholly unwarranted by the word of God. See Deut. 29:29.

Hebrews 11:6 ---and was not found, because God had translated him:—The meaning is, that he was not found on earth, because God had translated him from earth to heaven, as he afterward translated Elijah. After Elijah’s removal, the sons of the prophets sent out fifty men, who sought for him three days diligently, but they did not find him, because God had taken him. (2 Kings 2: 17.) And so, also, it seems to have been in the case of Enoch. His friends no doubt made diligent search for him, but it was all in vain. “He was not found,” because God had removed him from earth to higher and better climes.

Hebrews 11:6 ---for before his translation, etc.—The idea is that he pleased God before his translation, as is proved by the testimony. But this he could not have done without faith, as our author now proceeds to show.

Hebrews 11:6 ---But without faith it is impossible to please him:—Why so? The fact is clearly stated in our text, and it is even further emphasized in what follows: “He that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” The same fundamental truth is also abundantly set forth in other passages. In Romans 8:8, for example, Paul says, “They that are in the flesh can not please God.” And again in Romans 14:23, he says, “Whatsoever is not of faith is sin.” There can be no doubt, therefore, that faith in God is essential to all acceptable worship and service of any kind.

But why is it so? Is it owing simply to an arbitrary arrange­ment on the part of God ? or does it arise from a moral necessity ? That the latter, and not the former, is true, will I think appear manifest from a little reflection. Be it observed, then, (1) that there was a time when God was and nothing else beside him. By his own power he gave birth and being to all things. See Genesis 1:1; John 1:3; Colossians 1:16, etc. (2) He created all things according to the counsel of his own will, and in harmony with his own na­ture. See Ephesians 1:11; Romans 11:34, etc. (3) Hence it follows that whatever is in harmony with God’s will is right, and that whatever is not in harmony with it is wrong—necessarily, immuta­bly, and eternally wrong. (4) Every man, therefore, who acts from any other ruling motive than the known will of God, is so far a rebel against God and his government. What he does may of course serve to promote in many respects the interests of society. He may, for instance, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, instruct the ignorant, and if need be he may even die for his friends or his country. But unless, in all this, he acts from a supreme regard to the will of God, his conduct is wanting in one of the essential ele­ments of virtue, and cannot, therefore, be otherwise than displeas­ing to God. (5) But no man can act in harmony with the will of God unless he has faith in God and in the revelation which he has made to us of himself, for his own glory and for the good of his creatures. This is self-evident. And hence it follows, as our au­thor says, that he who would come to God and serve him accepta­bly, “must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Enoch did this. He walked with God. And the Apostle therefore justly argues that he had faith in God, and that his marvelous deliverance from death was both an attestation and a reward of his faith.

Hebrews 11:7 ---By faith Noah, being warned of God, etc.—From the brief record that is here given of Noah’s faith, we learn (1) that he was divinely admonished (chrematistheis) with regard to the coming deluge. One hundred and twenty years before it occurred, God warned him of its coming, and directed him to go to work and pre­pare an ark for the saving of himself and his house. (Genesis 6:3-18.) (2) That he believed God and did just as he was commanded. Moved by a reverential fear (eulabetheis) through his belief in God’s testimony, he prepared an ark for the saving of his house. This, under the circumstances, was a very remarkable instance of strong and unwavering faith in God. For (a) the time appointed was still far off in the future, (b) There were as yet no natural indications that such an event as the destruction of the world by a deluge would ever occur, (c) The experience of mankind was against it. For sixteen hundred years, the natural order of events had been uninterrupted, and no doubt many of the so-called philos­ophers of that age would be forward in proving to the people that such a catastrophe was physically impossible, (d) The profane and wicked scoffers of the age would also, as a matter of course, do all that they could by their wit, ridicule, and sarcasm, to destroy Noah’s faith in the promise of God, and to dissuade him from his great undertaking. But nothing could move him from his purpose. Throughout the long period of one hundred and twenty years, he continued strong in faith giving glory to God. (3) By his faith and obedience he condemned the world, as Christ says the men of Nineveh and the queen of the south will, on the day of judgment condemn the unbelieving and disobedient men and women of his own generation. (Matthew 12:41-42.) Every man, in fact, who gives heed to God’s warnings and admonitions, condemns by his faith and practice all who neglect to do so. Thus, Noah con­demned his own disobedient contemporaries, and thus also he will, on the day of final reckoning, condemn millions of our own more highly favored generation. (4) By his faith, he also became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. Several eminent expositors, as Cramer, Michaelis, Bisping, and Hofmann, make the phrase “by which (dia hes) depend on the word ark (kibotos) ; that is, they say Noah condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness of faith by building the ark. But it is better with Bengel, Menken, Bohme, Bleek, De Wette, McLean, Ebrard, Lii- nemann, Delitzsch, Alford, and others, to make “faith” the antece­dent of the relative “which.” Faith is the leading thought of the whole sentence, and the word faith is therefore properly made the governing word in construction. It should be observed, however, that the building of the Ark is included in the word faith, for it is not of faith in the abstract, but of faith in all its practical bearings that the Apostle is speaking. This is obvious from all the exam­ples of faith that are given in this section. Indeed, the faith which God commends and requires is, in no case, a mere cold, lifeless, abstraction; it is a living, active, fruit-bearing principle, which is constantly manifesting and developing itself in the life as well as in the heart of the individual. Such was the faith of Abel; such was the faith of Enoch; and such also was the faith of Noah, through which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righ­teousness which is according to the law of faith. (Romans 3:21-31.)

Hebrews 11:8 ---By faith Abraham, when he was called—In this verse we have given (1) the fact that Abraham received a call from God; (2) that by this call he was required to leave his home and kindred in Ur of Chaldea, and go out into a strange land; (3) that this land, though promised to his posterity, was wholly unknown to him at the time; and (4) that he nevertheless obeyed God, and went out of his own country, not knowing whither he went.

The original call is not recorded in the Scriptures; but in Genesis 12:1-3 it is repeated in substance as follows: “Now the Lord had said to 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: and I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee; and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” This call must have been a very severe test of Abraham’s faith. To leave a comfortable home and friends and follow the call of another, at any time and under any circumstances, shows a very strong degree of trust and con­fidence in the one who calls us. But this Abraham did, and did promptly. Taking with him his father Terah, and Lot his nephew, he immediately left Ur of Chaldea and came to Haran, where he remained five years. But when his father was dead he left Haran and passed over into Canaan, where he sojourned for one hundred years.

These numbers may be easily verified as follows. We learn from Galatians 3:17 and Exodus 12:40-41, that from the call of Abra­ham to the Exodus or giving of the Law was four hundred and thirty years; and from Genesis 15:14 we also learn that from the birth of Isaac to the Exodus was four hundred years. Consequently thirty years intervened between the call of Abraham and the birth of Isaac. But when Isaac was born Abraham was a hundred years old (Genesis 21:5) ; and hence he was seventy years old when he was first called and received the promise. But he was seventy-five years old when he came to Canaan (Genesis 12:4); and he was a hundred and seventy-five years old when he died. (Genesis 25:7.) And hence he sojourned five years in Haran and a hundred years in Canaan.

Hebrews 11:9 ---By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, etc.—It ap­pears from this that Abraham never regarded Canaan as his home. He knew, of course, that when the Amorites should have filled up the cup of their iniquity in the fourth generation, the land would be given to his posterity for an everlasting possession (Genesis 15:16). But until that time neither he nor his seed had any rights and privileges in Canaan beyond what might have been enjoyed by other strangers under like circumstances. “God,” says Stephen, “gave him no inheritance in it; no, not so much as to set his foot on; yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child.” (Acts 7:5.) And hence Abraham had to purchase the cave of Machpelah as a burying-place from Ephron the Hittite (Genesis 23:3-20) ; and hence, also, neither he, nor Isaac, nor Jacob, ever built a perma­nent residence in the country. They were satisfied to live in mov­able tents and fragile booths, feeling assured that, according to “the promise,” they were all heirs of a better inheritance than any that was then to be found on this sin-stained earth.

Hebrews 11:10 ---For he looked for a city, etc.—This is given by the Apostle as the reason why Abraham was satisfied to live as a stranger and sojourner in Canaan. He did so because he was looking for the city (ten polin) which hath the foundations (tous themelious), whose Architect and Builder is God. From this and other like passages we are constrained to think that God had given to the pa­triarchs information with regard to the heavenly country far be­yond what is now recorded in Genesis or any other part of the Old Testament. What we find there at present was written for our in­struction, as well as for the benefit of the ancients (Romans 15:4). But much may have been said to them which would in no way ben­efit us; and which was, therefore, excluded from the Canon by Moses, Ezra and other inspired writers. The origin of sacrifice, for instance, is nowhere expressly mentioned in the Old Testa­ment ; nor is there anything said in it respecting the origin of the Patriarchal priesthood. Information, clear, full, and explicit, on all such matters, was of course needed by the ancients; but for us the more general instructions of the Bible are quite sufficient. And so, also, we think it was with respect to the heavenly country. The Patriarchs seem to have received revelations concerning it which have never been transmitted to us; for it is obvious that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, lived in constant expectation of enter­ing it at the close of their earthly pilgrimage. They were satisfied to live here as strangers and pilgrims, knowing that they had in heaven a city having permanent foundations whose Architect and Framer is God. This city is manifestly the heavenly Jerusalem (Galatians 4:28; Hebrews 12:22 Hebrews 13:14), which for the present is lo­cated in heaven, but which will hereafter descend to the earth after that it shall have been renovated by fire (Revelation 21). Then will be fulfilled in its full and proper sense the promise made to Abraham that he and his seed should be the heirs of the world. (Romans 4:13.) “The meaning of the whole verse,” says Prof. Stuart, “most evidently is that Abraham looked for a permanent abode in the heavenly country; that is, his hopes and expectations were placed upon the world to come.” It was faith in this which was the dem­onstration of things not seen, and which moved him to obey the commands of God, and to do and suffer whatever he required. The fact then that the saints under the Old Testament were moved in their conduct by considerations which had respect to the invisi­ble world, or an immortal state of existence, is plainly implied here by the reasoning of the Apostle. God is here called the architect (technites) of the heavenly city, because he is the author of the plan; and he is also called the builder (demiourgos), because it is he himself who executes the plan. He is the master-builder as well as the projector of the heavenly Jerusalem.

Hebrews 11:11 ---Through faith also Sarah herself received strength to conceive seed,—Or more exactly, By faith even Sarah herself re­ceived strength to conceive seed. The emphatic manner in which this is expressed seems to indicate that there was something very extraordinary ’in the case of Sarah. But what was it ? On this point the commentators differ. Some think that our author has reference merely to what he more fully and distinctly states in what follows, viz.: that Sarah, though now past the time of bear­ing, through faith received strength for the conception of seed (Schlichting, Schultz, Stuart, etc.). But the majority maintain that there is in these words an allusion also to the fact that, at the outset, Sarah herself was unbelieving. (Genesis 18:9-15.) Thus Macknight: “By faith in God’s promise, even Sarah herself, though at first she thought the matter impossible, received strength for the conception of seed, and brought forth a son when past the age of child-bearing; because she at length attained to the strong­est persuasion of the faithfulness and power of Him who had promised her a son.” So also Bleek, DeWette, Winer, Liinemann, and others. In this instance, the minority are probably right. It seems most likely that the Apostle makes no reference here what­ever to the former incredulity of Sarah; but only to her past bar­renness and advanced age. For at that time she was about ninety years old (Genesis 17:17) ; far beyond the natural period of child­bearing. But nevertheless, through her strong faith in God, she obtained the promise.

Hebrews 11:12 ---Therefore sprang there even of one, etc.—The word therefore shows that what follows is to be taken as a result and conse­quence of the faith of Abraham and Sarah. They had both waited long and patiently for the fulfillment of the promise: and now when Abraham is about a hundred years old, and Sarah ninety, their faith brought to them the promised reward. “Though it tarry, wait for it; for it will surely come; it will not be behind the appointed time." (Habakkuk 2:4.) They did wait; and finally, as a re­ward for their faith in God and in the word of his promise, “there sprang from one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of Heaven in multitude; and as the sands of the sea shore innumera­ble.” For Abraham, says Paul, “against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about a hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb: he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; being fully persuaded that what he had promised he was able also to perform.” (Romans 4:18-21.) And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness; and not only so, but in consequence of this, Isaac was born, and his descendants were multiplied as the dust of the earth. See refer­ences.

The bearing of this illustration of the main argument of the Apostle is very obvious. Nothing could better serve to strengthen the hands and encourage the hearts of the desponding and perse­cuted Hebrews, than this reference to the faith of their illustrious ancestor. God himself makes a like reference to it, by the Prophet Isaiah, for the purpose of encouraging the Israelites under the Ba­bylonish captivity. “Hearken unto me,” he says, “yfc that pursue righteousness, ye that seek Jehovah: look unto the rock whence ye were hewn; and to the hollow of the cave whence ye were digged: look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah who bore you; for I called him, being a single person, and I blessed him, and I multi­plied him.” (Isaiah 51:1-2.)

Hebrews 11:13 ---These all died in faith,—(kata pistin) according to faith: that is, in the exercise of faith and in the enjoyment of its many blessings. They died as they had lived, in jaith. But of whom does the Apostle here speak? Who are the “all” who died in faith? Some, as Oecumenius, Theophylact, and Primasius, think that our author refers here to the aforesaid faithful antediluvian Patriarchs, as well as to the postdiluvian. But in this they are manifestly in error. The context makes it quite obvious, that only Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, and Jacob, are included in this remark. They are the persons who received the promises (Galatians 3:16), and who might have returned to their father-land had they been inclined to do so. But they all preferred remaining as strangers and pilgrims in Canaan, because their hearts were set on the heavenly country into which they hoped to enter soon.

Hebrews 11:13 ---Not having received the promises,—What promises? Manifestly not the verbal promises; for these they did receive (Galatians 3:16): but the word promises (epangliai) is used here to de­note the things promised. These they did not receive during their earthly pilgrimage; they only saw them afar off, and “greeted them as the wanderer greets his longed-for home, even when he comes in sight of it at a distance; drawing to himself, as it were, magnet­ically and embracing, with inward love, that which is yet afar off” (Del. in loc.) But the important question still arises, What were the things promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, which they did not receive during their earthly pilgrimage, but which they only saw by faith in the far distant future?

In order to answer this question properly it is necessary to refer again to the inspired record and see what pledges were given by God to these illustrious patriarchs. These, as we learn from Gene­sis, were (1) that Abraham should have a numerous offspring (Genesis 13:16 Genesis 15:3-5 Genesis 17:2 Genesis 17:4 Genesis 22:16) ; (2) that God would be a God to him and to his seed after him (Genesis 17:1-8); (3) that he would give to him and to his seed an everlasting inheritance (Genesis 12:7 Genesis 13:15 Genesis 15:18-21 Genesis 17:8); and (4) that through him and his seed, all the nations of the earth should be blessed (Genesis 12:3 Genesis 22:18). To each of these God attached a double significance. See notes on 8: 8. They each consisted, so to speak, of two elements, one of which had reference to the carnal side of the covenant, and the other to the spiritual side: one to the type, and the other to the antitype. Thus Abraham was made the hon­ored father of two families; to each of which an inheritance was promised, and through each of which the world was to be blessed.

Now it is true that while Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob sojourned on Earth, their offspring was not very numerous; nor did they then receive the earthly inheritance; nor was the world as yet blessed by them. And hence it is quite possible that there may be some allusion in our text to the temporal and typical blessings which were promised. But certain it is, that our author refers here chiefly to the spiritual and antitypical blessings which God had promised to Abraham; and especially, as in the thirty-ninth verse, to the coming of Christ and the blessings of his mediatorial reign. “Abraham/’ says Christ, “rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it, and was glad." (John 8:56.) To Christ, then, as the promised Seed, and to the inheritance redeemed by his blood (Ephesians 1:14), our author refers chiefly, if not exclusively, in the use of the word “promises.” These, the Patriarchs did not receive while here on earth; but through the telescope of faith they saw them afar off, and embraced them with joy and singleness of heart, confessing at the same time that they were strangers and pilgrims on earth.

