This is the triumphal arch of faith. Here we find the names of many of the heroes of faith, and a brief record of some of the battles in which they fought and conquered. May you and I possess «like precious faith» at; that of which we have here the story! We cannot enter heaven without it; we cannot fight our way through the world without it.
Hebrews 11:1. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for,
It gets a grip of what it hopes for, and holds it in its hand.
Hebrews 11:1. The evidence of things not seen.
We do see by faith. We see by faith what cannot be seen by our eyes; we grasp by faith what cannot be grasped with our hands. A strange mystery is the simple act of faith.
Hebrews 11:2. For by it the elders obtained a good report.
All the godly of the olden time had a good report of God and of holy men as the result of their faith.
Hebrews 11:3. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
They were not evolved out of something else that existed before; evolution is a rank lie against revelation. The worlds were not made, not one of them was made, out of something pre-existent; but they were framed by the Word of God, and the things which are seen were not made of things which are seen.
Hebrews 11:4. By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain,
He was a better man than Cain, and his offering was a better offering than Cain's was; but at bottom here was the difference between the two brothers, Abel had faith, and Cain had none. It was «by faith» that Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain presented.
Hebrews 11:4. By which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.
What wondrous faith this is! Here is a dead man speaking. Here is a man who is slain by his brother; yet the one who is killed receives the approbation of God.
Hebrews 11:5. By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death;
Faith has conquered death itself, or else avoided it. There is scarcely anything which faith cannot do, for faith ranks itself on the side of the omnipotent God, and becomes all but omnipotent. By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death.
Hebrews 11:5-6. And was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is,
He cannot come to a God who to his own mind is non-existent; he must believe that he is.
Hebrews 11:6. And that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
You must believe that God hears prayer. You must believe that he will punish the guilty, and that he will reward the righteous. Without this sure faith, you cannot come to him.
Hebrews 11:7. By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house;
You see, faith and fear can live in the same heart; and they can work together to build the same ark. Faith and fear are very sweet companions, when the fear is filial fear, a holy dread of disobeying, God. When we are moved with that fear, our faith becomes practical.
Hebrews 11:7-8. By the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith. By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed;
He did not hesitate to leave his family, to leave his property, to leave his country; but he obeyed, «when he was called to go out into a place which be should after receive for an inheritance.»
Hebrews 11:8. And he went out, not knowing whither he went.
Faith puts her hand into God's hand, and follows where he leads, with sweet contentment, knowing that, if she cannot see, God can, and he will not lead us wrong. Do you not remember that hymn that our Brother Chamberlain sings so sweetly?
«So on I go not knowing, I would not if I might;
I'd rather walk in the dark with God, than go alone in the light;
I'd rather walk by faith with him, than go alone by sight.
Where he may lead, I'll follow, My trust in him repose:
And every hour in perfect peace I'll sing, ‘He knows! he knows!'»
Hebrews 11:9-10. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: for he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
There have been many here in this house of prayer who have looked for this city, and they have gone to it. Others of us sit waiting here till our Lord's dear hand shall beckon us, and his voice shall say, «Come up higher.» We are looking for the city. Keep looking, beloved, there is nothing here worth looking for; but look for «a city which hath foundations, whose Builder and Maker is God.»
Hebrews 11:11. Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.
And this holy woman is enrolled among these saintly ones. Her faith was not all it ought to have been; but God saw that it was true faith, and he loved it, and he wrote the record of it.
Hebrews 11:12. Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.
This is true, literally, of Abraham's seed according to the flesh. It is also true in a spiritual sense, for he is «the father of all them that believe», and they are a multitude whom no man can number.
Hebrews 11:13. These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them,
What long arms faith has! The promises are afar off, and yet faith embraces them tonight. Embrace the promises, dear friends, and stretch out your hands by faith to hands that have gone before.
«E'en now by faith we join our hands With those that went before;
And greet the blood-besprinkled bands On the eternal shore.»
Hebrews 11:13. And confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
They not only were strangers and pilgrims, but they confessed it. Confessed faith is requisite. Oh, you who, like Nicodemus, come to Christ by night, be ashamed that you are ashamed, and come out, and boldly confess what you are!
Hebrews 11:14. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
They were strangers and pilgrims here, and they sought a country elsewhere. Every man wants a country; and if we have not one beneath the stars, we seek it somewhere else.
Hebrews 11:15. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.
Ah, but God's people are not mindful of that country from whence they came out! They have opportunity to return; but they have no wish to return. May God's grace always keep any of you from turning back; for it is to turn back unto perdition! Your faces are heavenward today; keep them so. Remember the doom of any that apostatize. It is impossible, «if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance.» «If the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.» Lord, keep thy servants! Hold us up, and we shall be safe.
Hebrews 11:16. But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.
They are not ashamed to be called God's people, and he is not ashamed to be called their God. They are looking for a city, and he has prepared a city for them. Evidently he and they are well agreed. They want a heaven, and he is preparing heaven for them, and preparing them for heaven.
Hebrews 11:17-19. By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son. Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.
This was one of the grandest achievements of faith. It was also a figure or type of God's offering up his well-beloved Son almost on the same spot.
Hebrews 11:20-21. By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff.
The staff which had helped him so often in his early pilgrimage, the staff on which he leaned when he came back from the place of his wrestling, halting on his thigh. He leaned on it as he sat upright on his death-couch, and pronounced the parting blessing. So, you see, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, all lived by faith, and did their works by faith, and distributed blessings to their children by faith. Friend, hast thou this faith, or hast thou not? If thou hast it, thou art blessed among men, blessed among women. If thou hast it not, what hope is there for thee either in this life or in eternity?