Thirteen or More Things I Learned About Faith

     Today my daily reading passage included the eleventh chapter of Hebrews commonly referred to as “the faith chapter.”  Rather than read it as a familiar chapter, I decided to look at each example of faith and see what it might teach me in the process of evaluating my faith journey.  In this article, I will pose some of the same questions of you that I asked myself.  If God found men and women, worthy of their eternal reward, and commended them for their faith, what might I learn from reviewing each of their stories?  If their faith journey is any indication of the kind of faith that we are to possess, how would our faith measure up?

1.     In verse 3, we recognize the significance of believing in the creation story, that by God’s Word, He created the visible out of invisible things.  Do we need more evidence that God created the world in this way?  Can we take God at His Word?   

2.     In verse 4, we see that Abel’s offering was acceptable to God and earned him the classification of righteous; whereas, Cain’s offering was not acceptable.  In seeking to understand what makes an ‘acceptable’ offering, we may question whether the offering was the wrong type, an inferior quality, or a reduced quantity.  However, when we recognize that God offered Cain some feedback in Genesis 4:7, one may recognize it as a heart issue.  “If you do well, will you not be accepted?  And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door.  Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.”  God was offering Cain a do-over, but we can see that he chose rebellion instead of changing his attitude.  I have very little doubt that Cain knew before God concurred, that he had not given God his best.  When do we not give God our best?  Are we willing to listen to correction?

3.     In verses 5 and 6, we learn that Enoch found favor with God.  Enoch, mentioned in five passages in Scriptures (Genesis 5:18-24, 1 Chronicle 1:3, Luke 3:37, Jude 1-14-15.  The most significant attribute appears to be that he walked with God.  He is in the direct lineage of Jesus, and he fathered Methuselah, which is Noah’s grandfather.  Only two men in all of Scripture are without a death certificate, Enoch and Elijah.  The account of Enoch in the book of Hebrews provides the greatest insight on what it means to ‘walk with God.’  It says, “whoever would draw near to God must believe He exists, and God rewards those who seek Him.” We may ask ourselves, (a) What does it mean to draw near to God?  (b) How do I, or how often do I  pursue Him?  Adequate should never describe our pursuit of God.  How might I improve on the ways I seek God?  Is God the main thing or something, among other things?  Enoch had a long track record with God, 365 years!

4.     In verse 7, we see the account of Noah’s response to God.  It says that Noah responded ‘reverently’ to God.  Reverent means ‘feeling or showing deep and solemn respect.’  As I look at the work I do, how purposeful am I to approach that work with the same attitude as Noah?  Do I follow instructions?  How willing am I to build what God has commanded, regardless of how ridiculous that may appear to others?  Am I prepared to be mocked for Christ’s sake?

5.     In verses 8 through 10, Abraham’s faith was exhibited by going where God called him to go.  Abraham didn’t ask a lot of questions but proceeded with great unknowns.  He trusted that God would fulfill His promise.  Just like Abraham, Scriptures reveal that we too are aliens in our land and that we should be looking forward to a city with foundations built by God.  Abraham kept his eye on the coming kingdom, and it motivated his obedience, not his day-to-day circumstances.  We are not living in the land of promise.  When we focus too greatly on fixing this, how can we attest to keeping our eyes set on God’s kingdom?  Our calling is not to create a better place to live now, but to proclaim God’s kingdom, the perfect place He is preparing.  If we focus on the wrong thing, we miss our mission.

6.     Sarah’s account of faith must have taken her outside of her comfort zone, as did Noah’s and Abraham’s.  Who among us would be willing to have a baby in our mid-eighties?  Sarah needed to relinquish the idea that she had rights to her body to become the woman God intended her to be, the mother of all nations.  In the twenty-first century, how many women do we know willing to give up the rights to what happens inside her body, whether it is having a baby or facing an illness?  Are we willing to comply with whatever God chooses, as Jesus did?  The apostle Paul shares with the church in Corinth, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?  You are not your own, for you were bought with a price.  So, glorify God in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).  Sarah gloried God with her body; how might I worship God with the temple He has given me?

7.     In verses 13 through 16, the author concludes that Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and Sarah all acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.  Each indicated that they desired a better country.  Are we putting too much emphasis on making our nation the epitome of our desires?  Or, are we looking for the homeland that God has promised?   This world is perishable; God’s kingdom is without end.  Dissatisfaction with a fallen world is part of our yearning for the perfect world God intended.  I ask myself, where is my allegiance (loyalty, commitment, fidelity, obedience, homage, devotion, or bond)?  Is it here?  Should it be?