Hebrews 11:14 ---For they that say such things, etc.—All men naturally de­sire a home. To this they are prompted by one of the strongest and deepest natural instincts of the human heart. And hence though many may, like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, wander about as pilgrims and sojourners for awhile, it is always with a view of securing a permanent home somewhere. The case of these Patri­archs, as our author insists, was not an exception to this law of our nature. They declared very plainly, both in word and in deed that they were seeking after a home, a father-land (patrida), a fixed and permanent residence.

Hebrews 11:15 ---And truly, if they had been mindful, etc.—If they had de­sired to return to Ur of Chaldea, or to Haran, there was nothing to prevent their doing so. They had not been banished from their father-land, nor have we any reason to think that God would have so interfered as to prevent their return. He always prefers a will­ing service. And hence the Apostle argues that these Patriarchs might all have returned to Chaldea had they been so minded. But none of them ever showed any desire to do so. “Abraham in par­ticular,” says Macknight, “considered the very thought of return­ing into Chaldea as a renunciation of his interests in the promises of God. And therefore he made his steward Eliezer swear to him that on no pretense whatever would he carry Isaac into Chaldea.” (Genesis 24:5-8.)

Hebrews 11:15 ---But now they desire a better country—Better than either Canaan or Chaldea. The course of the argument is well expressed by Kuinoel as follows: “If these Patriarchs had sought a country in those parts, or had regarded their native or ancestral land as their true country, they might have found means to return thither. But they did not consider Canaan as their country, nor did they return to Chaldea, and therefore they desired not an earthly but a heavenly country.”

Hebrews 11:16 ---wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God:— Since it is true that these patriarchs sought no earthly home, but set their hearts steadfastly on heaven as their permanent abode, God is therefore not ashamed to be called their God, for he himself says repeatedly, “I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” (Exodus 3:6 Exodus 3:15 Exodus 4:5, etc.), thus verifying the promise which he had previously made to Abraham that he would be a God to him and to his seed after him. (Genesis 17:7.)

Hebrews 11:16 ---for he hath prepared for them a city.—This is given as evi­dence of the fact that God approved and rewarded the fidelity of these his devoted servants. He did not allow them to dwell always in tents and booths, but according to “the promise” made to Abra­ham, he prepared for them a home in “the city which hath the foundations,” the heavenly Jerusalem. See notes on Hebrews 6:15 Hebrews 9:15 Hebrews 11:10.

Nothing could more clearly indicate the strong and abiding faith of these patriarchs in a future state of rewards and punishments, than does this passage (Hebrews 11:13-16). So fully convinced were they of such a state, that like Paul (Philippians 3:8), they were willing to suffer the loss of all things earthly, provided only that they might attain to the rest which remains for the people of God. The ground of their justification was to them of course still a mystery. See note on Hebrews 9:8. They did not yet understand that the very foun­dations of the heavenly city were laid prospectively in the blood of the Lord Jesus, and that in the end of the ages, he would appear to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself, so that God might be just in justifying all true believers. This was to them still a mystery, as it was also to even the angels in glory. (1 Peter 1:12.) Nevertheless, they seem to have had no doubt whatever of the fact that when their earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, they would then have “a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”

Hebrews 11:17 ---By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Issac: —The account of this severest and last recorded trial of Abraham’s faith, is found in Genesis 22:1-14. Previous to this, God had tried him in various ways and on various occasions. He had called on him to leave his home and his kindred, and to become a wanderer in a foreign land during the rest of his life. He had long delayed the fulfillment of the promise which he had made with regard to the birth of Isaac. And he had furthermore put Abraham severely to the proof when he required him to send away Ishmael and his mother with a scanty supply of bread and water. (Genesis 21:9-14.) But all these trials were light and insignificant in comparison with that to which reference is made in our text. Hitherto God had sustained him with the assurance that he would give him a son by Sarah, and that in and through that son should in due time be fulfilled all other promises. But now when Isaac, according to Jose­phus (Ant. I. 13, 2), was about twenty-five years of age, God says to Abraham, “Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah, and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.” (Genesis 22:2.)

How very strange and startling is this or­acle! How many plausible reasons might have been alleged for neglecting it! Had Abraham possessed the spirit of Cain or of some of our modern rationalists, how easily he might have per­suaded himself that there was some mistake or delusion in the case; that the command could not be from God; that it was incon­sistent with both his character and his promises. But no; nothing of this occurred in the case of Abraham. He knew that the voice of command was the voice of God, and that was enough. He “rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for a burnt offering, and rose up and went unto the place of which God had told him. Then on the third day, Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place afar off. And Abraham said unto the young men, Abide ye here with the ass, and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you. And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it upon Isaac his son, and he took the fire in his hand and a knife, and they went both of them together. And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father and said, My father; and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood; but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering. So they went both of them together. And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son and laid him upon the altar on the wood. And Abraham stretched forth his hand and took the knife to slay his son.” (Genesis 22:3-10.) How very calm and deliberate is the good old patriarch in this most trying and affecting scene. Nothing is done rashly or under an impulse of momentary excitement. He had ample time and op­portunity to reflect seriously and prayerfully on the whole matter, and he did so. The distance traveled from Beersheba to Jerusa­lem, the land of Moriah, was about forty-two miles, and more than two days were occupied in making the journey. In the meantime, the presence and conversation of Isaac, as well as the quiet solitude of the way, all served to bring the matter home to the heart of the anxious father, and to make him feel most deeply the solemn and awful import of what he was about to do. But nothing could move him from his purpose to obey God. He builded an altar, laid the wood in order, bound Isaac, and drew the fatal knife. The deed was mentally done. In Abraham’s purpose, Isaac was a slain vic­tim. But while his arm was executing the volition, it was sud­denly and unexpectedly arrested by a voice from heaven. The evi­dence of Abraham’s loyalty and fidelity was sufficient, and God then honored him by re-assuring him with an oath that in blessing he would bless him, and in multiplying he would multiply him.

Hebrews 11:18 ---Of whom it was said, etc.—(pros on) to whom it was said [that is, to Abraham] that In Isaac shall thy seed be called. This clause is variously interpreted by expositors. But the meaning ob­viously is that Abraham’s posterity with respect to the promised Seed was to be reckoned in and from Isaac. In this sense he was not only his son, but he was his only son. True, indeed, he had other children beside Isaac, but by God’s decree they were all elim­inated from the regular line of descent, and the covenant was es­tablished with Isaac and his descendants through Jacob and with them only. (Genesis 17:17-21 Genesis 21:12 Genesis 25:4-5.) The object of the Apostle in adding this clause was, therefore, simply to illustrate still further the great strength of Abraham’s faith by showing that even against hope he still hoped and believed that God would fulfill his promise in yet giving him a son through Isaac, by raising him from the.-dead.

Hebrews 11:19 ---Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from Hie dead;—This was to Abraham the only possible solution of this very mysterious and intricate problem. God had said to him, “My covenant will I establish with Isaac” (Genesis 17:21); and again, “In Isaac shall thy seed be called” (Genesis 21:12). But now he is required to offer him up as a burnt offering! How are the facts to be reconciled? Abraham knew that the promise of God could not and would not fail, and as he could not anticipate that God would interfere, as he did, so as to prevent the actual immolation of his son, there was really left for him no other alternative than simply to conclude that God would restore Isaac to life. This conviction seems to be implied in the remark which he made to his servants: “Abide ye here with the ass, and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again.” The word rendered come again (we will return) is in the plural number, and seems to indicate a belief on the part of Abraham that God would immediately raise Isaac up again from the dead.

Hebrews 11:19 ---from whence also he received him in a figure.—On the mean­ing of this clause the commentators are much divided. Some of them as Hammond, Whitby, Newcome, Schultz, and Stuart, suppose that the Apostle refers here to the supernatural birth of Isaac. “The sentiment.” says Stuart, “seems to be this: Abraham believed that God could raise Isaac from the dead, because he had as it were obtained him from the dead; that is, he was born of those who were as good as dead.” But if this had been the idea of the Apostle, he would most likely have used the pluperfect tense in­stead of the aorist. And besides, it would, as Alford suggests, be harsh and unnatural to make the phrase ^ufrom the dead” refer in this case to Abraham and Sarah. I therefore think with Beza, Delitzsch, Alford, and others, that the reference is not to the birth of Isaac, but to his rescue from the altar. Abraham received him back from the altar, as one raised from the dead. He had been figuratively (en parabole) sacrificed; and he was therefore now fig­uratively raised from the dead and restored to his father, as a re­ward for his fidelity. For as Bloomfield says, “Isaac was in a manner dead in his father’s opinion and in his own, and he was restored to his father from the gates of the grave.”

Hebrews 11:20 ---By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau—The idea is, that the blessing of Isaac was bestowed in faith. Indeed, it could not be bestowed on any other ground, for at that time there were no natural indications that could in any way serve to define the for­tunes of Jacob and Esau and their descendants. See Genesis 27:26-40. But relying on the promises of God, and guided by the spirit of inspiration, Isaac blessed his sons concerning things to come. “This blessing of Isaac," says Delitzsch, “had the wondrous power of shaping and controlling the future of his posterity, because in virtue of his faith his mind and will had become one with the mind and will of God himself." (Compare Genesis 27:37 with Jeremiah 1:10 and other parallel passages.) And hence we find in the words of Isaac a prophetic outline of the fortunes of the two races. “At first, the elder seemed to prosper more than his brother Jacob. There were dukes in Edom before there reigned any kings over the children of Israel (Genesis 36:31) ; and whilst Israel was in bondage in Egypt, Edom was an independent people. But Saul defeated, and David conquered the Edomites (1 Samuel 14:47; 2 Samuel 8:14); and they were, notwithstanding some revolts, constantly sub­ject to Judah (1 Kings 11:14; 2 Kings 14:7 2 Kings 14:22; 2 Chronicles 28:7). Judas Maccabaeus defeated them frequently. (1 Maccabees 5; 2 Maccabees 10.) At length his nephew, Hyracanus, completely con­quered them, and compelled them to be circumcised, and incorpo­rated them into the Jewish nation (Joseph. Ant. 13, 9, 1) ; though finally under Antipater and Herod, they established an Idumean dynasty, which continued till the destruction of the Jewish polity." (Browne on Genesis 27:40.)

Hebrews 11:21 ---By faith Jacob, when he was dying, etc.—From the bless­ing of Jacob and Esau by their father, our author next passes to the blessing of the two sons of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh, by their grandfather. (Genesis 48:1-22.) When Joseph heard that his father was sick and near unto death, he took with him his two sons, and went to see him. And when he arrived, Jacob said to him, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me, and said unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruit­ful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of peo­ple ; and I will give this land to thy seed after thee for an everlast­ing possession. And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born unto thee in the land of Egypt, before I came into Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they are mine.” Thus they were adopted as the sons of Jacob, and each of them was made the honored head of a separate and distinct tribe. After this, the old man in the exercise of a true and living faith, and guided by the spirit of inspiration, “wittingly put his right hand on Ephraim, and his left hand on Manasseh, and said, The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God who fed me like a shepherd all my life long unto this day, the Angel who redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named upon them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”

Hebrews 11:21 ---And worshiped, leaning upon the top of his staff.—This act of devotion did not occur at the same time that Jacob blessed Ephraim and Manasseh, but previous to it, when Joseph had sworn to his father that he would not bury him in Egypt. (Genesis 47:31.) The chronological order of the two events is reversed, probably for the purpose of bringing together the blessings of the two patriarchs, Isaac and Jacob.

The reading in Genesis differs slightly from that which is here given by our author. According to the Masoretic text, followed by the Chaldee Targums, the Greek versions of Aquila and Symmachus, and the Latin Vulgate, the rendering is as follows: “And Is­rael bowed himself upon the bed’s head;” but the Septuagint and the Syriac versions agree with our text in this Epistle. How, then, is this apparent discrepancy to be removed, and the Greek and Hebrew readings reconciled? Two ways have been proposed. (1) It is alleged that both readings are correct: that Jacob wor­shiped, leaning on the head of his bed and also on the top of his staff. And this is plausible, as well as possible; for it was custom­ary among the ancients to set the staff of the chief and the spear of the warrior at the head of the bed. But (2) the alleged discrep­ancy may be owing wholly to a mistake of the Masorites. The Hebrew word may mean either a bed or a staff, depending simply on points which did not belong to the original text, but which were attached to it by the Masorites after the commencement of the Christian era. Thus matteh means a rod or staff, and mittah means a bed or couch. Now as these points were added by unin­spired men, there is really no ground whatever for the allegation that there is a discrepancy between the readings of the original Hebrew and the Greek. For if the first explanation is not correct, then beyond all doubt the error lies with the Masorites and not with Paul; for on no condition can we concede, as some have done, that the Apostle has here followed an incorrect version of the original. He never does this; but always expresses the thoughts of the Holy Spirit in words which the Holy Spirit teacheth. (1 Corinthians 2:13.)

Hebrews 11:22 ---By faith Joseph, when he died,—(teleuton) when drawing near to his end, made mention concerning the exodus of the chil­dren of Israel, and gave commandment concerning his bones. “I die,” he said, “but 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.” (Genesis 50:24.) His prosperity in Egypt had in no way impaired his faith in the promises of God; but feeling perfectly confident that his brethren would at the time appointed leave Egypt and return to Canaan, he made them swear that they would carry his bones up with them. And hence after his death, he was embalmed and put in a wooden chest, so that at the proper time his remains might be ready for removal.

Hebrews 11:23 ---By faith Moses, when he was bom, etc.—The command of Pharaoh was, “Every son that is born shall be cast into the river.” (Exodus 1:22.) The penalty for neglecting this ordinance was no doubt very severe, depending perhaps on the arbitrary will of the wicked and despotic sovereign. But the parents of Moses, Amram and Jochebed, trusting in the promises of God, refused to obey the king’s mandate. Deeming it proper, however, to use all lawful means for the preservation of the child’s life, they first concealed him, most likely in their own house, for the space of three months; and then finding themselves unable to protect him longer, they cast him wholly on the care of Jehovah. This they did by constructing an ark of papyrus; and having made it water-tight with asphaltum and bitumen, they put the child in it, and placed it among the flags on the brink of the river. (Exodus 2:3.) Thus when Moses was in a measure forsaken by his father and mother, then the Lord took him up (Psalms 27:10) ; and under his care he was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was highly honored as the son of Thermuthis, the daughter of Pharaoh (Exodus 2:5-10). The word rendered proper (asteios) means properly urbane, polite; fair, beautiful, comely. Stephen says that Moses was fair of God (asteios to theo) ; that is, very fair: and Philo says, “As soon as he was born he displayed a more beautiful and noble form than usual.” (Vita Mos. i. 3.)

Hebrews 11:24 ---By faith Moses, when he was come to years,—(megas genomenos) when he became great: that is, when he had grown up; when he had attained to the years of manhood and responsi­bility. (Acts 7:23.)

Hebrews 11:24 ---refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter;—It is not necessary to suppose that he did this in any direct and formal way; but only that he felt and manifested a preference for his He­brew brethren. (Exodus 2:11-12; Acts 7:24.)

