God promised Abraham and his seed the land of Canaan for an everlasting possession.v.8Hebrews 11:8XWaiting for response This seed is Christ Galatians 3:16Galatians 3:16XWaiting for response and through him a great multitude of saints would be developed.v.12Hebrews 11:12XWaiting for response Abraham believed God and was content to remain a stranger and pilgrim in that same land of promise,v.13Hebrews 11:13XWaiting for response as was Sarah his wife v.11Hebrews 11:11XWaiting for response and Isaac and Jacob, his son and grandson.v.9Hebrews 11:9XWaiting for response All the disciples of Christ are counted as Abraham’s seed and heirs of God’s promise, and all true disciples therefore “declare plainly that they seek a country”.v.14Hebrews 11:14XWaiting for response The word “country” in the original Greek is “patris” meaning “fatherland”, and Abraham left his natural father’s land to inherit his heavenly Father’s land. He sought a better country, a heavenly country, and God says he is not ashamed to be called the God of all those who believe his promise and look forward with Abraham to inheriting the Holy Land.v.16Hebrews 11:16XWaiting for response
Abraham’s faith was greatly tested by God telling him to sacrifice his son Isaac. This was not because God desired human sacrifice but because he had declared that the promised seed would come through Isaac. Abraham knew therefore that Isaac had to live and have a son, and he also knew that if Isaac died at that time God would raise him from the dead. Therefore, because he believed the LORD, he obeyed, “accounting that God was able to raise Isaac up, even from the dead; from whence also Abraham received him in a figure”.v.19Hebrews 11:19XWaiting for response These events recorded in Genesis 22 prefigure the sacrifice of Christ, as do the lives and experiences of other faithful men cited in this chapter.
The lives of the faithful people cited in this chapter prefigure the sacrifice of Christ. They also are excellent examples for us to follow. Moses gave up the riches and honour of being an Egyptian prince v.24Hebrews 11:24XWaiting for response because he esteemed “the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward”.v.26Hebrews 11:26XWaiting for response We likewise can have “respect unto this reward” and be motivated to devote our lives to the doing of God’s will. Many of these men and women suffered persecution at the hands of wicked men vs.33-38Hebrews 11:33-38XWaiting for response but they remained faithful, not accepting deliverance from torture and death by denying the faith, “that they might obtain a better resurrection” v.35.Hebrews 11:35XWaiting for response All these obtained a good report from God because of their faith and obedience but they died without receiving the promised reward.v.39Hebrews 11:39XWaiting for response This is because all the faithful will be rewarded together when Jesus returns, the dead are raised, and Abraham and Christ inherit the promised land. The giving of the reward was postponed to give those who would live afterwards, including ourselves, the opportunity of believing. God has provided some better thing for us, that the faithful of past ages should not be made perfect without us.v.40Hebrews 11:40XWaiting for response
It is unfortunate that the Greek word for “belief” is translated “faith” because the true meaning of faith can be lost. People often treat faith as if it is credulity, blind belief in things for which there is no evidence, whereas the faith that pleases God is belief of his word for the truth of which there is abundant evidence. “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”.v.1Hebrews 11:1XWaiting for response The scriptures speak of many things which cannot be seen, e.g. God himself, but they also provide plentiful evidence of their existence, and the unseen things which God has promised provide us with a wonderful hope for the future. This chapter cites many examples of men and women who had faith to emphasise that this virtue is vital for “without faith it is impossible to please God: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” v.6.Hebrews 11:6XWaiting for response If we deny God’s existence, reject the reward he offers, or hope for a reward he has not promised we will fail to please him and be rejected.