Men of Great Faith
Now in the eleventh chapter, we see the ministry of the Lord Jesus as our Heavenly High Priest, more effective through faith. Al) that has been said in the earlier chapters become clearer through faith, By faith only we can enjoy all the spiritual blessings. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (v. J}. As human beings we are more interested in the things seen than the unseen, When we receive the life of God, unseen things become more real to us than the seen things. Real faith gives us more and more affection for heavenly things, such as the Word of God, the Kingdom of God and our share in it (Col. 3:2-4). “For by it the elders obtained a good report” (v. 2). By faith great men of God, could live a life that was pleasing to Him, Whatever God showed and declared they believed and obeyed. Our faith also becomes strong when we obey implicitly.
“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” (v. 3). According to God's Word, He created everything out of nothing. Those who do not believe in the Bible have many theories about creation. Some say, it took many years to create all things. But God’s Word says that by one word of the Lord Jesus all things came into being (Ps. 33:6), If we try to understand it by human wisdom or knowledge or science, we will be all the more confused. Those who have not received the life of God believe only in man’s theories. For them unseen things have no value. But we believe what the Bible says, God took the dust of the earth and created man. Also, without sowing or tilling all the vegetation came into existence (Gen. 1:12). Without the sun and the moon, light came into existence by the word of God. As we read in Genesis chapter 1, “He said and it was so.” By faith we understand this and by faith we believe it. Those who do not believe are full of fear and doubt and fail. to understand what God has kept for them. In Heb, 11:4 we see Cain and Abel, both had a desire to bring an offering which would please God. God had shown that someone should die on their behalf. Cain began to argue and thought that God would be more satisfied with the fruits of the earth. But God had never demanded that. Abel believed God and gave what He demanded. By that act of obedience, Abel was declared righteous.
Enoch, mentioned in Heb. 11:5 walked with God (Gen. 5:22,24). It means that whenever God called him cither during the day or the night he was ready to go to Him. He never questioned Him. He pleased God and not himself. By the same faith he was translated. A mother taught her daughter the story of Enoch. Afterwards someone questioned her, “How did Enoch go to heaven?” The child said with simple faith, “Enoch and God were good friends. Everyday they went for a long walk. One day while walking, God said, ‘Enoch, let’s go home’. He said, ‘Yes Lord, I am ready’. So they-both went to heaven.” There are some who question as to how such a thing could happen. Whatever God says in His Word, we must accept with simple faith. Phrases like “God said”, “And God spake”, appear 558 times in the first five books of the Bible and nearly 2000 times in the Old Testament. That proves that each verse in the Bible is God’s Word and not man’s Word. After my conversion, these phrases helped me to believe that the Bible is God’s Word and they gave me a new love for His Word. One day a man came to me with a doubt and asked. me, “Do you believe that from cover to cover the Bible is God’s Word?’ T replied, “Yes.” Again he asked, “Do you believe that Jonah was in the fish’s belly for three days?” I said, “T strongly believe. And if the Bible says that the fish was in Jonah’s belly, I will believe that also. I may not understand many portions of the Bible but I will never doubt it.” God uses small phrases of His Word for salvation of people. By reading the Bible slowly and systematically upon our knees we receive many blessings. As we read we should pray, “Lord, speak to me according to my need.” Then by quiet meditation upon the Word, many hidden mysteries will be revealed to us. Some truths of the Bible are revealed to us in sickness, trials, troubles and loneliness, it is God’s Word and the Holy Spirit is our best teacher.
Many people doubted the record of the flood in the Bible in Noah’s time. But when fossils of sea animals were discovered on many high mountains, they believed that once upon a time these mountains must have been covered with water. When God commanded Noah to build an ark, he immediately believed in the coming judgement and obeyed (Heb. 11:7). He never questioned God. His workers must have mocked him, but he believed God and was made righteous, because of his faith. We too may have to face many mockings for the sake of our faith, but such experiences will only give us stronger faith.
Abraham was a great man in the city of Ur of the Chaldees. When God spoke to him to leave that city, straightway he answered. [Several sentences here are illegible in the source scan due to a printing defect.]
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In the same way, God had kept Sarah barren for a long time. Whatever may happen to us, it is intended to give us a strong faith. Without such a faith, we will never know the greatness of our salvation (Heb. 11:13-16). God uses all such situations, circumstances, afflictions and trials to draw away our eyes from the perishing things and fix them on heavenly and eternal things. The power of resurrection becomes more real to us as we claim it according to our need (Heb. 11:18). God told Abraham to offer his only son on the altar, to give him a strong faith, He did not doubt God. He believed that even though he slew his son, God was able to raise him up. With that faith, he bound his son and raised his knife to slay him, He knew that his wife did not have that much faith. That is why without consulting her, he went to offer his son on the altar (Gen. 22:3). He got up early in the morning, took his servants and an ass and went away. He knew that if he had told her, she would not have allowed him to offer Isaac. She would have said, [several words illegible in the source scan]
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[Several words illegible in the source scan] proved his faithfulness. Thus his faith became strong. Because the ram was caught in the thicket, God was showing him that He was faithfully bound to Him; so, to enjoy our salvation fully, we need a strong and sure faith. [The rest of this page is illegible in the source scan due to a printing defect.]