Hebrews 11:25 ---Choosing rather to suffer affliction, etc.—The Israelites are here called “the people of God” in contrast with the idolatrous Egyptians. The alternative offered to Moses was to remain, as he was, associated with the latter, where, as the adopted son of Phar­aoh’s daughter, he would be allowed to enjoy the honors and lux­uries of a corrupt and licentious court; or to share in the future blessings of the Abrahamic covenant, by casting in his lot with the enslaved and despised Israelites. The contrasts were assuredly very great. The Egyptians were at that time among the most learned, powerful, and influential nations on Earth; and the He­brews were among the most oppressed and degraded. But to the eye of faith, their future prospects were quite reversed. Moses knew perfectly well, that the pleasures of sin in the family and court of Pharaoh were to be enjoyed only for a season, and that in the end they would be as gall and wormwood to the soul: and he knew just as well, on the other hand, that the blessings of God guaranteed to his people through the Abrahamic covenant would be sure and everlasting. On these points he was fully convinced. And hence he did not hesitate as to which he should choose; know­ing that “the triumphing of the wicked is short, and that the joy of the hypocrite is but for a moment” (Job 20:5), but that the good man “shall not be moved forever; and that the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance.” (Psalms 112:6.)

Hebrews 11:26 ---Esteeming the reproach of Christ, etc.—This is given by the Apostle, in explanation of the conduct and preference of Moses, in leaving the court of Pharaoh. He chose to suffer afflic­tion with the people of God, rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming, as he did, the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt. But what does Paul mean here by “the reproach of Christ” ? In reply to this query, it is alleged (1) that the reproach of Christ is such reproach as Christ himself endured (Liinemann, Stuart) ; (2) that it is re­proach suffered on account of Christ (Chrysostom, Ebrard) ; (3) that it is the reproach which fell on Moses as a type of Christ (Hofmann) ; and (4) that it is the reproach which Christ had to bear in his own person and also in the person of every true be­liever (Bleek, Delitzsch, Alford). The last of these explanations is preferable, because it is the most general and comprehensive. It is certainly true, that the reproach of Moses was similar to the re­proach of Christ; and it is also true, that he suffered as a type of Christ and on account of his belief in Christ. But more than all this is manifestly intended by the Apostle. As Christ is the righ­teousness of all the redeemed (2 Corinthians 5:21), so also it may be truly said that all reproach suffered for righteousness’ sake, since the world began, has been suffered for Christ’s sake. And this is certainly the view which Paul takes of the matter, when he speaks of filling up “that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ.” (Colossians 1:24.) See also 2 Corinthians 1:6-8 2 Corinthians 4:8-12 2 Corinthians 11:23-27; Philippians 3:10; 2 Timothy 1:8 2 Timothy 2:9-10. There is, then, as Paul says to the Philippians, a “fellowship” in the sufferings and reproaches of Christ, as well as in the enjoyment and privileges of the Gospel. This fel­lowship extended back even to the ancients, and was preferred by Moses to all the honors which he might have enjoyed in the court and family of Pharaoh.

Hebrews 11:26 ---for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward.—By faith he looked forward to the great and final recompense: the real and abiding pleasures of the heavenly country, and the rest which remains for the people of God. And with his eye fixed on these, he esteemed the reproach of Christ as of more value than all the treasures of Egypt; knowing that our present light afflictions which are but for a moment, serve to work out for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.

Hebrews 11:27 ---By faith he forsook Egypt,—When did he do this? Was it when he renounced his allegiance to Pharaoh, turned his back on all the honors and pleasures of Egypt, and fled for safety into Midian? Or was it when he led the children of Israel out of Egypt into the wilderness of Arabia ? The latter view is supported by Calvin, Grotius, Bohme, Kuinoel, Bleek, Ebrard, Bisping, Scott, Clarke, Stuart, and others; because say they, when Moses fled into Midian, he certainly did fear the wrath of Pharaoh, as we learn from Exodus 2:14-15. But surely he did not fear him any more than did his parents, Amram and Jochebed, when they con­cealed their child three months, and then committed him to the care and providence of God by exposing him on the brink of the river, in an ark of bulrushes. And yet our author says of them, that “they were not afraid of the king’s commandment” (Hebrews 11:23). Manifestly, then, the Apostle uses the word fear in both these in­stances in a relative sense. Moses and his parents both feared the tyrant, so far that they thought it necessary to use all lawful means for their personal safety, but they did not fear him so far as to dis­obey God on his account, nor had they any fear that he would ever be able to nullify or set aside the decrees and purposes of God concerning Israel. In this sense, it may be truly said of both Moses and his parents that they did not fear “the wrath of the king.” And this being so, it is certainly more natural to under­stand the Apostle as having reference to the flight of Moses into Midian. This seems obvious for several reasons. (1) Because this is the only explanation which accords with the chronological order of the events recorded in our text. The Passover was insti­tuted by Moses after his return from Midian, but not after the Exodus. (2) It seems to be implied in our text that this departure from Egypt was in opposition to the will of Pharaoh, and in defi­ance of his wrath; but the Exodus was made with his earnest and urgent request. (Exodus 12:31-33.) (3) Had our author referred here to the Exodus, he would most likely not have spoken of Moses alone but of him in connection with those who forsook Egypt with him, as in verse 29. I therefore agree with Bengel, Michaelis, Schlutz, DeWette, Delitzsch, Alford, and most of the ancient expositors, that our author has reference, not to the Exo­dus, but to the previous flight of Moses into the land of Midian. (Exodus 2:13-15.) Then it was that he renounced all connection with Egypt, and publicly avowed his purpose to suffer afflictions with the people of God, rather than to enjoy “the pleasures of sin for a season.”

Hebrews 11:27 ---for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.—By the eye of faith he saw the King eternal, immortal, and invisible, standing by him, ready to fulfill at the proper time all the promises that he had made to his chosen people. And hence he had no fears that Phar­aoh would succeed in his diabolical attempts to hold Israel in per­petual bondage. He knew full well that by God’s irrevocable de­cree, Canaan would in due time be given to the seed of Abraham for a possession, and that heaven itself was also prepared for as many of them as would walk in the footsteps of their illustrious ancestor.

Hebrews 11:28 ---Through faith he kept the passover,—The Passover was a positive ordinance instituted by God through Moses for the follow­ing purposes: (1) to commemorate the fact that the angel of death passed over, and so spared the first-born of the Israelites, on the night on which he destroyed all the first-born of the Egyptians; (2) to educate the people in the knowledge and worship of the liv­ing and true God; and (3) to typify the sacrifice of Christ, who, as our passover, has been sacrificed for us. (1 Corinthians 5:7.) Like the Lord’s Supper, this ordinance was instituted in anticipation of the event which it was designed to commemorate; and the faith of Moses was shown in this instance in his doing and causing to be done just what the Lord himself had commanded. Under his di­rections, every Hebrew family (or two families in case they were small) was required (1) to select a lamb or a kid of the first year without blemish, on the tenth day of the month Nisan; (2) to kill it on the evening of the fourteenth; (3) to sprinkle its blood on the lintel and doorposts; and (4) to eat its flesh on the night follow­ing, with unleavened bread and bitter herbs, and this they were re­quired to do with their loins girded, their shoes on their feet, and their staves in their hands, so that they might be ready at the ap­pointed moment to begin their march of freedom. All this they did simply on the authority of God’s word, as delivered to Moses, clearly showing that their faith was to them as a conviction or demonstration of things not seen. And in this, as in other in­stances, they were not disappointed. For while the Israelites were thus preparing for their exodus, even at the hour of midnight, “the Lord smote the first-born in the land of Egypt, from the first-born of Pharaoh that sat on his throne, unto the first-born of the captive that was in the dungeon, and all the first-born of cattle. And Phar­aoh rose up in the night, he and all his servants, and all the Egyp­tians, and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead.” But when the destroying angel saw the blood on the lintel and doorposts of the houses of the children of Israel, he passed over and did not “touch them.”

Hebrews 11:29 ---By faith they passed through the Red Sea—When the Is­raelites left their headquarters at Rameses, they came first to Suc- coth, thence to Etham; thence to Pihahiroth; and thence to the shore of the Red Sea. (Exodus 14:2.) Here they were overtaken by Pharaoh with all his hosts; and to the eye of sense and reason, their ruin seemed inevitable. But God said to Moses, “Lift up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea and divide it.” He did so; “and the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon dry ground; and the waters were a wall unto them on the right hand and on the left.” (Exodus 14:16.)

Hebrews 11:29 ---which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned.—The Egyptians pursued the Israelites and went in after them into “the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the Lord looked upon the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians, and took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel, for the Lord fighteth for them against the Egyptians. And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen. And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Phar­aoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them. But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea, and the waters were a wall unto them on the right hand, and on the left.” (Exodus 14:23-29.) Here we have a very striking and impressive illustration of the power and saving efficacy of faith, on the one hand; and also of the ruinous effects of infidelity on the other. It was their belief in God and in his word that saved the Israelites, and it was the unbelief and persistent dis­obedience of the Egyptians that brought on their ruin.

Hebrews 11:30 ---By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, etc.—Here, again, it is the faith of the Israelites that secures for them the victory. When they came before Jericho, the Lord said to them, “Ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days. And seven priests shall bear before the Ark seven trumpets of rams’ horns. And the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets. And it shall come to pass, that when they shall make a long blast with the rams’ horns, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up, every man straight before him.” (Joshua 6:3-5.) All this they did, as they were commanded. And it came to pass, on the seventh day, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet and shouted with a great shout, that “the wall fell down flat; so that the people went up into the city every man straight before him, and they took the city.” (Joshua 6:20.) Thus, without the use of the usual implements of war, but simply by their faith in God and obedience to his will, they achieved a most important victory. How true it is that “in Jehovah is our strength,” and in him also is “our salvation.” For if we would gain the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ, we must still say with Paul, “The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.” (2 Corinthians 11:4.)

Hebrews 11:31 ---By faith the harlot Rahab perished not, etc.—See Joshua 2:1-22 Joshua 6:22-25. This is a remarkable instance of faith on the part of a Gentile: a Gentile once dead in trespasses and sins, but who by her strong practical faith in God was not only saved from the common ruin which befell her unbelieving countrymen, but was also raised to a position of honor and distinction in Israel. For though many of the Jews erroneously interpret the word rendered harlot (pome) so as to make it signify “a seller of food” or “an innkeeper,” they all concede that she became the wife of Salmon and the mother of Boaz (Matthew 1:5); both of whom stand in the direct line of our Lord’s ancestry. The name should be written Rachab as in Matthew 1:5; but in the Septuagint as well as in our text it is Raab. It means large, wide, spacious; but the name Rahab means violence, pride, insolence.

Commentary on Hebrews 11:4-31 by Donald E. Boatman

Hebrews 11:4 --By faith Abel offered unto God

How did he get his faith? He received it like all do, by hearing, Romans 10:17. God spoke to men directly in that day and Abel knew, just as we know—by hearing.

Hebrews 11:4 --a more excellent sacrifice than Cain

How was it more excellent? It was offered by faith—that made the difference.

a. The conditions of offering, some blemish, the wrong kind of offering—whatever was wrong, it indicated a failure in faith on the part of Cain.

b. Most people feel Cain’s offering was vegetable, in place of a blood offering.

Newell, p. 377: “Cain forgot that the ground was cursed.”

a. However, animals live off the ground just as much as plants do.

b. Besides, animals were also cursed; they became wild and uncontrollable.

Of course, only a blood sacrifice could be a type of the coming sacrifice of Christ. “More” carries the idea of number, quality, or excellency.

Hebrews 11:4 --through which he had witness borne to him that he was righteous

How it was done, no one knows, but God showed pleasure. Perhaps the sacrifice was consumed by fire, as seen in other instances.

a. Leviticus 9:24 : “And there came forth fire.”

b. 1 Kings 18:38.

c. 2 Chronicles 7:1.

Faithlessness, then, must be equivalent to unrighteousness.

Hebrews 11:4 --God bearing witness in respect of his gifts

Gifts generally refer to free will.

a. Perhaps Cain was not sincere, and offered a substitute.

b. It may have been a small offering as the word “more” allows.

How did God bear witness?

a. Perhaps He consumed it, like He did Elijah’s. 1 Kings 18:38.

b. God has no respect for sacrifices that are not made in faith.

John discusses it.

a. 1 John 3:12 : “Wherefore slew he him? because his works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.”

Hebrews 11:4 --and through it he being dead, yet speaketh

What speaks, the offering or Abel? Note that the pronoun shows that Abel speaks, although dead these many centuries. He speaks: “Work, serve, offer, by faith.”

Hebrews 11:5 --by faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death

Little is known of him.

a. Genesis 5:24 : “And Enoch walked with God and he was not because God took him.”

b. Judges 1:14 says that he was a prophet, and warned the people.

c. Genesis 5:18 : He was the son of Jared.

This great character named after Cain’s first son surely doesn’t help the theory of original sin. Genesis 4:17.

a. Cain’s child must have been good, or else Enoch would not have been named after him.

b. No one names their child “Cain” or “Judas.”

c. If Cain had such an awful nature, we might expect this to be passed on directly.

Hebrews 11:5 --for he had witness borne of him that before his translation

What a joy it must have been to have had the smile of God upon him. Unless we have witness we shall not be translated or received of God.

a. Romans 8:16 has a special meaning in the light of Enoch’s translation.

b. If we do not measure up to the word, we have no witness.

Hebrews 11:5 --he had been well pleasing unto God.

Hebrews 11:6 : This is done by faith, and without faith it can’t be done. These characters represent phases of faith:

a. Abel represents the path of salvation by faith.

b. Enoch represents one walking with God, who declared him righteous.

c. Noah represents the next result of faith—testimony of coming judgment.

d. Abraham, a tent-dwelling pilgrim, living on divine promises.

Hebrews 11:6 --and without faith it is impossible to be well pleasing unto him

An earthly parent wants the confidence of his children, as does God.

Look what unbelief does:

a. It breaks God’s word.

Adam and Eve, Genesis 3:11.

Korah, Judges 1:11.

b. It makes men fearful, fear then becomes the ruling motive of life.

Adam: “I was afraid,” Genesis 3:10.

Cain: “They will kill me,” Genesis 4:14.

Israel: “We are grasshoppers.” Numbers 13:33.

Peter was afraid and began to sink, Matthew 14:30.

c. It breaks God’s fellowship.

Adam and Eve hid in the garden.

Genesis 4:16 : Cain went out from the Presence of God. 1 John 3:12 : “Not as Cain was of the evil one and slew his brother . . . because his works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.”

d. It leads to sin.

How impossible then it is for the faithless one to please God.

Hebrews 11:6 --for he that cometh to God must believe that He is and that He is

There is a way to God. We must come that way.

a. John 14:6 : “The Way.”

b. John 10:1 : One is a thief and robber if he enters not by the door.

c. Proverbs 28:26 : A fool trusts in his own heart.

Things to believe about God are suggested here.

a. That He is—He exists.

1. Psalms 14:1 calls the atheist a fool.

2. If there is no God, then let us quit saying, “Everything has a cause.”

3. If God does not exist who made the world, then I can believe that there was no builder of this building.

Hebrews 11:6 --a rewarder of them that seek after Him

a. He is a rewarder to seekers.

1. God is benevolent, and will balance the accounts.

2. Right may seem to be on the scaffold, and wrong on the throne, but above is God who keepeth watch over His own.

Hebrews 11:7 --by faith Noah being warned of God concerning things not seen as yet, moved with godly fear

Noah alone paid regard to God’s words, though deferred for 120 years. Look what his faith caused him to do:

a. Prepared the ark.

b. Condemned the world.

c. Became an heir of righteousness.

Disbelief makes one fearful, but faith builds a godly fear.

a. Disbelief makes one inactive.

b. Faith makes one active.

Hebrews 11:7 --prepared the ark to the saving of his house

Look how often faith saves the house:

a. Noah, Hebrews 11:7.

b. Joshua, Joshua 24:15.

c. Cornelius, Acts 10.

d. Lydia, Acts 16:14-15.

e. Philippian Jailor, Acts 16:34; Acts 18:8.

Pitiful are the stories of lost families where the father did not have faith.

