Hello friends!
This week we got to study the book of Hebrews. I had never studied it closely before so it was neat to read it so closely! Chapter 11 was my favorite. It is like the Faith Hall of Fame. There are a ton of Old Testament heroes listed and what they did to be counted as righteous. It was pretty much always their actions done in faith!
Below is my outline of the chapter.
Hebrews 11
– Chapter Theme – Action by Faith
·
Biblical
definition of faith:
o
“Now faith is
confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” –
Hebrews 11:1
·
Biblical
examples of faith:
o
Creation (11:3)
§
We have faith
that God made the world out of nothing
§
Without faith
there is no explanation with solid evidence
·
Bad substitutes:
o
Big Bang Theory
o
No beginning to
the world
o
Abel (11:4)
§
Abel’s offering
to the Lord pleased Him because He gave the best he had in faith whereas Cain
gave what was convenient.
§
“By faith he was
commended as righteous”
§
His brother was
so jealous he killed him.
o
Enoch (11:5)
§
Pleased God so
much with his faith God took him to heaven and he never experienced death.
§
“And without
faith it is impossible to please God” (11:6a)
o
Noah (11:7)
§
When God told
Noah to build a huge ark he didn’t hesitate and built it exactly as he was
commanded.
§
He was rewarded
by being spared from the flood and he “became heir of the righteousness that is
in keeping with faith”.
o
Abraham and
Sarah (11:8-19)
§
Abraham left his
home and family and traveled to an unknown location by faith.
§
Sarah, who was
way past childbearing age, was able to conceive because she believed God when
He said she would.
§
By faith Abraham
went to sacrifice Isaac to God because He knew God promised him descendants
thru Isaac and if he did sacrifice him, God could raise him from the dead.
o
Isaac (11:20)
§
By faith,
blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future.
o
Jacob (11:21)
§
By faith, Jacob
blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and continued to worship God.
o
Joseph (11:22)
§
Joseph talked
about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt.
o
Moses (11:23-28)
§
Moses’ parents
hid him for three months because “they saw he was no ordinary child, and they
were not afraid of the king’s edict”.
§
Moses refused to
be known as the Pharaoh’s daughter but instead chose to suffer with the Israelites.
§
He led the
Israelites out of Egypt without fear of the king because he knew God was with
him.
§
He kept the
Passover.
o
Israelites
(11:29-30)
§
By their faith,
they were able to cross the Red Sea on dry land, but the Egyptians were drowned
when they tried.
§
The wall of
Jericho fell after marching around them seven times.
o
Rahab (11:31)
§
Because she
welcomed the spies, she was not killed with the disobedient.
o
Gideon, Barak,
Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets (11:32-38)
§
By faith:
·
Conquered kingdoms
·
Administered
justice
·
Gained what was
promised
·
Shut the mouths
of lions
·
Quenched the
fury of flames
·
Escaped the edge
of the sword
·
Weakness was
turned to strength
·
Became powerful
in battle and routed foreign armies
·
Women received
back their dead, raised to life again
·
Others were
tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better
resurrection
·
Faced jeers and
flogging and even chains and imprisonment
·
Put to death by
stoning, sawed in two, or killed by the sword
·
Persecuted and
mistreated
The world was not worthy of them
Sometimes I feel like God asks a lot of my, but then I look at this chapter and I realize I am being silly. When was the last time God asked me to stand up to a king, hang out with some hungry lions, or be tortured and killed for my faith? I think Him asking me to be patient as I look for jobs is nothing compared to that!!
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