Pastors Jim and Marie Watt
(From: HEBREWS #11 - 11:1-16)
L. 11:1-40 OT EXAMPLES OF ENDURING AND TRIUMPHANT FAITH
1. 11:1-2 A DEFINITION OF FAITH
a. 11:1 Now faith is assurance of thingshoped for, conviction of things unseen.
EStin de PIstis el-pi-zoMEnon [1769]huPOsta-sis [5287], pragMAton Eleg-chos [1650]ou ble-poMEnon [991].
b. 11:2 For in this the elders had witness borne them.
en TAUtegar e-mar-tuREthe-san [3140]hoi presBUte-roi [4245].
2. 11:3-12 FAITH IS BASED ON A LIVING (REma) WORD
a. 11:3 GOD'S WORD BROUGHT THE WORLD INTO BEING
PIstei noOUmen [3529] ka-terTISthai [2675] tous aiOnas [1650 'REma-ti [4487] TheOU,
By faith we understand that the ages have been framed by God's word,
eis to me ek phai-noMEnon [5316] to blePOme-non ge-goNEnai [1096].
so that what is seen has not been made out of thingswhich appear.
b. 11:4 ABEL OBEYED THE WORD OF FAITH IN HIS SACRIFICE
PIstei PLEIo-na [4119] thuSIan [2378] HAbel paRA KaIN proSEneg-ken [4374] to TheO,
By faith Abel offered unto :God a sacrifice superior to Cain's,
di' HES e-mar-tuREthe [3140] EInai DIkai-os [1342],
through which he had witness borne himthat he was righteous,
mar-tuROUNtos ePI tois DOrois [1435] auTOU tou TheOU: kai di' auTES a-po-thaNON [599] Eti laLEI.
:God bearing witness over his :gifts: and through it he being dead yet speaks.
c. 11:5-6 ENOCH'S FAITH MADE HIM WELL-PLEASING TO GOD
PIstei E-NOCH me-teTEthe [3331] tou me iDEIN THAna-ton;
By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death;
kai ouch heuRISke-to [2146], ei' HOti meTEthe-ken [2146] auTON ho TheOS;
and he was not found, because :God translated him;
pro gar tes me-taTHEse-os [3346] me-marTUre-tai [3140] eu-a-re-steKEnai [2100] to TheO:
for he has had witness borne him before the translation that he had been well-pleasing to :God:
choRIS de PIste-os aDUna-ton [102] eu-a-reSTEsai [2100];
6and without faith it is impossible to be well-pleasing;
piSTEUsai gar dei ton pro-serCHOme-non [4334] to TheO HOti EStin,
for who comes to :God must believe that he is,
kai tois ek-zeTOUsin [1567] auTON mis-tha-poDOtes [3405] GIne-tai.
and is rewarder of them that seek after him.
d. 11:7 NOAH ACTED ON GOD'S WORD CONCERNING COMING JUDGMENT
PIstei chre-ma-tisTHEIS [5537] NOe peRI ton meDEpo ble-poMEnon [991],
By faith Noah, warned concerning the thingsnot seen as yet,
eu-la-beTHEIS [2125] ka-teSKEUa-sen [2680] ki-boTON [2787] eis so-teRIan [4991] tou OIkou auTOU;
with godly fear prepared an ark to thesaving of his :house;
di' HES kaTEkri-nen [2632] ton KOSmon,
through which he condemned the world,
kai tes kaTA PIstin di-kai-oSUnes [1343] eGEne-to kle-roNOmos [2818].
and became heir of the righteousness which isaccording to faith.
e. 11:8 FAITH SENT ABRAHAM FROM HIS HOMELAND
PIstei kaLOUme-nos [2563] A-braAM, huPEkou-sen [5219] e-xelTHEIN
By faith Abraham, when called, obeyed to go out
eis TOpon [5117] hon Emel-len lamBAnein eis kle-ro-noMIan [2817],
unto a place which he was to receive for inheritance,
kai eXELthein, me e-piSTAme-nos [1987] pou ERche-tai.
and went out, not knowing where he was going.
f. 11:9-10 FAITH IN A CITY - LED HIM TO BE A PILGRIM
PIstei paROke-sen [3939] eis gen tes e-pag-geLIas [1860],
By faith he became sojourner in theland of :promise,
hos al-loTRIan [245], en skeNAIS [4633] ka-toiKEsas [2730], meTA IsaAK kai IaKOB,
as in a foreign one, living in tents, with Isaac and Jacob,
ton sun-kle-roNOmon [4789] tes e-pag-geLIous tes auTES:
the fellow-heirs of the same :promise:
e-xeDEche-to [1551] gar ten tous the-meLIous [2310] Echou-san POlin,
10for he awaited the city which has the foundations,
hes techNItes [5079] kai de-mi-ourGOS [1217] ho TheOS.
whose builder and maker is :God.