Hebrews 11:7 --through which he condemned the world

What condemned the world, Noah’s deliverance, his faith or the ark?

a. Calvin says: “By the ark he condemned the world, for by being so long occupied in building it, he took away every excuse from the wicked.”

b. Newell: “This faith had the double effect of condemning the world. (1) Noah’s warning as a preacher of righteousness; (2) the effect of making Noah heir of righteousness.”

Milligan feels that his faith condemned the world.

Hebrews 11:7 --and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith

Moses records that he was a righteous man.

a. Noah had sin, yes, but the long, laborious work of Noah in the building of the ark must not be shoved aside.

b. Man has a tendency to condemn a man for one sin and categorize him unjustly.

Study Questions

2121. How did Abel get his faith?

2122. If he acted by faith, was he acting upon a command?

2123. If he had not been given directions, could it have been by faith?

2124. How was his sacrifice more excellent?

2125. What made the difference?

2126. Was Cain’s less excellent or just plain unsatisfactory?

2127. What must have been the nature of Cain’s offering?

2128. Could a vegetable sacrifice be unsatisfactory because the ground had been cursed after Eden?

2129. Could Abel have offered animals, but less worthy ones?

2130. How did Abel know that his sacrifice was acceptable?

2131. How did God manifest it?

2132. What did God show Cain to be?

2133. If obedience makes one righteous, what does failure to obey do?

2134. Define the word “gifts”.

2135. Could this mean that the sacrifices were not done by command, but were free gifts?

2136. What does Abel speak? What words or message?

2137. Could we say that Cain also speaks? What?

2138. What is meant, “Enoch was translated”?

2139. Did he have faith that he would be translated?

2140. What did his faith do for him?

2141. What do we know about Enoch from other texts?

2142. Who had the same name?

2143. What witness had he received of God’s pleasure?

2144. Does Romans 8:16 throw any light on the subject?

2145. Enoch was well pleasing, Can we be too? How?

2146. Can we be pleasing otherwise?

2147. What would characterize a person without faith?

2148. Does an earthly parent want his child to have faith in him?

2149. What does unbelief do?

2150. What does it do in relationship to God’s Word?

2151. What does it do in relationship to courage?

2152. Give illustrations of fearful people in the scriptures.

2153. What does it do in relationship to fellowship with God?

2154. What is essential in order to come to God?

2155. What approach must be the Christian method?

2156. What two things must be believed about God?

2157. If a man does not believe in God’s existence, what is he called?

2158. Is expectation of reward evil in the light of this verse?

2159. Are God’s rewards here and now?

2160. Why did God give a message to Noah?

2161. What three things did his faith do?

2162. Can we say that belief makes one active?

2163. Then what does disbelief do?

2164. Give the example of Christ’s warning of Jerusalem’s destruction.

2165. A “house” was saved by the ark. What is meant?

2166. Name some other houses that were saved.

2167. What condemned the world—deliverance, faith, the ark or preaching?

2168. Could it mean that his faith caused him to preach, thus condemning the world?

2169. What was he an heir to?

2170. Is the life of a righteous one a very long one?

2171. How can we be an heir of righteousness?

Hebrews 11:8 --By faith Abraham when he was called

This man is so great as to be recognized by the three theistic religions in the world.

a. His grave at Hebron is the common shrine for Judaism, Islam and Christianity.

b. His name occurs more than three hundred times in twenty-seven books of the Bible.

He was called of God in the midst of idolatry, for Ur was the center of moon worship.

a. Abraham worshipped God, for otherwise he would not have obeyed God.

b. The faithful receive the call of God, for they hear His voice.

Hebrews 11:8 --obeyed to go out unto a place which he was to receive as an inheritance and he went out, not knowing whither he went

Genesis 12:1-3 gives us his call in substance. This land to be given to his posterity was unknown to him at the time. To leave home and loved ones shows a strong faith. He went out to Haran where he remained five years. Where his father died, and then he went on to Canaan at the age of seventy-five. (Genesis 12:4). Compare Galatians 3:17; Exodus 12:40-41. He died at age one hundred seventy-five. See Genesis 25:7.

Hebrews 11:9 --by faith he became a sojourner in the land of promise, as in a land not his own

Milligan makes much of the word “sojourner,” saying that he never really possessed the land.

Round about were the walled cities, over which he was not King, but he made an impression. The Hittites said, “Thou art a prince.” See Genesis 23:6.

Hebrews 11:9 --dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob

They lived in fragile homes, moving here and there, From the birth of Isaac to the Exodus was four hundred years. Genesis 15:13, There were walled cities, property everywhere, but still Abraham had to purchase a burying place, Genesis 23:3-20.

Hebrews 11:9 --the heirs with him of the same promise

The promise of Abraham was theirs likewise, They sojourned in the same promise by faith as did Abraham.

Hebrews 11:10 --for he looked for the city which hath the foundations, whose Builder and Maker is God

This accounts for their stedfastness.

a. They did not worry about living in tents when cities abounded, for their eyes penetrated heaven.

b. “Foundations” suggests perpetuity rather than something transitory and fading.

Milligan thinks that they had revelations which have never been transmitted to us.

a. He feels this “city” is the heavenly Jerusalem, Galatians 4:26; Hebrews 12:22; Hebrews 13:14, which is for the present located in heaven.

b. He says, “It will descend to the earth after it shall be renovated by fire.” Revelation 21.

c. Then will be fulfilled in its proper and full sense that Abraham and his seed be the “heirs of the world.” Romans 4.

Regardless of the location, God is the Architect and Builder.

a. He will locate it where it ought to be.

b. It will be a permanent place for the people of God.

Hebrews 11:11 --by faith even Sarah herself received power to conceive seed when she was past age

The introduction of Sarah shows that this truth belongs to women also.

a. She is mentioned since she is the mother of the faithful.

b. She was openly charged with unbelief, so it may seem strange for her to be included. Genesis 18:12-13.

c. Remember Abraham also laughed at first. Genesis 17:17.

Hebrews 11:11 --since she counted Him faithful who had promised

God promised: that made the difference.

a. Romans 10:17 : Faith comes by hearing.

b. True faith then is that which hears God speaking and rests on His promise.

She was about ninety years of age, Genesis 17:17, past the natural period of child-bearing, but faith brought to her power to do it.

Hebrews 11:12 --wherefore also there sprang of one, and him as good as dead

This refers to dead Abraham—dead as to the power of begetting children. This accounts for his attitude in Genesis 17:17, where he named his age and laughed.

Hebrews 11:12 --so many as the stars of heaven in multitude and as the sand which is by the seashore innumerable

Whatever pride the Jews may have, everything must be ascribed to the faith of Abraham and Isaac. This reference to the faith of this great man ought to serve to encourage the hearts of the despondent.

Hebrews 11:13 --these all died in faith, not having received the promises

What promises are meant?

a. He never saw his posterity in such numbers.

b. He never saw his seed receive an everlasting inheritance. Genesis 12:7; Genesis 13:15; Genesis 15:18-21; Genesis 17:8.

c. He never saw the earth blessed through his seed. Genesis 12:3; Genesis 22:18.

Hebrews 11:13 --but having seen them and greeted them from afar

Jesus may throw light on this expression.

John 8:56 : “Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.”

“Them” must refer to promises and not to people. A distant view was had, but that was all.

Hebrews 11:13 --having confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth

Abraham could say, “I see a new city, but I am a stranger here.”

This confession Jacob made to Pharaoh. Genesis 47:9.

Hebrews 11:14 --for they that say such things make it manifest that they are seeking after a country of their own

The confession made in Hebrews 11:13 is referred to.

a. This shows that they had faith in a better country.

b. If they in spirit, amid dark clouds, took a flight into the celestial country, how much more ought we, as Christ beckons. “Where I am, there you may be also.”

The promise of Christ should be more real to us than the promise to them.

Hebrews 11:15 --if indeed they have been mindful of that country from which they went out

These could have returned to their native land if they had desired to do so.

a. Abraham could have returned to Ur of the Chaldees, for he was not banished.

b. Eliezer, Abraham’s steward, was sworn to never carry Isaac into Chaldea, Genesis 24:5-8.

“They would have had opportunity” suggests that nothing stood in their way.

Hebrews 11:15 --but now they desire a better country, that is a heavenly

The fact that Abraham didn’t return to Chaldea showed his disinterest in earthly land. He looked for a country better than Canaan or Chaldea.

Hebrews 11:16 --wherefore God is not ashamed of them, to be called their God

God showed this in Exodus 3:6 when God said He was God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

a. It is a singular honor for God to attach His name to men.

b. When they renounced the world, considered themselves pilgrims, then God claimed them.

We must do the same if God would claim us.

a. Galatians 3:26 indicates that we are sons of God through faith.

b. Genesis 17:7 shows that God promised this relationship to Abraham’s seed.

Hebrews 11:16 --for He hath prepared for them a city

God is able to give life to their bodies and to make it possible for them to live in their city. Why would God allow man to be outlived by trees, turtles, and elephants, if it were not for the fact that man will live again?

Hebrews 11:17 --Abraham, being tried, offered up Isaac

This was a proving of Abraham.

a. Archeologists show that child sacrifices were common among the people of that day.

b. The heathens loved their gods enough to sacrifice a child. Here was a greater God asking Abraham to do it.

c. Would Abraham do it? He would by faith.

His resolution to obey was then the same as though he had actually sacrificed his son.

Hebrews 11:17 --offering up his only begotten son

This shows how severe the trial was.

a. Abraham had gladly received promises, and Isaac was the only hope of their being fulfilled. See Genesis 17:2; Genesis 21:12.

b. Now in taking away Isaac, it was the same as taking away the promises.

Isaac is called the “only begotten,” for Ishmael had been driven from the family and was not considered a part of the promise.

Hebrews 11:18 --accounting that God is able to raise up, even from the dead

According to this verse, Abraham surely concluded that God would restore Isaac to life. This was further strengthened by Abraham’s words to his servants, “We will worship.”

a. “Come again.” Genesis 22:5.

b. In the Hebrew it is in the plural, “We will return.”

Hebrews 11:19 --from whence he did also in a figure receive him back

Some think this refers to Isaac’s supernatural birth, but this is poor exegesis. Abraham received him back from the altar as one raised from the dead.

a. Abraham’s obedience until God stayed his hand caused Isaac to be the same as dead.

b. He was figuratively raised from the dead.

God said Isaac had not been withheld, so he was sacrificed as far as God was concerned. Genesis 22:12-18.

Hebrews 11:20 --by faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even concerning things to come

The ability to bless was, in a sense, a prophecy.

a. Isaac had nothing in the land, except the right of burial, yet he could say, “Let peoples serve thee and nations bow down to thee.” Genesis 27:29.

b. Isaac had nothing to bestow but the Word of God.

The unusual thing about this blessing is that he distinguished between the twins.

a. He gave first place to the younger, which meant taking away the rights of the firstborn.

b. Isaac by faith spoke the thing that God desired.

c. Isaac refused to change the blessing, saying, Genesis 27:33; “I have blessed him, yea, and he shall be blessed.”

A comparison of the history of Esau’s people, the Edomites, with the blessing of Isaac shows that Isaac made a prophetic outline of the fortunes of the two races.

a. Edom was quite a nation before Israel had kings, Genesis 36:31.

b. Edom was independent while Israel was in bondage in Egypt.

c. Saul and David finally conquered the Edomites. Compare 1 Samuel 14:47; 2 Samuel 8:14.

Hebrews 11:21 --by faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph

Joseph’s sons were Ephraim and Manasseh, and were blessed by their grandfather. Genesis 48:1-22.

a. This occurred when Joseph took the sons to see their sick grandfather.

b. They were adopted as sons and made the honored heads of separate and distinct tribes.

c. He put his right hand on Ephraim and his left hand on Manasseh as he made the blessing.

Ephraim became so superior as a tribe that often the ten tribes were included under his name, so that in a manner they did lie down under its shade.

a. Ephraim was the younger, yet Jacob in his dimness of eyes crossed his hands so that Ephraim received the greater blessing.

b. Jacob sounded as though he were lord of the land from which he was driven by famine.

Faith is the only explanation for such a prophecy.

Hebrews 11:21 --and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff

Here is a dramatic picture, an old man dying, blessing, worshipping, leaning. The act of worshipping that we know from Genesis occurred prior to this blessing when Joseph promised not to bury his father in Egypt. Genesis 47:31. Some make a great deal out of the fact that in some versions it reads, “Israel bowed himself upon the bed’s head.”

a. Several suggestions are made to clarify the issue, one of which suggests the Hebrew word may mean either a bed or a staff, depending upon the vowel pointing in the Hebrew language.

b. Some suggest Paul quoted from an incorrect text, but this view destroys inspiration. An inspired writer would select an inspired text, or would know the truth.

Both can be right in my judgment. Here is an old man dying, and he would need support, and so his staff and bed were both used.

Hebrews 11:22 --Joseph, when his end was nigh, made mention of the departure of Israel and gave command concerning his bones

Here is one of the finest characters in the Old Testament.

a. His conception of sin stands out. “How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” Genesis 39:9.

b. He is one of the few of which no evil is recorded of him.

His prophecy is found in Genesis 50:24.

a. His faith is seen in that he requested that they carry his bones in a box with them into the promised land. Genesis 50:25.

b. Genesis ends with him in a coffin in Egypt, but his bones were carried into the promised land, for Moses remembered. Exodus 13:19.

Hebrews 11:23 --By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months

Pharaoh commanded every son to be cast into the river. Exodus 1:22.

a. Moses was cast into the river, but an ark was under him. Exodus 2:3.

b. Amram and Jochebed had faith, and it was wonderfully rewarded by Pharaoh’s daughter’s care and devotion.

The description “a goodly child” is no doubt the same as Acts 7:20 : “Fair unto God.” (alternate reading).

a. The parents were not just charmed by his beauty, but saw in him a person destined to serve God.

b. Putting him in the river was not a wavering of their faith as some suggest, but another attempt to preserve him.

Hebrews 11:24 --by faith, Moses, when he was grown up refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter

How did he go about it formally?

a. Very likely he just showed a preference for his own people, Exodus 2:11-12; Acts 7:24.

b. His mother no doubt had taught him very early about his true identity.

Being about forty years old, Acts 7:24 shows that this was not a hasty, headstrong decision of a youth.

Hebrews 11:25 --choosing rather to share ill treatment with the people of God

The Egyptians were learned, powerful, and influential in the world; the Hebrews were oppressed and degraded.

a. The world would say, “What a poor choice!”

b. It was a choice between temporary vanity and eternal glory, and Moses chose rightly.

Man begins to live when he connects his life with a great cause, and Moses became the great lawgiver of Israel.

Hebrews 11:25 --than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season

Faith in God causes one to see the folly, pleasures of sin, and glitter of wickedness that soon fades. A season or an eternity must be our choice, and faith makes the difference.

a. It was not pleasures in Canaan, for ill treatment would be too much of a price for earthly pleasures in that land.

b. It was the joys of a heavenly Canaan which Moses could see by the eyes of faith.

Hebrews 11:26 --accounting the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt

Did Moses know that he was to suffer the reproach of Christ? Did he know Christ?

a. Some answer, “It was such reproach as Christ Himself endured.”

b. Some say, “Reproach suffered on account of Christ.”

c. Others, “It was reproach on Moses as a type of Christ.”

d. It is the reproach which Christ had to bear and also the reproach that all true believers have to bear.

e. It is the reproach of Christ’s people.

I believe that it is a reproach like Christ’s. As He, though rich, became poor to redeem mankind, so Moses despised the treasurers of Egypt to deliver Israel.

Hebrews 11:26 --for he looked unto the recompense of reward

a. Calvin says, “It corresponds to what he did; his retribution was his success.”

b. Milligan says “the great and final recompense.”

c. McKnight says it was nothing earthly, for he could have had more and in greater perfection by staying in the palace.

A man like Moses doesn’t have to hear specific offers of remuneration before he works for God. To please God would be enough.

