Hebrews 11 & 12; Heroes of Faith?

I have had the pleasure of reading through Hebrews chapters 11 and 12 again these past few days with fresh eyes. I love it when scripture takes on fresh meaning!

Hebrews chapter 11, as most of us will know, is the hall of fame of faith.  The writer begins by telling us what faith is – “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (Verse 1) He tells us that the people of old were commended (worthy of confidence or notice) by their faith. He tells us that by faith we believe all things were created by God. He then lists a number of saints by name and tells of the things they did by faith:

1.  Able offered God a more acceptable sacrifice
2. Enoch was taken up without dying
3. Noah built the ark
4. Abraham left his home and went to a place he did not know
5. Sarah conceived a child
6. Abraham offered up Isaac
7. Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau
8. Jacob blessed the sons of Joseph
9. Moses’ parents defied pharaoh by keeping their son from death
10. Moses refused to live as one of Pharaoh’s house
11. Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt
12. The Israelites passed through the Red Sea while the Egyptians were drowned
13. Joshua and the Israelites brought down the walls of Jericho
14. Rahab did not perish with the people of Jericho because she welcomed the Israelite spies

That’s a pretty handy early history of Israel that shows how individuals were involved in bringing about the plan of God. In the past, I always read this passage more as a list of heroes who had exercised great faith and accomplished great things. My problem was that I had weak faith compared to them. But this time through, my mind went back to the definition of faith that we find often in the New Testament – a belief in the promise of God that is birthed in us when we hear the promise of God. (Romans 10:14)

When we look at it that way two things happen. First, we stop idolizing the characters as heroes because they were just common people to whom God had presented a promise, and that promise created faith within them. They were no more able to muster up faith than we are. Their faith had the same source as ours – simply trusting the spoken word of God. Second, we see clearly that God brings about His will in this world through the faith which he gives. We can clearly trace the hand of God in the history of Israel, but here the writer takes us in close to see how God’s gift of faith to certain individuals was instrumental in directing the course of that history. They all failed in many ways, and yet because they trusted the promise which had been given they were able to accomplish much for God.

The writer then lists many others by name, and still other nameless ones who won incredible victories and endured unimaginable torture by faith. And he wraps it all up by saying that all of these were commended by God simply because they heard the promise in such a way that it created faith in their lives. Despite the fact that they lived according to the promise they were given, they never received what was promised. But they did receive the Word. The Word which was to become flesh, as John 1 explains.

Just about the time I thought I was interpreting all of this a little too loosely, I turned to chapter 12, and the interpretation was confirmed:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2 ESV)

The Word which became flesh, Jesus Christ, is both the founder (the originator) and the perfecter of our faith. In other words, faith doesn't begin and end with us. Faith comes by hearing the word about Christ. When we hear the promise, it creates the very same faith in us that it did in Able, Abraham, Moses, etc. Only better, because now the promise is perfected. The Logos has become flesh and fulfilled the promise, and we, by the faith of the promise, have Him. 

One last thing; when we read the history of Israel it is easy to see God’s hand moving – as it is always easy to see as we look back. But we forget that Abraham had no idea where he was going or what he was getting into when he left home for the Promised Land; Noah had never seen a raindrop when he built the ark, Jacob had no idea that he was blessing Jacob instead of Esau. These people did not plan out the course of history, but simply lived according to the promise they had been given as well as they could. They failed often, protested that they were ill-suited, and were given to sin the same as we are. But by faith – belief in the promise which the promise itself brought about – they were used to alter the course of history. That is something for us to consider as we seek to live lives which are pleasing to God. God doesn’t commend people for the things they have done or will do, but for their acceptance of His promise. That is the gospel truth.

God Bless