g. 11:11-12 FAITH BROUGHT CONCEPTION TO SARAH IN OLD AGE
PIstei kai auTE SARra DUna-min eis ka-ta-boLEN [2602] SPERma-tos [4690] Ela-ben,
By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive seed,
kai paRA kaiRON [2540] he-liKIas [2244],
even when past herseason,
ePEI piSTON heGEsa-to [2233] ton e-pag-geiLAme-non [1861]:
since she counted him faithful who had promised:
di' HO kai aph' heNOS e-genNEthe-san [1080], kai TAUta ne-ne-kroMEnou [3499],
12wherefore also therewere begotten of one, and him as good as dead,
kaTHOS ta Astra [798] tou ou-raNOU to PLEthei [4128}, kai hos he AMmos [285],
even as the stars of :heaven in :multitude, and as the sand,
he paRA to CHEIlos [5491 tes thaLASses [2281] he a-naRITHme-tos [382].
which is by the shore of the sea, :innumerable.
3. 11:13-16 OT FAITH SAW RESURRECTION TO HEAVEN: SPIRITUAL CANAAN!
a. 11:13 OT SAINTS DIED IN FAITH - PROMISES UNFULFILLED
KaTA PIstin aPEtha-non [599] HOUtoi PANtes, me ko-miSAme-noi [2983] tas e-pag-geLIas,
These all died according to faith, not having received the promises,
alLA PORro-then [4207] auTAS iDONtes kai as-paSAme-noi [782], kai ho-mo-loGEsan-tes [3870]
but having seen them and greeted from afar, and having confessed
HOti XEnoi [3581] kai pa-rePIdeMOI [3927] ei-sin ePI tes ges.
that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
b. 11:14 For who say such thingsmanifest that they are seeking after a country of their own.
hoi gar toiAUta LEgon-tes am-phaNIzou-sin [1718] HOti paTRIda [3968] e-pi-zeTOUsin [1934].
c. 11:15 THEY TURNED DOWN THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO BACK
kai ei men eKEInes em-neMOneu-on [3421] aph' hes eXEbe-san [1831],
And if indeed they had minded that from which they went out,
EIchon an kaiRON a-naKAMpsai [344].
they would have had opportunity to return.
d. 11:16 GOD'S REACTION IN THE LIGHT OF SUCH FAITH
nun de KREITto-nos [2909] oREgon-tai [3713], tout' EStin, a-pou-raNIou [2032]:
But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly:
di' ho ouk e-paiSCHUne-tai [1870] auTOUS ho TheOS, TheOS e-pi-kaLEISthai [1941] auTON;
wherefore :God is not ashamed of them, to be called their God;
heTOIma-sen [2090] gar auTOIS POlin [4172].
for he has prepared them a city.
NOTE: 11:1-2 - Here is a good definition of faith - which is confirmed by OT saints!
11:3-12 - Here are some specific examples from saints of the past who have proven this principle of faith. 11:6 linked with 11:1 above have been used much by NT saints. The Navigator's TMS (Topical Memory System) recognized the value of these verses. Both Testaments and Covenants have proved this principle to be true.
In 1960 I preached through the Bible in a Year at the First Baptist Church of Round Lake, Illinois - following the example of Dr. J. Vernon McGee. On Wednesday night I gave an outline for the reading of the week; on Sunday morning, the leading theme of the book under consideration; and on Sunday night, the leading chapter or character. Seldom have I ever been under such consistent pressure in all my life. It was a break when this assignment was completed.
Then I questioned the congregation of some 200 - “Who was your favorite OT character? Abraham? Moses? others?” Men responded, but not the women. I finally asked them specifically for their choice. “Why not Abraham?” I asked. “Any man who suggests to his wife that she was his sister and became the possibility of a rape - no - not him!” they replied. “Who then?” I asked. “Noah!” they assuredly answered. “How come him?” I queried. “Any husband who labored 120 years to build an ark to save his wife and family, is indeed a worthy husband!” came back to me. “I would never have thought of looking at it thatway,” I responded. “That's because you're a man!” - effectively put me in my place!
11:8-12 - Vision! was the guiding light that kept Abraham steadfast until he obtained the beginning of the inheritance that God had promised him.
11:13-16 opens up one of the 27 NT mysteries hidden in the OT, but revealed in the New, especially through the apostle Paul! OT saints will notbe perfected in their dispensation. They must await for ourtime of NT resurrection - and then we will allenter into the fullness of God's promises together. And, it is important to see, that Canaan land, flowing with milk and honey, is a marvelous type of the city that God has prepared for us in His status as both Builder and Maker.
These first 16 verses of this chapter are but the beginning of those in the “cloud of great witness.” All that this “cloud” have based their faith upon, is recounted in the first 10 chapters. By faith David especially saw this possibility, and indeed by faith entered into much of it ahead of time. - J.A.W.