Bible Study on Hebrews 11 by the Rev. Dr. Tara W. Bulger
Scripture Lesson: Hebrews 11:1-4, 7, 8, 17-18, 20-23, 32, 39-40
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible.
By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain’s. Through this he received approval as righteous, God himself giving approval to his gifts; he died, but through his faith he still speaks. By faith Noah, warned by God about events as yet unseen, respected the warning and built an ark to save his household; by this he condemned the world and became an heir to the righteousness that is in accordance with faith. By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; and he set out, not knowing where he was going. By faith Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac. He who had received the promises was ready to offer up his only son, of whom he had been told, “It is through Isaac that descendants shall be named for you.” By faith Isaac invoked blessings for the future on Jacob and Esau. By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, “bowing in worship over the top of his staff.” By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave instructions about his burial. By faith Moses was hidden by his parents for three months after his birth, because they saw that the child was beautiful; and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.
And what more should I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets— Yet all these, though they were commended for their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better so that they would not, apart from us, be made perfect.
Bible Study:
There are words we use often but may have a hard time defining. We may know how to use the word in a sentence, and when reading or hearing it, we can discern its meaning, but in defining it, we often find ourselves at a loss for words. Think of the word “cool” as in, “She is so cool!” We know what that means, but the definition of that can be challenging to nail down.
A word that can similarly be difficult for us as followers of Christ is faith. We use the word often, but defining exactly what it means to be a person of faith or to be faithful is often contextual and fluid. Not so for the author of Hebrews. Here, we find a clear definition of faith, but more importantly, we see concrete examples of what faith is. The author of Hebrews is not interested in an extended theological discussion of faith but would rather show examples of precisely what that means to build up the church and its faithfulness.
In the eleventh chapter of Hebrews, faith is defined at the outset as “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (11:1). From this definition, we learn that the role of faith is related to the idea of what is seen and unseen. To be sure, to trust what is seen is one element of faith, but to trust even though things are unseen is more remarkable. The list of the faithful included in chapter 11 is a list of those who trusted what was unseen, and they, in turn, make faith “seen” or visible by the faithful actions they undertake. The author of Hebrews wants the faithful to trust the promises of God in Christ and to make that faith visible in their own faithful actions.
And so the Hall of Fame begins with Abel, who offered a more acceptable sacrifice to God, presumably because of his faith. Noah, who was warned of what was to come and though he could not see it beforehand, believed and carried out his faithful act of building the ark.
Faith looks like Abraham, who set out for Canaan just because God commanded him to. He trusted in what was unseen in Isaac’s sacrifice- a resolution that would mean an Isaac who lived. Faith looks like Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph–all who were faithful without having a visible assurance of all that was told to them. Faith looks like Moses, who would live out God’s commands. Faith looks like Sarah and Rahab and all the great matriarchs of our faith too.
All these are the great forerunners of the faith, and all lived out God’s call upon their lives with little information and little assurance. They were convicted of doing these things by God alone, not by evidence, empirical data, or even reason. They were obedient to God’s will, which is the basis for all acts of faith.
We then read of judges, prophets, and a king whose accomplishments and endurance in suffering were all possible because of their faith. Not only are they faithful, but they are imperfect. Gideon’s doubt, Barack’s diffidence in the face of war, Samson’s weakness in strength, Jephthah’s rashness, and even David’s sin did not preclude them from being faithful.
All of these examples of faith are from people, some more imperfect than others, who trusted in the unseen God and lived out their faith. They are people who did not live to see God’s most significant promise, that of the messiah coming into the world. If those who were before Christ can be faithful, how much more faithful we should be! We know God’s greatest promise realized; we have Christ, the assurance of all we have hoped for. Our faithful actions should always flow from this good news.
I imagine we all could construct our own “Hall of Faith” with the people who have shown us what faithfulness looks like. Maybe a deeply theological definition of faith is still sometimes difficult, but we can name the people who have shown us what faith looks like. For me, it’s my grandfather, Arvil Webster. He was the first person to tell me the gospel and then live it out before my eyes. There are many other names: Marie, Brian, David, Dee Dee, Glenn, and so many more. They all found assurance in things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen; they were all faithful to God in their own ways. I may struggle with naming what faith is, but I can always point to them and their witness. God willing, I hope others can do the same with me.
Questions for reflection
If someone were to ask you what faith means, how would you answer in your own words?
Which of the people listed in this passage resonates the most with you? Do you have a favorite?
Who would you include in your own “Hall of Faith?” Why are they included?