October 28/Hebrews 11

Posted on October 27, 2016

I ended the blog yesterday by saying that we are the faithful ones. Faithful ones have faith. So now we move into the Faith chapter.

Verse 1 > Faith isn’t wishful thinking. Our faith is based on the what the Word of God says. So our faith says,“Whether I see it presently, understand it intellectually, or experience it immediately, I know what God says He’ll do, He will do.”

Faith sees what God sees. God sees me as righteous in Jesus. By faith I see myself that way. Do you see yourself that way?

2 Corinthians 5:21 (NASB95) — 21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Verse 2 > They earned a good reputation with God because he loves when his people believe him.

Verse 3 > The men and women of faith were light years ahead of the scientists of today. Science tells us that every thing is made out of energy and this is what men and women of faith already believed. They knew it was the energy of the breath of God when he spoke the world into existence.

Verse 4 > Faith comes by hearing the word of God. Abel must have been schooled by his parents who would have told him that to approach God their must be blood shed for the forgiveness of sin. Abel believed them and showed it by his obedience. Abel had the Fear of God. He took God seriously. Abel learned from the experience of his parents Adam and Eve.

Cain went to the same school but refused believe and to obey. Cain did not have the Fear of God. He did not take God seriously. Apparently he didn’t learn anything from his parents experience with sin and not fearing the Lord.
We must follow Abel’s example of faith. We come to God through the shed blood of Jesus. Our sins are forgiven and we have the righteousness of Jesus. We can now stand before a righteous God.
1 John 3:12 (NLT) — 12 We must not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because Cain had been doing what was evil, and his brother had been doing what was righteous.
Verses 5-6 > What was Enoch’s faith. Perhaps God told him that he wouldn’t have to die because one day God would come and just take him to heaven. That took a lot of faith on Enoch’s part because up until that time Enoch had only seen people die! Enoch’s faith was that he believed that God would do what he said he would do. And his faith was rewarded.
Verses 7-8 > faith and obedience go hand in hand. They are two sides of the same coin.

Verses 9-16 > the promise of a better place > heaven, kept these people believing and obeying God. We have that same promise you know.John 14:1–3 (NLT) — 1 “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. 2 There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.

Verses 17-20 > God told Abraham that it was through Isaac’s descendants that his name would be carried on and Abraham believed him even to the point of going through with the sacrifice. He reasoned that God would just have to bring Isaac back to life!

Verses 24-27 > Moses was moved by the fear of the Lord not the fear of man. He knew that the pleasures of sin were temporary. The fear of the Lord gives you this kind of wisdom.

Proverbs 9:10 (NLT) — 10 Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.

He lived as though he could see the Invisible One! Keeping his eyes on the invisible one is to hear the word of God and obey. We keep looking at the word of God because God and His word are inseparable.
Hebrews 12:1–2 (NLT) — 1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.

Verses 33-35 > the faith of these people gave them victory over their circumstances.

Verses 36-38 > the faith of these people gave them victory in their circumstances. Ponder that one.

Verse 39 > they hadn’t yet received this > The promise of the Messiah Jesus with salvation in his name and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Verse 40 > one day all of us faithful ones will inherit the heavenly city that is promised us!

Be Inspired Hilltop!

Filed Under: Inspire

Comments

  1. Sue Tate says:
    October 28, 2016 at 6:31 am

    In verse 5 it says- Enoch had this testimony – that he pleased God. Wouldn’t that be a great testimony for all of us — that we pleased God! Something to strive for every day.

    • Daniel Mueller says:
      October 28, 2016 at 7:01 am

      I want to leave the kind of legacy behind where the person who would write my obituary would be inspired to only write, “He pleased God.”

  2. Mark Gundersen says:
    October 28, 2016 at 6:41 am

    With the exception of Enoch and Abel all of the people in the Hall of Fame of faith had times where they failed but through faith allowed God to pick them up and put them back on the right path. Gideon was frightened, Samson was self centered, Moses had a speech impediment that he told God would make him unable to do the job. If these imperfect people could be used by God then God can use us also if we live by faith in God.