Hebrews 11:27 --by faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible

This does not refer to his departure into Midian, for he left them in great fear. Exodus 2:14-15.

When did he forsake Egypt?

a. Perhaps when he made his choice to be among the Israelites.

b. Many suggest when he led Israel out.

c. Milligan holds to the flight to Midian.

1. Because it fits the chronology, the Passover was instituted after his return from Midian but not after the Exodus.

2. The departure was in opposition to the will of Pharaoh.

3. If the Exodus were meant, all Israel would have been named.

There are some glaring weaknesses to Milligan’s view:

a. The author is not interested in chronology in this chapter, for the men are named out of order.

b. He doesn’t necessarily say, “instituted the Passover” although the Greek allows it and the context suggests it.

c. He is not talking about Israel, but Moses.

d. Leaving Pharaoh, quitting, would no doubt provoke wrath.

“Him who is invisible” suggests the true God.

a. Perhaps Christ could be included, for Christ was on the journey. 1 Corinthians 10:4.

b. The main point to gain is his faith in One unseen that made him endure.

Study Questions

2172. Abraham is the chief character for discussion. What three religions honor him?

2173. Does his name appear frequently in the scriptures?

2174. Name the New Testament books that refer to him.

2175. How did God call him in Ur?

2176. What did the call include?

2177. Where was he living? What do we know about the place?

2178. Show how faith and obedience are connected in his life.

2179. Do you think his call was challenging to faith?

2180. Does the word “inheritance” mean that he was to own a great land?

2181. Did he ever seem to possess it?

2182. What is meant, “he became a sojourner”? Hebrews 11:9.

2183. Did he ever make much of an impact on their civilization?

2184. In his battle with the kings, what may we judge about him?

2185. How did the Hittites feel about him?

2186. What kind of home did he live in?

2187. Does this show that he had a permanent home?

2188. Does the size of the herds indicate that, in a sense, he owned a great amount of land?

2189. How do Isaac and Jacob figure in the promise?

2190. Was Abraham hoping for one of the cities which he saw?

2191. What is the significance of the word “foundations”? Hebrews 11:10.

2192. Who would make this city?

2193. Is it possible that we do not have recorded the complete revelation to Abraham?

2194. Will it be a city limited to the descendants of Abraham?

2195. Could it be the same city referred to in Revelation?

2196. Is the heavenly Jerusalem to be moved?

2197. Who is the first woman of faith mentioned in the text?

2198. How could she be considered of faith when she laughed at the promise of God?

2199. Did Abraham laugh as she did? Cf. Genesis 17:17.

2200. What attribute of God did Sarah rest upon?

2201. Who is referred to in Hebrews 11:12?

2202. What is meant by, “as good as dead”?

2203. How many sprang from Abraham?

2204. Are the Jews a numerous people today?

2205. Who is referred to by the expression, “These all died”? Hebrews 11:13.

2206. What promises are meant?

2207. What all did Abraham fail to see?

2208. Did he ever see his descendants possessing the earth?

2209. Did he ever see his seed blessing the earth?

2210. What is referred to by the expression, “having seen them”?

2211. Does it refer to people, or days, or promises? Cf. John 8:56.

2212. When was a confession made that the Hebrews were strangers and pilgrims? Cf. Genesis 47:9.

2213. What are the “such things” of Hebrews 11:14?

2214. Are we looking for a country?

2215. Should our promise be more real to us?

2216. What did Jesus say about our abiding place?

2217. Did they concern themselves over the land they had left?

2218. Could Abraham have returned to Chaldea? Cf. Genesis 24:5-8.

2219. Was Abraham’s desire for an earthly home?

2220. What was the “better country”? Hebrews 11:16.

2221. Did God ever exhibit pride in these patriarchs?

2222. When did He confess their name? Cf. Exodus 3:6.

2223. What was required of them in order to be claimed by God?

2224. Compare Galatians 3:26 and Genesis 17:7 to see if this can be our experience.

2225. If they did not inherit the promise, when will they receive it?

2226. Why does he speak of it as a city sometimes, and a country in other places?

2227. What was Abraham’s greatest trial?

2228. Was the offering of a son a common thing?

2229. Was the resolution to sacrifice Isaac the same as obedience?

2230. How could Isaac be considered “only begotten”?

2231. Where else does this phrase appear?

2232. If Isaac had been taken, what else would have been taken away?

2233. What may we judge that Abraham believed God would do if he killed Isaac?

2234. Compare the statement in Genesis 22:5.

2235. What is the figure described here?

2236. Was it a figurative resurrection?

2237. Was it a figurative sacrifice?

2238. What was the nature of a blessing in the Old Testament?

2239. Were these Old Testament characters so influential with God that they could promise, and God had to fulfill?

2240. What was the blessing in Genesis 27:29?

2241. Was this unusual?

2242. Can we say that Isaac by faith spoke what God desired?

2243. Who were Esau’s descendants?

2244. How great were the Edomites?

2245. Who finally conquered them? Cf. 1 Samuel 14:47; 2 Samuel 8:14.

2246. Tell of the blessing of Jacob on his death bed. Cf. Genesis 48:1-22.

2247. Upon whom was it pronounced?

2248. What did he pronounce?

2249. What did he do when he pronounced the blessing?

2250. Was this blessing unusual?

2251. Did the younger or the elder receive the greater blessing?

2252. Did Ephraim become great?

2253. How may we explain that Jacob seemed to be lord of a land from which he had been driven by famine?

2254. What four words describe Jacob in this experience?

2255. How did Joseph reveal his faith in the fact of a new country being promised? Cf. Genesis 50:24-25.

2256. Did Moses obey this request which Joseph made? Cf. Exodus 13:19.

2257. How does Genesis end? Is the coffin mentioned at the end?

2258. How did faith involve Moses early in his life?

2259. Was he cast into the river as Pharaoh commanded?

2260. What was under him?

2261. How was his parents’ faith rewarded?

2262. What is meant, “a goodly child”?

2263. Compare Acts 7:20 for a description of him.

2264. Was it good appearance that saved him?

2265. If not, what does the description, “a goodly child” mean?

2266. How did Moses refuse to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter? Compare Exodus 2:11-12 and Acts 7:24.

2267. How old was he when he took his stand?

2268. How did he learn of his true identity?

2269. What was the object of his faith that would cause him to reject Pharaoh’s house?

2270. Show the contrast of what he rejected and what he accepted as a Jew.

2271. Did he make a wise choice in the eyes of the world?

2272. Does the world choose temporary vanity in place of eternal glory?

2273. Would he have been an historical character if he had stayed with the Egyptians?

2274. Is it a great cause that makes the man, or the man who makes a cause great?

2275. Does faith still cause men to see the folly of sin?

2276. What is meant by the word “season”? Hebrews 11:25.

2277. Is a season’s pleasure worth the loss of eternity with God?

2278. Did Moses know Christ?

2279. Was it a reproach like Christ’s?

2280. Could Moses be considered a type of Christ in suffering?

2281. Did Jesus empty Himself of treasure to be poor? Cf. Philippians 2:5-11.

2282. What was Moses’ expected reward—earthly or heavenly?

2283. Could pleasing God be enough to challenge a man like Moses?

2284. What is meant by, “he forsook Egypt”?

2285. Could it be referring to the time he left for Midian? Why not?

2286. Does Exodus 2:14-15 answer the above question?

2287. When did he forsake Egypt? Is it the same time as referred to in Hebrews 11:25?

2288. Why does Milligan feel that the flight to Midian is meant?

2289. Is the chronology a good reason for believing it?

2290. If the Exodus is meant, would he have necessarily have included all Israel?

2291. Would leaving Pharaoh make Pharaoh wrathful?

2292. Do people become angry when you refuse their so-called “social graces”?

2293. Are people offended when you refuse to drink with them?

2294. What is meant by, “Him Who is invisible”?

2295. Could Moses have seen Christ?

2296. Compare 1 Corinthians 10:4.

2297. Is spiritual sight more foresighted than that of the physical eye?

Hebrews 11:28 --By faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of the blood

The Greek language allows also “instituted” or “hath made” for “kept.” The passover, rather than the feast later instituted, is no doubt meant by the “sprinkling” and the reference to “the destroyer.”

Hebrews 11:28 --that the destroyer of the firstborn should not touch them

The passover was instituted by God through Moses in that Moses gave direction for the sprinkling. Faith caused Moses to deliver the message, and faith caused Israel to be obedient.

Hebrews 11:29 --by faith they passed through the Red sea

The Egyptians also tried to pass through, but faith was lacking there. Reliance upon God was the measure of faith here, for the pursuing Egyptians could easily have swallowed them up.

Hebrews 11:30 --by faith the walls of Jericho fell down

The city of Jericho stood in the way of a conquest of the land. The command to march around once a day, and seven times on the seventh day may have seemed unnecessary to the unbelieving, but it marked victory for the faithful.

Hebrews 11:31 --by faith Rahab the harlot perished not with them that were disobedient, having received the spies with peace

Seven things about Rahab by Newell, p. 387: (Compare Joshua 2:1-22; Joshua 6:22-25; James 2:25. See Joshua 2:1-22; Joshua 6:22-25; James 2:25.)

a. She was a sinner, even a harlot. Romans 3:23 : All have sinned.

b. Rahab’s faith was confessed; and so must ours be. Matthew 10:32.

Joshua 2:8-11 : “I know that Jehovah hath given you the land and that the fear of you is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you.”

c. Faith meant turning against her people; the believer must also be willing if necessary.

d. Faith included the belief that Jericho would be destroyed, and it brought concern for her people. Joshua 2:13.

e. It brought the typical scarlet cord tied in her window, by which the spies escaped. Joshua 2:15-18. We have the blood of Christ.

f. By her faith all her kindred were saved. Joshua 2:19; Joshua 6:22-25.

g. She became the mother of Boaz (Matthew 1:5); great grandfather of David, the king. Ruth 4:21-22.

Was she a harlot?

a. Milligan: Many Jews erroneously interpret the word so as to make it mean a seller of food or an innkeeper.

b. Calvin: The word is zune. Some render it “hostess” as though she kept a public house, but as the word is rendered “harlot” for everyone else, so it must be here. The Jews think it disgraceful to their nation, so they render it otherwise.

c. Calvin: She is mentioned as a harlot to amplify the grace of God.

Faith in God made her hazard her life in receiving and concealing the spies, so she is named among the faithful.

Study Questions

2298. What is meant by “Passover”? Was it the passing over of the death angel, or the feast?

2299. Does the reference to sprinkling of blood settle the question?

2300. What did Moses have to do with the passover?

2301. What all was involved in the Red Sea experience?

2302. Does the Modernist have enough faith to believe in Israel’s faith, or the Biblical record of the account?

2303. Tell of the faith involved in the destruction of Jericho.

2304. Was the command that took a week to complete, a test of faith?

2305. In what was Rahab’s faith?

2306. If it was in God, how did she get it?

2307. How were Jericho’s people disobedient?

2308. Was she a believer in God, thus accounting for her receiving the spies in peace?

2309. What did faith cost her?

2310. What did faith gain for her?

2311. Name the things which she did.

2312. Does she fit into God’s scheme of future events? Cf. Matthew 1:5; Ruth 4:21-22.

2313. Was she a harlot in the modern meaning of the word?

2314. Could she have been a woman of faith, and also an evil woman?

2315. Is it likely that the spies would have sought the help of such a person?

Verses 32-38

Heb 11:32-38

OTHER GENERAL ILLUSTRATIONS DRAWN

FROM THE EXPLOITS, DELIVERANCES, AND

HEROIC ENDURANCE OF FAITHFUL MEN A

ND WOMEN UNDER THE OLD COVENANT
Hebrews 11:32-38

Hebrews 11:32 ---And what shall I more say?—The Apostle perceiving at this point of the discussion that the time and space allotted to his subject would not admit of further details, proceeds now to give in a general way such a summary of matters as he thought would best serve to illustrate the power of faith, and so to strengthen and en­courage his brethren.

Hebrews 11:32 ---for the time would fail me—This form of expression is often used by classicial writers to denote simply that much that might be said on a given subject, has to be omitted for want of time.

Hebrews 11:32 ---to tell of Gideon, and of Barak, etc.—Chronologically, these names would stand as follows: Barak, Gideon, Jephthah, Samson, Samuel, David, and the prophets. But our author seems to place Gideon before Barak, and Samson before Jephthah, on account of the more prominent position which they hold in sacred history, and Samuel is placed after David, most likely for the purpose of di­rectly connecting him with the prophets.

Gideon, son of Joash, of the tribe of Manasseh, was the fifth Judge of Israel. He was surnamed Jerubbaal (i.e., Let Baal plead) on account of his opposition to Baal in breaking down his altar and cutting down his grove. Afterward when the Midianites, the Amalekites, and “the children of the east country,” were gath­ered together against Israel, “the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet,” and there were gathered unto them thirty-two thousand men. The number was, however, re­duced to three hundred, and with these Gideon by faith routed the assembled hosts, and “put to flight the armies of the aliens.” See Judges 6:11 to Judges 8:32.

Barak was a leader of Israel, of the tribe of Naphtali. He be­came renowned for the great victory which he gained over the Ca- naanites. After the death of Ehud, the third Judge of the children of Israel, they did evil in the sight of the Lord, and he “sold them into the hand of Jabin, king of Canaan, that lived at Hazor, the captain of whose host was Sisera, who dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles. And the children of Israel cried unto the Lord: for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and for twenty years he might­ily oppressed the children of Israel.” (Judges 4:2-3.) And Debo­rah the prophetess, who was then judging Israel, sent and called Barak, and said to him, “Hath not the Lord God of Israel com­manded, saying, Go and draw toward Mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the chil­dren of Zebulun ? And I will draw unto thee, to the river Kishon, Sisera, the captain of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his multi­tude, and I will deliver him into thine hand” (verses 6, 7). Trusting in God, he accepted the call on condition that Deborah would accompany him; and with his ten thousand men he joined in battle the immense host of Sisera at the foot of Mount Tabor. His victory was complete. Harosheth of the Gentiles was taken; Sis­era was murdered; and Jabin was ruined. See Judges 4:1 to Judges 5:31.

Samson was the thirteenth Judge of Israel, and lived as a Naz- irite from his birth. The first manifestation of his great prowess was in the slaughter of a young lion which “he rent, as he would have rent a kid.” After this, he smote the Philistines on several occasions with great slaughter; and finally, he destroyed himself and three thousand of them by overthrowing the temple of their god Dagon. See Judges 13:1 to Judges 16:31. In this last act of his event­ful life, as well as in many other things, we cannot but regard Samson as a very great sinner. And care must, therefore, be taken not to press into the words of the Apostle a meaning which he never intended. It is not his purpose to commend all that was done by even the best and most illustrious of these men of faith. Abraham sinned, and so did Moses, although their example was far more elevated than that of Samson. But when the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, he performed some feats, in the exercise of faith, which are without a parallel in human history. Indeed, it is quite obvious that many of the exploits ascribed in Greek mythology to the renowned Hercules are drawn from the inspired mem­oirs of this illustrious descendant of Dan.

Jephthae, the son of Gilead by a concubine, was the ninth Judge of Israel. He was distinguished chiefly for his victories over the Ammonites and the Ephraimites. (Judges 11:1 to Judges 12:7.) Like Samson, he was far from being perfect. The extremely rash vow which he made unto the • Lord previous to his engagement with the Ammonites, indicates a spirit of daring recklessness, which is far from being commendable. But even in this, he showed his faith in God, and his reliance on the strong arm of Je­hovah for the victory. And the subsequent sacrifice of his only daughter, in compliance with his vow, shows also very clearly that he ascribed his success in the war to the God of Israel. It is his strong confidence in God, and this only, which our author so highly commends here to his discouraged and disheartened He­brew brethren.

