THE EXCELLENCY OF FAITH (Hebrews 11:1-3) Ere we take up the contents of the 11th chapter let us briefly review the sound already covered. Chapter s 1 and 2 are more or less introductory in their character. In them the wondrous person of the God-man Mediator is presented to our view, as superior to... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FAITH OF ABEL (Hebrews 11:4) The 11th chapter of Hebrews has three divisions. The first, which comprises verses 1 Timothy 3, is introductory, setting forth the excellency of faith. The second, which is covered by verses 4 to 7, outlines the life of faith. The third, which begins at verse 8 and... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FAITH OF ENOCH (Hebrews 11:5, Hebrews 11:6) The apostle makes it his principal design in this chapter to convince the Hebrews of the nature, importance and efficacy of saving faith. In the execution of his design, he first described the essential actings of faith (verse 1), and then in all that... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FAITH OF NOAH (Hebrews 11:6, Hebrews 11:7) The verses which are now to engage our attention are by no means free of difficulty, especially unto those who have sat under a ministry which has failed to preserve the balance between Divine grace and Divine righteousness. Where the free favor of God... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CALL OF ABRAHAM (Hebrews 11:8) "The scope of the apostle in this chapter is to prove that the doctrine of faith is an ancient doctrine and that faith hath been always exercised about things not seen, not liable to the judgment of sense and reason. He had proved both points by instances of the f... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LIFE OF ABRAHAM (Hebrews 11:9, Hebrews 11:10) In the preceding article we considered the appearing of the Lord unto idolatrous Abraham in Chaldea, the call which he then received to make a complete break from his old life, and to go forward in faith in complete subjection to the revealed will o... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FAITH OF SARAH (Hebrews 11:11, Hebrews 11:12) In the verses which are now to be before us the apostle calls attention to the marvelous power of a God-given faith to exercise itself in the presence of most discouraging circumstances, persevere in the face of the most formidable obstacles, and tr... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PERSEVERANCE OF FAITH (Hebrews 11:13, Hebrews 11:14) Having described some of the eminent acts of faith put forth by the earliest members of God’s family, the apostle now pauses to insert a general commendation of the faith of those he had already named, and (as is dear from verses 39, 40) of o... [ Continue Reading ]
THE REWARD OF FAITH (Hebrews 11:15, Hebrews 11:16) Once more we would remind ourselves of the particular circumstances those saints were in to whom our Epistle was first addressed. Only as we do so are we in the best position to discern the meaning of its contents, and best fitted to make a right a... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FAITH OF ABRAHAM (Hebrews 11:17-19) This chapter is the chronology of faith, or a record of some of the outstanding acts which that grace has produced in all ages. The apostle having mentioned the works wrought by the faith of those who lived before the Flood (verses 4-7), and having spoken of... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FAITH OF ISAAC (Hebrews 11:20) Though Isaac lived the longest of the four great patriarchs, yet less is recorded about him than any of the others: some twelve Chapter s are devoted to the biography of Abraham, and a similar number each to Jacob and Joseph, but excepting for one or two brief me... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FAITH OF JACOB (Hebrews 11:21) It has been well said that "Though the grace of faith is of universal use throughout our whole lives, yet it is especially so when we come to die. Faith has its great work to do at the last, to help believers to finish well, to die to the Lord, so as to honor Him... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FAITH OF JOSEPH (Hebrews 11:22) At the early age of seventeen Joseph was carded away into a foreign country, into a heathen land. There he remained for many years surrounded by idolaters, and during all that time he, probably, never came into contact with a single child of God. Moreover, in tho... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FAITH OF MOSES’ PARENTS (Hebrews 11:23) "By faith Moses when he was born, was hid three months of his parents." A considerable length of time elapsed between what is recorded in the preceding verse and what is here before us. That interval is bridged by what is found in Exodus 1. There we see a... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FAITH OF MOSES (Hebrews 11:24-25) "The apostle, as we showed before, takes his instances from the three states of the church under the O.T. The first was that which was constituted in the giving of the first promise, continuing to the call of Abraham. Herein his first instance is that of Abel,... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FAITH OF MOSES (Hebrews 11:25-26) "The person here instanced as one that lived by faith, is Moses. And an eminent instance it is to his purpose, especially in his dealings with the Hebrews, and that on sundry accounts. 1. Of his person. None was ever in the old world more signalized by Providen... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FAITH OF MOSES (Hebrews 11:26-27) In our last two articles (upon 11:24-26) we had before us the striking example of the power of faith to rise above the honors, riches, and pleasures of the world; now we are to behold it triumphing over its terrors. Faith not only elevates the heart above the d... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FAITH OF MOSES (Hebrews 11:28) There is more about Moses than any other individual in this 11th chapter of Hebrews. No less than five definite actings of his faith are there recorded. The reason for this is not far to seek. He was the law-giver, and the boast of the Jews of Christ’s day was, "W... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FAITH OF ISRAEL (Hebrews 11:29) The apostle’s object in this 11th chapter of Hebrews is to show the power of real faith in God to produce supernatural acts, to overcome difficulties which are insuperable to mere nature, and to endure trials which are too much for flesh blood to bear up under.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FAITH OF ISRAEL (Hebrews 11:30) In the preceding verse we had the faith of the believing remnant of Israel under the command and example of Moses, in our present text we have an exhibition and triumph of their faith under the leadership of Joshua. There we beheld what faith accomplished under t... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FAITH OF RAHAB (Hebrews 11:31) The inestimable value of spiritual faith is strikingly demonstrated in the case we are about to consider. The apostle had cited the faith of such illustrious characters as Enoch and Noah, Abraham and Moses; he had mentioned that of a believing company as they had... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FAITH OF THE JUDGES (Hebrews 11:32) In some respects the verse we have now arrived at is the most difficult one in our chapter. It commences the last division of the same. Therein the apostle changes his method of treatment, and instead of particularizing individual examples of faith, he groups... [ Continue Reading ]
THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF FAITH (Hebrews 11:33, Hebrews 11:34) True faith performs a prominent part in all experimental godliness. Where there is a total absence of the grace of faith, a man is without God and without hope in this world; but where that spiritual principle exists, if only in the very smal... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PINNACLE OF FAITH (Hebrews 11:35, Hebrews 11:36) In His lengthy but most blessed description of the Life of Faith the Spirit of God has, in Hebrews 11, passed from one phase of it to another, exhibiting to our view its many-sidedness. But there was one other aspect thereof which required to be... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PINNACLE OF FAITH (Hebrews 11:37, Hebrews 11:38) There has been no greater instance of the degeneracy of human nature and its likeness to the Devil than in the fearful fact that so many who have occupied prominent positions—magistrates, ecclesiastical dignitaries, kings and emperors—were not co... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FAMILY OF FAITH (Hebrews 11:39, Hebrews 11:40) "And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect" "Having obtained a good report through faith." Because of their t... [ Continue Reading ]