8.     In verses 17 through 19, we see the second testimony of Abraham’s faith when asked to offered his son Isaac at God’s request.  If I were to personalize this act of faith, what would be my Isaac?  What do I love so much that it would seem impossible to give it away at God’s request?  We can only imagine the love Abraham had for his son, Isaac had to represent most of Abraham’s hopes, dreams, and devotion as our own families do.  How many of us would have had the tremendous patience required of him?  Maybe our Isaac is something we’ve been waiting for and not yet acquired, a goal we’ve poured ourselves into night and day.  What might I be inclined to hold back from God?  God didn’t ultimately require Abraham to give up his son but tested him to see if he was willing. 

9.     In the following verses, we see the list of patriarchs that follow Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  If Abraham had not possessed visible faith, might it have been difficult for Isaac or Jacob to recognize the significance of their devotion to God?  Jacob actually left home before discovering God, yet we can see that Jacob’s faith had a significant influence on Joseph’s life.  Amid tremendous hardship, Joseph remained faithful.  Will the next generation benefit from seeing our expression of faith?  How much visibility do we give to our faith journey?

10.  In verse 22, we notice that Joseph made a special request at the end of his life, which connected ‘his bones’ to the land that God had promised.  This request tied Joseph to Moses, who fulfilled the oath made by Joseph’s brothers.  Joseph requested that his bones not remain in Egypt but moved to the Promised Land (Genesis 50:24-26).  Moses transported Joseph's bones when they left Egypt (Exodus 13:15).  Both men exhibited faith in God’s promise for his children.  The patriarchs knew that death did not mark the end.  On Ligonier.com, it says, “The patriarchs are an excellent example of preserving faith for us because they not only lived their lives in faith, they also died in faith.”  On the En-Gedi Resource Center, an article called “The Bones of Joseph” reveals, “When God did come to rescue Israel, and they took even Joseph's bones, it showed that not one person who waited faithfully on the LORD was left behind.”  How can we apply the faith of Joseph, not wishing to be left behind when Jesus returns?

11.  Although verse 23 appears to point to Moses, it actually represents the faith response of his parents, who hid him for three months.  Scriptures reveal that ‘they were not afraid of the king’s edict.’  Moses’ parents were pro-lifers!  This passage shows that when we place our hope in God, nothing is impossible.  What spiritual lessons would have revealed this truth to them?  They may have relied on the account we see in Genesis 18:4, which says, “Is anything too hard for the LORD?  At the appointed time, I will return to you about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son” (the story of Isaac).  Or possibly they would have known the story of Job, “I know that you can do all things and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted” (the account of Job’s conversation with God) found in Job 42:2.  What Scriptural accounts do you rely on that indicate that nothing is impossible with God?  Matthew 19:6? Philippians 4:13? Ephesians 3:2? Or Mark 9:23?  These are just a few verses to build our confidence and build our faith.  What promise of God are you struggling to believe right now?

12.  When Moses was grown, several verses reveal his faith (see v. 24-28).   Moses faith required several steps:  (1) refusing to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, (2) choosing to be mistreated with the people of God, (3) considering God’s offer to be superior to what the world offered, (4) leaving home, and (5) keeping God’s appointments.  Moses faith exhibited (1) the importance of holding on to our true identity, (2) recognizing that suffering is part of our journey, (3) knowing that our treasure lies elsewhere, (4) leaving behind what is comfortable and familiar, and (5) being obedient to the things God asks of us.

13.  In verses 29 – 31, we see faith as an expression within circumstances.  The people of Israel trusted God for safety and protection that was offered to them alone in crossing the Red Sea (v. 29).  Circling the town of Jericho made no sense. Still, in trusting God and following His commands, the walls of Jericho tumbled down (v.30), and Rahab’s act of kindness toward the spies would have been viewed as an act of treason (v.31) brought a permanent account in Scriptures of her defining actions.  None of these actions would have made sense to the people of God, yet they trusted and were protected, obeyed and were victorious, and acted, and were spared.  In our response of faith, I ask three questions: (a) In what areas am I being asked to trust God (b) to obey God, or (c) act in a way that is contrary to my normal response?  Will the examples I find in Scripture allow me to understand that although not of my logic, do I recognize that God is working all things out for good?

     The faith chapter does not conclude with Rahab’s example, but all illustrations help me to understand that each man or woman of faith did not rely on their understanding.  Each person was responsible for the way they decided to respond.  How interesting it was to see the conclusion of this amazing chapter.  Not one of these amazing participants of faith experienced the fulfillment of God’s promises during their lifetime because it was dependent on us receiving something better.  In Hebrews 11:39-40, we read, “And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.”  If you were to paraphrase those last two verses, how would you see your inclusion in their reward?  These men and women of faith should be our role models.  From their examples, what does faith now require of you?