David, the well known son of Jesse, and second King of Israel, was always distinguished for his trust and confidence in God. This is shown in many of his beautiful lyric odes, as well as in the whole course of his public administration. Speaking of his trials and signal deliverances he says, “In my distress, I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his tem­ple, and my cry came into his ears. Then the Earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth.—He bowed the heavens also, and came down, and darkness was under his feet. And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly; yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind.— He sent from above, he took me; he drew me out of many waters. He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them that hated me; for they were too strong for me.” (Psalms 18:6-7 Psalms 18:9-10 Psalms 18:16-17.)

Samuel was the fifteenth and last Judge of Israel. Even from his childhood he was distinguished for his piety; “and all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that he was established to be a prophet of the Lord.” (1 Samuel 3:20.) He stands, therefore, very properly in this list of heroes, at the head of the prophets: among whom are to be reckoned such faithful reformers as Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and the other inspired writers of the Old Testament.

Hebrews 11:33 ---Who through faith subdued kingdoms,—The Apostle does not mean that Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and each of the prophets severally “subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,” etc.; but only that they did all these things as a class of men distin­guished for their faith in God. Some of them through faith sub­dued kingdoms; some wrought righteousness; some obtained promises; some stopped the mouths of lions; some quenched the violence of fire; some escaped the edge of the sword; some out of weakness were made strong; some waxed valiant in fight; and some put to flight the armies of the aliens. Gideon, for instance, subdued the Midianites (Judges 8); Barak, the Canaanites (Judges 4); Jephthah, the Ammonites (Judges 11) ; and David, the Philistines, Moabites, Syrians, Edomites, and Ammonites (2 Samuel 5, 8, 10, etc.).

Hebrews 11:33 ---wrought righteousness,—This may denote all works of righ­teousness which are done in obedience to the known will of God; as Peter says, “In every nation, he that feareth God and worketh righteousness, is accepted of him.” (Acts 10:35.) But it is proba­ble that our author refers her4e more particularly to the public and official acts of rulers in the administration of justice. Thus, for instance, when Samuel challenged all the people of Israel to bear witness against him; if he had in his whole public administration, taken any man’s ass; or if he had defrauded or oppressed anyone; or if he had received a bribe from any; they all answered with one accord and said, “Thou hast not defrauded us, nor oppressed us; neither hast thou taken aught from any man’s hand.” (1 Samuel 12:5) So also it is testified of David, that “he reigned over all Is­rael, and executed judgment and justice to all the people.” (2 Samuel 8:15.)

Hebrews 11:33 --obtained promises,—This may mean (1) that they obtained verbal promises or assurances from God, as did Abraham before he left Ur of Chaldea (Chrysostom, Bengel, Bleek, Stuart, Bloom­field) ; or (2) it may mean that they obtained the blessings promised, as did the Israelites under Joshua, when they got possession of Canaan (Delitzsch, Alford, Moll). The latter view is most prob­able, as it harmonizes best with the use of the word rendered ob­tained (epitunkano), both in the Greek classics and in the New Testament. It occurs only in Romans 11:7; Hebrews 6:15; James 4:2; and in our text: in all of which it means the obtaining of the prom­ised blessing. The Apostle does not mean, of course, that they ob­tained “the promise” of the Messiah’s coming and reign; but only such subordinate promises as were often made to the Israelites. Isaiah, for instance, saw Jerusalem delivered from the invasion of Sennacherib; Daniel saw the end of the Babylonish captivity; and many others lived to see the erection of the second temple and the restoration of the Levitical services.

Hebrews 11:33 ---stopped the mouths of lions,—Several instances illustrative of this clause are mentioned in the Old Testament; as in Judges 14:6; 1 Samuel 17:34; 1 Chronicles 11:22; and Daniel 6:20. Of these, the case of Daniel is the most remarkable. For fidelity to his God, he was cast into the den of lions; but his faith saved him.

Hebrews 11:34 ---quenched the violence of fire,—(dunamin) not merely the flame, but the power of fire. This is impressively illustrated by the case of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. (Daniel 3.) And the same is, no doubt, true of other cases of persecution, under both the Old and the New Covenant. Rudelbach, for instance, relates of a martyr who was burned to death at Brussels, that when the flame rose up over his head, he cried out that he felt as if they were covering him with roses. His faith quenched the power of the fire, though it did not as in the case of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, wholly arrest its effects.

Hebrews 11:34 ---escaped the edge of the sword,—As did David (1 Samuel 18:1 1 Samuel 19:10 1 Samuel 19:12), and Elijah (1 Kings 19:1-16), and Elisha (2 Kings 6:14-23 2 Kings 6:31-33), and Jeremiah (Jeremiah 36:26). There is probably further reference here, as well as in each of the following clauses of this verse, to the heroic exploits of the Maccabaean period, when Mattathias and his seven sons, like Gideon, Samson, and David, became strong out of weakness, waxed valiant in battle, and put to flight the armies of the aliens. Judas Maccabaeus particularly dis­tinguished himself by putting to flight, with comparatively small forces, the Syrian armies under Apollonius, Seron, Nicanor, Timo- theus, and Lysias; and so finally succeeded in throwing off the Syrian yoke, and re-establishing the worship of the true God in Je­rusalem. That these Maccabaean victories were achieved by faith is obvious from the whole tenor of their history. Of the truth of this, the following words of the aged and venerable Mattathias will serve as an illustration, and at the same time furnish to the reader the keynote of the whole Maccabaean movement. When he was about to die (166 B.C.), worn out as he was with the fatigues of the first campaign, he called his sons together and said to them, “Now, therefore, my sons, be zealous for the Law, and give your lives for the Covenant of your fathers. Call to mind what acts our fathers did in their time; so shall ye receive great honor and an everlasting name. Was not Abraham found faithful in tempta­tion? and it was imputed to him for righteousness. Joseph in the time of his distress kept the commandment, and was made lord of Egypt. Phinehas, our father, in being zealous and fervent, ob­tained the covenant of an everlasting priesthood. Joshua, for ful­filling the word, was made a Judge in Israel. Caleb for bearing wit­ness before the congregation, received the heritage of the land. David, for being merciful, obtained the throne of an everlasting kingdom. Elijah, for being zealous and fervent for the Law, was taken up into heaven. Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael, by believ­ing, were saved out of the flame. Daniel, for his innocency, was delivered from the mouth of the lions. And thus consider ye, that throughout all ages, none who put their trust in him [God] shall be overcome.—Wherefore, ye my sons, be valiant, and show your­selves men in behalf of the Law: for by it, ye shall obtain glory.” (1 Maccabees 2:50-64.)

Hebrews 11:35 ---Women received their dead raised to life again:—There is, no doubt, special reference here to the case of the widow of Zarephath (1 Kings 17:17-24); and to that of the Shunammite (2 Kings 4:18-37). The son of the former was restored to life by Elijah; and the son of the latter by Elisha. But accord­ing to our author, this was effected in part through the faith of these women. Had it not been for their faith in God, the miracles would not have been wrought.

Hebrews 11:35 ---and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance;—The word rendered tortured (etumpanistheson) means properly to stretch and torture upon the tympanum (tumpanon) ; an instru­ment of torture in the shape of a large drum or wheel, on which criminals were stretched in order to be beaten to death with sticks and rods. A case of this kind is recorded in 2 Maccabees 6:19-29. During the persecutions of Antiochus Epiphanes, it was decreed among other things that the Jews should abandon their religion, and conform in all respects to the religious customs of the Syrians. Many apostatized from the faith, and many suffered martyrdom. Among these was one of the Jewish scribes, a man about ninety years of age, called Eliazar. He was put to death on the tym­panum for refusing to eat swine’s flesh. “But when he was ready to die with stripes, he groaned and said, It is manifest unto the Lord who hath the holy knowledge, that whereas I might have been delivered from death, I now endure sore pains in my body by being beaten: but in soul I am well content to suffer these things, because I fear him.” Other instances of severe torture by flaying, roasting, etc., are given, in the next chapter. (2 Maccabees 7.) Here we have an account of the martyrdom of a woman and her seven sons, simply because they would not eat swine’s flesh, and conform to other heathen customs. They all chose death rather than life, on the conditions offered by Antiochus.

Hebrews 11:35 ---that they might obtain a better resurrection:—Better than what? To this query several answers have been given. (1) It is alleged by many, that the contrast is between the final resurrection of the just, and the resurrection that is spoken of in the first clause of the verse. The sons of the widow of Zarephath and the Shu­nammite were raised from the dead to return again in a little while to the dust: but these faithful ones were expecting a resurrection to everlasting life (Chrysostom, Bengel, Schultz, Bohme, Bleek, Stuart, Ebrard, Delitzsch, Alford). (2) Others suppose that the contrast is between the final resurrection of the just and the deliv­erance from death which was offered to these faithful men and women, on condition that they would renounce their religion and worship the gods of the heathen. Like Isaac (verse 19), they were, so to speak, dead by the decree of their persecutors: but by apostatizing from the true religion, they might have obtained a de­liverance similar, in some respects, to a resurrection. But in that event, they would have forfeited what they themselves esteemed a far greater boon than any deliverance from mere temporal death (Winer, Tholuck, Lunemann, Scott, Moll). And (3) others again think that the contrast is between the final resurrection of the just and that of the unjust. The former will be a resurrection to ever­lasting life; but the latter will be to everlasting condemnation (CEcumenius, Theophylact). The first hypothesis is supported by the weightiest authorities; but I am, nevertheless, constrained to think that the second view is most in harmony with the context and the special scope of the passage. For be it observed, that it is not our author who makes the comparison and expresses the given preference. Not at all. He merely states approvingly what, on due reflection, was the preference of the persons spoken of. They, it seems, after considering the whole matter, were unwilling to ac­cept the proffered deliverance; because by their doing so, they knew they would forfeit what they themselves regarded as of infi­nitely more value than anything which their persecutors were able to offer.

This is impressively illustrated by the account which we have given of the martyrdom above referred to. When the second son, for instance, was about to expire, he said to Antiochus, “Thou like a fury takest us out of this present life; but the King of the world will raise us up, who have died for his laws, unto everlasting life.” In like manner the fourth son, addressing his last words to the king, said, “It is good being put to death by men to look for hope from God to be raised up again by him. As for thee, thou shalt have no resurrection to life.” (2 Maccabees 7:9 2 Maccabees 7:14.) It seems clear, therefore, that the martyrs themselves made an estimate of what was offered to them by God, on the one hand, and of what was offered to them by their persecutors, on the other; and that it is simply their preference for the former in comparison wilh the latter which our author here designs to express. These faithful men and women chose death rather than life under the circumstances.

Hebrews 11:36 ---And others had trial of cruel mockings, etc.—A few in­stances of these sportive cruelties and scourgings, and also of bonds and imprisonments, are mentioned in the Old Testament. Mention is made, for example, of the mocking of Samson by the Philistines (Judges 16:25) ; of the imprisonment of Micaiah by Ahab (1 Kings 22:27) ; of Hanani’s imprisonment by Asa (2 Chronicles 16:10) ; and of the mocking, beating, bonds, and imprison­ment of Jeremiah by Pashur and others (Jeremiah 20:2 Jeremiah 20:7 Jeremiah 32:2-3). But our author probably refers here more particularly to the perse­cutions and sufferings of the Jews at a later period: many in­stances of which occurred during the reign of the Persians, Greeks, Egyptians, and Syrians. Take, for example, the following inci­dents from the history of the martyrdoms previously mentioned: “It came to pass also that seven brethren and their mother were taken and compelled by the king [Antiochus Epiphanes] against the law to taste swine’s flesh, and were tormented with scourges and whips.” And when the first of the seven was mangled and tortured to death by the fiendish officers of Antiochus, they brought the second to make him a mocking-stock. And when they had pulled off the skin of his head with his hair, they asked him, “Wilt thou eat [swine’s flesh] before thou be punished through every member of thy body ? But he answered in his own language and said, No. Wherefore he also received the next torment in order, as the former did.—After him, the third was made a mock­ing-stock, etc.” (2 Maccabees 7:1 2 Maccabees 7:7-8 2 Maccabees 7:10.) These and other like statements made in the first and second books of Maccabees, are, no doubt, in the main correct. These writings are not inspired, as are the canonical books of the Old and New Testament; but they are as reliable as any other uninspired works of like antiquity.

Hebrews 11:37 ---They were stoned,—This was a common mode of capital punishment among the Jews, and hence it is quite probable that many of the ancient martyrs suffered death in this way. See Matthew 11:12 Matthew 23:37; Luke 13:34. Thus, for example, Zechariah the son of Jehoiada, was put to death by Joash, king of Judah (2 Chronicles 24:20-22), and thus also it is reported that Jeremiah was put to death by the Jews, at Daphne, in Egypt.

Hebrews 11:37 ---they were sawn asunder,—So, according to the Talmud, was Isaiah put to death by Manasseh, king of Judah. The account that is given by the Jews of this barbarious act is most likely correct; it was so regarded by Justin Martyr, Tertullian, Origen, and other Christian Fathers. Josephus, speaking of Manasseh, says, “He barbarously slew all the righteous men that were among the He­brews, nor would he spare the prophets, for he every day slew some of them, till Jerusalem was overflown with blood.” (Ant. 10,

3, 1.)

Hebrews 11:37 ---they were tempted,—This clause has given much trouble to the critics. “It is difficult,” says Ebrard, “to see what this jejune and general expression can have to do in this connection, and as sure as some word must have stood in this place, so sure it is that this (epeirasthesan) cannot have been the word.” So, also, Alford: “It is certainly surprising,” he says, “to meet with so mild a word in the midst of torments and ways of dreadful death.” And hence it is conjectured (1) that this word (epeirasthesan) is an interpo­lation, and that it should be omitted as in the P. Syriac version. (2) It is alleged that it has been inadvertently substituted for some other word indicating death by fire (as epurastheson), or some other mode of torture. But the word in our text is well sup­ported by external evidence, and after all it is not so inconsistent with the context as many of the critics seem to imagine. For as Prof. Stuart remarks, “Not only life, but wealth and honor were frequently proffered in the midst of torture most agonizing to the human frame, in order to tempt the martyrs to forsake their reli­gion. Such a temptation as this is by no means to be reckoned among the lighter trials of good men.” The temptations of Christ, both in the wilderness and Gethsemane (Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 22:40-46) seem to have given him very intense sufferings.

Hebrews 11:37 ---were slain with the sword:—The prophet Urijah was brought out of Egypt to king Jehoiakim “who slew him with the sword" (Jeremiah 26:23), and in the reign of Ahab, king of Israel, putting to death with the sword seems to have been a common mode of pun­ishment. Thus Elijah, in one of his complaints to God says, “The children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword, and they seek my life to take it away." (1 Kings 19:10.)

Hebrews 11:37 ---they wandered about in sheepskins, etc.—Driven away from their homes, like Elijah the Tishbite (1 Kings 17:3-9 1 Kings 19:3-14), like him they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being “destitute, afflicted, tormented." It was the custom of the proph­ets to wear rough, hairy garments (Zechariah 13:4) ; and so in 2 Kings 1:8, Elijah is described as “a hairy man," most likely from the shaggy appearance of his dress, for in the Septuagint (1 Kings 19:13 1 Kings 19:19; 2 Kings 2:8 2 Kings 2:13-14) his mantle is called a rnelote; which means (1) a sheepskin, and (2) a garment made of any rough woolly skin. Elijah may therefore be regarded as a fit type of this class of men, who from the time that they entered on their public ministry were subject to perpetual want, oppression, and persecution.

Hebrews 11:38 ---Of whom the world was not worthy:—This seems to be a sort of proverbial expression, and it is evidently thrown in here parenthetically to denote (1) the eminent holiness of these good men; and (2) the great wickedness of most of their contemporar­ies. Their mode of life showed very plainly that though in the world they were not of it.

Hebrews 11:38 ---they wandered in deserts, etc.—The reference here seems to be general, and includes no doubt those who for conscience’s sake suffered from the heathen, as well as from their own countrymen. Indeed, this closing remark is peculiarly applicable to the Macca- baean period, when the mountains and caves of Judea were filled with pious sufferers. For then the Syrians under Antiochus “drove the Israelites into secret places, even wheresoever they could flee for succor." (1 Maccabees 1:53.) And when Apollonious entered Jerusalem with an army of twenty-two thousand, and commenced butchering the inhabitants on the Sabbath Day, “Judas Maccabaeus with nine others, or thereabout, withdrew himself into the wilderness, and lived in the mountains after the manner of beasts, with his company, who fed on herbs continually, lest they should be partakers of the pollution.” (2 Maccabees 5:27.)

Commentary on Hebrews 11:32-38 by Donald E. Boatman

Hebrews 11:32 --time will fail me if I tell of Gideon

Here the author names a number of people drawn from the exploits, deliverances, and heroic endurance of faithful men and women.

Gideon stands chronologically after Barak. Gideon was the son of Joash of the tribe of Manasseh, and was the fifth judge of Israel. Two things perhaps make him worthy of being named here.

a. His fight against Baal.

b. He used only 300 men out of an army of 32,000 men. Judges 6:11 to Judges 8:32.

Hebrews 11:32 --Barak

He was a leader of Israel of the tribe of Naphtali. The Israelites were oppressed by Jabin, king of Canaan, and Sisera, the captain of the host. The enemy had 900 chariots, and for twenty years oppressed Israel. Judges 4:23. Deborah, the prophetess, called Barak and gave him a plan for victory. Hebrews 4:6-7. With Deborah and 10,000 men he led Israel to a complete victory, Judges 4:1 to Judges 5:31.

Hebrews 11:32 --Samson

Samson, in the scripture, appears after Jephthah. Zwemer in his book, Sons of Adam, says that his career is put into the record anonymously, for who but Samson did these things in Hebrews 11:33-34?

a. Moses was the “brain,” learned in the wisdom of Egypt; Samson was a man of brawn, up to all the tricks and sports of a giant.

b. Moses’ life is a long epic; Samson’s, a brief tragedy.

c. Moses was the man of God; Samson, the man of the people. The above offers the contrast between Moses and Samson. These feats of muscular power are of course the chief things about him.

Hebrews 11:32 --Jephthah

He was the son of Gilead by a concubine, and. became the ninth judge of Israel, His victories over the Ammonites and the Ephraimites, Judges 11:1 to Judges 12:7, with faith in God, ranks him a name among the faithful. He made a hasty foolish vow, and the finest victory was marred by the cruel death of his own daughter.

a. In all the faithful ones, we find imperfection, yet they attained much by faith.

b. Perhaps we should see that faults should not break us down or dishearten us. We must go on in the race of our calling.

Hebrews 11:32 --David

Calvin says: “Under David’s name he included all the pious kings.” He was the second king of Israel, and is known for his faith in God.

a. This is established by the Psalms that express it. Cf. Psalms 18:6-17.

b. It is shown in his many victories for the Lord, one of which was his slaying of Goliath.

Hebrews 11:32 --Samuel and the prophets

Samuel is placed after David, most likely in order to connect him with the prophets, says Milligan. The prophets are to be greatly admired, for they had to preach in such wicked and wayward days.

a. Their patience was sorely tried, but their faithful messages are recorded for the ages.

b. They are lessons in faith and faithfulness for us today.

Hebrews 11:33 --who through faith subdued kingdoms

Some of them did some of the things that are named here.

a. David is probably chief here, but definitely Joshua’s work should be noted as he led in the conquest.

b. Asa, Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, and Josiah are others who could be named. This work is similiar to Hebrews 11:34—“turned to flight armies of aliens.”

Hebrews 11:33 --wrought righteousness

This work was the main concern of the prophets who cried out against sin and for the establishment of justice. The work of Elijah and Elisha stands out. King Josiah’s work, 2 Kings 22:1 to 2 Kings 23:30, is an outstanding work among the kings. Compare David, 2 Samuel 8:15. Samuel’s work as a judge is outstanding in the field of righteousness. See 1 Samuel 12:4.

Hebrews 11:33 --obtained promises

The one great promise of the Messiah they did not obtain, but some promises were fulfilled in their lives.

a. Joshua and Caleb obtained the promised land after 40 years. Joshua 14:6-14.

b. Isaiah saw Jerusalem delivered from the invasion of Sennacherib.

c. Daniel saw the end of the Babylonian captivity.

d. Nehemiah lived to see the wall of Jerusalem rebuilt.

e. Abraham received the promised son.

f. David was promised the kingdom, and received it.

Some feel that it only means verbal promises, but this is far less meaningful.

Hebrews 11:33 --stopped the months of lions

Several people accomplished this.

a. Daniel is the greatest example. Daniel 6:22 : “—saying, My God hath shut the lion’s mouth.”

b. David had victory over the lion and the bear. 1 Samuel 17:34.

c. Samson, Judges 14:6, on the road to Timnah.

d. David’s mighty man Benaiah: 1 Chronicles 11:22, “—slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow.”

The examples are given to show the importance and power of faith.

Hebrews 11:34 --quenched the power of fire

This indicates that the flames were not stopped, but their power and violence were taken away.

a. The great example is that of the three Hebrews recorded in Daniel 3.

1. The fiery furnace was likely the new type of place of sacrifices designed by Nebuchadnezzar.

2. He desired a place where the work of priests could be observed, according to the archeologists.

b. No other persons are suggested from the Bible, but of course many martyrs experienced the flames.

Rudelback tells of a martyr at Brussels who said that the flames felt like roses as they covered him.

Hebrews 11:34 --escaped the edge of the sword

Many are such instances as this one.

a. David escaped the sword many times, from the hand of King Saul, as well as Goliath. Cf. 1 Samuel 18:11; 1 Samuel 19:10-12.

b. Elijah did, 1 Kings 19:1-6.

c. Elisha is included. 2 Kings 6:14-23; 2 Kings 6:31-33.

d. Jeremiah, Jeremiah 36:26. Compare Jeremiah 39.

Milligan likes to include the Maccabean movement, which is a thrilling history.

Hebrews 11:34 --from weakness were made strong

This power may be seen in several ways.

a. Sarah had power to conceive. Hebrews 11:11.

b. Gideon trembled when he was called.

c. Jeremiah said he was like a child. He couldn’t speak, but he was made to speak.

d. Isaiah said, “Woe is me.”

Remember how the enemies talked about Nehemiah’s effort to rebuild the walls, saying, “Feeble Jews.”

Hebrews 11:34 --waved mighty in war, turned to flight armies of aliens

The history of God’s people is a mighty war epic.

a. Gideon with 300 men conquered the hosts of Midian.

b. Abraham with 318 men rescued Lot.

c. Joshua had many victories.

1. Defeated Amalek. Exodus 17.

2. Defeated the Amorites in a long day. Joshua 10:12-13. “Aliens” probably refers to all who opposed the government of Israel.

Hebrews 11:35 --women received their dead by a resurrection

The widow of Zarephath, 1 Kings 17:21. Elijah dwelt there, and Elijah raised up her dead son.

2 Kings 4:34. The Shumanite woman’s son raised by Elisha.

Hebrews 11:35 --and others were tortured

This also may be translated, “beaten to death.” Torture is not always done by heathens, but has been done in the name of God.

Hebrews 11:35 --not accepting their deliverance

“Deliverance” may be also translated “redemption.” This may refer to a mother and her seven sons mentioned in 2 Maccabees 7:1. (In the Apocrypha)

a. They would not submit to eating swine’s flesh and other heathen customs.

b. Few more heroic stories appear than that of the Maccabeans.

Elizar, a Jewish scribe, was also killed.

a. He died on the typamum, a large wheel on which they were stretched in order to beat them to death with clubs.

b. Such cruelty could not persuade him to be delivered.

Polycarp—(“80 and 6 years”) would be an example but not included here, since his death came after Hebrews was written.

Hebrews 11:35 --that they might obtain a better resurrection

Torture seemed a small thing when they were seeking a resurrection that God could give, When men have a faith, hope, and a love for God, man cannot touch it.

a. Riches, popularity, etc., can be taken, but not our hope.

b. Faith gives strength to endure and the spirit to rejoice in it.

Hebrews 11:36 --others had trials of mockings

Instances of mocking are recorded in the Old Testament.

a. Philistines mocked Samson. Judges 16:25.

b. Ahab imprisoned Micaiah. 1 Kings 22:27.

c. Jeremiah was cruelly treated and mocked by Pashar and others, Jeremiah 22:2-7; Jeremiah 33:2-3.

d. Isaac was mocked by Ishmael.

e. Elisha was mocked by the children.

Mocking is severe in that it makes one angry and causes him to lose self-control.

Hebrews 11:36 --scourgings, yea moreover of bonds and imprisonments

Scourging in the synagogue was common.

Several instances of imprisonments are mentioned.

a. Joseph was cast into prison.

b. Jeremiah was lowered into a dungeon of mire. Jeremiah 37:16; Jeremiah 38:6. “Bonds” refers to being bound in fetters and shackles. This was a common experience for the apostles.

Hebrews 11:37 --they were stoned

An example is Zechariah.

a. He was the son of Jehoiada.

b. Joash, king of Judah, had him stoned. 2 Chronicles 24:20-22. Stephen, the first New Testament martyr, experienced this.

Hebrews 11:37 --they were sawn asunder

The Talmud says that this happened to Isaiah by the order of Manasseh, king of Judah. An Apocryphal book, The Ascension of Isaiah, (Hebrews 5:11) gives this tradition about Isaiah.

Hebrews 11:37 --they were tempted

This probably refers to the offers of life, wealth, honor, etc., that the faithful received in exchange for their faith. Temptations like Jesus faced are no doubt meant.

Hebrews 11:37 --they were slain with the sword

a. Elijah made this charge in a complaint to God. 1 Kings 19:10.

b. Jehoiakim slew the prophet Uriah. Jeremiah 26:23.

c. Ahab’s reign was characterized by slaughter.

d. Herod slew James with the sword. Acts 12.

Hebrews 11:37 --they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins being destitute, afflicted, ill treated

This was a type of garment worn by the prophets.

a. See Elisha and Elijah, 2 Kings 2:8-13; 1 Kings 17:3-9; 1 Kings 19:3-14.

b. Elijah is called “a hairy man” in 2 Kings 1:8, most likely because of his garb.

False prophets wore these clothes in order to deceive. Zechariah 13:4.

Hebrews 11:38 --of whom the world was not worthy

Such cruel men as persecuted these prophets and martyrs did not deserve such good examples of faithful men. You do not hear men like Paul, a saint, ever saying that he was too good for the world.

Hebrews 11:38 --wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes of the earth

These places were places of refuge for persecuted men and women.

God’s great outdoors is a safer place for man than in the presence of the unbeliever.

Study Questions

2316. Why is Gideon listed in the roll of faithful ones?

2317. What was Gideon’s responsibility?

2318. Was it customary for a judge of Israel to be also a warrior?

2319. How does Barak fit into the listing of Hebrews? When did he live?

2320. What single event may have earned him this place?

2321. What woman helped him? What was her duty?

2322. How did Samson earn his place?

2323. Could he be the one the author had in mind for a portion of Hebrews 11:33?

2324. Compare Moses and Samson in length of service.

2325. Tell of the work of Jephthah.

2326. What race or tribe troubled Israel in his day?

2327. Was he without criticism?

2328. Was his background good?

2329. Were any kings named among the faithful?

2330. Why was David singled out?

2331. Is there any single accomplishment that would gain him recognition in Hebrews?

2332. Were his victories numerous ones?

2333. Have these men been named in chronological order?

2334. Who was first, Samuel or David?

2335. What was Samuel?

2336. What Was so discouraging about a prophet’s work?

2337. Name some men who might be included in the expression, “subdued kingdoms.”

2338. What class of men is most likely included?

2339. Were any kingdoms subdued by prophetic preaching?

2340. Who among the Hebrews that subdued many kingdoms is not mentioned?

2341. Could Joshua be considered a man of faith?

2342. What group wrought righteousness?

2343. Were the prophets the only ones?

2344. Name some outstanding prophets.

2345. Name some outstanding kings.

2346. What judge was successful in reforms?

2347. What promises were obtained by Joshua, Isaiah, Daniel, Nehemiah, Abraham, David, etc.?

2348. What great promise did they miss?

2349. Name some who stopped the mouths of lions.

2350. How does Benaiah resemble David?

2351. Were flames quenched, or was it their power that was quenched?

2352. These men could not be considered God’s firemen, could they?

2353. Who may be referred to here? Were there many?

2354. Could the author have in mind any New Testament martyrs?

2355. Name some who escaped the sword.

2356. Did David escape many times?

2357. What prophets were in danger of the sword?

2358. What is meant by “made strong”?

2359. Was it always physical strength?

2360. Have great men of God felt weak on occasion?

2361. Did Nehemiah, rebuilding walls, look feeble?

2362. Could Samson be included in this?

2363. Discuss the idea, “waxed mighty in war.”

2364. Did they always depend upon a mighty army?

2365. How many did various warriors use?

2366. Tell of one great battle where the time element was involved.

2367 What is meant by “aliens”?

2368. What Old Testament women received their dead alive?

2369. Did Jesus raise the dead for any women?

2370. Could the resurrection of dead saints that accompanied Jesus’ death be included?

2371. What methods of torture have been used?

2372. Name some instances.

2373. Has cruelty been used only by heathen?

2374. What is meant by, “not accepting their deliverance”?

2375. Which is easier, to die in battle or to suffer for righteousness?

2376. What period of history do the commentators think may have been included here?

2377. Could Moses be included?

2378. Could the three Hebrew children be included?

2379. What was the deliverance they could have accepted?

2380. Why was it rejected?

2381. How did faith help?

2382. Name some mockers and some mocked ones.

2383. Was it always heathenism against God’s men?

2384. Was it ever brother mocking brother?

2385. How is mocking a hard trial?

2386. What is “scourging”?

2387. What are “bonds”?

2388. Name some Old Testament imprisonments.

2389. Was imprisonment a common experience for the apostles?

2390. Do we have an example of one being stoned?

2391. Was it a common practice?

2392. Who was subject to stoning?

2393. Do we know of anyone being sawn asunder?

2394. How do we know Isaiah suffered this kind of death?

2395. What all may be included in the word “tempted”?

2396. Name some men who experienced these.

2397. Name some who were slain with the sword.

2398. Who was Jehoiakim?

2399. Who was Uriah?

2400. Is dying a common way to escape duty?

2401. Who may have gone about in sheepskins, etc.?

2402. Was this a characteristic garb?

2403. Did others ever wear them? Cf. Zechariah 13:4.

2404. What is meant by, “of whom the world was not worthy”?

Verses 39-40

Heb 11:39-40

SUPERIOR LIGHT AND PRIVILEGES

OF BELIEVERS UNDER THE NEW
COVENANT

Hebrews 11:39-40

Hebrews 11:39 ---And these all, having obtained a good report through faith,—That is, all the persons referred to in this chapter, whether named or unnamed, from Abel onward. All these, though they did not live to see fulfilled the promise relating to the personal coming of the Messiah, were nevertheless through their faith in God en­abled to do and to suffer what has obtained for them a good report; a reputation for noble daring and patient endurance, which gives them a place in the first rank of moral heroes. The Apostle does not mean to say that they were all justified and saved by their faith in God and in the promise of a coming Redeemer. Not at all. His object is simply to illustrate the marvelous power and efficacy of faith in the word of God, whether that word relates to the build­ing of an ark, the crossing of the sea, the compassing of a city with rams’ horns, or anything else. These men all believed in God as the rewarder of them that diligently seek him; and through this faith they wrought many wonderful works, for which they have ob­tained a world-wide reputation. But with many of them God was not well pleased; for they were overthrown in the wilderness (1 Corinthians 10:5); and others were overthrown elsewhere on account of their impiety. Many of them, however, like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, persevered to the end in well doing; and so after they had patiently endured the toils and sufferings of this life, they obtained the promise of the heavenly rest. See note on Hebrews 6:15.

Hebrews 11:39 ---received not the promise:—They received many promises. Abraham, for instance, received the promise of a son by Sarah; the Twelve Tribes received the promise of the earthly inheritance; and Gideon, Barak, Samson, David, and Daniel, received many other promises during their earthly pilgrimage. But none of them lived to see the fulfillment of “the promise” relating to the personal com­ing and reign of the Messiah.

Hebrews 11:40 ---God having provided some better thing for us,—The “bet­ter thing” here spoken of is evidently the new and better covenant which was established on new and better promises, including all the superior blessings and privileges of the Gospel dispensation. This, the patriarchs saw afar off; for “Abraham,” says Christ, “re­joiced to see my day; and he saw it, and was glad” (John 8:56). But none of them saw it, as we now see it, and as the Hebrews in the time of Paul saw it; for “I tell you,” says Christ, addressing his disciples, “that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.” (Luke 10:24.) The Gospel economy could not be fully inaugurated until after the incarnation, death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and coronation of the Lord Jesus; and hence it was seen by the an­cients, but “as through a glass darkly.” For says Paul, quoting from the “evangelical Isaiah,” “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” But he adds, “God hath revealed them to us by his Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, yea the deep things of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:9-10.) And hence even the least in the kingdom of heaven is said to be greater than John the Baptist, in this respect, that he now lives in the actual enjoy­ment of what John and the ancients perceived only by faith. (Matthew 11:11.) “For the Spirit was not yet given, because that Jesus was not yet glorified” (John 7:39)). Nor did even the Apostles yet understand that Jesus must suffer, and rise from the dead, in order that by the grace of God he might become unto us “wisdom, and justification, and sanctification, and redemption.” See Matthew 16:21-22; Luke 18:33-34; John 20:9.

Hebrews 11:40 ---That they without us should not be made perfect.—Without us in what respect? And perfect in what respect? These queries have been answered very differently by the commentators. It is alleged (1) that the Apostle refers here to the final consummation, when the spirits of all the saints, Patriarchal, Jewish and Chris­tian, will, in their glorified bodies, enter together upon the full frui­tion of the eternal inheritance (Macknight, Moll). But against this interpretation it may be urged (a) that it does not well har­monize with the context. The object of the Apostle is manifestly to excite and arouse his Hebrew brethren to the exercise of more patience and greater diligence in their Christian course, by remind­ing them that their privileges and opportunities were greatly supe­rior to those of the ancients. Nay more, the perfection of the an­cients depended essentially on those very blessings which the He­brew Christians were then enjoying through the incarnation, sacri­fice, atonement and mediation of the Lord Jesus. It is therefore difficult to see what bearing an appeal to the final consummation could have on the Apostle’s argument, (b) It seems to be incon­sistent with what is said in 12:23. Here, it is plainly taught that the spirits of all those faithful ones, who, like Abraham, had perse­vered in well-doing to the end of life, were even then perfect when Paul wrote this epistle. (2) Many able expositors maintain that previous to the death of Christ, the spirits of these ancient worthies were still in a state of condemnation, under the dominion of Death: and that their being made perfect consisted in their being delivered at that time by Christ himself from the power of Death, and so admitted to a participation of the joys, honors, and privi­leges of the heavenly Jerusalem. “Not without us,” says Riger, “could they be made perfect; and with us, they have already been perfected. Christ went to them to open for them the gates of Death’s kingdom, and thence to lead them forth with himself. And now henceforth, the souls of all who die in Christ go at once to him, and enter Heaven, there to await re-union with the body at his second coming.” Such is also the view of Ebrard, Delitzsch, Alford, and many others. Alford says, “The result with regard to them is, that their spirits, from the time when Christ descended into Hades and ascended up into Heaven, enjoy heavenly blessed­ness, and are waiting with all who have followed their glorified High Priest within the vail, for the resurrection of their bodies, the regeneration, the renovation of all things.”

That no sinner was ever made perfect without the blood of Christ, is of course admitted. See notes on 9: 15. But that “the spirits of the ancient saints were all shut up in the kingdom of Death, until after the resurrection of Christ,” is a hypothesis which but illy accords with many passages of Scripture. Everywhere, the Bible represents Abraham and his spiritual seed as being “justi­fied by faith”; which implies of course that they were henceforth treated by God as just and righteous persons. And in Romans 3:25-26, we are told that God in the fullness of time, set forth Jesus Christ as a propitiatory sacrifice for a demonstration of his justice in passing by the sins of these faithful ones, and treating them as if they had never sinned. And accordingly we read in 6: 15, that after Abraham had patiently endured the toils and afflictions of his weary pilgrimage, “he obtained the promise.” For even while here he was constantly looking forward to the heavenly city (verses 10-16). That the happiness of these faithful ones may have been increased by the work of Christ and the full develop­ments of the Gospel is, I think, quite probable. (Revelation 5:8-10.) But if Elijah and Enoch were taken directly to the heavenly coun­try (2 Kings 2:1 2 Kings 2:11), it seems most likely, that all the saints of the Patriarchal and Jewish ages, were also, immediately after death, transported to Heaven, or at least to a place of high spiritual enjoyment. The Popish notion that Christ, after his death, went down into Hades to convert anyone, is a mere figment of the imag­ination. When Dives died, he went to his own place, and so also did Lazarus. And in his parable concerning them, Christ teaches very plainly that any subsequent change in their allotment is mor­ally impossible. (Luke 16:19-31.) “If the tree fall toward the south or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be.” (Ecdes. 11: 3.) The fact is, that when Christ died, his spirit went, not into Hades, but into Paradise (Luke 23:43); and Paradise, as Paul tells us, is identical with the third Heaven (2 Corinthians 12:1-4). Christ does not say as in our Common Version, “Thou wilt not leave my soul in Hell [Hades], but, Thou wilt not leave my soul to Hades (eis hadeu); that is, thou wilt not abandon my soul to Hades.” Compare Matthew 16:18; Revelation 20:14, etc.

The hypothesis of Ebrard, Delitzsch, and Alford, in regard to the intermediate state of the Old Testament saints, is therefore not correct. And even if it were, it could have no place in the solution of the question which we have under consideration. For it is manifestly of the relative privileges of the present state, and not of those of the intermediate or future state, that our author speaks. The ancients while here knew but little, and enjoyed but little of the economy of God’s grace. They depended for salvation on what we now see and understand. But nevertheless they persevered in well-doing even to the end. And hence it is but reasonable that we should be at least equally faithful, under like trials and afflic­tions ; seeing that we are now in possession of that “better thing,” to which they had all to look forward for salvation. The phrase “without us” may therefore be taken as equivalent to without the religion which through Christ we now actually enjoy. For Christ himself is the essential bond of union which binds together the saints of all ages. Those that are united to him are also united to one another. And as the ancients were not, and could not, be perfected without the cleansing efficacy of his blood, it may be truthfully said, that they were not perfected “without us” and the “better thing” which we by the grace of God now actually enjoy.

REFLECTIONS

From this section, we may learn, with many other valuable les¬sons, the following:

1. We see in the first place the great value and importance of faith. This is shown (1) by the unusual amount of space which our author devotes to the discussion of the subject; and (2) by the great influence which faith has on the lives and fortunes of those who possess it. Reaching, as it does, far beyond the narrow limits of time and sense, it enables the soul to appropriate to itself, in a good degree, the riches, honors, glories, and blessings of the in¬visible world; and so qualifies it for the great trials, achievements, and conflicts of life. It makes a man feel confident that God is with him and for him; and that nothing can therefore successfully resist or oppose him, in his works of faith and service of love. He knows that so long as he remains faithful all things must work together for his good. And hence it is that the men of faith have always been the greatest of moral heroes. We search in vain, among the world’s most renowned heroes, for such men as Abraham, Moses, David, Daniel, Paul, and other kindred spirits, “who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, and turned to flight the armies of the aliens.’’

“Though dead they speak in reason’s ear,

And in example live:

Their faith, and hope, and mighty deeds,

Still fresh instruction give."

2. We learn also from this very instructive and encouraging section what is the nature of faith, and also on what it rests as its only true and proper foundation. Where there is no revelation from God, there can be no faith. Without this, there may be en¬thusiasm and fanaticism, but no faith; for faith always rests ul¬timately on the word of God, and on nothing else. (Romans 10:17.) The evidence, too, must be such as to produce conviction in the understanding that such and such is the will of God; and that he has thus and so commanded or promised. This is manifest from all the examples that are given in this section. But more than this is manifest. It is equally clear from these same examples, that the faith which is here commended is not a mere conviction of the understanding. It begins with the understanding of course; but it does not stop with it. Through the intellect, it pervades also the heart; and through the heart, it moves and influences the will; and through the will, it controls the life of its possessor, bringing the whole man under subjection to the will of God. The true believer may, like Saul of Tarsus, have to inquire of the Lord what he would have him do; but having obtained an answer from God, he deems this sufficient. He no longer con¬fers with flesh and blood; but like Abel, he brings and offers as a sacrifice just what God has himself prescribed; like Noah, he builds such an ark as God has directed for the salvation of himself and his house; like Abraham, he offers if necessary his own son, or even his own life, in obedience to God’s will; and like Moses, he makes all things according to the pattern that was showed to him in the mount. Faith then is a living, active, all-pervading, and fruit-bearing principal, which, by uniting us to God through Christ, makes us partakers of the di¬vine nature, and enables us to “escape the corruption that is in the world through lust.” It is the appetite of the soul which brings us to the bread and water of life; and so enables us to eat and drink and live forever.

3. It seems evident from the examples and illustrations given in this chapter, as well as from many other parts of the Holy Bible, that the faith of many of the ancients was quite equal to that of the more highly favored moderns. In point of knowl¬edge, we have as a matter of course greatly the advantage of both the Jews and Patriarchs. Christ has come: and by his resurrection, he has brought life and immortality to light. The mystery of redemption is now so fully revealed to us in the Gospel, that even the least in the kingdom of heaven knows more of the economy of God’s grace through Christ, than did even Abraham or John the Baptist. (Matthew 11:11.) But it is very evident that we cannot boast so much of the superiority of our faith. In this respect, those of the ancients who had a revelation from God, will compare favorably with the most enlightened Christians of the nineteenth century. We look in vain among the living for brighter and more illus¬trious examples of faith than those of Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Elijah, Jeremiah, Daniel, and even the Mac- cabaean heroes; many of whom suffered even unto death rather than violate what many would now regard as one of the very least of God’s commandments.

Why is this ? Without attempting to give an exhaustive reply to this question, which would carry us far beyond the proper scope of these reflections, we may I think safely conclude that it is owing largely to the influence of human traditions on the one hand, and of human philosophy on the other. By the former many have been led to trust more in the Man of sin than in the Lord of life and glory; and by the latter, many others have been induced to lean entirely too much on their own understanding, and so to walk by sight rather than by faith. This strange proclivity of human na¬ture is as old as the fall of man. It was first manifested in the eat¬ing of the forbidden fruit. When the woman saw, or thought she saw, “that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat; and gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat.” (Genesis 3:6.)

This one melancholy illustration of the unspeakable folly of neglecting the plain teachings of God’s word, and relying on anything else as the guide of life, we might reasonably hope would suffice as an example of warning and admonition to all subsequent generations. But not so. Soon after this, we see manifested in Cain the same rationalistic spirit which, through hs mother Eve, ‘‘brought death into our world and all our woe.” He too thought he saw something better and more becoming than the sacrifice which God himself had prescribed and appointed. And instead of bringing a bleeding lamb as an offering to God, he brings no doubt a very handsome present of the fruits of the ground; ridiculing perhaps at the same time what he evidently regarded as a weakness on the part of his brother, who it seems was simple enough not to lean on his own understanding, but to bring just such an offering as God himself had commanded. So too the faith of Noah was no doubt a subject of ridicule among the proud, self-righteous, self-reliant, would-be philosophers of his day: while, at the same time, many of the more ignorant and superstitious would rely with more confidence on the silly tales of false priests and false prophets than on the inspired oracles of the living God. And just so it has ever been, in some measure, in all ages and in all nations.

Tradition and philosophy have both served to undermine the authority of God’s word, and so to weaken the faith of myriads. During ‘‘the dark ages,” tradition had the ascendency. The Man of sin then sat in the temple of God, and issued his de¬crees to superstitious thousands who received them as the oracles of Jehovah. But with the reformation of the sixteenth century, the spirit of Rationalism again revived. And it gives us pleasure to know and confess that it has done much to free the human soul from the bondage and tyranny of the many forms of superstition which were then prevalent; for all of which we of course feel devoutly thankful.

But the trouble is, that Rationalism, as well as Tradition, has transcended all the bounds of decency and propriety. Like the Man of sin, it claims for itself all the honors and preroga¬tives of the Deity. In its unbounded pride and arrogance, it deals with the inspired oracles of God, just as it deals with the absurd delusions and dogmas of the Mother of harlots. It is true, for instance, that the Bible says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” But what of that? Since Rationalism has discovered that “nothing can be made out of nothing,” it must go! The word of God must be made to harmonize with the oracles of this new Divinity. And so it is, that the Bible is now divested of much of its power and authority in the popular consciousness: and its miracles are treated by many as the mere myths of ancient fable.

It is evident therefore that the great want of the present age, is a return to the simple faith and practice of father Abraham and the primitive Christians. Let Traditions and Rationalism be each con¬fined to its own proper sphere, and let men everywhere bow to the authority of God’s inspired word, and very soon the Church will appear without a spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing. (Ephesians 5:27.)

Commentary on Hebrews 11:39-40 by Donald E. Boatman

Hebrews 11:39 --these all having had witness borne to them through their faith received not the promise

If these had the light of grace and were faithful, how much more should we be. We have the full sunlight of God’s grace upon us. If a spark led them to seek the promise, the full light should enable us to attain.

Hebrews 11:39 --the promise

What is it? There is in the future a promise to be fulfilled, in the future to us and to the ancient saints.

The better thing, Heb. 10:40, Cf. Hebrews 9:15, the atonement.

The ancients died without obtaining either.

a. We may experience both.

b. This may express the idea that they are not yet in possession of the inheritance promised them.

c. Then all saints, whether before or after the coming of Christ, will at the same time come into the inheritance.

Hebrews 11:40 --God, having provided some better thing concerning us

This must refer to the atonement through Christ, Newell expresses it as “our heavenly calling.”

Hebrews 11:40 --that apart from us

What God has planned for all mankind, He will do for all mankind at the same time. When it is done, whatever it is, I have faith that it will be done right.

Hebrews 11:40 --they should not be made perfect.

This is done through Christ. Hebrews 12:23 : “We are come to the spirits of just men made perfect.”

a. This perfecting looks forward to that salvation consummated at the coming of Christ. Hebrews 9:28 : “To them that wait for Him unto salvation.”

b. It includes the redemption of the body. Romans 13:11.

Newell: Enoch has already been made perfect. Hebrews 12:23 refers to him: “Ye are come unto the spirits of just men made perfect.” Spirits are made perfect, but bodies are not. Someday, however, we will have a glorious new body. 1 Corinthians 15.

Study Questions

2405. What is the significance of Hebrews 11:39?

2406. What witness was borne?

2407. What promise is referred to?

2408. Can we infer by these verses that they have not yet gained eternal life—that they are still in the tombs?

2409. What “better thing” is referred to in Hebrews 11:40?

2410. Is God going to bless all, the faithful of the past, and us at the same time?

2411. What is meant by perfect? Cf. Hebrews 12:23.

2412. Was Enoch made perfect. Will we be coming to him and others?

2413. What form will we have when we are perfected? Cf. 1 Corinthians 15.